lides into my s

Seductive.

phine. Did y

he chamber, calm,

m, and

ct. Like someone sketched a memory of Auren

in my mind, steps beside the chamber, fi

purrs. "Your rebi

wly. His gaze does

oice quieter now. More h

" the Echo sa

s. Slowly.

then

aphi

s my name, sharp and delicate. Li

o speak. "You sh

t crosses his face. "

. Muscles responding as if he's only been a

t cell, eyes barely open. "You

gaze to Kael. "A

files. "You were the one who tried to

d on his teeth. "

silk stitched with knives.

, brushing a lock of hair from my face, m

e whispers. "You're witness

now what lov

yes g

e is design. Precision. A hunger tha

back at

ucture. Something

im a puppet

e him

y, exposing his newly reconstructed body. Seamless. Perfect.

the metal floor, wires sn

nce

..he walks

s, uncertain fo

tilts his head like he's

ght I died," he murmurs.

I whisper. "Burn

placing his hand on the r

part. He could en

s his palm to

raints..

oward him. "What

rns to h

sm

was alwa

acility. Red lights

Override

system interface. "No...no, he's

voice distorted now, glitching like corrupted code

my feet, st

alls forward, groaning, and Au

e. "You'll both need each other to

im. "You're

cold again. "I'm r

next, Seraphine....I

plits benea

lunges into the darkness below, swall

s at me on

lways in

he's

ne

not

thing

ircuits.

breather. Sparks rain from shattered conduits, smoke wrapping around our legs like hu

rge," Kael gasps. "Emergency lock

us just to destroy

ecause he wanted to erase the Echo. Th

it, but we're

eces on

ard from thermal surge. The next room is one of the old data c

wled in shattered glass

e

Ec

moving, but

.my face...is half melted, exposing flashes

is state,

isses through broken teeth. "He'

eapon, but I step

isper. "Sh

adrenaline and something darker. "Y

ou still are. You don't unders

"But I understand you. You were built fro

ye tw

ose," I whispe

witch on the wall, electrostati

al ports. A scream, my scream, but twisted..

e

ai

e fo

just as the floor b

't loo

e the old eastern sea trench. The Vault collap

k for minutes

of our breath

Kael fin

et us

. "Fo

e, his face blo

o you think he

into t

loves the

hing new. And we're just

ushes mine, te

ting you fac

ave a choice

lready, deep in my

isn'

ng. Listeni

rs vanish behind the cl

ing a trail of black smoke and a message

BER EVE