Darkness wasn't empty.
It pulsed.
Warm.
Cold.
Tight.
Expanding and collapsing in strange, uneven waves.
My consciousness drifted somewhere between sleep and panic, between instinct and awareness.
Something brushed against my mind.
Not a voice.
Not a sound.
Not a touch.
A presence.
Mine.
Not mine.
Familiar.
Wrong.
I jolted awake—
—and nearly fell off the bed.
This wasn't the observation room.
This wasn't a room at all.
It was a containment chamber.
Circular.
Sterile.
White lights embedded in the ceiling like an artificial halo.
A single bed bolted to the floor.
Thick reinforced glass instead of walls.
My chest tightened.
This is where they kept Elliot.
This is where they dragged him from.
I pressed a shaking hand to my mouth.
I wasn't restrained.
No cuffs.
No bars.
But the room was still a cage.
A soft hiss emitted from vents above.
A cool mist filtered down, probably meant to stabilize my scent.
I inhaled—
and froze.
There was a faint scent in the air.
Not Horace.
Not mine.
Something similar.
Too similar.
My heart hammered.
"No," I whispered.
Because I had smelled it before.
During the collapse.
During the Sigma override.
In the shadow I saw in the reflection before blackout.
A scent nearly identical to mine.
A presence that wasn't mine.
I whispered shakily into the cold air:
"…Elliot?"
The room echoed the name back to me like a cruel joke.
No answer.
No silhouette.
No voice.
Only a faint, unsettling warmth lingering in the air—as if someone had been watching me before I woke.
My throat tightened.
Whatever had been here…
wasn't gone.
CROWN WING – HALLWAY OUTSIDEHORACE
Horace slammed his fist into the security glass.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
His knuckles split and bled instantly.
Lucian grabbed his arm.
"Horace—stop—"
"DON'T TELL ME TO STOP!"
Horace bellowed, chest heaving.
"THEY TOOK HER—THEY PUT HER IN THERE—AND YOU WANT ME TO 'STOP'?!"
Lucian tightened his grip.
His own hands were shaking.
"You will bleed out if you push too hard—"
"I DON'T CARE!"
"Horace—!"
Horace shoved him back.
The entire corridor's emergency lights flickered as his scent spiked—rage, fear, instinct—all tangled into a dangerous storm.
He wasn't thinking like a prince.
He wasn't thinking like a patient.
He wasn't even thinking like an Alpha.
He was thinking like someone who had just lost the person he loved.
His voice broke:
"She's terrified.
She's alone.
And she's changing.
They'll kill her if I don't get to her—"
Lucian stepped in again, voice dropping:
"I'm trying to help you."
Horace trembled violently.
"Then HELP ME GET HER OUT!"
Lucian grabbed both his shoulders.
"Horace."
Firm.
Low.
Controlled.
"Look at me."
Horace tried to wrench away—
but Lucian didn't let him.
"Horace Frinton," he said sharply.
"Listen—she is alive.
She is conscious.
And I know which room she's in.
But you cannot break through the Crown Wing alone."
Horace froze.
"Then we're not alone," a voice said behind them.
Both princes turned.
Chandler stood there.
Jaw clenched.
Eyes full of fire.
And right behind him—
Rowan.
Pale.
Shaking.
Terrified.
But there.
Rowan lifted his chin.
"I know this hall," he whispered.
"I know the layout.
I know the security cycles.
I know how they move.
I know how they panic."
Chandler took Rowan's hand firmly.
"We're not letting you fight alone."
Horace blinked through the pain, voice cracking:
"You two—
you're not supposed—
Rowan, you shouldn't—"
Rowan swallowed hard.
"I'm scared."
His voice shook violently.
"But she was there for me.
And now it's my turn."
Chandler nodded.
"You'll lead the way.
We'll cover you."
Horace wiped the blood from his knuckles.
"Then we take her back."
Lucian's gaze dropped slightly.
"You're all insane."
Chandler snorted.
"We learned it from you two."
Lucian sighed.
Then he stepped forward.
"Fine.
I'll guide you."
He glanced at the corner cameras.
"I can't disable the Crown surveillance from here.
But I can buy you five minutes."
Horace's heart pounded.
"That's all I need."
BACK IN THE CONTAINMENT ROOM
The glass in the wall flickered—
a faint static distortion.
A glitch.
My reflection shimmered briefly.
Then—
for a split second—
a silhouette appeared behind me in the glass.
Tall.
Human-shaped.
But blurred, like a corrupted image.
I spun around.
Nothing was there.
My pulse spiked.
"Who's there?" I whispered.
Silence.
But the faint scent—
warm
sharp
similar to mine—
lingered.
Then—
Slam.
Something struck the glass from the outside.
I jumped.
Footsteps.
Voices.
A shout.
"Elleanore!"
Horace's voice—raw and furious.
My breath hitched.
"Horace?!"
I rushed to the glass.
His silhouette appeared beyond the fogged barrier—
backlit by flickering emergency lights—
Lucian beside him, Rowan clutching Chandler's arm.
Horace pressed his hand against the glass.
"Elleanore—
I'm here—
I'm right here."
