The air cracked.
Not shook.
Not trembled.
It cracked.
Like reality itself couldn't handle what Rachel had just become.
Her feet slowly lifted off the ground.
Not by force.
Not by the machine.
By her own power.
Raziel's heart skipped.
"…no."
Rachel's eyes glowed brighter than before.
Not just light.
Something darker mixed inside it now.
Something unstable.
Something dangerous.
The First Experiment stood still for the first time.
Watching her.
Studying her.
Interested.
"You're evolving faster than expected…" it said quietly.
Rachel didn't answer.
Her breathing had changed.
Slower.
Heavier.
Controlled but barely.
The war machine reacted instantly.
"Power surge exceeding safe limits."
Its systems flickered.
Weapons retracted.
Then deployed again.
It couldn't decide.
Rachel wasn't just its master anymore.
She was becoming something it couldn't calculate.
Lucien took two slow steps back.
"…yeah, this is where I mind my business."
Raziel didn't move.
His eyes were locked on Rachel.
"Rachel."
No response.
"Rachel, look at me."
Still nothing.
Daniel stepped forward.
Small.
Scared.
"Big sis…"
That word
That voice
Something flickered.
Rachel's head tilted slightly.
But then
The First Experiment moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
It appeared right in front of Daniel.
And grabbed him.
"NO!" Rachel screamed.
Everything exploded.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A shockwave blasted through the mansion.
Walls shattered.
Windows blew out.
The war machine was thrown backward.
Raziel slammed into a pillar.
Lucien rolled across the floor.
Dust.
Fire.
Chaos.
Rachel stood at the center of it all.
Breathing heavily.
Her aura now wild.
Uncontrolled.
"Let him go…" she said.
Her voice?
Not normal.
Layered.
Like something else was speaking with her.
The First Experiment smiled.
Holding Daniel by the neck.
"You care about him."
Rachel's fists clenched.
"DROP HIM!"
The war machine tried to move.
But stopped.
"Conflict detected… user instability…"
It couldn't obey.
Not fully.
Rachel took a step forward.
The floor cracked under her feet.
Energy leaked from her skin.
Burning.
Destroying.
Raziel forced himself up.
"Rachel STOP!"
She didn't listen.
The First Experiment tilted its head.
"Interesting…"
Then it squeezed Daniel's neck slightly.
Daniel gasped.
"Rach"
That was it.
Something broke completely inside her.
Rachel disappeared.
In a flash.
And reappeared in front of the First Experiment.
Her hand slammed into its chest.
CRASH!
The force sent it flying across the hall.
Daniel dropped.
Raziel caught him mid-air.
"I got you!"
Rachel didn't stop.
She followed.
Speed.
Power.
Rage.
She punched again.
And again.
And again.
Each hit shaking the entire mansion.
The First Experiment blocked one strike.
But even it was surprised.
"You're stronger than before…"
Rachel's voice echoed.
"I told you not to touch him."
The war machine suddenly powered up again.
"User dominance restored."
Weapons activated.
Locked onto the First Experiment.
Rachel didn't even turn.
"FIRE."
The machine obeyed instantly.
A massive blast hit the First Experiment directly.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion ripped through the entire side of the mansion.
Fire erupted.
Smoke filled the air.
Silence followed.
Rachel stood still.
Breathing.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Then
A hand reached out of the smoke.
Grabbing her wrist.
Her eyes widened.
The First Experiment stepped out.
Burned.
Damaged.
But healing.
Smiling.
"That… was better."
Rachel's heart dropped.
"No…"
It pulled her closer.
Too fast.
Too strong.
"You're finally becoming what you were meant to be."
Rachel struggled.
"Let go!"
The First Experiment leaned close to her ear.
"You think you're fighting me…"
It whispered.
"But you're fighting yourself."
Her body froze.
For one second.
That was all it needed.
It slammed her into the ground.
CRASH!
The floor shattered beneath her.
Rachel gasped.
Pain exploded through her body.
The glow in her eyes flickered.
Raziel shouted,
"RACHEL!"
He moved
But the war machine blocked him.
"Protecting primary user."
