The room went still. The mist hung heavy, coiling around Theron like a living thing as the shattered pod hissed behind him.
A shape stepped out. Taller than anything they'd faced yet, its head grazing the ceiling. Pale skin stretched tight over a frame that seemed carved rather than grown. Black runes glowed faintly beneath its flesh, pulsing with each slow breath. Its eyes—if they could be called that—were white voids, reflecting every flicker of light in the room.
Even Nine was quiet for a moment. Then:
"Brother."
The word wasn't mocking or amused. It was reverent.
Seris's fingers twitched near her weapon, her breath sharp in the silence. "What… is that?"
"Something they didn't finish," Hale muttered. His rifle was steady, but there was tension in his stance. "Stay sharp."
The creature moved, slow and deliberate, stepping through glass shards that cracked under its weight. Every motion was precise. It wasn't feral like the others. It studied them.
Nine chuckled low in Theron's head. "He doesn't see you as prey. He sees you as competition."
The creature crouched, then launched forward.
Theron's blade barely met its first strike. The impact rattled his bones, sent him sliding across the floor. Hale fired at its head, each shot sparking against bone-plated skin. Seris darted left, violet runes sparking from her palms as she launched a wave of energy that barely staggered it.
"Split up!" Hale barked.
The monster spun toward Seris. She ducked under a swipe that shattered a reinforced column like paper.
Theron charged, Blood Edge flaring along his sword. His vision flickered, glitching with lines of red code.
[ERROR: Vision Override.]
[Notice: Sync—32%]
Nine's voice was calm. "You can't kill him like this. Let me."
"Shut up," Theron hissed through gritted teeth, ducking under another swing. He slashed low, cutting across the creature's leg. It didn't flinch.
Brother's hand shot out, grabbing Theron by the throat. The world tilted. His back hit the mirrored wall hard enough to crack it.
Seris shouted his name, firing another burst of violet energy into the creature's ribs. It turned its head toward her, unbothered by the attack.
Nine's tone sharpened. "Say yes, Theron. I'll break him."
The creature's grip tightened. Black dots filled Theron's vision.
"Theron!" Seris's voice was panicked now.
The mist surged, wrapping around his body like armor. His blade pulsed with an unnatural light.
Nine whispered, "You hesitate. I don't."
Theron's fingers twitched. His vision warped. Suddenly he wasn't looking at the monster—he was looking through it. Layers of muscle, bone, and glowing runes were highlighted in his mind, like a blueprint of weaknesses.
[Override Engaged.]
[Notice: Lethal Path Calculated.]
His body moved on instinct—not his own. He spun, slashing upward, cutting through one of the creature's arms. Black ichor sprayed, sizzling against the floor. Brother let out a deafening roar, stumbling back.
Seris froze mid-step. "That… wasn't you," she breathed.
"Theron!" Hale barked. "Control yourself!"
Theron couldn't answer. He wasn't fully in control anymore.
Nine's laughter filled his skull. "See? This is what you could be."
Brother roared, runes blazing brighter across its body. The chamber trembled as pods along the walls began to hiss and crack.
"More are waking," Hale snarled. "We need to move!"
Brother lunged again. Theron's blade intercepted, their strength nearly equal. Sparks and mist clashed around them.
Nine whispered, softer now, almost intimate: "Give me everything, and I'll end this."
Theron gritted his teeth, but his vision flickered again—this time showing him Seris's terrified face, Hale's gun pointed his way, and reflections of himself across the shattered mirrors… except none of them looked like him anymore.
They looked like Nine.
[Warning: Host Override—72%.]
[Notice: Identity Compromise Imminent.]
"Theron, stop!" Seris's voice cracked as she tried to get closer.
Brother slammed him down, claws digging into his shoulder. He felt something snap.
"Say yes."
Nine's words were sharp now. Commanding.
Glass shattered behind them as more pods opened, creatures stirring.
Hale raised his gun, aiming squarely at Theron. "This ends now."
"Don't!" Seris shoved him, desperate.
Brother's second arm pinned Theron to the ground, strength pressing him into the floor until the mirrored surface cracked under his back.
The mist around him flared, glowing brighter than ever, responding to Nine's hunger.
Nine's whisper was a growl now: "You'll die here, Theron. Or you'll become me."
Theron gasped, vision tunneling. "Do it," he choked.
Everything went white.