Then walked back to Eli.
“Can you show me the original design?”
Eli opened the notebook.
Adrian studied it.
“There's a flaw.”
Eli immediately leaned closer.
“Where?”
Adrian pointed.
“This bearing.”
Eli frowned.
“I tested it.”
“You tested it under normal conditions.”
“Yes.”
“What about heat?”
Eli froze.
“I didn't.”
Adrian smiled.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“You found your next experiment.”
Eli smiled.
For the next two hours, the science fair stopped being a competition.
It became a workshop.
Teachers brought tools.
Parents brought supplies.
Students gathered around.
Eli rebuilt the damaged prototype on a temporary table.
The bully stood at the edge of the room.
Silent.
Nobody looked at him.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody needed to.
He had finally discovered what it felt like to be invisible.
Eli worked.
He replaced the broken housing.
Rewound the coils.
Replaced the shaft.
Adjusted the magnets.
Tested the alignment.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Again.
Still nothing.
Adrian stood beside him.
“What's wrong?”
Eli frowned.
“The rotation isn't transferring.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
Adrian didn't help.
He simply waited.
Eli stared at the machine.
Then closed his eyes.
“Wait.”
He opened the notebook.
Flipped through several pages.
Then smiled.
“The torque curve.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“You designed the system for constant airflow.”
“Yes.”
“But the fan here isn't constant.”
Eli nodded.
“It's pulsing.”
“Exactly.”
He changed the control angle.
Turned the blade assembly.
Tightened the central mount.
“Try it.”
Eli switched on the test fan.
The blades moved.
Slowly.
Then faster.
The copper coils began to hum.
A tiny light on the circuit board flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then stayed on.
The entire room went silent.
Eli stared.