The scientist appeared in the center of the room. The children were focused, trying not to look away from him.
"Today, Experiment Number 1009—or the creature you call 'Zeka'—will undergo a challenge. It will be a test. Period."
The scientist spoke slowly, warning his subject of what was to come. Liora grew angry at how he addressed Zeka. Subject? He's Zeka... you prideful monster... she muttered under her breath, as if planning something. She closed the distance between them and quietly comforted him.
"Hey, you'll be fine—nothing to worry about. His tests aren't that hard; he's just trying to scare you," Liora said as she took his hand and pulled him over. The two of them hurried after the scientist while the rest of the group lagged behind. The scientist was standing outside, hands behind his back, not reacting to the sound of the door. He simply pointed at the tree Zeka had been looking at since Day Two.
"Burn it with your power," the scientist commanded as he looked down at Zeka beneath him, as if to say, I'm using you. Zeka looked at the tree for a moment. Is it right to do something like this? he thought as he approached the tree slowly. He put his palm on the tree.
Zeka closed his eyes; he stopped thinking about anything for this moment. And once he opened his eyes, he found the spot he was resting his hand on had made a small hole, and the tree started burning from the inside. Zeka didn't turn around yet; he watched the tree burn down slowly from the inside. He held his coat where his chest hid behind; Zeka looked at the tree with hollowed eyes. Why am I doing this?''Am I... forced to be a... Monster?''
Zeka asked himself a question, and from behind, Liora was watching everything in silence; her face frowned when she realized Zeka didn't move away from the tree. She knew he was guilty about it; the tallest tree had just a small wound and could eventually fall.
The scientist called Akari, and she was standing beside Liora. Akari looked in the scientist's direction, waiting for whatever he was about to say.
"Try healing this tree." The scientist spoke, and Akari didn't wait; she was lazy, but she felt forced to obey him anyway. Akari approached the tree where Zeka stood still. She opened her palm as she tried to fix what Zeka had done. And the tree actually got a part of it back. The scientist smirked when he noticed it.
"Your healing effect only works on living things — trees included," The scientist said. He turned toward Genseki, but before he could speak, Akari raised her hand. The scientist didn't call Genseki yet; he looked at Akari and gave her a gesture, a sign to ask her question.
"How do I have the healing effect at all? I thought I had the light power; how can light heal living things but not objects?" Akari asked as both of her arms rested beneath her chest. The scientist took a moment longer than necessary to reply. "It is not." Three words, no explanations. And he turned his head toward Genseki again.
Inside Zeka's mind, everything started to make no sense; he was completely confused. He thought the tree would fall, but Akari saved the day. He looked at her, and she also looked confused by the scientist's answer to her question. Suddenly, Genseki was approaching them. Zeka turned around to face him and found that Genseki's arms were fused with rock. He looked at him for a moment before he looked at the scientist.
"Your job now is to melt Genseki's arms. Go." The scientist spoke, commanding Zeka to do something terrible to Genseki's arm. What if I melt his actual arm, not just the... rock... Zeka thought as he hesitated; his eyes kept looking between Genseki's serious face and Akari's confusion. And he finally looked at Genseki's rock-solid arm. As he made a small contact between his finger and Genseki's arm, it started to melt slowly. Genseki didn't flinch; he trusted Zeka wouldn't go that far on him. "Your turn." The scientist pointed at Akari as she immediately looked around, thinking about what she was supposed to do in this situation.
She opened her palm toward Genseki's rock arm that was turning into dust. But her healing effect didn't work on his defensive rock arm; when Zeka's heat reached Genseki's actual arm, Genseki felt the heat burning his fingers, but he didn't move away; he kept his body still, thinking that the fire was just a small sting. The healing effect started to work again, and it healed Genseki. Akari raised her head after finally figuring it out. Genseki raised his hand toward his face to look closely. The rock cover was gone, but his bare hand looked completely like a brand-new hand. And when Zeka finally saw that Genseki was fine, he exhaled heavily as he rested his hands on his own knees, catching his breath that he had been holding the whole time.
The scientist watched the whole thing quietly as he turned around, approaching the twins, Hayato and Hayaru. Liora was standing beside them as she looked relieved after the stressful scene she had been watching the whole time.
"Both of you, you have been doing combos with your powers the last day, am I right?" The scientist spoke as he held Hayato's arm, stretching him out. "Try making lightning with your electric power." Hayato's eyes went wide when the scientist asked him to do the impossible. "A-A lightning? I-Isn't that a little too far with my powers?" Hayato asked as he looked at his brother for a brief moment before returning to the scientist.
"No, all you have to do is this," The scientist said. The scientist pried Hayato's hand open, pressing his fingers flat together as the scientist pointed his hand toward the thick layer of snow. He raised his hand still stretched out as he thrust Hayato's hand upward; a sudden lightning bolt was made out of the blank sky. Hayato was amazed by his own power; he looked up and found only one cloud over the area where the lightning struck.
The scientist looked at Hayaru as he pointed at him, telling him to come closer. Hayaru approached as Hayato looked behind him to find his brother beside him. "Now I want you both to do a 'new' combo with your powers," the scientist said as he pushed Hayato to stand next to his brother. Hayato looked at his brother, and for the first time all day, some of his excitement faltered. Hayaru only nodded once, quiet as always, already reaching for something none of them could see.