Chapter 68 Mountain or Ash.

The lab was eerily quiet that night, the hum of the fluorescent lights above providing the only sound. I had been alone for hours, reviewing some data from the latest experiments. My thoughts were elsewhere, though, drifting to the endless complications of my double life. Balancing school, my work at the lab, and my secret identity was one thing, but keeping all of this from my family, friends, and my boss, Mr. Smith, was another. Lately, I’d felt his eyes on me more than usual, his gaze carrying an edge of suspicion. I shook the thoughts away and returned to my focus. My work demanded precision, and the last thing I needed was to make a mistake because my mind was wandering. But just as I was about to finish, something caught my eye. A faint line of powder, barely visible, had been sprinkled around my workstation. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized it: mountain ash. My instincts screamed at me to stay calm. Mr. Smith was trying to set a trap. I’d read about mountain ash before,