Chapter 3 - The Shadowborn

The creature stepped forward, its movements unnervingly smooth despite its massive frame. Metal plates shifted over organic muscle, and its glowing red eyes locked onto Kade with something eerily close to recognition.

The dim tunnel lights flickered, casting jagged shadows across its warped, armored body. A low mechanical growl rumbled from its throat, vibrating through the air like a warning.

"Shadowborn," Nova whispered, voice tight with tension.

Kade had heard the rumors—the Syndicate's darkest project. Soldiers who had once been human, enhanced with cybernetics, fused with AI-driven instincts. Programmed to be unrelenting, unstoppable. Living weapons.

And this one knew him.

Before Kade could react, the Shadowborn lunged.

He barely got his blade up in time before the monstrous force of its strike sent him skidding backward. His boots scraped against the metallic floor, sparks flying as he barely held his ground. Damn, it was strong.

Nova fired off a quick burst from her pistol, her aim sharp and precise. But the Shadowborn twisted unnaturally, dodging the shots in a way no human could.

"Headshots won't work!" Nova called out, her voice laced with urgency. "Go for the neural nodes!"

Kade's mind raced. Neural nodes. If it was built like most Syndicate constructs, then—

His eyes darted across its shifting armor. There.

Faintly glowing energy nodes, barely visible through the shifting metal. One near the right shoulder. Another at the base of the spine.

Got it.

The Shadowborn struck again, its bladed arm slicing through the air. Kade dropped low, barely avoiding decapitation. The wind from the strike whipped past his face.

But he was already moving.

He twisted, blade flashing in a streak of neon blue, and drove it straight into the node on its right shoulder.

A violent burst of energy exploded from the impact, sparks flying as the Shadowborn let out a distorted, mechanical snarl. It staggered, its movements suddenly less fluid, more erratic.

Nova didn't waste a second. She sprinted forward, leaped onto its back, and pressed her pistol right against another node.

BAM.

A point-blank shot. The Shadowborn convulsed violently, its mechanical growl rising into a warped, agonized screech. Its limbs twitched, armor plates shifting erratically—then it collapsed.

The body hit the ground with a heavy metallic thud. Still.

Silence swallowed the tunnel. Only the distant hum of power conduits remained.

Kade exhaled, his pulse still hammering in his chest. He nudged the Shadowborn with his boot. No movement. It was down. But…

"That thing knew me," he muttered.

Nova wiped sweat from her brow. "If the Syndicate is deploying Shadowborn now, we need to move fast. This was just a test."

Kade clenched his jaw. The Syndicate wasn't just after them anymore. This was bigger than a bounty. They were preparing for something.

Something Kade wasn't sure he was ready to face.

To be continued…