They filed inside in silence.
No one spoke. No one could. The weight of what had just happened pressed down on them like a physical thing, crushing words before they could form.
Maya didn't leave Eva's side. She sat close, close enough to touch, a silent promise that she wasn't going anywhere.
Wolfen stood in the doorway. Leaning against the frame. Watching.
The fire crackled. No one looked at it.
Eva's voice cut through the quiet. Hollow. Lost.
"What did she mean? When she said 'I still die'?"
Wolfen was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke, his voice was calm. Too calm.
"She's dying." The words fell like stones into still water. "She's infected with a virus. It's killing her slowly." He paused. "She has maybe two or three months left to live. That's why she came to you. To your other sister. To spend time before she continues her work."
Eva's head lifted slowly.
Her eyes found his.
Something in her snapped.
She was on her feet in an instant, crossing the room with violent speed. Her hands grabbed his collar, yanking him forward, her face inches from his.
"What are you talking about?" Her voice was raw, rising. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SAYING?"
Maya shot up. Derek and Leo moved to intervene—
Wolfen raised a hand. Stopped them.
"It's true." His voice didn't change. Didn't waver. "That's why she came, Eva."
"WHY ARE YOU SO CALM?" Eva's scream filled the room. "WHY?"
Wolfen looked at her. Directly. Steadily. He didn't defend himself. Didn't pull away.
"It's all my fault." His voice was quiet. "I couldn't save her when Prime 10 kidnapped her. And now I couldn't stop her. I promised you both times." He closed his eyes for just a moment. "I didn't fulfill them. Forgive me."
Eva's grip loosened. Just slightly.
"Do you think I care about your promises?" Her voice cracked. "You couldn't have saved her from Prime 10. You tried your hardest. You almost died. And now you tried again." Tears streamed down her face. "It's not your fault, so shut up. What I want to know is—" Her voice broke completely. "Why didn't you tell me my only sister was dying?"
The last word came out as a sob.
Wolfen met her eyes.
"Tell you would have destroyed you." His voice was gentle now. "It would have ruined the time you had with her. Lily didn't tell me—I figured it out myself. And she didn't want to ruin that month either." He paused. "Neither did I. That's why I didn't say anything."
He looked past her, at Dave.
"But Dave knew. He figured it out too. The Architects made that virus." Wolfen's eyes narrowed. "I'm guessing you knew about it."
Dave's voice, when it came, was broken. Raw.
"I only knew about its existence." He shook his head slowly. "Not that she had it. Not that she was—" He couldn't finish.
Eva's legs gave out.
She sank to her knees, her body folding in on itself, sobs wracking her frame. Maya moved to her, but Wolfen was faster. He caught her, helped her to a chair, sat her down gently.
She looked small. Broken. Nothing like the woman who had faced gods and walked away.
A buzzing sound.
Eva's phone-like device—the one Absolute 2 Eva had given her—vibrated on the table. She stared at it for a long moment, then picked it up, wiping tears from her face with the back of her hand.
The screen flickered. Absolute 2 Eva appeared.
She looked... positive. Hopeful. Alive in a way Eva hadn't seen before.
"I want to talk to Lily."
She saw Eva's face. The tear tracks. The red eyes. The devastation.
Her expression changed. The hope drained away, replaced by something cold and terrified.
"Where's Lily?" Her voice was sharp. Demanding. Afraid.
Eva looked at her through the screen. At the face that was hers and wasn't.
"Hey." Her voice was hollow. "Answer me something. When Lily came to you—did she sound suspicious?"
Absolute 2 Eva's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? Where is she?"
"She's dying." Eva's voice cracked again, but she forced the words out. "She's infected with a virus. One the Architects made."
Absolute 2 Eva went still.
Pale as a ghost.
"Stop lying." The words were automatic. Defensive. Please let this be a lie.
Eva wiped another tear. Met her own eyes through the screen.
"You think I'm lying?"
Absolute 2 Eva stared at her for one long, terrible moment.
Then she was gone—the call ended abruptly, the screen going dark. Somewhere in an Architect facility, a woman who wore Eva's face was running, searching, desperate to find the sister she'd only just gotten back.
The room was silent.
Eva sat in her chair, the device clutched in her hands, tears falling silently.
Maya moved closer. Didn't speak. Just sat beside her, a warm presence in the cold.
Wolfen turned to the door. Stared out at the darkness.
Somewhere out there, Lily was dying.
And there was nothing any of them could do to stop it.
---
Eva's voice cut through the silence again. Different now. Sharper.
"She's planning something."
Maya looked at her. "What?"
"Lily." Eva wiped her face, her eyes hardening. "She's not just going to sit there and die. She's going to do something." She turned to Dave. "Tell me everything about Pulse."
Dave blinked. "Pulse?"
"That thing." Eva's voice was steady now, the grief pushed down, buried under purpose. "The energy. The sphere. That creature that fought us—it broke my Dominance Sphere like it was nothing. I need to understand how."
Dave was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded.
"Pulse is bio-energy. Generated by hybrids naturally, but some humans can learn to use it too." He spoke carefully, choosing his words. "It enhances everything—strength, speed, healing. But it's more than that. It can be shaped. Amplified. Projected."
Eva listened.
"A Dominance Sphere is an advanced technique. You release Pulse into your surroundings, form a barrier, and establish control inside it. A Dominance Rule—a specific effect that becomes absolute in that space."
"That creature broke mine." Eva's voice was flat. "How?"
Dave met her eyes. "Dominance Rejection. When someone tries to break or override your sphere. It's not just about power—it's about control. Density. Stability. If their Pulse is more refined, more concentrated, they can inject it into your sphere and destabilize it from within."
Eva's jaw tightened. "So that thing—it was stronger than me?"
"Not necessarily stronger. More controlled." Dave leaned forward. "Pulse isn't just about how much you have. It's about how you use it. Precision. Efficiency. Stability under pressure." He paused. "Hybrids have a natural advantage—they generate Pulse constantly, their bodies are built for it. But that comes with risks. Instability. Overload. Loss of control."
Eva stared at the fire for a long moment.
"The creature that fought us," she said slowly. "It had incredible control. More than me."
Dave nodded. "It probably did."
"Then I need more." Eva's voice was absolute. "I need to learn. To push harder. To be better." She looked at him. "Can you teach me?"
Dave was quiet. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"I can try."
Eva stood. Walked to the window. Stared out at the darkness where her sister had vanished.
Lily was dying. Lily was planning something. And Eva would be damned if she let her sister face whatever came next alone.
She would learn. She would grow stronger. She would find a way to break through any sphere, any barrier, any enemy.
For Lily.
Always for Lily.