My heart nearly collapsed with relief.
Then—
an alarm blared.
Unauthorized presence in Sector Zero.
Security lockdown initiated.
Lucian cursed.
Rowan flinched.
Chandler grabbed his shoulder protectively.
Horace slammed his fist into the glass again.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
I pressed my hand opposite his.
His warm palm met the barrier.
My cold one mirrored it.
"Horace," I whispered,
"I saw a shadow."
His expression hardened.
"What shadow?"
"One… with my scent."
Lucian went still.
Rowan's breath broke.
Chandler whispered, "Shit…"
Horace's jaw clenched.
"Elleanore," he whispered,
"listen carefully."
His voice trembled—
but not from fear.
From instinct.
From something deeper.
"I will get you out of there."
My chest tightened painfully.
"I know."
He exhaled shakily.
"And when I do…
you're not going back in."
"I wasn't planning to."
We stared at each other through the barrier—
his eyes fierce and shining
mine trembling but steady.
Then—
a loud mechanical sound echoed down the corridor.
Chandler stiffened.
Rowan grabbed his sleeve.
Lucian's shoulders tensed.
Horace's scent spiked instantly.
Something was coming.
Something heavy.
Something metallic.
Something programmed with a purpose.
And the lights began to flicker again—
just like before the collapse.
Rowan's breath cracked.
"No—no—not again—"
Chandler held him tightly.
Horace moved in front of everyone.
"Elleanore," he said quietly.
"Yes?"
"When the lights go out—
I need you to get away from that door."
"Why?"
"Because I'm breaking it down."
Before I could respond—
the hallway lights cut completely.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And from the black—
a cold mechanical voice echoed:
"SUBJECT: FONZE
PRIME SIGNAL DETECTED."
My heart stopped.
Horace roared:
"ELLEANORE—MOVE!"
And then—
the glass between us cracked.
Prime Signal
The glass cracked again.
A thin fracture ran across its surface—
spiderwebbing outward, glowing faintly with heat as if something pressed against it from the outside.
The machine's voice reverberated through the darkness:
"PRIME SIGNAL IDENTIFIED."
My breath froze.
Rowan whimpered behind Chandler.
Lucian stepped in front of both of them.
Horace moved directly in front of the glass—
between me
and whatever was coming.
The hallway lights flickered back on—
dim
unsteady
buzzing with electrical distortion.
And then I saw it.
A machine stepped into view.
Not the Sigma-class from before.
Something larger.
Lean, humanoid, plated with matte black armor
and pulsing with faint red lines along its limbs.
Its head tilted toward Horace—
then shifted slightly,
locking fully onto me.
"PRIMARY TARGET LOCATED."
Horace snarled,
"NO—NO, you're not touching her—"
The machine extended an arm.
A panel unfolded.
A scanner glowed.
A cold, sterile scent hit the air—
and my entire body seized.
My skin burned.
My breath hitched.
The room seemed to pulse.
"Horace," I gasped,
"stay back—something—something's wrong—"
The machine took one step closer.
Lucian cursed under his breath.
Rowan grabbed Chandler's hand.
Chandler whispered urgently,
"We have to move—now—"
Horace didn't move.
He planted his feet, shoulders trembling from pain and instinct.
"You go through me FIRST," he growled.
The machine scanned him briefly:
"ALPHA PRESENCE DETECTED.
OBSTRUCTION."
Horace smirked grimly.
"Good. Then I'll obstruct harder."
The machine raised its arm—
A small port opened, humming as it charged.
I pushed my hands against the glass.
"HORACE—MOVE—!!"
But he didn't.
He didn't even flinch.
"ELLEANORE," he shouted,
"GET BACK!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
The machine fired.
A pulse of compressed energy shot straight toward him.
Lucian lunged forward—
"HORACE, MOVE!"
Horace braced himself—
but the pulse wasn't aimed at him.
It hit the glass.
Right in front of me.
BOOM—!!
The entire room shook.
The glass exploded outward in a spray of sharp fragments and light.
I screamed and shielded my face.
Horace was already moving.
Even injured—
even barely standing—
he sprang forward and tackled me to the ground, shielding my body with his own.
Fragments sliced into his back
his shoulders
his arms.
He didn't make a sound.
He just held me tighter.
The machine took another step.
Rowan cried out.
Chandler cursed and shoved a metal tray stand in front of them.
Lucian darted to the keypad
swiping codes
slamming commands—
but the machine ignored him.
Its voice was cold as bone:
"CONFIRMING PRIME SUBJECT."
Horace pushed himself up off me, panting, half-covered in blood.
"Elleanore—run—"
"I won't leave you!"
He grabbed my shoulders, eyes fierce and pained.
"You're not leaving me," he said,
"you're running so I can get up."
I swallowed thickly.
"Horace—"
He kissed my forehead—
quick
desperate
like a promise and a plea all at once.
"Go."
The machine struck again—
a metal arm swinging toward the shattered doorway.
Lucian intercepted it with a shock baton—
sparks flying—
"HORACE—MOVE!"
Horace yanked me up.
The four of us rushed down the hall—
Lucian swinging the baton again
Rowan dragging Chandler
Horace gripping my wrist
blood soaking through his bandages.
