The sound came again.
Louder this time.
Metal bending.
Breaking.
A low, distorted growl followed.
Not human.
Not anymore.
Rachel's body went still.
"…Daniel."
Raziel was already moving.
Gun raised.
Eyes sharp.
"Stay behind me."
Rachel didn't listen.
Of course she didn't.
She moved past him
Fast.
Toward the source.
"RACHEL!"
Too late.
The Door That Shouldn't Open
The reinforced door ahead
The one they locked Daniel behind
Was cracking.
From the inside.
Deep dents caved inward.
Metal groaned under pressure.
Lucien stood a few feet away.
"…yeah so… he's definitely not okay."
Another hit.
BOOM!
The entire door shook.
Rachel's chest tightened painfully.
"Daniel, stop!"
Silence.
For one second.
Two.
Then
A voice.
Distorted.
"…can't…"
CRACK!
The door split.
A hand pushed through.
Not fully human.
Veins dark.
Skin pale.
Trembling with unstable power.
Rachel's heart shattered.
"No…"
Raziel stepped forward instantly.
"This is bad."
Lucien nodded.
"…this is very bad."
He Breaks Out
BOOOOOOM!!!
The door exploded outward.
Metal pieces flew across the corridor.
Smoke filled the air.
And then
He stepped out.
Daniel.
But not the same.
His eyes glowed faintly.
His breathing uneven.
His body trembling like something inside him was fighting for control.
Rachel froze.
"…Daniel?"
He looked at her.
For a second
Just a second
Recognition flickered.
"…Rach…"
Hope.
Dangerous hope.
Rachel took a step forward.
"I'm here"
"DON'T."
His voice snapped.
Sharp.
Painful.
She stopped.
Barely.
Raziel moved beside her.
Low voice.
"He's not stable."
"I know."
But she still didn't move back.
Didn't create distance.
Because she couldn't.
The Breaking Point
Daniel's body jerked suddenly.
Like something inside him snapped.
His expression twisted
Pain
Rage
Loss
All at once.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
He lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
Straight at Rachel.
Raziel reacted instantly
Grabbing her
Pulling her back
SLAM!
Daniel crashed into the wall instead.
The impact cracked the concrete.
Lucien swore under his breath.
"…we are so dead."
Daniel turned again.
Breathing heavily.
Eyes flickering between control and chaos.
"I said RUN!"
Rachel shook her head.
"No."
Her voice was firm.
Steady.
"I'm not leaving you."
Raziel's jaw tightened.
"Rachel"
"I'm not!"
Her voice cracked slightly.
But she didn't look away from Daniel.
Didn't back down.
He Begs Her
Daniel dropped to his knees suddenly.
Gripping his head.
Screaming.
"IT HURTS!"
Rachel ran to him.
Ignoring everything.
"Daniel!"
Raziel cursed under his breath.
But followed.
Close.
Ready.
Daniel grabbed her arm tightly.
Too tightly.
"Listen to me…"
She leaned closer.
"I'm here."
His eyes met hers.
Clearer now.
Desperate.
"If I lose it…"
A pause.
"…you have to stop me."
Rachel shook her head immediately.
"No."
"YOU HAVE TO!"
"I WON'T!"
Tears filled her eyes now.
"I'm not killing you!"
Daniel's grip tightened.
Painfully.
"You're not killing me…"
His voice broke
"…you're saving everyone else."
That hit.
Hard.
Too hard.
Rachel froze.
"No…"
Raziel Steps In
Raziel grabbed Daniel's wrist.
Pulling him off her.
"That's enough."
Daniel snapped.
Attacking him instantly.
Faster than before.
CRASH!
Raziel blocked
But the force pushed him back.
Hard.
Rachel shouted,
"STOP!"
Neither of them listened.
Daniel attacked again
Wild.
Uncontrolled.
Raziel countered
Precise.
Deadly.
But holding back.
Always holding back.
Lucien muttered,
"…yeah this is emotional damage I didn't sign up for."
The Fight She Can't Stop
"RAZIEL DON'T HURT HIM!"
"I'M TRYING NOT TO!"
Daniel lunged again
This time catching Raziel
Throwing him across the corridor.
SLAM!
Rachel's heart dropped.
"RAZIEL!"
He pushed himself up immediately.
"I'm fine!"
He wasn't.
But there was no time.
Daniel turned back to Rachel.
Eyes darker now.
Losing control again.
"Rach…"
His voice softened
"…please…"
She stepped forward.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"I'm here."
He shook his head violently.
"No… you don't understand…"
His body trembled again.
Power surging.
Breaking.
"I can feel it…"
Rachel's chest tightened.
"…what?"
His eyes filled with fear.
"They're waking up."
Silence.
Cold.
Deadly.
"All of them."
The Moment Everything Breaks
Daniel looked at her.
Really looked.
For the last time.
"If I lose control…"
A pause.
Then
"…don't hesitate."
Rachel shook her head.
"I won't"
"PROMISE ME!"
Her voice broke.
"I CAN'T!"
Daniel smiled faintly.
Broken.
"…then I'll make you."
And before she could react
He moved.
Not at her.
At Raziel.
