Prototype_0 (Prologue)

That mysterious person's approach was measured, each step reverberating softly in the sterile air of the underground facility.

Ember could feel his presence closing in, his gaze flickering between her and something intangible—something in his mind, where her entire history was being dissected.

Every move she'd made, every action she'd taken, was now laid bare in his consciousness.

She stood still, watching him, her nerves well-hidden behind a calm exterior.

The tension built between them as he neared, and though he hadn't spoken yet, she could sense the weight of his silent scrutiny.

"Are you the Overseer?" she asked, her voice unwavering despite the intensity of the moment.

His footsteps slowed to a halt, and for a brief moment, silence hung between them.

Then, without warning, he closed the distance between them in a single fluid motion.

He was so close now that their bodies were almost touching, the cold metal accents of his coat brushing against her. His towering figure cast a shadow over her, making the room feel even colder. With deliberate slowness, he lifted a hand and lightly touched her cheek, his gloved fingers cold against her skin.

The contact sent a chill down her spine, but she remained still.

His touch was light but deliberate, as though testing her, gauging her reaction. His eyes locked onto hers, searching, unblinking, almost as though he was attempting to peer directly into her thoughts.

"Yes," he murmured, his voice soft but laced with a deadly calm. "I am."

Despite the proximity, despite the authority he exuded, Ember remained composed. She knew the gravity of her situation—one wrong word or action could seal her fate, and she had no intention of failing here.

She cleared her throat softly and began, choosing her words with care. "My recruitment into C.O.R.E. has been on hold," she stated in a formal, measured tone, "due to my lack of combat experience in the contamination zone. I—"

Before she could finish, he silenced her with a gentle, yet commanding gesture—his finger pressed lightly against her lips. The gesture was both intimate and terrifying, his touch was firm but not aggressive, and the message was clear: He knew that.....

The Overseer's gaze lingered on Ember as he questioned her further, his voice low and laced with suspicion. "What I want to know is... have you tested out your combat strength somewhere before?"

Ember stiffened slightly, but she nodded. "Yes, I have."The Overseer's eyes narrowed as though he had expected that answer, but something still didn't sit right with him. "Well, that figures. Did they tell you your rank?"

She hesitated briefly before replying, "My rank wasn't disclosed."

"Interesting," he muttered, a strange smirk forming on his lips. His eyes bore into her, as though dissecting her very soul. "Then answer me this—why would C.O.R.E. put someone in S Rank with zero experience?"

Before she could comprehend the weight of his words, a strange light flickered around her. Her surroundings dissolved, replaced by an empty, white room covered in shifting mechanical patterns. It was a cube-vast and empty -seeming to stretch into the horizon.

That automaton in butler's outfit appeared in the room, standing a few meters away.

"But... seriously... I don't know anything about this... It's a misunderstanding!" she stammered, trying to explain, but her words trailed off, drowned out by a sudden, sharp whizzing sound.

In a flash of movement, the automaton-cold and mechanical, eyes gleaming- hurled a knife-like object toward her without warning.

Her reaction was pure instinct.

She barely managed to sidestep as the blade zipped past her cheek, missing her by a hair's breadth. The sharp metal clinked violently as it struck the ground beside her, embedding itself deep into the floor.

Ember's muscles tensed as she was on her gaurd. The automaton's eyes flickered, an eerie red glow. Without warning, sharp metallic claws shot out from its fingers with a terrifying click, each one gleaming like razor blades.

In a blink, the automaton vanished from its spot, moving faster than any normal human could react. A gust of wind followed its movement as it appeared before Ember in an instant, claws poised to strike.

Instinct kicked in. Ember barely managed to bring her bandaged arms up just in time to block the claws. Sparks flew as metal clashed against her bandaged arm. Her feet skidded back slightly across the smooth floor, but she held her ground, her eyes locking onto the automaton's soulless red gaze.

The force of the automaton's blow tore through the bandages, unraveling them like paper in the wind. As the last strands fell away, Ember's arms were revealed—sleek, metallic, shining with intricate designs running along the surface. Her mechanical limbs gleamed in the stark light, a sharp contrast to her otherwise human appearance.

The automaton halted its assault momentarily, stepping back several paces. It tilted its head, as if processing this new information. The cold, calculating red eyes narrowed slightly. Then, without a word or pause, it dashed toward her again.

This time, it was faster. Far faster.

To Ember's eyes, it seemed as though the automaton split into two, attacking her from opposite directions at once. One claw came from the left, while the other mirrored from the right, both attacks nearly impossible to track. She barely had time to react.

Her metallic arms shot up, the reinforced joints groaning under the strain as she blocked the first set of claws.

Sparks flew again, but before she could fully recover, the automaton's second image struck from the opposite side, its claws aiming directly at her ribs.

Ember twisted her body with unnatural agility, spinning mid-air, catching the second set of claws with the back of her mechanical arm, sending a sharp clang echoing through the white room.

She landed a few feet away, skidding to a halt. Her breath was heavy now, sweat glistening on her brow, but the metal in her arms remained cool.

The automaton's attacks were relentless, but Ember knew she couldn't stay on the defensive forever. She would have to strike back soon.

As the automaton backed off, its glowing red eyes dimming slightly, Ember steadied herself. She clenched her fists, the cool metal of her arms humming with power. Her eyes narrowed.

