Alex woke to pain. Not the Burn. Not the fire in his veins. This pain was softer—dull, heavy—like he had fallen from a great height and landed on himself. His eyes opened to dim light. A ceiling. Concrete. Cracked. Not the street. Not the Tower. He was lying on a pile of old blankets inside a storage loft. He tried to sit up— A sharp sting shot down his ribs. He winced. Footsteps rushed toward him. “Alex—stop, don’t move!” Mei Lin crouched beside him, holding a cup of warm water. Her eyes were tired. Red around the edges. Her hair was a mess. Her shirt sleeves were rolled up, and both her hands were wrapped in fresh gauze. Both hands. Alex’s heart dropped. “…Mei. Your hands…” She froze—just for half a second—then pulled them back out of sight. “Just scratches,” she lied, too quickly. “You were… burning hot. I only got—” He grabbed her wrist. She hissed quietly from pain. Alex saw it. He saw everything. The blisters beneath th

The rooftop stayed quiet long after the First Host vanished. No one wanted to speak first— as if words might call her back. Alex sat with his back against the wall, breath shallow, hand pressed over his chest where the Burn had flared. Mei Lin knelt beside him, her wrist still bleeding from where she’d bitten herself to break the Host’s Claim. The Marshal stood ten steps away, staring at the empty balcony where she disappeared. His gun hand shook uncontrollably. Jin was the one who finally broke the silence. “Well,” he said lightly, “that went better than expected.” The Marshal spun on him. “Better?! A Host made a Claim on a Vessel-level Burn! That’s an extinction-level event!” Jin shrugged. “Come on, you survived. That’s worth a drink.” Alex leaned forward, trying to catch his breath. “Marshal… what exactly is she?” The Marshal didn’t answer. His eyes locked onto Alex— Dead serious. Cold. Determined. Alex recognized that look. It was the look s

The Old Arcade emptied behind them. Not because the civilians left— but because they began walking in the wrong direction. Like sleepwalkers. Like puppets pulled by strings made of dreams. Men, women, children… All drifting toward the east side of the city. Toward the place where the Host awakened. Toward her. Alex watched with a sinking stomach as a mother dragged her toddler by the wrist—eyes open but not seeing, steps slow, steady, inevitable. Mei Lin grabbed Alex’s sleeve, voice sharp: “Don’t look at them. Don’t think about them. The Echo spreads through attention.” But Alex couldn’t look away. His Burn pulsed like fire under the bandage. Every sleepwalker that passed seemed to tilt their head toward him— just slightly, just wrong. As if the dreams inside them were turning to look too. The Marshal yanked Alex behind a pillar. “We move NOW,” he hissed. “Every second you stay exposed, the bond strengthens.” Jin, already ahead of them, gave a l

The chamber felt alive. The six doors glowed faint gold, but the third door— the one asking for a truth— glowed brightest. Alex’s arm burned like molten metal trying to break through skin. Every breath came jagged. Every heartbeat thumped like a hammer against bone. The door whispered again: “Speak. Or be consumed.” Mei Lin tightened her grip on his shaking hands. “Alex—look at me.” Her voice cracked, but her eyes stayed steady. He did. Through the pain, he focused on her face— not the strategist, not the Tycoon, just Mei Lin. Her fingers dug into his palms. “I will take the cost. Not you. Let it burn me.” The Marshal stepped forward sharply. “Girl, you don’t know what you’re offering—” “Shut up,” Mei L

The seventh door had no hinges. No frame. No shadows leaking from underneath. Just a shape— A girl-shaped outline carved into empty space, as if someone had cut the world open and left a silhouette behind. Alex froze. Because the outline wasn’t still. It breathed. Slow. Soft. Like someone sleeping on the other side. Mei Lin tightened her grip on Alex’s wrist, whispering: “Don’t… touch it.” But the Burn under Alex’s skin pulsed in reply— thump thump THUMP A heartbeat that wasn’t his. He staggered, nearly collapsing. Mei Lin caught him with her good arm. “Alex—hey—stay with me.” But his eyes were already unfocused. Because something was happening. Something impossible. Inside his head, the world went silent. Then a voice—a girl’s voice—whispered from behind the outline: I found you. Alex's entire body locked. The seventh door stirred. Its edges rippled like water, and a faint glow moved inside the silhouette—the shape of someone pr