The forest clearing reeked of ozone and burned metal. Maya’s body slumped against the base of a shattered tree, her breaths shallow, her skin pale but her eyes—still defiant—tracking every shadow that moved around them.Ethan stood at her side, body coiled, every nerve alight with something new and feral. He had felt the hunters long before they revealed themselves. Their steps didn’t crack twigs, their weapons hummed at a pitch meant to evade human ears, but to him… it was thunder.A dozen figures emerged from the mist, faces hidden behind chrome masks, their armor plated with strange shifting alloys that shimmered in patterns designed to confuse the eye. Each carried a weapon pulsing with anti-host resonance—blades that cut deeper than steel, rifles that rattled with bursts meant to tear through spectral flesh.One of them raised his weapon and spoke through a vocoder, the voice metallic and warped. “Zero. The failed host. The parasite who won’t die.”Ethan’s reply came low and dark

The chandeliers of Brooks Tower dripped with gold and crystal, casting fractured light over silk gowns and black-tie suits. A string quartet played in the corner, their polished bows scraping out a waltz that echoed through the marble hall. Waiters in spotless uniforms glided like ghosts between clusters of wealthy elites, each guest laughing too loudly, drinking too much, pretending the world wasn’t cracking just beyond their glass walls.And in the shadows, hidden behind a mask of obsidian lacquer, Ethan stood.The gala was a farce, another of Brooks Corp’s carefully staged performances. A fundraiser, they called it. A celebration of resilience, of “unity in a time of uncertainty.” But Ethan could smell the rot beneath the perfume, feel the venom in every toast. These weren’t allies raising glasses to survival. They were wolves fattening themselves on a corpse. His corpse.His eyes tracked Lena first. She moved across the ballroom like a queen ascending her throne, draped in sapphir

The siphon cracked apart in a storm of fire and sparks. Alarms howled, red light washing across the lab like blood spilling down the walls. Ethan ripped the cables from Maya’s body and caught her as she sagged forward, weak but alive. Her breathing was shallow, ragged, every exhale trembling against his chest.“Stay with me,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”But the machine didn’t die quietly. The ruptured core flared white-hot, vomiting unstable energy that raced like lightning through the walls, the ceiling, the very air. Ethan felt it slice through him, tugging at his insides, threading heat into his veins until every nerve screamed.And then came the voice.“Brother…”It dripped from the speakers, from the cracked console, from the shattered lights overhead. The sound was everywhere and nowhere, low and venomous, seeping straight into Ethan’s skull.“Thank you, brother.”Ethan froze. His jaw tightened, breath sharp as knives.Specter’s laugh followed, distorted, cruel. “You’ve given

The city moved as if nothing had happened. Neon bled into glass towers, traffic roared along the arteries of steel streets, and the people walked beneath screens that fed them the same lie on every channel.The lie of Ethan Cole.His face filled every broadcast — not as a man reborn, but as a criminal buried.On one screen, a stern anchor’s voice carried through the plaza. “Breaking news: Brooks Corporation confirms the traitor Ethan Cole has been executed. His crimes against humanity, his betrayal of the Host council, and his reckless violence against civilians will never be forgotten. Let this be a warning to those who would endanger the peace we’ve fought to protect.”Maya pulled her hood lower, glancing at Ethan’s rigid profile as they slipped through the crowded streets. “They’ve erased you,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “It’s like you never even lived.”Ethan said nothing. His eyes stayed locked on the screen where the footage rolled — grainy, doctored frames of a man in a

The atmosphere in the safehouse felt a bit dense, as if the walls were leaning in to catch the latest developments. Ethan's grip on the desk was firm, his reflection faintly visible on the dark screen. He could still feel the heat of Ada's words, bringing a sense of clarity that was both surprising and a little overwhelming, like a gentle nudge that encouraged him to face the truth head-on.“Not human alone.”He whispered the words like a curse, like saying them aloud would make them vanish. But they lingered, heavy, poisonous, undeniable.Maya paced behind him, her boots scuffing against the concrete floor. “We can’t take her word at face value. She abandoned you, Ethan. She built this nightmare. Of course she’d twist the truth now. She’s manipulating you.”“She’s my mother.” Ethan’s voice cracked like old glass. “And she’s all I’ve got left.”Maya stopped in her tracks, turning to him sharply. “No. She’s not all you have. You’ve got me. You’ve got Host 001. Hell, you’ve even got Par