The perimeter alarms blared again—but this time, it wasn't a mutant.
It was a lone figure approaching on foot. Wrapped in a worn cloak, hands raised.
Lucian narrowed his eyes.
[Scan: No biological abnormalities detected][Name: Vex Malloran][Status: Former Dominion Militia – Presumed Dead]
Lucian smirked. "Let's see what ghosts walk today."
Ash Fortress – Detention Room
Raine entered the dimly lit cell.
The man inside looked up—and froze.
"...Raine?"
She didn't speak.
"It's me. Vex. You remember, right? We trained together. We made it out of Haven-7 together. You used to laugh."
Still silence.
He stepped closer.
"Lucian's done something to you, hasn't he?"
That made her tilt her head.
He reached out.
And for a moment, her hand trembled.
The Test of Loyalty
Lucian watched through the feed.
[Emotional Fluctuation Detected][Override Option Available – Trigger: Loyalty Reinforcement]
He tapped the command.
Raine blinked.
Something inside her clicked.
She stepped forward—and hugged Vex.
He sighed in relief.
"…You're still in there."
But then she whispered:
"No. I've simply accepted who I was meant to be."
A hidden blade slid from her wrist.
One, clean thrust.
Blood sprayed against the steel wall.
Aftermath
Raine walked out of the room, expression blank.
Lucian stood waiting.
"Did he beg?"
She shook her head.
"He remembered too much. It was mercy."
Lucian smiled.
[Loyalty Index: 100% Sustained][Emotion Dampening Locked – Subject is now immune to external emotional stimuli][Assigning Trait: Cold Will]
Elsewhere…
In a far-off ruined tower, a shadowed figure watched Ash Fortress through a cracked satellite feed.
"Raine Valor… That's not her anymore."
They turned to a masked woman.
"Send in the Seer. It's time we break Lucian's grip before no one is left to fight."