The sonic boom from Sola's axe throw still echoed through the plaza, but the weapon didn't find its mark. In a violent, jagged burst of purple static, Kenzo flashed. His physical form didn't just move; it vanished instantly.
The crescent blade cut through nothing but empty air, burying itself into the stone fountain behind him with a thunderous crack.
Kenzo dropped from the air, landing five feet in front of Sola. He hit the ground in a crouch, his body tense and shivering. He looked up at her, his glowing eyes wide with disbelief.
"Are you trying to kill me!?" Kenzo rasped, his voice trembling.
Sola didn't flinch.
She held her arm out. The axe tore itself out of the fountain and flew back into her hand. She caught the handle with a sharp snap.
"Kill? No," Sola said, her voice devoid of emotion. "But to erase? Yes. Don't make this harder for yourself, Kenzo. Whether you're a full Remnant or just half... you are an anomaly. I have to erase you from the Core of this reality before the infection spreads."
Kenzo's hands began to tremble. She's a Commander, he thought. There's no way I can compete with her. Not yet.
"I don't blame you!" Kenzo shouted, his voice cracking. "I know how Remnants come and destroy worlds! I know they take everything! But look at me! I'm trying to help! I fought that thing for Sarina! For the city!"
Sola narrowed her eyes, the light in them sharpening. "If you're truly trying to help, Kenzo, how come Sarina was on the verge of death when I arrived? If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't be here right now. Your 'help' almost got her erased."
"I'm sorry, Kenzo," Sola said. Her white scarf snapped in a sudden gust of wind as she dropped into a fighting stance. "I cannot let you get a pass for this. It's my duty."
Sola lunged, swinging the massive axe in a horizontal sweep. Kenzo moved instinctively—his body reacting with the frame-perfect speed of the Echo even while he was in control. The blade was just millimeters from his throat, the wind of the strike cutting a few strands of his hair.
Kenzo didn't fight back. He turned and ran.
I have control of my body for now, he thought frantically, but there's no way I'm attempting to fight her. If I hit her, I might lose it again. Damn, what do I do?
He saw a fire escape ladder hanging from a nearby brick building. With a powerful, boosted leap, he caught the second-floor balcony and began to scramble upward. He needed height. He needed to get away from the crowd.
Below him, Sola didn't slow down. She sprinted toward the building.
"That's not a good idea, Kenzo!" she called out.
She stopped, planted her feet, and performed a violent, sweeping wave with her axe. "Arcane Rip!"
A crescent wave of black energy tore through the air. It hit the metal ladder Kenzo was climbing with a deafening screech of twisting iron. The metal simply disintegrated upon contact, the ladder shearing off the wall.
Kenzo let out a cry as the ground vanished beneath him. He dangled from the edge of the balcony by his fingertips, his legs swinging over a thirty-foot drop.
Kenzo hauled himself onto the balcony, his chest heaving.
Without a second's hesitation, he launched himself across the gap toward a nearby smaller building. His landing was rough—his boots skidded across the roof, and his palms burned as they slammed into the surface to break his fall.
He scrambled to his feet and looked back. Sola stood on the balcony he had just vacated, her white scarf fluttering like a warning flag as she stared directly at him.
The Echo's voice rumbled in his mind, darker and more urgent than before.
"Kenzo... I will not allow you to die. Let me take over. You are outclassed."
Kenzo shook his head violently. "No. I can't let you. Not again." He turned and bolted toward the far edge of the roof.
Sola didn't let him gain ground. She leapt into the air against the bruised purple sky, and swung her axe in a punishing arc. "Arcane Rip!"
The wave of high-density energy didn't hit Kenzo, but it tore into the roof right in front of his feet.
The structural supports gave way, creating a massive jagged hole. Kenzo plummeted into the building below, but his reflexes—honed by the monster inside—saved him. He reached up and gripped a steel ceiling beam, dangling over a floor covered in shattered drywall and debris.
"You are going to get us killed," the Echo said.
"Us?" Kenzo spat back, his fingers digging into the steel. "Last time I checked, this is my body."
"And who kept it alive when your heart stopped? Who stitched your skin back together?"
Before Kenzo could argue, a heavy thud echoed. Sola dropped onto roof, landing gracefully in front of him. She leveled the blade of her axe inches from his face.
"Enough running," she said, her voice firm. "You'll only cause more destruction to this city. End this now."
"SOLA!!!!!!"
A frantic, high-pitched yell erupted from the street level. Sola turned, confusion spread as she looked toward the shattered storefront.
"Doctor?" Sola asked, her axe wavering. "I messaged Naomi to come pick up Sarina. Not you. You should be at the facility."
Kenzo, still gripping the ceiling beam. Is that Dr. Faris? What is he doing here?
Faris stepped into the light, looking remarkably out of place in his tactical rig, still looking hyper and disheveled. "Boohoo! Forbid a father from caring for his only daughter!" he said, though his eyes were sharp.
He stepped over a pile of bricks, holding up a strange, glowing sensor device. "And while you're at it, Sola, let the boy live. My readings are conclusive: there is no Remnant energy emitting from Kenzo! He is not harming our Core. The frequency is stable. So go grab an ice cream or something and leave the science to me."
Sola looked back at Kenzo, then back to the Doctor. "He's still an anomaly, Faris. Stable or not, we can't let a hybrid stay. He's a breach waiting to happen."
Faris stroked his chin, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "Well, Sola... if we're executing 'anomalies' today... wouldn't you fall under that same category?"
***
The school bell rang with a piercing, mundane chime. A young Sola walked into the classroom, clutching a textbook to her chest. She kept her head down, but she could feel the heat of a dozen gazes on her back.
They're staring at me again. I can't get through a single class without feeling eyes all over me.
"Hey!" a boy sitting in the front row shouted, leaning back in his chair. "Is it true? That a Remnant attacked you in the Restricted Zone? Was it scary!? Did you cry?"
The boy next to him chimed in with a cruel laugh. "Hahaha! I bet she was terrified. Those things only pop up like once a year, and you were dumb enough to get caught?"
Sola's grip tightened. The textbook slipped from her hands, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
The air in the room suddenly turned cold. In a blur of movement she didn't yet understand, she lunged. Her left hand grabbed the first boy by the collar, hoisting him out of his seat. Her right hand—the one she kept hidden—began to flicker.
The skin peeled back, turning into a jagged, terrifying glass limb.
The entire class screamed. The laughter died instantly, replaced by the sound of chairs overturning as the students scrambled for the exit, fleeing the monster in the room.