Episode 9 — The Edge of Dying
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Act I — Hospital: The Hourglass Breaks
Room 412 smelled like antiseptic and slow endings. Zack sat hunched forward, elbows on his knees, watching every fragile rise of his mother's chest.
Her breath came shallow now, like paper rustling in the wind. Machines beeped steady but softer, almost embarrassed. Nurses had started avoiding his eyes when they came in.
Zack reached for her hand. It felt like holding ice wrapped in skin.
"Hey, Mom," he whispered. "It's me. Still here."
Her eyes cracked open. They were cloudy, but when they found him, they cleared. "Zack…"
He leaned closer. "Don't talk too much. Save your strength."
Her lips curved faintly. "Strength… is yours now. Mine's gone."
"Don't say that." His voice broke, steel grinding beneath it. "You're not gone. You're still here. I'm getting stronger, Mom. Levels, fights—every day. I'm gonna beat this clock. I promise."
She coughed, the sound rattling through her chest. A nurse stepped in, adjusted the oxygen, then quietly retreated. Zack squeezed her hand tighter.
"Baby," she whispered, voice shaking, "don't turn into the fight. Don't lose Zack in the metal."
His jaw clenched. His fangs glinted in the half-light. "I'll never lose me. Not while you're here."
Her thumb brushed his hand. "Then remember me when I'm not."
The machine beeped louder for a moment, then evened again. Zack pressed his forehead to her knuckles, tears burning his eyes. "I'm not letting you go. Not now. Not ever."
The HUD flickered, almost mocking.
LEVEL 9
EXP: 125 / 1000
NEXT GOAL: Level 10 — Steel Surge (Phase 2)
Advisory: Human Time Constraint — Critical
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Act II — The Trap in the Streets
Zack left only when she fell asleep, promising to be back before she woke. Rain beat down like nails as he stalked through the city. His fists ached for something to break.
That's when Luna appeared, leaning against a flickering streetlamp. Cigarette glowing, eyes dark.
"You look like death, chrome-teeth."
"Not in the mood," Zack growled.
She smirked. "Perfect mood, then. Marrow's laid another trap. Shades gathering at the old freight yard. But there's something else there too… something bigger."
Zack's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"Rumors say he left a… present. Something to test you. Maybe kill you. I'm betting on kill, but hey—prove me wrong."
Before Zack could answer, another voice cut the night. Smooth, sharp, patient.
"Go," Silas said from the rooftop. Cigarette ember glowing like a star. "If you survive, you learn. If you die, you weren't worth the steel in your bones."
Zack spat on the sidewalk. "Fuck both of you."
Then he walked into the dark, fists clenched, HUD burning.
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Act III — Freight Yard of Bones
The freight yard was a graveyard of rusted trains and broken cranes. Rain turned the rails into black mirrors.
Zack's HUD pinged:
MARROW PRESENCE: High
Threat Level: Unknown (Severe)
Shadows crawled over the shipping containers. Dozens of Shades peeled free, eyes glowing faintly red. Zack bared his teeth.
"EXP buffet."
He charged, tearing through the first line, fists crunching skulls of smoke.
+150 EXP
+200 EXP
EXP: 475 / 1000
But the ground trembled. The containers shifted. Something massive unfurled from the shadows—a hulking figure twice Zack's size, plated in bone and barbed steel, eyes burning hellfire.
Marrow's Warden.
The HUD screamed:
BOSS EMERGENCE: Marrow's Warden
Threat Level: Level 20 Equivalent
Your Level: 9
Zack's blood went cold. "Oh, fuck."
The Warden roared, swinging an arm the size of a telephone pole. Zack dodged barely, the impact shaking the yard. Metal screamed, crates toppling.
He blitzed forward, fists raining. His knuckles dented its armor but barely cracked it. The Warden backhanded him across the yard, ribs breaking like dry twigs.
VITALITY: 28%
WARNING: System Collapse
Zack coughed blood, dragging himself up. "C'mon. You think this kills me?!"
The Warden charged, claws tearing through steel like butter. Zack ducked, drove his fangs into its leg. Sparks and gore burst, but the beast didn't slow. It grabbed him, slamming him into the ground, again and again.
His HUD blurred static.
VITALITY: 12%
ALLOY VEINS: Critical Stress
Engage Steel Surge? [Y/N]
Zack screamed: "YES!"
His veins ignited, glowing white-hot. His speed tripled. He tore free, fists smashing into the Warden's face. Sparks and blood filled the air.
+400 EXP
EXP: 875 / 1000
But the Warden didn't fall. It grabbed him mid-swing, crushing his chest.
VITALITY: 5%
SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT
Zack's vision blurred. His mother's face flashed. Her voice echoed: "Don't lose yourself in the fight."
He roared, fangs flashing, and with the last of his Surge, drove both fists into the Warden's skull. Metal crumpled. The monster staggered, then collapsed, shattering into black shards.
Zack fell with it, blood pouring, body steaming, HUD barely alive.
+500 EXP (Boss Kill)
EXP: 1375 / 1000
LEVEL UP → Level 10
STEEL SURGE: Phase 2 Unlocked
New Ability: Overclock Heal (Minor)
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Act IV — Hospital Thread Returns
Zack limped into the hospital hours later, body cracked, hoodie shredded. Nurses gasped but didn't stop him. He dragged himself to Room 412.
His mom was awake, barely, her breath shallow. She smiled faintly when she saw him.
"You look… worse."
He forced a laugh, sitting beside her. "You should see the other guy."
She reached for his hand, weak but sure. "Promise me, Zack… promise me you'll keep your heart, even if your body turns to steel."
Tears streaked down his cheeks. He nodded, squeezing her hand gently. "I promise, Mom."
She closed her eyes, whispering, "Good boy…"
Her breathing slowed. The monitor beeped steady—for now.
Zack pressed his forehead to her hand, whispering, "Prestige or die. For you."
His HUD pulsed like an omen.
LEVEL 10
NEXT STAGE: Prestige Path Unlocked
Requirement: Level 1000 → Prestige 1
Projected: 990,000 EXP Remaining
Zack laughed, broken and furious. "Then let's fucking start."
Outside, Silas watched from the rooftop, cigarette glowing. Luna leaned against the wall, smirking.
The game had only just begun.