Jonah opened his eyes, but it wasn’t the world he remembered. The void was gone. The shadows were gone. Even Kevin’s glow was gone. He stood in a place that looked like fire turned inside out, dark flames licking the ground, golden sparks falling from a sky that wasn’t real. His own body glowed faintly, but cracks spread across his skin, leaking smoke instead of light. For a moment, Jonah thought he was dead, then the voice came. “You are not dead. Not yet. You are mine now.”Jonah staggered, clutching his chest. The wound where the tendril had struck still burned, the shadow coiling inside him like a living thing. He gritted his teeth, snarling into the dark. “Get out of me.”The Hive laughed, its voice echoing from everywhere. “Out? Foolish fire. I am not inside you. You are inside me.”Jonah’s claws sparked weakly, golden fire sputtering at his fingertips. His body trembled, his strength nearly gone. But his golden eyes burned fierce. “I beat you. Kevin and I broke your seed.”“

The world was burning. The chamber shook as fire and shadow exploded together, throwing debris across the ground. The blast sent the survivors tumbling back, some screaming as their weapons clattered. Smoke filled the air, choking and heavy, while the floor cracked beneath the weight of power.Kevin held on. He didn’t let go even when Jonah’s body convulsed. He didn’t let go even when golden fire scorched his hands or when shadow clawed at his skin. His small arms wrapped tight around Jonah’s chest, and his tears soaked into the man’s broken shirt. “Don’t leave me,” Kevin whispered again and again. “Don’t leave me…”The fire raged louder, swallowing his voice. Lisa stumbled forward, shielding her eyes from the light. “Kevin! Get back!”But Kevin shook his head, his voice breaking. “No! If I let go, he’ll be gone!”Lisa froze. For a second, she almost reached for him. But the heat burned her hand back, and fear twisted in her chest. She could see Jonah’s body, splitting apart, one s

The smoke had not cleared. Ash still hung in the air, falling like black snow across the broken chamber. The red light from below was gone, smothered by Jonah’s fire, but the heat still lingered, heavy and choking. The survivors stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the man at the center. Jonah.He was on his knees, his chest heaving, smoke rising from his claws. Kevin clung to his side, his small body shaking but unyielding. Lisa stood a few steps away, her gun lowered, her eyes wide and wet. Everyone waited for him to move. At last, Jonah lifted his head. One eye glowed gold. The other burned crimson.The survivors gasped. Fear rippled through them. A man muttered under his breath, “He’s not human anymore…”Jonah’s lips moved. His voice was hoarse, broken. “Still… me.” But even as he said it, a whisper crawled from his throat, dark and sharp. “No… he is mine.”Kevin’s eyes widened, tears filling them. “No! Don’t say that! He’s not yours!”Jonah clutched his chest, his claws digging i

The chamber was silent. Silent, except for the crackle of shadow fire spreading from Jonah’s body, burning black and red across the broken stone. The smoke swirled thick, choking the air. The survivors froze, staring at him with pale faces.Jonah stood tall in the center, his wings spread wide, one completely black now, dripping fire like blood. His claws burned crimson. His golden eye was gone. Only red light glared from his face.And Kevin was still in his arms, small and trembling, refusing to let go. Lisa’s throat tightened. “Jonah…”The voice that came from his mouth was not his own. It was deeper, sharper, crawling with venom.“He is no longer Jonah. He is mine.”Kevin shook his head violently, his tears falling. “No! He’s still Jonah! You’re lying!”The crimson eye turned down at him. For a heartbeat, the red glow softened, just slightly. Then it flared again.The survivors raised their weapons. Their hands shook, but their eyes were hard. Derek shouted, his voice cracking. “Wh

The air was heavy with smoke and the bitter stink of burnt flesh. The battlefield was quiet for the first time in hours, but it was not peaceful. It was the kind of silence that follows when people are too shocked to speak, and in the middle of that silence was Jonah.He was on his knees, his body bent forward, trembling as if torn by invisible claws. His skin glowed in patches, light and shadow fighting for space across him. Golden fire burned along his arms and shoulders, but in the same places, black veins swelled and spread like roots of rot. One half of his face looked human, weary, alive. The other half twisted, cheekbone sharp, jaw longer, his eye a deep red slit glowing like a predator. Everyone stared. No one dared move.Kevin was the only one who rushed forward. The boy flung his arms around Jonah, even as Jonah’s form shifted under his hands. His claws dug into the dirt, inches away from Kevin’s legs, but the child held on anyway. “Jonah! Please don’t go! Please stay wi