Burn the Blueprints

Two days later.

The city was quieter now. Not peaceful—just… quieter. Like the storm had passed, but everyone still listened for thunder.

Kaela sat on the rooftop of the old comms tower, overlooking the husk of Sector Nine. Wind tugged at her jacket, lifting strands of her hair across her face as she stared at the skeletal skyline.

She hadn't slept.

Below, Ava and the others—what remained of the rebellion—were gathering supplies. Planning routes. Whispering rumors about what Kaela had done. About who she had become.

No one dared ask her directly.

They were afraid.

Not of her power, but of what it meant: that everything they thought was fiction might be buried in their veins too.

Kaela tapped the cube's remains—now fused into her glove. It pulsed faintly, like it was still alive.

"You should destroy that," Ava's voice said behind her.

Kaela didn't turn. "I did."

"Not enough."

Ava joined her, settling beside her on the ledge. Her bruises were healing. So were Kaela's—but hers were deeper.

"There's a lab in the Eastern Ruins," Ava said. "Old data center. Might still have some files on Project Echo. Blueprints. Logs. Names."

Kaela's jaw clenched. "Names of who they turned."

"Names of who they plan to turn next."

The wind whistled between them.

Kaela finally stood, her silhouette sharp against the rising dawn. "We burn it."

Ava blinked. "What?"

"We burn the blueprints," Kaela said, eyes steady. "If they can't build more of us, we can stop this from spreading."

Ava hesitated. "But what if… there's something in there about your past? Who you were before—"

"I know who I am now." Kaela's voice didn't shake. "That's enough."

She looked down at her glove, the faint glow fading as she tightened her fist.

"We end the bloodline. Mine included."

Far off in the distance, a low hum vibrated through the air.

Kaela and Ava turned.

A dark ship—sleek, angular—broke through the clouds. It wasn't Revenant's. It was newer. Sharper. And it bore the sigil of something worse.

Ava's breath caught. "That's not one of ours."

Kaela's lips parted. Her voice was quiet, but filled with grim knowing.

"They're not here to finish his war," she said. "They're here to start a new one."