HEADLOCK

Cipher stared at the symbol for another moment before exhaling, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it. I've seen this before."

Razor's gaze sharpened. "Where?"

Cipher hesitated, then turned to his console, fingers flying over the interface. Files flickered into view—old data, encrypted logs, fragments of classified documents. "Years ago, I found traces of this in corrupted files buried deep in Government archives. Most of it was scrambled beyond repair, but this symbol... it showed up more than once. It was connected to something big. Something they didn't want anyone to find."

Myst frowned. "You think it has to do with the Ascended?"

Cipher shook his head. "No. This predates them. Whatever this is, it's older. And it's dangerous."

"Run a test on me."

Myst's words froze the two men in place. Her gaze locked onto Cipher, unwavering, filled with a certainty that made his stomach turn. "Not just a simple scan. The neural interface. Wires. Full immersion."

Cipher tensed. He knew exactly what she was asking—and how reckless it was. With her connection to technology, to XENIS-IS, this wasn't just risky. It was dangerous.

"You have no idea what you're asking for," he said, his voice sharper than he intended.

Razor's eyes flicked to him, catching the uncharacteristic edge in Cipher's tone. He hadn't pieced it all together yet, but Cipher's reaction told him enough—this was bad.

Myst didn't waver. "Then kill me if you have to—"

"Oh, hell no!"

Echo's voice cut through the tension as he strode in, arms crossed. "We're pissed at you, yeah, but you don't need to get suicidal over it!"

The others followed, clearly having been eavesdropping.

Myst exhaled sharply, curling her hands into fists. "I can't keep letting all of you risk yourselves for me. Not for something I should be facing myself." Her voice dropped, barely above a whisper. "You've done enough."

Running away was getting exhausting. And for once, she wasn't going to.

Myst lay on the examination table, her breath coming slow and steady despite the tension coiling in her chest. The wires snaking from her temples to Cipher's console felt colder than before, or maybe it was just her body reacting to what was coming.

The others stood nearby; their faces set in concern that's almost suffocating in the small space.

"Last chance to back out," Cipher muttered, his fingers poised above the interface.

"No." Myst's voice was firm. "Do it."

A beat passed. Then Cipher pressed the key.

A sharp jolt of electricity surged through her skull. Myst gasped as white-hot pain lanced through her mind, her body arching against the table. Her fingers curled into claws; her breath hitched as static filled her senses.

Then, her eyes shut close.

The memory wasn't a vision. It was immersion.

She was back in a lab. The sterile white lights burned her eyes, the air thick with antiseptic and something metallic. Shadows loomed over her, their voices cold and clinical.

"Subject exhibits unprecedented neural synchronization with the system. No sign of rejection."

"She's stabilizing, but XENIS-IS is adapting too quickly. If we push further—"

"We need results. Increase the interface rate."

Pain. White-hot, searing pain as something foreign fused into her, weaving itself into her mind, her very being. Myst shuddered on the table, gasping as the voices continued, indifferent to her suffering.

"Half-human, half-machine. A seamless blend. If we succeed, she'll be the first of her kind."

"The Enclaves will never allow this to go public."

"Then they'll never know."

The memory shifted. Another figure. A man in pristine white, standing over her with something almost like pride in his eyes.

"She's perfect. The prototype is complete."

Myst wanted to scream, to fight, to deny it. She wasn't just altered. She was built.

Back in reality, Cipher's monitors blared warning signs. Myst's body had begun to lift off the table, suspended, the wires fizzing with unstable energy. Her veins pulsed with faint blue light beneath her skin, her back arching as the data surged through her.

"Shut it down!" Echo barked, stepping forward, but Cipher was already moving.

"Not yet! I almost have it!" he snapped, fingers flying over the interface. The table rattled as a pulse of energy burst from Myst, sending a wave of static through the room.

Nyx flinched. Blaze swore under his breath. Shade grabbed Flux's arm, whose eyes locked on Myst, caught between states—floating, her expression twisted in something between agony and revelation.

Then, suddenly, it stopped.

Myst crashed back onto the table, body limp, the wires sparking once before falling still. The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of her ragged breathing.

Cipher exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Well. Fuck."

Razor was already at Myst's side, gripping her wrist, checking her pulse. "Damn it, you're crazy."

She blinked up at him, eyes unfocused but steady. And then she smiled, almost weakly.

"Told you." She murmured, "I could handle it."