Episode 6 — Broken Chains
Scene 1 – Hospital: Fragile Time
Room 412 hummed with machines pretending they could keep promises. Zack's mom lay smaller than yesterday, skin stretched too thin over bones. The night nurse adjusted her IV, her eyes heavy with the knowledge she couldn't share.
The doctor whispered in the hall: "She's declining faster. Days, not weeks."
Zack wasn't there to hear it. His chair sat empty, his hoodie draped across the armrest like a shadow without a body.
His mother stirred, eyes half-open, lips cracked. She reached toward the hoodie and whispered, "Stay safe, baby…" before drifting back into restless sleep.
Scene 2 – Warehouse: Hollow Mass Emerges
Zack braced, sweat stinging his eyes. The Hollow Mass unfolded from the corpses of the Priests—arms where there shouldn't be, torsos fused into a single mound, mouths screaming with stitched voices. Its skulls gnashed in different tempos, producing a choir of pain.
The HUD screamed warnings:
BOSS: The Hollow Mass
Threat Level: Extreme
Estimated Level: 15 Equivalent
Your Level: 5
Silas leaned against a freezer like a bored professor. "If you die, I get your jaw. If you live, I'll be impressed."
"Go fuck yourself," Zack hissed.
He charged.
Scene 3 – First Clash
The Mass swung an arm made of six femurs bound by veins. Zack ducked, sparks raining as bone scraped steel. He countered with a rising uppercut that shattered skulls like bowling pins—but the heads regrew instantly, stitched back by writhing worms.
"Of course," Zack muttered. "Self-repair."
The monster slammed both arms down. Zack barely rolled aside, floor cracking, frozen meat exploding in gore-shards. He darted in, fists blurring. Each hit earned him shrieks and EXP pings—
+50 EXP
+75 EXP
EXP: 475 / 1000
—but every wound healed. His blows were buying seconds, not victory.
Silas clapped once, slow. "Lesson three: some enemies don't die until you change yourself."
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Scene 4 – Hospital: Doctor's Warning
The doctor sat by Zack's mom's bed, voice low. "We'll adjust her meds. Keep her comfortable."
Her eyes fluttered open. "And my son?"
The doctor hesitated. "…He loves you. That's what matters."
She smiled faintly. "Tell him… don't carry too much."
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Scene 5 – Zack Bleeds
The Mass caught Zack with a swipe, sending him smashing into a meat hook. Steel skin sparked, ribs screaming.
VITALITY: 28%
WARNING: Organ Stress
Zack coughed blood, eyes wild. "C'mon! You think I quit here?!"
He rushed again, steel fangs tearing into a throat that wasn't a throat. Black bile exploded across his face, burning like acid. He screamed but didn't let go—he ripped until the monster thrashed.
+200 EXP
EXP: 675 / 1000
The Mass shrieked and slammed him into the ground over and over, cracking concrete. His HUD flickered static.
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Scene 6 – Mom's Dream
Zack's mom dreamed she was standing at a river made of silver. On the other bank, Zack waved at her—older, stronger, eyes glowing steel. She tried to step closer, but the water pulled her back. She whispered: "Don't drown, baby. Swim."
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Scene 7 – Steel Surge Feathered
Zack's vision blurred. His HUD stuttered.
OPTION: Surge Feather (Unstable)
Warning: Overuse may rupture alloy veins
Engage? [Y/N]
Zack spat blood and screamed, "YES!"
Time cracked. He blurred across the floor, faster than lightning. His fists became a rain of steel hammers, pummeling the Mass's skulls before they could regrow. Sparks, gore, bone fragments filled the air.
Silas finally grinned. "There it is. The storm."
But Zack's body was tearing itself apart. Veins glowed white-hot, skin splitting to reveal chrome.
VITALITY: 12%
SYSTEM: COLLAPSE IMMINENT
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Scene 8 – The Killing Blow
The Hollow Mass tried to reform again, worms stitching limbs. Zack roared, surged past his limit, and bit down with steel fangs on the central skull—the one screaming louder than the rest.
He crunched. Unbreakable metal cut through bone and brain. The body convulsed, then collapsed, spilling worms that shriveled under the cold.
The HUD went berserk:
+600 EXP (Boss Kill)
EXP: 1275 / 1000
LEVEL UP → Level 6
LEVEL UP → Level 7
NEW TRAIT: Hex Resistance (Minor)
Zack fell to his knees, smoking, body cracking, blood steaming on cold tiles.
Silas crouched beside him, eyes sharp. "You almost died. Good." He stood, coat swirling. "Next time, lose with purpose."
And he vanished, leaving Zack collapsed in gore.
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Scene 9 – Hospital Ending
Back in Room 412, Zack's mom opened her eyes as if she felt something break miles away. She whispered his name.
The nurse smiled softly. "He'll be here soon."
She nodded, tears in her tired eyes. "Tell him… I'm proud."
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Final Scene – Zack Returns
Hours later, Zack limped into the hospital, hoodie soaked in gore and rain. His mom was asleep, breathing shallow. He sat, holding her hand, staring at the HUD still burning behind his eyes.
LEVEL 7
EXP: 275 / 1000
NEXT GOAL: Level 10 (Steel Surge Stabilized)
He kissed her hand and whispered: "I'll get there, Mom. I'll cheat time. Even if I burn everything on the way."
The machines hummed. The rain beat against the glass. Outside, the city whispered Marrow's name like a curse, waiting.