Fast.
Deadly.
Rachel screamed
"NO!"
"N!"
Rachel's scream echoed through the corridor
But Daniel was already moving.
Fast.
Too fast.
Straight at Raziel.
Impact
Raziel barely had time to react
Daniel's fist connected
CRASH!
The force sent him slamming into the wall, the impact cracking concrete beneath him.
Rachel's heart dropped into her stomach.
"RAZIEL!"
He coughed sharply, pushing himself up
But Daniel didn't give him time.
Another attack
Relentless.
Wild.
Fueled by something deeper than rage.
Raziel blocked again, but this time
He didn't hold back as much.
Because he couldn't.
Not anymore.
The Shift in the Fight
Daniel's movements were unstable
But powerful.
Too powerful.
Every strike heavier.
Faster.
More dangerous.
Raziel dodged
Countered
But something was wrong.
"He's getting stronger," Lucien muttered from behind.
"No," Raziel said low
Eyes locked on Daniel
"He's losing himself."
That was worse.
Rachel Caught Between Them
"STOP IT!"
Rachel ran forward again
Trying to get between them
But Raziel grabbed her arm mid-step.
"Don't."
Her eyes snapped to him.
"I have to!"
"You'll get hurt."
"I don't care!"
"I do."
That stopped her.
Just for a second.
Just long enough
For Daniel to strike again.
This time
Raziel didn't dodge.
He caught Daniel's arm.
Twisted
SLAM!
Pinned him to the ground.
Hard.
Daniel struggled violently
Growling
Fighting.
Rachel's chest tightened painfully.
"Raziel don't!"
"I'm not killing him."
His voice was sharp.
Controlled.
But strained.
"I'm stopping him."
Daniel laughed
A broken, distorted sound.
"You… can't…"
The Monster Inside Him
His body jerked violently
Power surging again.
Stronger.
Darker.
Raziel felt it immediately.
"…something's wrong."
Rachel whispered,
"No…"
Daniel's eyes snapped open
Fully glowing now.
No flicker.
No hesitation.
No control.
And then
He broke free.
Like it was nothing.
Raziel barely managed to step back in time
Daniel's attack missing him by inches
But the wall behind shattered instantly.
Lucien swore loudly.
"…okay yeah, we're officially screwed."
Rachel's Last Attempt
"Daniel!"
Rachel stepped forward again.
This time
Slower.
Careful.
Her voice softer.
"…it's me."
No response.
No recognition.
Nothing.
Her chest tightened.
"Please…"
Still nothing.
Just that empty
Dangerous stare.
Tears filled her eyes.
"…you said I should save you."
A pause.
Her voice broke slightly
"…I don't know how."
For a second
Just one
Something flickered.
Deep inside his eyes.
Buried.
Fighting.
Rachel saw it.
And held onto it.
"You're still there," she whispered.
"You're still my brother."
Raziel Watches Her
Raziel didn't interrupt this time.
Didn't step in.
Because he saw it too.
That tiny piece of Daniel still holding on.
But he also saw something else
The way Rachel was breaking.
Quietly.
Piece by piece.
And that?
That scared him more than the fight.
The Choice Begins
Daniel stepped forward slowly.
Unstable.
Shaking.
Rachel didn't move.
Didn't defend.
Didn't run.
Raziel's voice dropped.
"Rachel… move."
She didn't.
"I can reach him."
"You don't know that."
"I have to try."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Raziel's jaw tightened.
Because he knew
If this went wrong
He'd have to choose.
And he already knew what that choice would be.
Closer… Too Close
Daniel was right in front of her now.
Breathing uneven.
Eyes unstable.
Rachel lifted her hand slowly
Reaching for him.
"Daniel…"
Her fingers brushed his arm.
And everything stopped.
Just for a moment.
Time.
Breath.
Fear.
Hope.
All suspended.
His body froze.
His eyes flickered again.
"…Rach…?"
Hope surged.
Painful.
Fragile.
"I'm here," she whispered.
"I'm not leaving you."
The Cruel Twist
Then
Something inside him snapped.
Harder than before.
His expression twisted violently
Pain turning into rage
Control shattering completely.
"RUN!"
He screamed it
But his body moved in the same breath.
Attacking.
Not himself anymore.
Not in control.
Rachel didn't react fast enough.
This time
She couldn't.
Raziel's Breaking Point
Raziel moved instantly.
Faster than he ever had.
Grabbing Rachel
Pulling her out of the way
Daniel's strike missing her by inches
But not stopping.
Coming again.
Relentless.
Raziel pushed Rachel behind him.
"Stay back."
His voice had changed.
Lower.
Colder.
More dangerous.
Rachel felt it.
"…Raziel?"
He didn't look at her.
Eyes locked on Daniel.
"If he comes at you again…"
A pause.
Then
"I won't hold back."
Rachel's heart dropped.
"No…"
But she saw it.
He meant it.
And that scared her more than anything.
The Final Line Before Collapse
Daniel stood there.
Breathing heavily.
No control left.
No recognition.
Just power.
And destruction.
Rachel's voice came out barely
"…don't make me choose."
Raziel didn't answer.
Because he already had.