Vivian hit the ground hard.
Pain shot up her spine as air slammed out of her lungs. For a second, everything went black.
Then
She forced her eyes open.
Darkness.
Cold.
Silence.
No gunfire.
No voices.
Just the faint hum of machinery somewhere deep below.
She pushed herself up slowly, wincing.
"Jamo?" she called.
No answer.
"Lucas?"
Nothing.
Her heart pounded harder.
She was alone.
A faint light flickered at the far end of the narrow corridor she'd fallen into. Concrete walls. No windows. No visible exit behind her.
A trap.
Vivian exhaled sharply.
"Of course it is."
She steadied herself and moved forward.
Each step echoed softly.
Too quiet.
Too controlled.
Like the place itself was watching her.
As she reached the light, the corridor opened into a small chamber.
And she stopped.
Because she wasn't alone.
Someone sat in a chair at the center of the room.
Waiting.
Vivian's hand went straight to her knife.
"Get up," she said coldly.
The figure didn't move.
Then slowly
He lifted his head.
And Vivian's breath caught.
Because it was him.
Lucas.
No
Not the one she left above.
This one looked different.
Cleaner.
No blood. No tension. No chaos.
Just calm.
Controlled.
Watching her like he had expected her to arrive.
Vivian took a step back.
"What is this?"
The man smiled faintly.
"That depends."
His voice was Lucas's.
But something about it felt… wrong.
Vivian's grip tightened on her knife.
"You're not him."
The man tilted his head.
"Interesting."
Vivian's pulse raced.
"Where is my brother?"
The man stood slowly.
"Which version?"
Her stomach dropped.
"What did you do to him?"
The man stepped closer into the light.
Now she could see it clearly.
Same face.
Same eyes.
But empty.
Too perfect.
"You always saw what others missed," he said.
Vivian shook her head.
"No."
The man smiled.
"You're correct."
He tapped his temple lightly.
"I'm not Lucas."
Silence pressed in.
Vivian's voice dropped.
"Then what are you?"
The man answered simply.
"An upgrade."
Vivian's stomach turned.
"You copied him."
"Preserved him."
"You replaced him."
The man didn't deny it.
"Improved."
Vivian lunged.
Her knife flashed toward his throat
But he caught her wrist mid-strike.
Effortless.
His grip tightened.
Not human strength.
Not even wolf strength.
Something else.
Vivian's eyes widened.
He smiled slightly.
"Still fast."
Then he twisted.
Vivian hit the ground again, harder this time.
The knife slid out of her hand.
She pushed up quickly, ignoring the pain.
"Where is Lucas?" she demanded.
The man crouched slightly, studying her.
"Alive."
Her chest tightened.
"Where?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he asked,
"Would you like to see him?"
Vivian froze.
"That's not an answer."
"It's an offer."
She hesitated.
Every instinct screamed at her not to trust him.
But Lucas was alive.
Somewhere.
And this thing knew where.
Vivian made another controversial decision.
"Show me."
The man smiled.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
He turned and walked toward the far wall.
A hidden panel slid open.
Revealing another room.
Vivian followed slowly.
Carefully.
Inside
She stopped cold.
Because Lucas was there.
Strapped to a metal chair.
Unconscious.
Alive.
Machines connected to him.
Monitoring him.
Feeding something into him.
Vivian's chest tightened.
"Lucas…"
She stepped forward
But the man grabbed her arm.
"Careful."
She jerked free.
"What are you doing to him?"
The man's voice remained calm.
"Extracting."
"Extracting what?"
"Everything."
Vivian turned sharply.
"You're killing him."
"No," the man said.
"I'm using him."
Vivian's hands shook with anger.
"You're not touching him again."
The man tilted his head.
"You can't stop it."
Vivian looked around quickly.
Machines.
Wires.
Control panels.
There had to be a way.
Her eyes landed on a central console.
One main system.
One core connection.
If she destroyed it
Lucas might die.
But this thing would stop.
The man watched her carefully.
"You're thinking about breaking it."
Vivian didn't deny it.
"If I do, what happens to him?"
The man answered honestly.
"He might die."
Her chest tightened.
"And if I don't?"
"He becomes something greater."
Vivian let out a bitter laugh.
"You mean something like you."
The man smiled faintly.
"Yes."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
Vivian looked at Lucas.
Then at the machine.
Then back at the man.
Her voice dropped.
"If I walk away… you keep him alive?"
The man nodded.
"Yes."
"If I destroy this… he might die?"
"Yes."
Her heart pounded violently.
Above her, somewhere far away, another explosion echoed faintly.
Time was running out.
Vivian closed her eyes briefly.
Then opened them again.
And made the most controversial decision yet.
She stepped away from the machine.
Jamo's voice echoed faintly in her memory.
Trust me.
Lucas's voice followed.
End it.
Vivian turned toward the door.
"I'm leaving."
The man watched her carefully.
"You're abandoning him."
Vivian's voice shook slightly.
"I'm saving him."
The man tilted his head.
"Or losing him."
Vivian didn't respond.
She walked out.
Every step heavier than the last.
Behind her
The machines continued humming.
Lucas remained strapped to the chair.
And the man smiled.
Because as Vivian reached the doorway
The alarms suddenly changed.
A new sound.
Louder.
Sharper.
The entire facility shook violently.
Vivian froze.
Then turned back.
The man looked almost… pleased.
"They've arrived."
Vivian's pulse spiked.
"Who?"
The lights flickered.
The walls trembled again.
And then
A distant roar echoed through the facility.
Not human.
Not controlled.
Raw.
Violent.
Familiar.
Jamo.
Vivian's breath caught.
But the man's smile widened.
"Let's see what your Alpha does… when he has to choose."
The machines behind him suddenly surged.
Lucas's body jerked violently in the chair.
Vivian's heart stopped.
Because she realized too late
The system was accelerating.
And she had just walked away.