25 Years Earlier

David Leeton sat at his desk, looking over the city centre of Windfield. He'd been appointed Director of the Agency less than a year ago, handpicked by the government after a scandal nearly brought the organisation to its knees. The previous Director had been quietly removed, and David was put in place as a reformer, charged with restoring public confidence in the Agency. The Head of Government had made it clear: the era of human experimentation was over. Agency conscripts were to be treated with dignity and respect. No more unauthorised projects. No more Madicorp.

David worked to dismantle the worst abuses, enforcing strict oversight, especially on Madicorp. Madicorp was powerful, slippery, and constantly pushed back against his orders. But David had thought he was getting the situation under control.

That illusion shattered when his phone buzzed.

David glanced down at the screen. Hugo Richards. One of his most trusted agents, and a man with a unique personal stake in the Agency. David had bent the rules to bring Hugo into the fold, understanding that Hugo had only joined to protect someone he loved: his daughter, Belle, a conscript drafted into the Agency years before.

But Belle was more than just another conscript to David. They'd met during a covert mission, forced to pose as a couple for weeks on end, and somewhere in the long nights and close calls, their shared pretence had blossomed into something real. David had hidden his feelings, knowing that a relationship with a conscript was forbidden. But he couldn't help himself. Belle was his anchor, his refuge.

He ignored Hugo's first call, then the second. But when his phone buzzed a third time, he picked up, his voice sharp. "Hugo, this better be important."

Hugo's voice was low and urgent. "David, it's Belle. They've taken her to Madicorp."

David's stomach dropped. "What? Under whose authority?"

"No one's," Hugo replied, his voice laced with barely suppressed rage. "They picked her up in the middle of the night. The experiment is called Project Ruptura."

David felt his grip on the phone tighten. Project Ruptura. He'd heard the whispers—a rumoured "resilience test" where subjects were injected with chemical compounds designed to push the human body beyond its limits. It was exactly the kind of experiment he'd been brought in to stop. "I shut that project down months ago. They're defying direct orders from the government."

"Someone overrode your orders. They've already started the procedure."

David contemplated his next move. Belle wasn't just a conscript; she was carrying his child, though she didn't even know it yet. He'd kept that knowledge from her, fearing the consequences, thinking he'd have time to protect her. But now, that secret felt like a ticking bomb.

"Hugo, meet me in the basement. Now."

****

Within minutes, David and Hugo were tearing through the streets in a black Agency car, weaving through traffic as they sped toward Madicorp's HQ in Greenlakes. David's pulse hammered in his ears. He'd been appointed to end these abuses, to stop Madicorp's reckless experimentation on conscripts. If word got out that he had lost control of them, it would destroy everything he'd worked for.

As they raced toward the compound, Hugo drove with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, his face a mask of barely restrained fury. David glanced at him, understanding Hugo's anger.

"Project Ruptura," David muttered, shaking his head. "How did they think they could get away with this?"

"Madicorp doesn't care about your orders. They're too powerful, and they know it. They see conscripts as disposable. And Belle's... another body to them."

David clenched his jaw. He'd tried to protect Belle, assigning her to low-risk duties far from the front lines. But it hadn't been enough. Madicorp had pulled her into their orbit regardless, ignoring the new restrictions and the promises he'd made to the Head of Government and the people of Windfield.

When they reached the gates of Madicorp's facility, a team of guards blocked their path.

"Apologies, sir, you are not permitted through with a pre-approved appointment," one of the guards said.

"Madicorp is not a sovereign entity. Open the gates unless you want the entire Agency to raid these premises. Now."

The guards exchanged uneasy glances but complied, allowing him and Hugo through. As they marched down the halls of Madicorp, David's heart pounded with dread. He knew that this place represented everything he'd been fighting to dismantle, but it was a necessary evil in the war against the world.

****

They burst into the operating theatre, where Belle lay on a bed, her skin pale and eyes closed, surrounded by beeping machines. IVs and monitors connected to her, feeding a murky yellow substance into her veins. Around her stood a team of doctors and scientists, startled but defiant, led by Dr. Charles Wintrow, Madicorp's chief researcher.

"Director Leeton," Wintrow greeted him with a thin, mocking smile. "I didn't realise we'd be having visitors."

David's voice was like ice. "What are you doing to her? The government ordered an end to all human experimentation. Ruptura was supposed to be shut down."

Wintrow shrugged, his expression one of careless indifference. "Ruptura is fully authorised by our board. We received approval to proceed in... discreet circumstances. Your conscripts are ideal candidates. Young, healthy, resilient."

David's fists clenched. "Belle was not authorised for this experiment. You took her without permission."

Wintrow raised an eyebrow, his smile fading. "What's one more conscript, Director? It's not as though she's valuable. Or do you have a... personal interest in her case?"

David forced himself to stay calm. "This project is over. Shut it down, now."

One of the younger doctors, a woman with a long nose and a clinical tone, spoke up. "We can't stop the procedure without endangering the subject. The compound has already taken effect. She's... adjusting remarkably well. She's the only one who's survived."

Hugo took a step forward, his voice shaking with barely contained rage. "She's not just a subject. She's a human being. You've killed others?"

David's voice hardened. "You're finished, Wintrow. You're in direct violation of a government order. Release her, or I will shut down this facility myself."

Wintrow's expression turned cold. "Do what you will, Director. But Project Ruptura is only the beginning. There's no stopping progress."

****

Back at the Agency's infirmary, David sat beside Belle's bed, his hand resting on hers. She was alive, but barely. He knew the ordeal she'd endured would have consequences—not just for her, but for the unborn child she carried.

Hugo joined David, looking down at Belle with an intensity that spoke of love and despair. "Madicorp won't stop, you know. They'll come after her again. And her child."

David nodded, the weight of Hugo's words pressing down on him. "We'll find a way to keep her safe."

Hugo's eyes flashed. "If we can't protect her here, I'll take her away. Both of them. Somewhere beyond Madicorp's reach."

David nodded, but inside, he knew the truth: noone was safe as long as Madicorp held influence and had allies in thegovernment.