"Ah, so you're finally awake, Touka Megumi," a voice called out, its flat tone masking the tension beneath.
Touka struggled to lift his battered body. Pain shot through his limbs, making even the smallest movement feel impossible. He forced himself to look toward the open door, where a figure stood, her expression veiled behind a faint, unreadable smile. It was Shina.
A surge of emotions hit him like a flood. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. After all these years, the sister he thought had died was standing there, alive and unscathed. His chest tightened, tears welling up despite his attempts to hold them back.
"Shina...?" His voice cracked, hoarse and trembling. "Why... are you still alive?"
Her gaze was colder than he ever thought possible. She didn't respond with the warmth he remembered. Instead, her words cut like a blade. "That's no longer your concern," she said flatly. "I've moved past all that."
Touka froze. It felt like the ground beneath him had crumbled, leaving nothing but an endless void. "Why… why did you stay away? Why did you abandon me? After everything that happened...?" His voice cracked, his eyes pleading for a sliver of the sister he once knew.
Her expression didn't waver. "You ran, Touka. You ran from what you were supposed to become. While the rest of us faced reality, you clung to a life that was already broken." Her words were sharp, but her tone was eerily calm, slicing through him deeper than any wound.
Touka shook his head weakly. "I didn't run—I was trying to survive." His voice faltered, trembling under the weight of her accusations.
Shina stepped closer, her tone colder, harder. "And look where that's gotten you. Weak. Pathetic. Just a shadow of the brother I once knew." She paused, eyes narrowing. "So tell me, how did someone like you—someone so useless—become the host for the parasite? What makes you worthy of power that should never have been yours?"
Her words struck like a hammer, leaving Touka breathless. He had no answer. The truth gnawed at him: he didn't know why he was chosen. He didn't feel worthy. He only knew the parasite was a curse, a constant reminder of his failures.
Shina studied him closely, her eyes piercing. "I've been watching you, Touka," she said, her voice laced with quiet contempt. "Since the moment we crossed paths again, I've seen what's happening to you. How your body changes. How the parasite takes hold. You didn't think I'd notice, did you?"
Touka's eyes widened. "You… knew all along?" he whispered, disbelief cracking his voice.
She nodded, unflinching. "From the beginning. After that fight, I knew exactly what you were becoming." Her tone was devoid of sympathy. "But it doesn't matter anymore. You're nothing to me now."
The words hit him harder than any blow. Touka opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the door to the chamber groaned open. A man strode in, his steps heavy with authority. His presence was imposing—broad shoulders, a grizzled face etched with scars, and eyes as sharp as blades. This was a man who had seen war and survived.
Shina's posture shifted instantly, her icy demeanor giving way to rigid respect. "Commander Ryden," she greeted curtly.
Ryden's eyes swept the room, landing on Touka. His lip curled slightly, as if in disdain. "What's the status here?" His voice was rough, every word weighed down with impatience. "You know the orders, Shina."
Shina nodded sharply. "We're preparing to transport him to the testing facility, sir. The integration process needs further evaluation."
Ryden grunted, his gaze never leaving Touka. "Good. Get it done. Quickly. We don't have time for another screw-up."
Turning back to Touka, Shina's face hardened again, any trace of respect gone. "Move," she ordered the soldiers stationed nearby. They stepped forward, their grips firm as they dragged Touka to his feet.
Bound and helpless, Touka could do nothing but comply. Shina's cold words echoed in his mind, tearing apart the faint hope he'd clung to for years. Why? he thought bitterly. Why did she abandon me? How could she stand with them?
But those thoughts quickly gave way to something darker. What's going to happen to me in that testing facility?
---
The testing chamber was a metallic nightmare, cold and sterile. Its walls glinted under harsh fluorescent lights, trapping all warmth in the room. The space reeked of antiseptic and fear, every surface gleaming like polished steel. Scientists and Aether Corps officials filled the observation deck above, their expressions grim as they prepared for what was about to unfold.
Touka lay strapped to a massive steel table, chains cutting into his bruised wrists and ankles. Fresh wounds from earlier experiments oozed blood, staining the cold surface beneath him. The physical pain was excruciating, but it was nothing compared to the humiliation—being treated like a specimen, less than human.
Commander Ryden stood over him, his eyes cold and calculating. He tapped a metal baton against his palm, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips. "What makes you so special, huh?" he sneered, slamming the baton into Touka's ribs without warning.
Touka gasped, pain radiating through his chest. He clenched his teeth, refusing to cry out, but Ryden wasn't done.
"Answer me!" Another strike, this time to his shoulder. "Why would a parasite choose you? Someone this pathetic?"
Shina stood silently at Ryden's side, her face unreadable. If the sight of her brother being brutalized affected her, she didn't show it. Her hands rested lightly on her hips, her stance radiating cold detachment.
"How's his body holding up?" one of the scientists asked from the observation deck.
"Vitals are spiking," another replied, sounding tense. "But he's stable—for now."
Ryden snorted, leaning in close to Touka's face. "Stable? You hear that? Even with all this power inside you, you're just clinging to life. What a waste."
Touka's vision blurred, but deep within him, something stirred. The parasite, silent until now, began to pulse. Whispers slithered through his mind, dark and intoxicating. "Give in. Let us take control."
"No…" Touka muttered, his voice weak but defiant. "I'm… not done yet…"
Ryden raised the baton again, but before it could land, Touka's body convulsed violently. His muscles rippled and swelled, skin darkening and cracking like molten rock. His restraints groaned before snapping altogether, metal shards scattering across the room.
Shina stepped back, her eyes widening for the briefest moment before narrowing again. "It's happening," she muttered.
Above, the scientists scrambled, alarms blaring as Touka's form twisted and grew. What emerged wasn't human—it was a monster, primal and unstoppable.
The whispers grew louder in his mind. "Embrace us, Touka. Together, we are unstoppable."
For the first time, Touka stopped resisting.
Chaos erupted.