Jack did not feel the ground beneath his feet.
He did not feel the cold wind whipping around him.
Nor the dust settling over his skin.
Nor Rafael shouting his name.
Nor Mantis watching with predatory delight.
He felt only pressure.
A crushing, suffocating pressure pulsing behind his eyes, inside his skull, down his spine—like lightning trapped inside bone.
He heard himself breathing.
Too fast.
Too heavy.
Not human.
"Maya…" he whispered.
His voice wasn't his.
Not anymore.
Inside the Mind—The Locked Door Opens
Jack blinked—and suddenly he wasn't standing on the broken road.
He was back inside the mental corridor from before.
Except now—
Every light was on.
The walls glowed silver.
The floor hummed like a generator.
The glass panels were shattered.
And the door at the far end—the door that used to be locked—
Was open.
Wide open.
Jack stared at it, breath hitching.
"No…"
A shape moved inside the doorway.
At first, he thought it was a shadow.
But then the shadow stepped forward.
It was shaped like him—
same height, same build, same face—
but the eyes were pure silver.
Emotionless.
Predatory.
Alpha.
Jack stumbled back. "No—no—stay away from me—!"
The thing smiled faintly.
"You called me."
"I DIDN'T!"
"You opened the door."
"I tried to keep it shut!"
"But you couldn't," Alpha said quietly. "Because I am what you were built to be."
Jack felt the corridor narrowing around him.
"I'm not you," he whispered. "I'm Jack. I'm human."
Alpha tilted his head.
"And yet here we are."
Jack backed away—
But the door behind him slammed shut.
Dark laughter echoed somewhere far away.
Mercer's voice.
"You cannot escape him, Alpha."
Jack screamed:
"I'M NOT ALPHA!"
Alpha stepped closer.
"You're losing control. Let me help you."
"No."
"We can protect her."
Jack froze.
"…Maya?"
Alpha's eyes brightened.
"Yes. The wolf."
"Don't call her that."
"You care for her."
Jack flinched.
Alpha smiled.
"That makes you weak. But it makes me powerful."
Jack lunged forward, grabbing Alpha by the throat.
"You stay away from her!"
Alpha didn't fight back.
Instead, he leaned in.
"I'm already in your hands."
Jack's grip loosened.
He trembled violently.
Alpha whispered:
"Give in. I'll keep her safe."
Jack shook his head violently.
"No—no—you'll hurt her—"
Alpha stepped backward into the shadows.
"Only if you refuse me."
Jack's knees buckled.
His chest tightened.
He felt reality slipping again.
And through the fading light, Alpha whispered:
"I'm taking us back."
Jack screamed—
And the world snapped.
Back to Reality — Maya's Voice
Jack's eyes opened.
Silver.
Blinding.
He saw everything at once.
The trees swaying.
Rafael aiming a gun.
Mantis poised like a serpent ready to strike.
Dust particles suspended in midair.
The curvature of the metal door he had blown open.
Everything.
Too fast.
Too sharp.
Too loud.
He felt his fingers twitch.
Felt his muscles ripple with new strength.
Felt a primal instinct pulse under his skin.
A whisper:
Take control.
"No…" he muttered aloud.
Another whisper:
Protect.
Jack blinked.
Maya.
He turned toward her.
She was struggling to stand after the blast, dust clinging to her hair, blood smeared along her ribs—
And she was looking at him with fear.
Not of Alpha.
Of losing him.
"Maya…" Jack whispered.
But his voice came out distorted, metallic at the edges.
Maya took one step forward, hand trembling.
"Jack… look at me."
Alpha inside him snarled:
She will break you.
Jack clutched his head.
"Stop—stop—stop—!"
Maya ran toward him.
"MAYA—DON'T—!" Rafael shouted.
But she didn't stop.
She reached him.
She grabbed his face with both hands.
She forced him to meet her eyes.
"Jack. JACK."
Her voice cracked.
"You're here. With me. Not with him."
Jack's breathing stuttered.
His silver eyes flickered.
Alpha whispered inside him:
She is the weakness. Remove her.
Jack's body lurched forward—
Not toward her.
Not away.
But into her hold.
