Chapter 4: Mirror of Shadows

Suzaku Li's diamond prosthetic glinted as she stepped into the den, her shadow stretching unnaturally across the walls. Behind her, the Xiaoyu-shaped Shadow tilted its head, silver pupils glowing with mock innocence. "Brother," it whispered in Xiaoyu's voice, "why are you afraid?"

Lin Shen's crystallized arm pulsed. **[Threat level: Critical.]**

#### **The Clone's Gambit**

Bai Ye lunged, photon blade carving through the air—but the Shadow-Xiaoyu dissolved into dark mist, reforming behind Ghosthand. "Poor little hacker," it cooed, its voice a distorted echo. "You still think you can outrun them?"

Ghosthand's prosthetic sparked as he jammed a data spike into the floor. "EMP in three!"

The room plunged into darkness.

Lin Shen grabbed the real Xiaoyu's wheelchair, her ice-blue hair glowing faintly. "Left corridor—*now!*"

#### **Revelation in the Dark**

They stumbled into a hidden tunnel, walls lined with bioluminescent fungi. Ghosthand hacked a rusted terminal, revealing surveillance feeds: rows of cryo-pods holding half-transformed humans, their bodies merging with dark matter.

"Incubation farms," Bai Ye hissed. "They're mass-producing Shadows."

Xiaoyu trembled, her eyes flickering with data streams. "The Core… it's *singing* to them."

#### **Cliffhanger**

The Shadow-Xiaoyu materialized ahead, blocking their escape. "You can't outrun evolution, Brother."

Behind them, Suzaku Li's laughter echoed. "Submit, and I'll let her live."