The cavern reeked of iron and rotting herbs. Mei Ling's bare feet slipped on damp stone as the masked figures dragged her deeper into the mountain. The pendant—her last connection to the past—was gone, traded for this nightmare.
"The Blood Lotus does not bloom for the unworthy," one figure intoned.
"It drinks," said another.
They threw her into a circular chamber. The floor was carved with spiraling grooves, all leading to a central depression where a single lotus flower grew—its petals black as spoiled blood.
A third figure emerged from the shadows, taller than the others, their mask painted with golden veins.
"To learn our arts, you must first survive them." They placed a dagger in her hand. "Cut. Feed the lotus. If it accepts you... you may live."
Mei Ling stared at the blade. Then, without hesitation, she drew it across her palm.
Blood dripped onto the flower.
The petals moved.
The Memory Fractures
Luo Tian's head felt like it was splitting open.
[WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS ATTEMPT DETECTED]
"Override," he snarled.
[OVERRIDE CODE REQUIRED]
He punched the cave wall, sending cracks spiderwebbing through stone. "I AM YOUR HOST! OVERRIDE!"
A pulse of agony—then sudden, terrible clarity.
The vision returned: rows of glass tanks, floating bodies, his own face staring back at him from dozens of identical capsules. And a voice, crisp and clinical:
*"Sigma-9 shows promising adaptation to the Void-Shattering Dragon bloodline. Proceeding with mass production."*
Luo Tian fell to his knees.
He wasn't the original.
He was a copy.
The Overseer's Plan
The facility buzzed with renewed activity. Technicians in form-fitting silver suits moved between terminals, adjusting dials and monitoring vitals.
*"Subject Sigma-9 has breached memory firewalls,"* one reported.
The Overseer steepled elongated fingers. "Ahead of schedule... interesting."
On the main viewscreen, two feeds played side by side:
Mei Ling convulsing as the Blood Lotus's tendrils burrowed into her veins
Luo Tian screaming into the void of his own shattered identity
"Phase Two begins now," the Overseer decided. "Activate the remaining Sigma units."
Glass tanks hissed open one by one.
Dozens of pairs of glowing blue eyes snapped open in unison.
The Blood Lotus Blooms
Mei Ling should have died.
The pain was beyond anything imaginable—like molten lead pouring through her meridians. The black lotus was inside her now, its roots threading through muscle and bone.
Yet when she opened her mouth to scream...
Vines spilled out.
The masked figures recoiled. The golden-masked leader stepped forward, tilting their head.
"Fascinating. It's never taken to a host so completely before."
Mei Ling tried to speak, but her voice wasn't her own—it was layered, echoing, like multiple people speaking through one throat:
"We... hunger."
The first disciple died as black petals erupted from his eye sockets.