"It's not fair if only one of us is using weapons," she said, her voice steady but laced with frustration.

The automaton's head tilted slightly as if considering her words, and in a mechanical, hollow voice, it replied, "You better not regret it."

Suddenly, with a soft, mechanical whirr, the room shimmered. A weapon rack appeared before Ember, seemingly summoned from thin air. The variety was staggering—blades, spears, hammers, and even futuristic firearms lined the rack. Ember's eyes flickered over each one, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what would work best against such a fast, deadly foe.

Her hand hovered over a sword, then a shield, but she shook her head, moving past them. Finally, her eyes settled on something more fitting—an energy burst weapon, sleek and compact, resembling a futuristic shotgun. It was dark silver, with glowing blue lines that pulsed faintly along its barrel, signaling its immense power.

She reached for it, her fingers wrapping around the grip. The weapon hummed to life as soon as she lifted it, its energy resonating with her metallic arms. It felt right—heavy but balanced, and powerful. She aimed the shotgun-like weapon at the automaton, her confidence rising.

"And why would I regret it?" she muttered under her breath, her voice brimming with defiance.

The automaton remained still for a moment longer, as if observing her choice. Then, without warning, its claws extended again, the red light in its eyes flaring to life.

She leveled the energy burst weapon at her foe, fingers tightening on the trigger. A moment of silence hung between them—an electric tension filling the air—before the automaton dashed forward, even faster than before, a blur of metal and claws racing toward her.

With a sharp breath, Ember pulled the trigger. A pulse of blue energy exploded from the barrel, the force of it nearly throwing her back. The burst hit the automaton mid-dash, sending a wave of concussive energy rippling through the room. The automaton was thrown off balance, its body skidding across the pristine white floor.

As Ember watched in disbelief, the automaton stood still, its body now crackling with intense blue lightning sparks. The energy from her blast had been absorbed, fueling it instead of weakening it. The once cold and calculating machine now appeared even more menacing, its glowing red eyes locking onto her like a predator watching its prey.

Suddenly, the automaton retracted its claws, a sharp metallic click echoing through the room. It didn't move, but something far more dangerous was happening. The walls of the cube began to pulse with blue energy, lightning crackling along the surface. The air grew heavy, filled with the hum of raw, electrified power.

Then, without warning, the first projection appeared.

It looked exactly like the automaton—an identical, glowing copy—but it flickered like a hologram, as if tethered to the original by the energy filling the room. The projection shot forward, claws extended, aiming straight for Ember's chest. She barely dodged to the side, the projection's claws scraping the air where she had stood moments ago.

Before she could catch her breath, another appeared to her left, its claws slicing downward. Ember raised her metallic arm to block the blow, sparks flying as their impacts met. But the projection wasn't solid—it dispersed into blue light upon contact, reforming behind her instantly, attacking again.

More appeared, one after another. Within seconds, the cube was filled with multiple projections of the automaton, each one moving faster than she could track. They swarmed around her, their claws flashing as they struck from different angles, vanishing only to reappear moments later. It was relentless, and Ember could feel her energy draining as she fought them off.

She fired her energy weapon, a loud boom echoing through the cube as the blue pulse shot toward one of the projections. It exploded on impact, but the projection merely disintegrated into sparks before reforming in the distance, joining the others in the assault. No matter how many times she destroyed them, they returned, more vicious and unpredictable each time.

As Ember frantically fended off the projections, a thought solidified in her mind: these illusions couldn't harm her. They were just energy-nothing more than distractions. Their attacks dissolved into nothing upon contact, flickering in and out of existence.

With this realization, she gritted her teeth, ignoring the holograms swarming around her. Her focus shifted to the real automaton, still standing motionless in the center of the room, its red eyes unwavering.

That's the real target, she thought, steeling herself. She dropped her guard slightly, preparing to charge toward the true threat.

But just as she took her first step, searing pain erupted across her back. Something sharp had slashed deep into her flesh. Ember gasped, stumbling forward, her hand instinctively reaching for back. Her fingers came away slick with blood.

She turned in shock to see one of the projections standing behind her, its clawed hand dripping with crimson. The projection-the same ones that had previously been unable to touch her-had somehow cut her. The realization sent a jolt of fear through her. These illusions were no longer harmless; they had become deadly.

Her heart pounded in her chest as pain radiated from the wound. She pressed her free hand to her back, trying to stem the bleeding, but the damage was severe.

She forced herself to stay on her feet, her senses now heightened, the sting of her injury making her hyperaware of her surroundings. The projections flickered closer, more threatening now that she knew they could cause real harm.

The automaton, watching her from its still position, seemed to sense her weakness.

Before Ember could recover, the automaton moved. Faster than before, faster than her eyes could track. It dashed across the room, a blur of metal and lightning, closing the distance between them in a split second. Ember barely raised her weapon before it was her.

A brutal force slammed into her chest, sending her crashing to the ground. Her vision blurred, the pain in her back flaring as she struggled to breathe.

Darkness swallowed her vision as the word went silent. The last thing she saw t the automaton's lacking out was red eyes staring down at her.

Ember fell unconscious, her body limp on the cold floor, as the cube was once again filled with the ominous crackle of blue lightning.