The machine followed.
Fast.
Precise.
Cold.
Rowan's steps faltered.
His breathing broke into panic.
Chandler squeezed his hand hard.
"Stay with me—Rowan—don't look back—"
But Rowan did look back.
And when he saw the machine—
his knees buckled.
"No—no—no—it's them—it's them again—"
Chandler caught him.
Lucian snapped over his shoulder:
"MOVE—!!"
But Rowan couldn't.
His legs froze.
His lungs locked.
His scent spiked with terror.
Chandler grabbed Rowan's face.
"Hey—HEY—look at me—ROWAN—!!"
His voice cracked.
"They're not taking you.
They're not taking Elleanore.
We're together.
We're ALIVE.
LOOK AT ME."
Rowan trembled violently.
"C-Chandler—
I can't—
I can't move—
I can't—"
"Yes, you can," Chandler whispered fiercely.
"Because I'm not letting you go."
He lifted Rowan—
literally picked him up—
and kept running.
Rowan buried his face in Chandler's neck, sobbing.
Horace tugged me harder.
"Elleanore—we're almost there—"
Lights flickered again.
The machine's voice echoed:
"PRIMARY TARGET AHEAD."
My stomach turned.
It was talking about me.
Lucian skidded to the side, slamming a code into a hidden panel.
A blast door snapped open.
"INSIDE—NOW—!!"
Horace shoved me forward, yelling:
"RUN!"
I stumbled inside.
Rowan and Chandler followed.
Lucian slammed the inner console.
The door began to close—
But the machine was already there.
A black metal arm thrust through the gap.
The door hit it with a clash of sparks.
Lucian grabbed Horace's wrist.
"HORACE—GET INSIDE—!!"
Horace pushed me behind him—
"No—she's going first—"
But the machine forced the door wider.
Lucian's eyes widened.
"HORACE—MOVE!"
Horace shoved me deeper into the room.
"Elleanore—get back—!"
I screamed,
"HORACE—!!"
The machine's arm swung directly at him.
Lucian grabbed Horace's collar and yanked him inside—
The door slammed shut.
The machine's arm smashed against the sealed metal with a deafening crash.
Silence.
Then—
BOOM—
The door dented inward.
Rowan gasped.
Chandler flinched violently.
Lucian braced himself against the locking wheel.
Horace staggered, breathing hard.
His face was pale—
bandages soaked through with fresh blood—
but he fixed his eyes on me.
"Elleanore…"
His voice broke.
"Are you hurt?"
I shook my head.
He exhaled shakily.
"Good.
Good."
He took two steps forward—
and collapsed.
"HORACE!" I screamed.
I caught him before he hit the floor.
Lucian rushed to his side.
"His stitches tore. He's losing blood—"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT STITCHES," Horace growled weakly,
"I'm not leaving her alone—"
His head tipped toward my shoulder.
My hands trembled.
"Horace—please—stay awake—"
He looked at me with half-lidded eyes.
"Elleanore…
I told you…
I'll always get to you."
My chest hurt so deeply I could barely breathe.
Chandler knelt beside us, still holding Rowan like a lifeline.
Rowan wiped his eyes, voice trembling:
"We… we need to get out…
or we're all dead."
Lucian pressed his hand against a scanner.
A secondary panel slid open.
Behind it:
a ladder chute, descending into darkness.
"The old escape tunnel," he said.
"It leads under the academy.
We'll lose the machine's tracking for at least a minute."
Chandler exhaled shakily.
Rowan clung to him tighter.
Horace's eyes fluttered shut—
No.
No, no, no—
I shook him.
"Horace—stay with me—
PLEASE—"
Lucian pressed two fingers to Horace's neck.
"He's alive.
Barely.
But alive."
He looked at me seriously.
"Elleanore—he fought for you until he couldn't stand.
He needs you now."
I swallowed hard.
I slid an arm under Horace's shoulders, pulling him into me.
His head rested against my chest.
I whispered into his hair:
"I'm not letting go."
Lucian nodded.
"Good. Because he'll need your scent to stay conscious."
Chandler rose first, holding Rowan steady.
Lucian prepared to help Horace's other side.
But Horace whispered—
very faintly—
"Only… her."
Lucian hesitated.
Then nodded once.
"Fine."
I tightened my grip under Horace's arm.
"We have to move," Lucian said.
Chandler nodded.
Rowan clung to him.
Horace breathed unevenly.
His forehead rested against my shoulder.
"Elleanore…"
His voice was a weak whisper.
"…Don't be scared."
I swallowed hard.
"I'm not scared."
He managed a faint, pained smile.
"You're a terrible liar."
Lucian opened the tunnel hatch.
The machine pounded on the blocked door again—
the echo traveling through the metal floor.
We didn't have time left.
Lucian motioned.
"Go."
So I stepped into the darkness
with Horace leaning against me
Rowan whispering Chandler's name
Lucian sealing the hatch behind us
and the machine's voice echoing faintly above:
"PRIME SUBJECT IN MOTION.
LOCATE.
RECOVER."
The metal door thudded once more.
And then we climbed down into the shadows.