"I need to get to her!" he yelled.
Lucien grabbed his arm.
"No look!"
Raziel froze.
Because Rachel…
Was laughing.
Soft.
Broken.
Unstable.
"No…"
She slowly stood up.
Blood at the corner of her lips.
Eyes glowing again.
But this time
Different.
Darker.
Colder.
The First Experiment smiled.
"Yes…"
Rachel looked at Raziel.
At Daniel.
At everyone.
But her eyes…
Didn't feel like her anymore.
She whispered
"Maybe… he's right."
Raziel's heart dropped.
"Rachel… don't."
She tilted her head.
"What if this is who I'm supposed to be?"
Silence.
Deadly silence.
The war machine slowly turned.
Scanning.
Recalculating.
"User… emotional deviation detected."
Lucien muttered,
"…this is bad."
Very bad.
Rachel looked back at the First Experiment.
"Show me."
Raziel shouted,
"NO!"
Rachel smiled faintly.
"Show me what I really am."
The First Experiment's grin widened.
And for the first time
Raziel drew his gun.
Not at the enemy.
But at Rachel.
His hand trembled.
"If I have to choose…"
His voice broke slightly.
"…I will stop you."
Rachel looked at him.
And smiled.
Not warm.
Not soft.
But dangerous.
"Then try."
The silence didn't last.
It shattered.
Just like everything else around them.
Raziel's hand trembled slightly but the gun stayed aimed.
Straight at Rachel.
"Don't take another step," he said.
His voice was low.
Not loud.
But deadly serious.
Rachel tilted her head.
Studying him.
Almost like she didn't recognize him anymore.
"Raziel…"
She smiled faintly.
"You would shoot me?"
Behind him, Daniel clutched his shirt tightly.
"Don't…" he whispered.
Lucien didn't even joke this time.
"…this is how things go bad."
Very bad.
Rachel took one slow step forward.
The war machine instantly reacted.
"Threat proximity increasing."
Its weapons shifted.
Not toward the First Experiment.
Not toward Victor.
But
Toward Raziel.
Rachel's protector.
Now marked as a threat.
Raziel noticed.
And smiled bitterly.
"Of course…"
Rachel's voice came softly.
"Lower the gun."
Raziel didn't move.
"Rachel, fight this."
Another step.
Closer now.
"Put it down."
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it carried weight.
Control.
Power.
Something deeper than command.
Raziel's grip tightened.
"I won't let you become this."
Rachel stopped.
Right in front of him.
So close now.
She could hear his breathing.
He could feel her energy.
Unstable.
Wild.
Terrifying.
She reached out slowly.
Placed her hand on the gun.
And pushed it down.
Raziel let her.
But his eyes never left hers.
"You're losing yourself," he said quietly.
Rachel's smile faded.
"…what if I was never myself to begin with?"
That hit.
Hard.
Before Raziel could respond
The First Experiment moved again.
Fast.
A blur.
It appeared behind Rachel
But this time
Raziel was ready.
BANG!
The gunshot echoed.
The bullet hit.
Not Rachel.
The First Experiment.
Right through the shoulder.
It paused.
Looked down.
Then back at Raziel.
"…you learn quickly."
Raziel didn't respond.
He fired again.
BANG! BANG!
This time, the First Experiment dodged.
Vanishing.
Reappearing behind Lucien
Lucien barely jumped aside.
"NAH! NOT ME O!"
CRASH!
The wall behind him exploded instead.
Dust everywhere.
Chaos rising again.
Rachel turned sharply.
"Enough."
Her voice echoed.
The war machine reacted instantly.
"Command accepted."
Massive limbs shot out.
Blocking.
Striking.
Forcing distance between everyone.
Rachel stepped forward again.
Facing the First Experiment directly.
"No more games."
The First Experiment smiled.
"You still think this is a game?"
Rachel's eyes darkened.
"I'm done holding back."
Silence.
Heavy.
The kind that comes before destruction.
Then
Everything exploded again.
Rachel moved first.
Faster than before.
Her punch landed
BOOM!
The First Experiment slid across the ground.
But didn't fall.
