Marco sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall.
The room was quiet. Too quiet. Just the faint hum of ventilation and the occasional beep from medical equipment in the corner.
He'd been thinking for the past hour. Turning everything over in his mind. Analyzing. Calculating.
His father would be looking for him. That was certain. It's just his long. Vincent Delgado didn't lose assets—especially not his own son. Every resource, every contact, every soldier in the Saint Patro would be mobilized.
But Vex was right about one thing.
The man in white. The vampires. The spaceship. Things Marco had seen with his own eyes, fought against, barely survived.
His father's power meant nothing against that.
And now Marco was one of them. A paradox user. A target.
He looked down at his hands. Purple smoke wisped faintly from his fingers—barely visible, but there. Responding to his thoughts, his emotions. It felt cold, helpless.
He didn't know how to control it. Didn't know what it could do beyond those brief, chaotic moments during the fight. The floor disappearing. Impossible outcomes resolving in his favor.
If he was going to survive—if he was going to be useful, valuable, *safe*—he needed to understand this power.
The door beeped.
Marco looked up as it opened.
Vex walked in, carrying a tray of food. She was still dressed casually, no suit, no weapons visible. Just her, looking completely at ease.
"Brought you lunch," she said, setting the tray on the small table beside the bed.
"Nothing fancy. Sandwich, fruit, water. Violet says you need to keep your energy up while your paradox and anchor stabilizes."
Marco didn't move. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Vex pulled the chair over and sat down, same relaxed posture as before. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I'm in a cage."
"Fair." Vex gestured around the room. "I know it's not ideal. But you're not a prisoner. You can leave whenever you want."
Marco raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Sure. Walk right out that door. We won't stop you." Vex's expression was completely sincere. "Of course, the man in white is still out there. Your father's people are tearing the city apart looking for you. And you have zero control over a paradox ability that could accidentally destroy a building if you sneeze wrong."
She smiled. "But yeah, totally free to go."
Marco almost laughed despite himself. "Point taken."
"Besides," Vex continued, "you're thinking about asking us to train you anyway."
Marco opened his mouth—
"Yes, we train people how to use their abilities," Vex said, cutting him off before he could speak. "And we don't charge for first-time visitors." Her smile widened. "Consider it a free trial."
Marco stared at her. "How do you always know what I'm about to say?"
"Call it being able to see the future," Vex said with a shrug.
There was something playful in her tone, but also something genuine. Like she was being honest and joking at the same time.
Marco studied her for a long moment. "Is that your paradox? Precognition?"
"Something like that." Vex didn't elaborate. "Eat your sandwich. You'll need your strength for training."
Marco looked at the food. His stomach growled—he hadn't eaten since before The Stack. Slowly, he reached for the sandwich. He brought it up to his nose as he smells it. A wave of nausea hit him. As if his body was fighting to even be near it.
Then Vex watched him take a bite, then leaned back in the chair. "So here's how this works. We'll teach you the basics of your paradox. How to activate it consciously. How to control the output. How to not accidentally erase things from existence when you're stressed."
"Parrondo's paradox," Marco said between bites. "That's what Jade called it."
"Yep. Probability manipulation. Two losing strategies combine to create a winning outcome. Or alternating between seemingly bad choices produces good results." Vex gestured vaguely. "It's why things have always seemed to work out for you. Why you've been 'lucky' your whole life."
Marco thought about all the times things had gone his way. Close calls. Narrow escapes. Deals that fell through for competitors but succeeded for him.
He'd thought it was skill. Talent. His father's influence.
But it had been this. His paradox. Working unconsciously beneath the surface his entire life.
"The thing is," Vex continued, "you've been using the basic level without knowing it. Flipping that coin, getting favorable outcomes, riding probability. But there's more to it. Advanced applications. Things you can do consciously that make the unconscious stuff look like party tricks."
"Like what?" Marco asked.
"That's what we're going to find out." Vex stood up. "Finish eating. Then we'll head to the training room and see what you can actually do."
She walked toward the door, then paused. "One more thing. Elena—the woman from The Stack—she's recovering. Violet says she'll be stable enough for visitors in a day or two."
Marco's hand tightened slightly on the sandwich. "And she wants to see me?"
"I didn't ask her," Vex admitted. "But you said you wanted to apologize. So when she's ready, we'll arrange it."
She looked at him seriously. "But Marco? That apology better be genuine. Because if you're lying—if you're playing us to buy time or gather intel for your father—I'll know."
Marco met her eyes. "I'm not lying."
"Good." Vex smiled again, the tension breaking. "Then eat up. Training starts in twenty minutes."
She left, the door closing behind her with a soft click.
Marco sat alone with his thoughts and his sandwich.
For the first time since waking up, he felt something other than calculation.
He felt… hopeful?
No. Not quite.
He felt like maybe—just maybe—he had a choice.
And that was something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
All he new was change was coming. And fast.