She woke up gasping—like the system had ripped her soul out and slammed it back in.
Lucien's hands were on her face, but it was his eyes that held her together.
Not the code. Not the console. Him.
Uplink Chamber – Dimmed Lights. Fading Sirens.
Her breath caught as the silence settled.
The other her—the clone—was gone.
Erased like a glitch in a broken loop.
But what had it taken?
Lucien pulled her close like he wasn't sure if she'd vanish again. His fingers trembled at the curve of her jaw, like maybe touch was the only thing proving she was real.
"You're okay," he whispered. "You're okay."
She wasn't.
Not entirely.
But in his arms, she remembered what it meant to be someone—not something.
"Did I win?" she asked, voice raspy.
"You didn't just win," he said. "You came back."
He kissed her forehead first.
Then her nose.
Then finally—her lips.
It was a kiss made of ashes and aftermath. Of war and worship. And of all the words neither of them had time to say before now.
Control Core – Moments Later
Kairo's voice cut in, sharp and hesitant.
"Status?"
Rhea leaned back just enough to press the comm.
"The clone's gone. Merge complete. But..."
She hesitated. "Something's wrong."
Lucien looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"
Rhea turned toward the console. A single message blinked on the screen.
[IDENTITY VERIFIED: RHEA-PRIME]
[BUT SIGNATURE REMAINS IN CONFLICT – SHADOW CODE DETECTED]
Her heart stopped.
"What does that mean?" Lucien asked.
"It means," Kairo said quietly, "a part of her... stayed."
Not the clone's body.
But maybe her voice.
Her thoughts.
A fragment.
A whisper in the dark corner of Rhea's mind.
Later – Quiet Room Beneath Skyspire
Lucien held her hand like it was the last thread keeping her from unraveling.
"You're shaking."
"Because I don't know who I am anymore," she admitted. "What if I'm not just me now?"
Lucien reached up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear like it was sacred.
"Then we figure it out. Together."
"Even if I turn into something else?"
"Even if you burn the whole system down from the inside."
She laughed. Choked. Fell into his chest.
And he let her fall.
Because loving Rhea—this version, this broken, terrifying, brilliant version—wasn't just a choice.
It was the only thing that ever felt true.
Hours later, Rhea stood alone in the tech bay, staring at her reflection in the glass.
But when she blinked…
…the reflection didn't.
It smiled.
[To be continued…]