The morning was grey, the kind that seemed to smother color out of the world.
Mist clung to the ruined greenhouse like a second skin, and the air was too still—like the city itself was holding its breath.
Kyle was already awake, leaning against a half-collapsed wall, running a thumb along the edge of a crimson dagger he'd formed from his own blood. Every few seconds, he glanced at Gia. She was still asleep, head resting on her bag, a loose strand of hair brushing her cheek.
She doesn't know how bad it is.
The whisper from last night still clung to him, curling in the back of his mind like a parasite. His veins felt heavier, thicker, as if the shadow's touch had left something inside him.
Felix's Concern
Footsteps approached. Felix emerged from the far side of the greenhouse, brushing moss from his jacket. He crouched near Kyle, his usual cocky grin replaced by something more guarded.
"You didn't sleep," Felix said.
"Didn't need to," Kyle replied, eyes still on Gia.
Felix studied him for a moment before saying quietly, "That thing last night—it wasn't just a warning. It's already working on you."
Kyle's grip on the dagger tightened. "You think I don't know that?"
"I think you're pretending it's fine so she doesn't panic." Felix nodded toward Gia. "She deserves to know."
Kyle's voice dropped to a low growl. "If you tell her, I'll—"
Felix cut him off. "What? Bleed me to death? Try me."
For a tense moment, they stared each other down. Then Felix smirked faintly. "You know, you're a real fun guy to travel with."
Kyle didn't answer. He just dissolved the dagger and turned away.
The First Attack
It began subtly—Gia stirred in her sleep, brow furrowing, then jolted upright with a sharp gasp.
"Kyle—!"
He was at her side instantly. "What happened?"
She looked around, wide-eyed. "The shadow. It was here. Right here."
Felix's gaze sharpened. "Where?"
Gia pointed to the far side of the greenhouse, where the broken glass met a wall of overgrown vines.
And then, they heard it.
A faint dripping sound.
Kyle stepped forward cautiously. One of the vines was wet—not with rainwater, but with red. Blood seeped from the plant, running down to pool on the cracked tiles.
The moment Kyle got close, the pool shifted. It moved—snapping upward in tendrils, shaped exactly like his own blood weapons.
He staggered back as the crimson shapes lunged toward him, striking with unnatural speed.
"Those are—" Felix swore. "Those are yours."
Kyle conjured his own blades to defend himself, but when steel met steel, he realized the horrifying truth: they fought with his exact rhythm, his own instincts. Every strike, every block—it was like facing a mirror that knew him better than he knew himself.
Gia tried to step in, portal sparks flickering at her fingertips, but the shadow's voice echoed in the greenhouse:
"I don't need to kill you, Kyle. I only need to make you kill yourself."
The blood-construct lunged again. This time, one blade slid past Kyle's guard, grazing his arm. Pain flared instantly—hot, burning pain.
The Split
Felix grabbed Gia's arm. "We can't fight it here. We need to move."
Kyle snarled, "Go, then!"
Gia's eyes flashed. "I'm not leaving you—"
"Yes, you are!" Kyle's tone was harsher than he intended. "It wants me. If you stay, you'll just get in the way."
Felix stepped between them. "She's coming with me. You deal with this thing and catch up."
For a second, Kyle's glare locked on Felix. There was no trust there, only the uneasy awareness that they were both competing for Gia's loyalty in different ways.
Finally, Kyle barked, "Fine. Keep her safe."
Felix smirked faintly, tugging Gia toward the side exit. "That's the plan."
And then they were gone, leaving Kyle alone in the greenhouse with his own blood turned against him.
The shadow's laugh filled the air.
"Closer than you think."
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