?Chapter 1313:


    Cade frowned, hefting his pack, then Freya’s. “They feel the same.”


    “Let me check.” Frederick grabbed Freya’s pack, then Greta’s, his eyes widening. “Wait a second,” he muttered, testing his own. His face fell, stunned.


    Curious, the others turned to him. Frederick swallowed, his voice small. “Mine is… lighter. A lot lighter.”


    Cade and Moss each lifted Frederick’s pack, their jaws dropping. His was indeed much lighter.


    “It is practically empty,” Cade said, incredulous. “Is this not favoritism?”


    Ellis’s gaze was level. “Frederick is a technical specialist. His strength lies in skills, not muscle.”


    The organization had made an exception for him, given his age. At sixteen, Frederick would not have qualified, but his hacking prowess had earned him a spot. Training now was about building his fitness. Real drills wouldeter.


    “Freya is a tech talent too,” Cade pressed.


    Frederick nodded eagerly. “Her hacking outshines mine.”


    All eyes shifted to Ellis, waiting.


    Freya’s jaw tightened. Before Ellis could speak, she stepped forward, her voice firm. “I am here to train, not to code. Hacking is just a side skill. I am no special case.”


    Greta hissed under her breath, nudging her. “Are you nuts? im the tech role, and you skip this grind.”


    Ellis’s eyes flicked to Freya, a brief, unreadable nce. “Break’s over,” he said, his tone final. “Get back to the training ground within fifty-five minutes.”


    He climbed into the vehicle and drove off, dust trailing behind. The group groaned but fell into step, their boots thudding against the earth.


    The return trip took exactly fifty-five minutes. By the organization’s standards, their pace was subpar, but for rookies, Ellis let it slide.


    The team copsed at the finish, too drained to stand. Seeing their exhaustion, Ellis granted extra rest.


    “Take it easy for a bit,” he said, his voice quieter now. Then he turned, his gaze locking on one figure. “Freya Briggs,e with me.”


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    Freya froze, her chest still heaving, then pushed herself up. She followed him, her steps heavy.


    Ellis said nothing as they walked, his silence thick with purpose. He led her to a server room, the hum of machines filling the air.<fn94a0> Read full story at fin?novel</fn94a0>


    Ellis nudged a chair toward the desk, his eyes glinting with challenge. “Give this a shot,” he said, gesturing to theputer screen. “It is a security defense system, built by the organization’s tech wizards.”


    Freya’s brow furrowed, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. The thought sent a shiver through her.


    “I do not want to end up in trouble,” she said, her voice low but firm, her gaze flicking to Ellis.


    “Rx. This is not the real deal—just a test version,” he said, his deep voice carrying a reassuring warmth. “Even the designers have not cracked it.”


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