The morning was cold, biting through the tattered layers of my uniform and the alloy plating of my Hunter body. The base was quiet, almost too quiet, the kind of silence that screamed warning. Helen had called an emergency meeting with the council of rebels, her face as unreadable as ever, but her eyes betrayed concern.
"We have a problem," she said, voice clipped, commanding attention. "The Dominion has deployed a new type of Hunter. Not a patrol, not a drone swarm—something they designed specifically for Kieran."
A murmur ran through the room. Lira's hand found mine under the table, her touch grounding.
"What kind of Hunter?" Malik asked, trying to mask the tremor in his voice.
Helen's eyes narrowed. "A hybrid. Part human, part Dominion tech, like Kieran—but faster, stronger, smarter. And it's been programmed to hunt only one target: him."
A chill ran down my spine. They've sent me a mirror of myself, a weapon designed to turn my own body against me.
"I'll face it," I said before anyone could stop me. "We don't have time to wait."
Helen regarded me silently, her gaze piercing. "You won't face it alone. Lira, Malik, and a strike team will support him. Kieran… remember, the Hunter in you can kill, but it can also be used against you. Stay aware."
The corridors were eerily still as we left the base, the early sun casting long shadows across the ruins. Every step felt heavier than the last, my mind straining against the whisper that had been gnawing at me since the night before.
You belong to us.
I forced the words out, burying them deep. I wasn't theirs—not today. Not ever.
The first encounter came sooner than expected. A figure emerged from the shadows: tall, lithe, armor gleaming with the same alien precision as mine, optics a bright, predatory red. The hybrid Hunter. Its movements were unnervingly human, but its intent was pure machine—pure Dominion.
It spoke—not in words, but a pulse of thought that hammered directly into my mind. Return. Obey. You are ours.
I staggered but kept my stance. Lira and Malik took defensive positions behind me.
"You can do this," Lira whispered, though her voice carried tension.
I nodded. "I have to."
The hybrid lunged, faster than my sensors predicted. I twisted midair, slashing with my claws, sparks erupting as metal met metal. The collision reverberated through my body, shaking something primal in my mind.
It was me. Not me. Me. Not me.
Every strike it made felt like a reflection of my own instincts, mirrored and amplified. Every dodge, every counter—it was a duel not just of body, but of identity.
"You can't let it control you," Lira shouted from the side, firing her weapon.
I roared, slashing through its armor, only to feel it anticipate my every move. It knew me. It was me.
The battle escalated through the streets, shattered walls and overturned vehicles bearing witness to our clash. Sparks, smoke, and blood—human and machine—stained the ruins. My mind fought the whisper, pushed against the Dominion's pulse, struggled to stay Kieran even as every instinct screamed to obey.
Finally, with one precise strike, I managed to sever a key joint in its arm, sending the hybrid stumbling. My claws hovered over its chest, optics locking onto its red core. It pulsed, synchronized to my own heartbeat in a way that made my chest ache.
"I am me," I growled, voice a mix of human and machine. "Not you. Not them."
And with a final push of will, I tore through its core, sparks cascading like rain. The hybrid collapsed. Silence fell over the ruins.
Lira ran to my side, eyes wide. "You… you did it. You're still… you."
I exhaled, the weight of the battle settling in. But deep down, I knew the Dominion would try again. Harder, smarter. They had learned from this failure. And I wasn't just fighting for survival anymore—I was fighting for my mind, my identity, every fragment of Kieran that still remained.
Helen appeared from the shadows, her expression unreadable. "This was only a test," she said. "The real fight is coming. And next time… the Dominion won't hold back."
I nodded silently, my eyes scanning the horizon. Somewhere beyond the ruins, the future waited—dark, relentless, and full of hunters.
And I would meet it head-on.
---
Night had fallen again, but this time it brought no relief. The base was quiet, too quiet, the kind of silence that presses against your thoughts until they echo back at you. I sat alone in my quarters, armor off, the cold alloy laying heavy beside me. Lira's soft presence was the only anchor, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder.
"You can't fight it forever alone," she said softly. "Talk to me."
I wanted to, but the Dominion was already there, threading whispers through my mind, twisting memories, probing fears. You belong to us. You are ours.
I clenched my teeth, trying to push it back. I am me. I am Kieran.
But the whisper had grown stronger, more cunning. It started to mimic voices I trusted: Helen's calm assessment, Malik's encouragement, even Lira's soft reassurances—all distorted, urging me to obey, to return.
I staggered back against the wall. "It… it's inside me," I muttered, voice trembling.
Lira's eyes widened. "Then we fight it together. Don't let it isolate you."
I closed my eyes, trying to ground myself, focusing on my memories—the real ones, the human ones, not the implanted traces the Dominion was trying to exploit. I felt the weight of the Hunter body beneath me, the lethal efficiency, the raw power. It was a gift, but also a chain.
Return. Serve. Your body is ours, the voice hissed.
I screamed, slamming my fists into the floor, letting the metal groan beneath me. No. Not mine. Not today.
The Dominion responded with images—scenes of carnage I had yet to commit, but they presented them as if I had. Pain, destruction, death—the kind that made me question whether my actions could ever be justified.
Lira knelt beside me, gripping my hand. "Focus on me, Kieran. Focus on what you choose, not what they tell you."
Her words cut through the haze like a blade. I clung to them, to her. Slowly, I forced the whisper to the edges of my mind, sealing it behind layers of sheer willpower and intent.
But even as I did, I knew this was only temporary. The Dominion had found a foothold, a thread inside me, and next time it would push harder.
Hours passed, or maybe minutes—I couldn't tell. When I finally opened my eyes, the room was dim, Lira watching me carefully. "You held it off," she said.
I nodded, exhaustion etched in every line of my face. "For now," I whispered. "But it's getting smarter. It knows me… knows what to push."
Her hand found mine again, grounding. "Then we'll be smarter. Together. You're not alone in this fight."
I swallowed hard, knowing she was right. And yet, the weight of the Hunter frame, the Dominion's whisper, the battles yet to come—they all pressed in.
Beyond the base, somewhere in the darkness, the Dominion stirred. They had seen my defiance, and now they would strike back harder.
And I had to be ready—not just to survive, but to remain Kieran, the man inside the machine, even if it meant facing the darkness within my own mind.
Because the moment I faltered, the Dominion would own me completely.
And there would be no coming back.