As steam filled the sky, the body of a teenage boy boiled away inside his little casket of a pot.
Dreams evaporated into steam and spices.
And the one he had protected was about to consume him.
"Eli. Wake up. Food is ready."
Elizabeth's eyes twitched open.
Even the smallest movement felt as though thousands of needles were stabbing through her body, but she forced herself to smile.
"Thank you... Zion."
He smiled.
"No problem. Take a spoon."
The Zion sitting beside her lifted a spoonful of meat and carefully fed it to her.
Elizabeth chewed.
Then swallowed.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"You like it?"
Elizabeth nodded.
The feeding continued.
Slowly, painfully, she finished the entire bowl.
Her eyes remained fixed on Zion's.
Then she whispered,
"You look sad."
Zion paused.
"Scared?"
He lowered his head.
"No."
His voice became softer.
"You just remind me of my sister."
Elizabeth's expression softened.
"I remember when she died from a disease. I couldn't do anything."
He stared at the ground.
"So I just watched her pass away."
A tear rolled down his face.
Or rather...
His shell cried.
For within that perfect imitation of Zion was something completely different.
Beebah.
Thank God I devoured your brain whole and fresh.
Although... how did this girl see the pain through this perfect shell?
No matter.
Someone as skilled as I, Beebah, should be able to deceive any human.
Elizabeth coughed.
Immediately, Beebah reached forward and supported her head, gently caressing her hair.
Behind him, several plants slowly emerged from the ground.
Unfortunately, I can't copy Zion's abilities.
I'll have to hide mine for now.
Beebah reached toward the plants and plucked two medicinal herbs.
Then he picked two more.
Sleeping herbs.
He placed them into Elizabeth's hand.
"From where...?"
Elizabeth chewed the herbs.
With every swallow, her eyelids became heavier.
"Don't think."
Beebah gently lowered her head.
"Just sleep."
He carefully closed her eyelids.
Elizabeth had made some progress.
She still couldn't walk. Her bones were completely shattered, but she had begun to stand.
Emo didn't grant everyone supernatural regeneration.
It only granted humans healing far beyond what their bodies should naturally possess.
For Elizabeth, even that wasn't enough.
Not yet.
Beebah stood.
He turned toward the forest.
"She should awaken in a few days... much better than before."
He paused.
"If her body can survive the dose I gave her."
His expression darkened.
"Now I must renew my connection to this vessel."
He looked down at his hands.
"Otherwise, I'll burn through all of my Emo just sustaining this fake form."
Beebah walked away.
And once again...
Elizabeth watched Zion disappear into the forest.
Or rather...
Beebah.
——————————HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS
"AGHHHH!"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Vincent sprinted through the darkness.
A pair of jetpacks had been constructed onto his back, blasting him forward as fast as he could fly.
Behind him—
A three-headed serpent the size of a two-story building chased relentlessly through the mountain cave.
How is the first thing I encounter in the Wasteland this?!
Vincent glanced around desperately.
I can't even take to the skies properly because I'm trapped inside a cave!
His breathing became ragged.
And this construct...
He felt the strain inside his core.
It's too complex.
I've never been forced to build something this complicated before.
The serpent had already smashed through his rectangular shield as if it were glass.
And the temperature was dropping rapidly.
It's freezing.
It feels like minus thirty.
His teeth chattered.
I'm simultaneously using Emo to keep myself warm...
while keeping my Paintbrush ability active.
"FUCK!"
A massive wave of acid suddenly erupted from one of the serpent's mouths.
It shot toward him at a speed he could barely comprehend.
"Shit!"
Vincent instantly deactivated the jetpack.
The constructs vanished.
His body dropped.
The acid passed above him—
Then suddenly halted.
Vincent's eyes widened.
"WAIT—NO!"
The acid crashed down.
Vincent threw both hands forward.
A sphere materialized around him.
Air-tight.
The acid splashed against the outside.
For a moment, relief.
