2026-02-04 06:17:41
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Chapter 10
"We have to pull over, Elena. Now!”Nico groaned, his hands gripping the steering wheel of the Thorn-Breaker, which now felt white-hot. Behind them, the Chicago skyline was no longer just a silhouette of skyscrapers. The city had become a giant crater spewing crimson light into the sky, a death beacon marking the beginning of the Great Bloom Cycle. The golden spores they had seen at the Willis Tower were now chasing them through the air, forming a storm cloud that crept forward slowly but surely.“Where? This entire highway is already covered in vegetation!” Elena shouted, her eyes fixed on a tablet screen displaying Nico’s heart rate, which was spiking into the red zone.“Exit at the Oak Park interchange. There’s a backroad only locals know. I know where to go.”The steel truck leaped down a ramp of cracked asphalt, smashing through a guardrail and sliding into a silent suburban neighborhood. Here, the red roses weren’t as aggressive as they were downtown, but they were still there—c
Chapter 9
"Run, Elena! Don't look back!”Nico yanked Elena's arm with a jolt that almost dislocated her shoulder. Behind them, the Chicago subway station shook violently. The thundering sound of the colossal Apostle brought down concrete pillars, sending waves of dust and crimson crystal shards throughout the corridor. Nico could feel the vibrations beneath his feet—not just physical tremors, but an organic pulse that resonated with the creature's rage behind them. A fragment of memory about his childhood garden suddenly blurred, as if the Sovereign's mutation smoke was engulfing it.“The emergency exit is there! Through the maintenance stairs!” Elena coughed through the dust cloud, her eyes searching for a gap in the ruins.They leaped over piles of shattered waiting chairs and squeezed into a narrow crevice in the wall. Nico used the crystal thorns on his back to widen the gap, tearing through steel and concrete as if they were wet paper. Each time he used his power, the heat in his spine int
Chapter 8
"Nico! Wake up! Don’t let him in!”Elena’s voice sounded as if it were coming from the bottom of a very deep well. The crimson mist inside the cabin of the Thorn-Breaker grew thicker, swallowing reality and replacing it with pulsating shadows. Nico felt it—a soul-freezing cold, followed by an exploding heat at the base of his brain. His hands, which had been gripping the steering wheel, slowly went limp, while his skin began to emit thin wisps of red steam.“Run... Elena...” Nico whispered, his voice hoarse, nearly lost amidst the low-frequency hum filling the room. A memory of his father, faint and blurry, almost flashed by before being struck down by pain.Nico’s vision went white. Suddenly, the smell of gasoline and death in Chicago vanished. It was replaced by the scent of ozone, pungent floor cleaner, and a fragrance of roses that was far too sweet to be natural.Subject 01, can you hear me?Nico opened his eyes. He was no longer inside the wrecked truck. He was lying on a cold m
Chapter 7
"Elena! Put your mask on! Now! Fast!”Nico lunged forward, grabbing the filtration mask from the dashboard and pressing it onto Elena’s face. The woman still looked dazed, her green eyes trembling violently as she stared at the windshield, which was now covered in crimson tendrils.“He’s out there, Nico... my father... he’s calling me,” Elena murmured in a hollow voice.“It’s fake! It’s hallucinogenic gas from those rose petals! Look at me, Elena! Look at me!” Nico shook Elena’s shoulders hard until her head snapped back.Elena blinked. Her consciousness slowly returned as the air filter on her face began to hiss, filtering out the deadly spores that were starting to fill the cabin. “Nico? I’m sorry... I... my head feels like it’s going to explode.”“Don’t take it off. These tendrils are starting to squeeze the fuel tank. We have to get out now or we’re going to be roasted alive in here.” Nico grabbed two chemical canisters from under the seat. “Can you hold one?”“For what? We don’t
Chapter 6
"Nico! Wake up! Not now, please!"Elena shook Nico's shoulder frantically. The man was still slumped, his breathing heavy and irregular, while his golden-yellow eyes stared blankly at the cabin ceiling. Outside, shadows emerging from behind the ash fog began to move. They were no longer just standing. They ran—fast, agile, and filled with a hunger that Elena could feel even through the cracked bulletproof glass."Damn it, damn it!" Elena cursed, tears of frustration welling up. "Nico, if you don't wake up, we're both going to end up as plant fertilizer!"Nico groaned softly. His voice was no longer human. It was a low-frequency hum that made Elena's ears ring painfully. Nico tried to move his hands, but his muscles seemed locked by the mutation that had just erupted, holding him in Sovereign's grip."Sovereign..." Nico whispered hoarsely. "It's... calling.""Ignore the call! Focus on me!" Elena grabbed Nico's seatbelt and pulled it with all her might. She had to move this man. The Tho
Chapter 5
Nico slammed onto the cracked asphalt of a highway on the outskirts of Chicago. His fingers gripped his neck as if barbed wire were wrapped around it, the heat burning his skin. Crimson veins crept aggressively past his jawline and began to form a gruesome crown of thorns pattern beneath the skin of his temples.Nico felt his self-awareness shatter. He saw the veins on his arm, which had now reached 35% of his entire body. Every one percent of this mutation's progress gave him brutal strength, but snatched away a childhood memory, eroding his identity. He could feel the memory of skateboarding in a city park vanishing, replaced by an alien plant-growth algorithm.To the north, a strange golden light from the Appalachian Mountains seemed to call to him with a low frequency that made his brain vibrate. A whisper that wasn't a voice, but a resonance trying to pull him in.“Nico! Look at me! Stay conscious, Nico!” Elena slapped Nico’s cheeks hard, repeatedly, trying to pull him back from
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