Chapter 15: Genetic Recoding
...The projection shifted from a scientific model to a terrifying hazard map. Flashing red icons appeared wherever a child with the new hair colors had just been born.
*"The danger is extreme,"* Earth stressed. *"These children are **untrained, magical time bombs**. They have innate power with no guidance. The case of Yolanda's child confirms uncontrolled, chaotic **Fire Magic** discharge at birth. If a Dark affinity child manifests their power violently, or an Earth affinity child loses control of gravity, the consequences for the non-magical world will be catastrophic."*
The weight of his accidental creation settled onto Carter's shoulders. The **digital wealth** he had amassed, the Academy he planned—it all became a desperate necessity.
"The **Black-haired** kids," Carter said, his voice flat. "The Dark affinity. They will be the most volatile, the most prone to chaos and power, like the worst of the Drakain."
*"Statistically, the Dark affinity children present the highest risk of global instability,"* Earth confirmed.
Carter's gaze drifted back to his own reflection, his black and white eyes swirling faster than ever. He had created a mirror of his own internal struggle on a global scale.
"The Academy isn't a business anymore, Earth," Carter said, standing up with a renewed, cold determination. "It's an emergency shelter. It's a military school. We have to find these kids before someone else does, and before they hurt themselves or the world."
He looked at the digital display, the **\$1.8 billion flashing brightly**—a fortune that was now a weapon. "We need to accelerate the entire plan. We need more than just one Academy. We need to begin laying the groundwork for a global system of control."
He snapped his fingers. **"Show me the best security protocols a billion dollars can buy, and let's go buy that industrial complex."**