“It was proof that all of it—every failure, every betrayal—had meaning.”

It was proof that all of it—every failure, every betrayal—had meaning. That he was right. Proof of his brilliance. Reckoning for his doubters. Years of obsessive research, sacrifice, sleepless ambition, and relentless failure had all led to this moment. Keoni was a genius—dual doctorates in quantum physics and electrochemistry.