But the Road tested harder. The next day, a Freight Hunter struck. Unlike the others, this one wasn't just machine. Its cab split open, revealing a driver stitched into the seat, veins glowing like Rook's.
Rook froze. "That's a man—"
"Not anymore," Mara said grimly. "That's what happens when you lose yourself to it."
The Freight rammed them. Rook had no choice. He seized its momentum and tore it apart, piece by piece, until the driver's scream vanished in static.
He sat in silence afterward, trembling. Mara laid a hand on his shoulder.
"That's your future if you're not careful."