The sky cracked open.
Seven streaks of blue fire tore through the clouds above Sector 4. Lia and Seth barely had time to drag Victor's limp body into the shadows of a ruined corridor before the first shockwave hit.
The building shook like an animal in pain. Windows shattered. A statue crumbled nearby, decapitated by invisible force.
— "Those aren't normal Saviors," Lia whispered, clutching her ribs.
— "No," Seth growled. "They're Trackers. Elite. They don't miss."
A low hum echoed from above—like a siren underwater, twisted, metallic.
Seth activated Apex Eye. Pain exploded behind his temples, but the world shifted.
The seven lights in the sky… weren't human.
They were fractured shells. Half-flesh, half-machine, each carrying a brand on their neck:
MIRROR UNIT – 7-ALPHA.
— "Copy-tech," Seth spat. "They mirror abilities… including mine."
— "Wait—so they can Scream?" Lia asked, terror inching into her voice.
— "If they get close enough to hear it once… yes."
Victor stirred, groaning weakly. His skin still steamed from the impact earlier.
— "Leave me," he rasped. "I'll slow you down."
Seth didn't answer. He lifted Victor and flung him over his shoulder like dead weight.
— "Try dying when I say so," he snapped.
They ran. Through ash, fire, and dust.
The streets of Sector 4 were a maze of collapsed towers and flooded underpasses. Every step echoed like betrayal. Above, the seven Mirror Units floated—tracking, adjusting, circling.
Then one descended.
It was silent. Perfect. Its mask reflected Seth's own face—but hollowed, burned, twisted. A mockery.
It landed between two crushed cars, blocking the way out.
Seth stepped forward, handing Lia the unconscious Victor.
— "Stay behind me."
— "What is it?"
— "A mirror of who I'd be if I let go."
The unit raised a hand. From its palm, violet flames ignited. The same violet as Seth's.
He understood instantly. It had already recorded his scream.
— "It copied you," Lia gasped.
— "No," Seth whispered. "It copied my hate."
The creature opened its mouth.
The air changed.
It didn't scream.It roared.
Seth collapsed to one knee. Blood spurted from his nose and ears. The mirror-roar ripped through his nerves, targeting his Apex frequency.
Lia screamed his name—but she felt it too. The Soul Link vibrated like a snapped wire. She dropped beside him, holding his head.
— "Seth, say something—!"
But his mind was slipping.
In his vision, the world bled colors he couldn't name. Flames licked the edge of his soul.
He felt himself shatter.
And then…
He chose not to die.
[Override Detected.]Primordial Code Accessed: APEX MODE – Stage One UnlockedWarning: Irreversible.
His skin darkened. Not like before. Now it cracked—lines of gold and violet searing through it like lightning trapped in flesh.
His heart stopped for one long beat.
Then it burned anew.
He rose slowly. The mirror-creature took a step back. For the first time… it hesitated.
Seth's voice came out layered—two voices in one. His… and something older.
— "You copied fire. But you forgot the ash."
He lunged.
One punch.
The mirror-unit disintegrated mid-air.
Lia looked up, frozen. Seth turned toward her—and for a second, she wasn't sure if he was still the same.
His eyes were not violet anymore.
They were white.Like molten glass.
— "Seth…?"
He didn't answer. His gaze scanned the sky.
The other six had stopped descending.
They were watching.
Testing.
Then—retreating.
The hunt wasn't over.
It had just begun.
Seth fell to one knee again, coughing up blood. Lia rushed to him.
— "What the hell was that?"
Seth's answer came slowly, trembling:
— "Apex Mode. First stage. I didn't even know it existed."
Lia's fingers touched his skin—still glowing hot.
— "You burned him alive."
— "No." Seth looked her in the eyes.— "I burned me."
They sat in the ruins, Victor slowly stirring, the night buzzing with electricity and ghosts.
And far above them, in an obsidian hall lit by electric veins and old runes, The Council watched.
One leaned forward, his voice soft.
— "He accessed Apex Mode."
— "Should we accelerate Phase 4?"
Another nodded.
— "Send her next."
The air froze.
Even the others didn't speak.
Because her was not a unit.
She was the one thing even the Apex feared.
And she… remembered him.