The sterile hum of machinery filled the underground laboratory.
Rows of containment tanks glowed faintly, each holding fragments of crystalline energy suspended in viscous fluid. The air smelled of metal and ozone — sharp, cold, and wrong.
Behind a reinforced glass partition, three figures in white coats stood before a floating monitor. Jiro's vitals pulsed across the screen — heart rate, neural flux, core resonance — each line spiking and distorting beyond measurable limits.
One of the scientists, Dr. Mei Lian, furrowed her brow.
"These readings can't be right. Three separate resonance points — one matching Essentia, one Etherion, and one… something else entirely."
"The third one's unidentified," replied Dr. Kaito Rhee, his fingers dancing across the holographic interface. "Its wavelength oscillates between evolution and entropy. It's… almost behaving like it's alive."
The head researcher, Dr. Isandro Vellin, stood silently behind them, the reflection of the monitor washing across his glasses. His voice was calm but heavy.
"Alive or not, it aligns with the ancient record. The last documented instance of triple-core synchronization was more than a century ago — Subject 01."
The room fell silent.
Everyone knew what had happened to Subject 01.
Dr. Mei's voice trembled slightly. "The one who… imploded during resonance stabilization?"
Vellin nodded once. "Yes. When they attempted separation, the cores resisted extraction. The entire facility was vaporized within seconds. The report concluded that once merged, the cores become self-aware."
The monitor flickered.
Jiro's pulse rate surged — 240 bpm — then steadied, unnaturally.
Three distinct energy signatures spiraled around each other in perfect rhythm, forming a shape the sensors could no longer categorize.
Dr. Kaito stepped back. "Director… the resonance is stabilizing on its own."
Vellin's gaze darkened.
"No… it's not stabilizing."
The lights dimmed.
A low hum began to echo from within the containment chamber — deep, resonant, almost like breathing.
>"It's adapting."
The glow intensified, swirling around Jiro's body inside the containment tank.
His body jerked once, then again — violently. His veins shimmered faintly blue, gold, and white as the three energies coiled through him like living threads.
Dr. Mei shouted, "The tank can't handle the resonance level!"
But before they could disengage, the pressure dropped — suddenly.
Jiro's body went still, suspended in silence. The glow faded, replaced by calm blue ripples that spread through the fluid.
Dr. Vellin slowly approached the glass. "He's… stable."
Three hours later.
Steam rose from the broken seal of the tank as it opened. Jiro gasped sharply, coughing water and light from his lungs. His eyes fluttered open — first blue, then gold, before returning to their usual brown.
He looked around in confusion. "Where… am I?"
Dr. Vellin was already beside him, helping him out of the tank. "You're safe, Jiro. You've been unconscious for three weeks."
Jiro's mind was a blur. The last thing he remembered was the cave, the egg, and then — the storm of light. "Three… weeks?"
Vellin nodded. "Your body entered a forced stasis. You survived something no one has ever survived before — a full triple-core resonance. You are now the only living being with three functioning cores."
Jiro's gaze drifted to his hands — faint markings glowed beneath his skin, forming fluid, living lines that pulsed faintly with every heartbeat.
Vellin handed him a folded towel and a tray with simple food — rice, soup, and fruit. "Eat first. Your system is still adjusting. The energy inside you is… unpredictable."
Jiro hesitated, then began eating slowly. His body was weak, trembling slightly, but the warmth of the food steadied him.
"Arisa…" he whispered suddenly, eyes tightening. "Where is she?"
Dr. Vellin's face didn't change, but his silence was heavy. "She's safe. Rest first. You'll see her when your vitals are stable."
Jiro nodded faintly, though something about the man's tone gnawed at him. The air felt… too quiet. Too controlled.
When he finished eating, a strange drowsiness washed over him — not natural sleep, but something induced.
As his eyelids grew heavy, he caught a glimpse of Vellin standing at the door, speaking softly into a communicator.
>"The cores have synchronized. Begin secondary monitoring. Do not inform the Council yet."
The last thing Jiro saw before slipping into unconsciousness was the faint reflection of his eyes in the glass — for a split second, glowing with purple colors instead of brown.
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