The lights in Theron's quarters dimmed on their own, humming softly as if the walls were breathing. He sat on the edge of the narrow bed, still wearing his boots, body stiff from the test. The patch Seris left him with dulled the ache in his muscles, but it couldn't quiet the static behind his eyes.
The System flickered to life in his vision without warning.
[ERROR: Undefined Parameter Detected]
[Notice: █████ Watching]
The text bled across his sight like cracks in glass. He blinked hard, but the words didn't fade.
Something is watching.
Theron rubbed a hand over his face and tried to steady his breathing. It had been hours since the simulation, but the ghost of the Shade's claws still itched along his ribs. He wasn't sure if it was phantom pain or something worse.
The door hissed.
Seris stepped inside, carrying a slim device that pulsed with violet runes. She didn't speak at first, only scanned the room with sharp eyes. "You didn't rest," she said finally.
"Couldn't," Theron muttered.
She knelt in front of him, placing the scanner gently against his arm. "Your pulse is erratic." Her voice was calm, but her hand was tense. "You're burning yourself out faster than I thought."
"Not exactly news," he said dryly.
Seris's lips curved slightly, but her eyes didn't soften. "You're not the first they've brought in like this," she said quietly. "The others didn't last long."
He looked at her sharply, but before he could respond, the device in her hand glitched. A sharp buzz filled the room, and a new line of text crawled across his vision.
[Notice: Link Established.]
[Notice: Subject Nine Observing.]
Theron's breath caught.
Seris froze, staring at the scanner like it had betrayed her. "That… wasn't me."
The room flickered. For a second, the light overhead dimmed, replaced by a faint blue glow crawling across the walls. It looked like veins beneath the surface of Division Grey, spreading like cracks through the building itself.
"Seris," Theron said, his voice low, "what's happening?"
Her expression hardened. "You're being pinged."
The lights flickered again, and this time a sound bled through—static at first, then a distorted whisper. He couldn't make out the words, but the voice was cold and close, like it was speaking directly against his ear.
[Notice: Don't trust them.]
Theron jerked his head back. "Did you hear that?"
Seris shook her head, eyes wide. "Hear what?"
The whisper came again, sharper, and this time the System flooded his vision.
[Notice: Containment Breach Imminent.]
[ERROR: System Override Detected.]
[Notice: Theron Vale—RUN.]
The lights in the hall snapped red. Alarms blared through the walls like a living thing waking up. Seris grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet.
"Move," she hissed.
The door slammed open before they reached it. Smoke curled into the room, thick and acrid, and through the haze, Theron saw something move—fast, shapeless, a shadow bleeding mist.
A hunter's scream echoed down the hall, cut short by a wet crunch.
Seris shoved him back, her runes sparking to life. "Stay behind me."
The mist slid into the doorway like liquid darkness, and for the first time since he'd entered Division Grey, Theron felt real fear.
The System pulsed one last warning.
[Notice: █████ Is Here.]