Trust is a weakness. I knew this, and yet I had allowed myself to form a temporary alliance. The woman, Ava, had proven useful—her abilities complemented mine, and together we had overcome several of the more dangerous creatures lurking in the city's depths. But the more we worked together, the more I could feel the inevitability of betrayal looming.
It came sooner than I expected.
We had cornered a beast in the wreckage of what used to be a shopping mall. Its hide was thick, its claws deadly, but together we had brought it to its knees. As the creature let out a final roar, I turned to Ava, expecting her to strike the final blow.
Instead, I felt the cold steel of her knife press against my back.
"You should've known," she whispered, her voice devoid of emotion. "There's no room for alliances in this world."
For a moment, the pain seared through me. But it wasn't enough. I was stronger than that. My illusions flickered, and in the next instant, I was behind her, her blade slicing through nothing but air.
She spun, eyes wide with shock as I drove my knife into her chest. I leaned in close, my voice low and deadly. "I did know. But I needed you to show your hand."
She gasped, blood bubbling at her lips, and then she was gone—another victim of the Genesis Beyond.
With each kill, I could feel myself growing stronger. The Genesis Beyond wasn't just about survival—it was a crucible, a test of who could evolve beyond the limitations of humanity.
The illusions came more naturally now, and with them, I could manipulate not just sight, but sound, touch, even the minds of those around me. I could plant ideas, twist perceptions, make my enemies see what I wanted them to see.
But this power was still not enough. I needed more. The Genesis Beyond had shown me a glimpse of what was possible, and I would stop at nothing to reach it.
The city continued to crumble around me, the weak falling one by one. But I wasn't just surviving. I was ascending.
The voice from the beginning echoed in my mind once more, cold and calculating. "You have proven yourself worthy, Ethan Renner. But your true test is yet to come."
I smiled. Let it come. I would face whatever this world had to offer and bend it to my will.