3 Days Later – Eastern Sierra Madre Jungle
Kael guided Elias and Maya through the dense undergrowth.
They were following a trail not found on any map, a path erased from satellite memory. According to Kael, it led to an abandoned Silencer site—one of the earliest.
A site where shadow experiments began.
Elias limped slightly from the fight with Sol, his shoulder still raw. But he said nothing.
Maya, quiet and alert, kept one hand near her hip—where her shadow now rested like a living snake.
They were all silent.
Even the jungle seemed to hold its breath.
---
The Door Beneath the Mountain
They found it at dusk.
Carved into the mountainside—an old bunker door marked with fading paint:
"ORIGIN-0 / Class Black Entry Only"
Kael's hand hovered above the keypad. "This was the prototype site. Where they created the first shadow bond."
Elias looked at him. "Created?"
Kael nodded grimly. "You still think these powers were an accident?"
He entered the code.
The door hissed.
And opened.
---
Inside the Womb of Shadows
Dim light flickered overhead.
The hallway smelled of steel, rot, and sterilized pain.
Every door they passed was labeled:
"Test Subject A07 – Shadow Density Failure"
"Test Subject B13 – Full Merge Fatality"
"Test Subject D01 – Active (Dominic Reyes)"
Maya froze.
"Dominic was made here?"
Kael shook his head. "Dominic was born here. Literally. They grew him from embryos tailored to match shadow frequencies found in certain deaths."
Elias stiffened. "Wait… you're saying—?"
"Yes," Kael said. "Shadow energy is harvested from the recently dead. From souls."
---
The Central Chamber — The Archive
They entered a circular room filled with glass tubes—each holding shadows still squirming inside.
Recordings played from the speakers.
> "Subject D01 responded violently to empathy stimuli."
"Subject A02 shows resilience to moral programming—termination scheduled."
"Subject F05 escaped via merged shadow form. Protocol Gemini was developed in response."
Maya walked toward a monitor.
It displayed her name.
> "Maya Alcantara – Dormant carrier. Shadow Type: Adaptive. Monitored since age 4. Subject shows high resistance to trauma suppression attempts."
Her hands trembled.
"They've been watching me my whole life…"
---
Truth Hurts
Elias found a sealed file in the main terminal:
"Project Origin / Class Omega – Elias Guevarra"
He clicked.
The footage showed his mother—crying in a hospital room—signing a waiver. Soldiers waiting at the door.
A shadow slithered across her skin.
His file read:
> "Subject Omega: Conceived through natural birth. Shadow bond occurred in utero due to early-stage exposure to recovered Subject D-class remains."
Elias whispered, "I was infected before I was born."
Maya placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You weren't infected," she said. "You were chosen."
---
Sudden Blackout
All lights died.
Emergency red glow lit the halls.
Kael drew his blade. "They know we're here."
Elias turned toward the dark.
"We brought the war home."
And from the far end of the hall—
footsteps.
A woman's silhouette emerged.
Long coat.
One visible eye glowing silver.
Dr. Velasco.
"Congratulations," she said calmly. "You found the truth."
"But can you survive it?"