Maya's fingers pressed into his cheeks.
"Don't leave me," she whispered, voice shaking. "Please."
Jack felt something tear inside him.
Not physical.
Something deeper.
Human.
"…Maya…" he managed.
She leaned her forehead to his.
"Fight him."
Jack trembled violently.
His hands hovered at her waist—uncertain, unsteady, dangerous.
"I—I don't know if I can…"
"Yes," she whispered. "You can."
Alpha roared inside him:
LET GO OF HER.
Jack screamed.
His knees buckled.
Maya held him.
"Jack—listen to me—look at me—don't let him take you!"
His fingers gripped her arms—not painfully, but desperately.
"I'm… trying…"
"You're stronger than him."
"Am I…?"
"Yes," she said fiercely. "You are."
His eyes flickered—
Brown.
Silver.
Brown.
Silver.
Then—
A shadow moved beside them.
Mantis.
She slid out of the dust cloud like a phantom, head tilted, watching them like theater.
"Oh," she whispered, smiling. "This is beautiful."
Maya drew her knife instantly and positioned herself between Jack and Mantis.
"Back. Off."
Mantis ignored her completely.
Her eyes were on Jack.
"You're waking faster than I thought," she murmured. "Mercer will be thrilled."
Jack clutched at his skull, gasping.
"No—NO—!"
Maya shouted, "Jack, focus on my voice!"
Mantis tilted her head.
"You can't hold him, little wolf. Alpha is stronger than you."
"No," Maya spat. "Jack is stronger."
Mantis laughed softly.
"You keep saying that."
She vanished—
And reappeared behind Maya.
A blade pressed to Maya's throat.
Jack's heart stopped.
"MAYA!"
Mantis purred into Maya's ear.
"Let's see how strong Jack really is."
Jack's skin ignited with silver light.
His pupils constricted into sharp metallic rings.
His voice dropped into a primal growl.
"Get. Away. From. Her."
Mantis smirked.
"Oh, there he is."
She pressed the blade harder.
A drop of Maya's blood slid down her neck.
Jack snapped.
He lunged forward—with speed faster than human—
Just as Maya shouted:
"JACK, DON'T—!"
Too late.
Alpha surged.
Jack's hand closed around Mantis's wrist with crushing force.
Bone cracked.
Mantis hissed—
But smiled.
"Oh, wonderful."
She flipped backward, escaping Jack's grasp, and disappeared into the treeline in a blur.
Rafael rushed over.
"Maya! Are you—"
"I'm fine," Maya said, wiping the blood from her neck. "Jack is not."
Jack fell to his knees.
Maya dropped with him.
His eyes flickered violently, silver devouring the brown again.
"M-Maya… I almost—"
"You didn't."
"You could've died."
"But I didn't."
"But I—"
His voice cracked.
"I wanted to. For a second… I wanted to."
Maya's breath hitched.
"Jack—"
His voice turned hollow.
"I'm losing myself."
She grabbed his face, fingers trembling.
"Then I'll hold you together."
He shook his head, tears welling.
"You don't understand—"
"Then make me understand."
Jack finally looked at her.
Really looked at her.
"Maya… if Alpha takes control… the first person he'll kill is you."
The world froze.
Rafael stared, speechless.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Maya whispered:
"…No."
"Yes," Jack said, defeated. "Because Alpha sees you as the only thing stopping him. The first threat. The first target."
Maya felt her chest crack.
Jack lowered his head.
"Maya… if I hurt you… I'll never forgive myself."
She touched his cheek.
"You won't."
"You don't know that."
"Yes," she whispered. "I do."
Jack's eyes softened—just a moment—just enough.
And then—
A sharp buzzing filled the air.
Rafael whipped around.
"Oh shit—"
Dozens of red laser dots lit up Jack's chest.
Maya's blood ran cold.
"Snipers!"
Rafael shouted, "Helix has us surrounded—!"
Jack looked up weakly.
Maya stood and spread her arms—
Shielding him with her body.
Jack whispered, horrified,
"Maya—what are you doing—?!"
She didn't look back.
Her voice was steady.
"Saving you."
A shot fired.
A blur of motion.
And the chapter ends here.