Plush armchairs sat arranged in a loose circle near a low table. Brightly colored plastic pieces, decks of cards, and several other puzzles scattered the table.
Everything about the room felt designed to lower defenses.
Still, mine remained firmly in place.
Dr. Hampton motioned for me to sit in the small chair at the low table, while Knox, Silas, and herself settled into the armchairs across from me.
“You asked for more puzzles,” she said. “So I found a fewthat might challenge you more. Why don’t you start with this one?”
She gestured to a collection of brightly colored plastic blocks, each a different size and shape.
“Do I need to explain the objective?” she asked.
I shook my head no.
“All right,” she said. “You can begin.”
My hands moved immediately, working to bring the image already formed in my mind into reality. Unlike the flat puzzle before, this one was three dimensional. Each piece fit together on multiple planes, shapes locking in on all sides until they formed a large octagonal prism. Despite the new format, its completed form still appeared in my mind, guiding my hands.
I didn’t even notice that the doctor had started a timer until it beeped at the moment I completed my task. Then she began jotting down notes, her pen moving fast across the page. Whatever she wrote remained a mystery to me, as it always did.
“Four minutes, Lena,” Dr. Hampton said, a note of approval in her voice. “That’s quite impressive. I’d like to continue with more puzzles, but I want to record certain data using a specialized tool.”
She reached next to her chair and lifted a compact device with a small monitor and a bundle of long, thin wires. Each wire ended in a flat medical sensor, designed to adhere to skin. She stood and brought it closer so I could examine it.
“This allows us to monitor your brain activity, pulse, and more,” she explained simply. “The sensors pick up electrical signals your brain produces naturally. It doesn’t hurt, and it won’t change how you feel or think. The device simply allows us to observe what’s already happening in yourmind and body while you work. Would that be alright with you?”
She waited, giving me time to process.
I nodded.
She untangled the wires and reached toward my temple with one of the sensors. I ducked away from her touch instinctively, shoulders bunching as my gaze locked onto her hand.
Dr. Hampton withdrew immediately.
“That’s all right,” she said evenly. “For accurate readings, I'll need to place these on your temples and chest,” she reached for me again, but I ducked again.
She didn't get frustrated like I expected; instead, suggesting, “If you don’t feel comfortable withmeplacing them, would you prefer one of your handlers do it?”
The room went quiet.
I glanced at Silas first, then to Knox. They both waited, staring at me in anticipation. After a moment, I nodded, small but certain.
Red flooded my cheeks.
Silas smirked, catching my reaction. Then Knox stood and took the device from Dr. Hampton as she instructed him where each sensor needed to go. He moved closer, but not completely into my space, waiting for explicit permission.
I nodded.
“I’ll go slow,” he reassured me.
His touch was deliberate and careful, no abrupt movements. One sensor settled against each temple, cool at first, then warming as it adhered. Another followed along the side of my neck, right where my pulse throbbed, his fingers barelygrazing skin as he placed it. Goosebumps erupted. I focused on my breathing, steadying myself as the contact lingered just long enough for him to be precise.
“Two more,” Dr. Hampton said. “They need to sit lower on her chest for accurate readings.”
She looked at me. “Lena, could you please slip your arms out of the straps of your shirt so Knox can place the sensors on your chest?”
I hesitated, but eventually slipped my arms out of the straps, clutching the loose fabric of my shirt to my chest, tightly. My fingers curled into the material, knuckles whitening as I waited.