Then—
BOOM!
A massive tail burst through the acid and slammed directly into Vincent.
CRACK!
His body smashed into the cave wall.
His ribs fractured.
Several broken bones pierced his internal organs.
Blood flooded his lungs.
Vincent hit the ground like a ragdoll.
But the serpent didn't stop.
It rushed toward him.
"...Screeeeeech!"
Vincent gritted his teeth.
He forced himself upright.
His fingers had been burned away by the acid.
His Emo reserves were dangerously low.
One more construct.
That's all I have.
Either I make one last construct...
or I burn through my core like I did against Michael.
But there was no time to think.
The serpent charged.
Vincent jumped backward.
A spring materialized beneath his feet.
BOOM!
He launched himself away as the serpent's tail slammed into the cave wall.
The entire mountain shook.
Rocks began collapsing around him.
Vincent looked around.
His eyes widened.
I'm trapped.
An indestructible serpent.
A collapsing cave.
No visible exit.
Then he realized something.
Every cave has an end.
His eyes moved toward the direction the serpent had come from.
If the exit is that way...
Then that's why it's chasing me.
His expression hardened.
It doesn't want me to escape.
Vincent raised his Paintbrush.
"I have no choice."
The serpent rushed toward him.
Vincent began drawing.
Jets.
Massive exhaust pipes erupted from his back.
Then titanium casing wrapped around his entire body.
He couldn't see through it.
The heat could cook him alive.
The acceleration could tear his body apart.
The force could kill him.
But he had one option.
Vincent closed his eyes.
"I mourn you, Tara."
His voice trembled.
"And for that reason..."
His core began screaming.
"I SHALL BURN MY WAY FORWARD!"
Every remaining drop of Emo poured into the construct.
BOOOOOOM!
A gigantic explosion erupted behind him.
Vincent launched forward.
The serpent's eyes widened.
The sudden increase in speed shocked even the creature.
Vincent tore through the cave.
His body slammed into the walls.
CRACK.
His bones fractured.
Blood poured from his mouth.
He was drowning in his own blood.
But he kept going.
He couldn't breathe.
So he counted.
10.
The serpent followed.
9.
Vincent coughed blood.
8.
Acid burned through the titanium casing.
7.
His core screamed as he burned through its reserves to maintain the jets.
6.
The sound barrier shattered.
5.
The mountain trembled.
4.
Vincent's body began failing.
3.
His lifespan itself became fuel.
2.
His eyes closed.
He accepted his fate.
1.
But who was Vincent to decide his fate?
0.
BOOOOOOM!
Vincent smashed through the mountain wall.
For one glorious moment—
Silence.
Then the titanium casing shattered.
The jets tore apart.
Vincent was launched from the side of the mountain.
The serpent stopped.
It stared after him.
Then—
It gave up.
Vincent opened his eyes.
Nothing but sky.
He was falling.
And falling.
And falling.
The ground wasn't even visible.
"...Well."
His voice barely escaped his throat.
"I survived the snake."
He looked downward.
"...But the fall?"
His eyelids became heavy.
His body began to descend through the freezing air.
Minus thirty degrees.
His fingers slowly darkened from frostbite.
His consciousness faded.
Then—
Ten minutes into the fall...
Vincent's eyelids twitched.
The ground finally came into view.
His eyes widened.
"AGHHHHHH!"
He forced raw energy from his mouth.
The blast slowed his descent.
But it wasn't enough.
His head smashed into the snow.
BOOM!
Vincent tore through his remaining core reserves.
Constructing.
Building.
Forcing his Paintbrush ability beyond its limits.
An igloo formed around him.
The moment it was complete—
Vincent collapsed.
Burns covered his body.
His ribs were broken.
His fingers were frozen.
His core was nearly empty.
His blood stained the snow.
For several seconds, there was nothing.
Then, barely conscious, Vincent muttered:
"The Wasteland... truly has no mercy."