Lena staggered out of the Shadow Core chamber, her legs trembling as though they belonged to someone else. The cold air hit her face, sharp and alive. She blinked against the brightness, and Kai caught her arm, steadying her beside him. The echo-child floated between them, glow soft but present, as though filled with all the quiet hope they had left.Silence lay over the ruined corridors. Dust drifted in stray beams of morning sunshine that filtered through cracks. Lena pressed her palm against the scar on her chest where the override chip used to be. She felt only one heartbeat now—hers—and yet, somehow, there was something more inside her, fragile and faint.Eli appeared behind them, eyes red, fatigue etched deep in his face. He had patched himself during the fight. Panic and relief warred on his face as he saw Lena and Kai standing alive.“We did it,” Kai whispered, voice heavy. Lena leaned into him, overwhelmed. “He saved us,” she said quietly, tears brimming. “He died so we could

Lena pressed her back against the cold wall of the chamber. Her breathing was shallow, her palms sweaty as the echoes of approaching boots grew louder. The metallic scent of blood lingered in the air, mixing with dust and the faint hum of the dying energy field around her. She could still feel it—whatever strange pulse the Zero Child had sent through her body was still there, crawling just beneath her skin, alive and electric.She looked down at her hands. They trembled.She wasn’t sure if it was fear or power.The heavy door creaked, and her heart stopped. Then—“Kai,” she whispered.He burst into the room like a storm, weapon drawn, dark eyes scanning the chamber until they landed on her. The tension in his shoulders loosened just slightly.“You’re alive,” he breathed.She nodded, but before she could speak, the chamber lights flickered. The hum in the walls shifted—something was changing in the facility. Alarms had stopped, replaced by a low vibration like something charging.“What

The chamber trembled around them. Dust fell from the ceiling like snow. Lena stood frozen, her hand still on the wall, where moments ago, the strange symbol had glowed beneath her touch. It had vanished now, leaving only silence and Kai’s ragged breathing behind her.The Zero Child was on his knees, staring at his hands like they didn’t belong to him.“Kai,” Lena whispered. “What just happened?”He looked at her with wide eyes, his face pale. “You activated it,” he said quietly. “The chamber. You unlocked part of the core.”“I didn’t mean to,” she said, voice shaking.The boy stood slowly. His thin frame looked even smaller in the low light, but his eyes had changed. There was something older behind them now. Not just fear or confusion—but memory.“Lena…” he said. “I remember something.”She turned quickly. “What do you mean?”“I’ve been here before,” he murmured. “Before I was taken. Before they did the tests. This chamber… this was mine.”Kai stepped closer to the boy. “You were par

The chamber was shaking.Dust fell from the ceiling. Cracks appeared in the stone walls, and the lights flickered. Lena held the Zero Child close to her chest, her heart pounding. The girl didn’t cry. She just stared up at Lena with wide, glowing eyes that shimmered faintly in the dark.Kai was next to them, his back against the wall, one hand clutching his injured side. Blood soaked his shirt, but he stayed alert, his gun still in his other hand. His breathing was heavy, but his eyes were focused.“There’s no time,” Kai said. “They’re coming.”Lena nodded. She looked down at the Zero Child. “We have to get her out of here.”The girl blinked. “They want me back.”“We won’t let them,” Lena whispered, brushing hair from her pale face. “I promise.”From the hallway above, loud boots echoed. Soldiers. Dozens of them. Their shouts mixed with the distant sound of gunfire. Somewhere, another explosion rocked the facility. Lena could feel the heat in the air — someone had set the upper floors

The room stayed dark.No lights. No sound. Only the sound of their breathing.Lena’s heart pounded in her chest as she held the Zero Child close. The girl was barely conscious now, her energy nearly gone after what she had done. Her tiny fingers gripped Lena’s sleeve weakly, like she was afraid of being pulled away.Kai sat beside them, one arm around Lena, the other still holding his bleeding side. His face was pale. Too pale.Lena could hear voices from above.Boots on metal.They were here.The soldiers hadn’t left. They were just waiting. Waiting for something—or someone—to give the order.“We have to move,” Kai whispered.“There’s no way out,” Lena whispered back. “They’ve surrounded the place. I heard it in their voices. They know we’re in here.”Kai leaned his head back against the wall. “Then we don’t run. Not this time.”Lena didn’t argue. She was too tired. Too broken. But her fingers didn’t loosen around the child.The Zero Child opened her eyes slowly. They glowed faintly