It laughed.
Rachel attacked again.
This time
It caught her hand.
Stopped it.
Completely.
Their eyes locked.
Power against power.
Mirror against mirror.
"You're holding back," it said.
Rachel growled.
"I'm not."
It leaned closer.
"Yes… you are."
Then
It twisted her arm.
CRACK!
Rachel gasped.
Pain shot through her body.
Raziel stepped forward
But the war machine blocked him again.
"Do not interfere."
"MOVE!" he shouted.
It didn't.
Rachel dropped to one knee.
Breathing hard.
The glow in her eyes flickering.
The First Experiment crouched in front of her.
"You feel that?"
Rachel didn't respond.
"That hesitation…"
It tapped her chest lightly.
"…that's what makes you weak."
Rachel's fingers curled slowly.
Trembling.
Not from fear.
From restraint.
Behind her
Daniel's voice broke through everything.
"Rachel…"
Soft.
Shaky.
"But… you promised…"
That word.
Promised.
Rachel froze.
The glow in her eyes flickered again.
Raziel saw it.
"Rachel, listen to him."
The First Experiment's expression darkened.
"Don't."
Too late.
Rachel's breathing changed.
Slower.
Sharper.
Her voice came out low
Different.
"I don't break my promises."
Silence.
Then
BOOM!!!
Energy exploded from her body.
Forcing everything back.
The First Experiment slid across the floor this time.
Not by choice.
Rachel stood up slowly.
Her arm
Healing.
Her aura
Controlled.
Balanced.
Still dangerous.
But clearer.
Her eyes glowed.
But this time
They felt like her again.
The war machine responded instantly.
"Primary user stability restored."
Raziel exhaled.
"…there she is."
Rachel didn't look at him.
Not yet.
Her eyes stayed locked on the First Experiment.
"This ends now."
The First Experiment stood up slowly.
But this time
It wasn't smiling.
It was watching.
Carefully.
"You stabilized yourself…"
Rachel's voice was cold.
"I chose myself."
The First Experiment tilted its head.
"…interesting."
Rachel raised her hand.
The war machine responded.
Weapons charging.
Fully.
Locked.
Ready.
Rachel's voice dropped.
"Last chance."
Silence.
Even the fire seemed to pause.
The First Experiment looked at her.
Then smiled again.
But smaller this time.
"You passed the first test."
Rachel's heart skipped.
"…what?"
Before anyone could react
It stepped back.
Into the shadows.
And disappeared.
Just like that.
Gone.
The war machine scanned.
"Target… lost."
Rachel stood still.
Confused.
Angry.
"What just happened?"
Victor Kane's slow clap echoed through the hall.
"Well done."
Rachel turned sharply.
"You knew."
Victor smiled.
"Of course."
Raziel stepped forward.
"You used us."
Victor shrugged slightly.
"Not used."
He looked at Rachel.
"Observed."
Rachel's fists clenched.
"I should kill you."
Victor's smile widened.
"You could try."
The war machine shifted slightly.
Ready.
Rachel didn't move.
Not yet.
Because something felt wrong.
Too easy.
Too quiet.
Then
The machine spoke again.
But this time
Slowly.
Glitching.
"New… command… detected…"
Rachel frowned.
"I didn't give any command."
Victor didn't move.
But his smile changed.
Dangerous.
"Of course you didn't."
The war machine turned.
Slowly.
Its weapons rising again.
But this time
Not at the First Experiment.
Not at Victor.
Not at Isabella.
Rachel's breath caught.
Because it was pointing at
Daniel.
"No…" Rachel whispered.
Raziel's heart dropped.
"WHY IS IT TARGETING HIM?!"
The machine's voice echoed.
Cold.
Final.
"Hidden directive activated: eliminate emotional weakness."
Rachel froze.
Her body went cold.
Daniel stood there.
Too shocked to move.
"Rach…?"
Rachel stepped forward.
"No. STOP."
The machine didn't respond.
Weapons charging.
Fully.
Raziel turned to her.
"Rachel do something!"
Her hands trembled.
"It's not listening…"
For the first time
Rachel looked truly afraid.