The rooftop was no longer stone and steel—it was a storm.
Static screamed against fire, sparks raining like shards of lightning. Isla stood at the heart of it, trembling but unyielding, her palms blazing with an energy that was never hers to control.
"I said… STOP!"
The shockwave hurled drones out of the sky like broken toys. Soldiers froze mid-step, eyes flickering between emptiness and pain, their bodies twitching as Isla ripped at the hive's hold.
But the masked figure didn't falter. Its voice cut through the storm, raw, distorted fury."You cannot resist. You are the hive. You are ours."
Isla's chest heaved. Her body shook, but her voice carried louder than the storm."Not anymore!"
Cole staggered back to his feet, flames spilling from his fists. His chest burned with pain, but his eyes locked on Isla—fragile, defiant, standing against something she should never have been able to fight.
He wanted to protect her. He always wanted to protect her.But now… she wasn't just hiding behind him.
She was fighting beside him.
"Layla!" he barked, his voice rough. "She's tearing them apart—help her push!"
Layla's gaze darted from Isla to the masked figure. Sweat streaked her face, her ribs ached with every breath, but her mind was clear. If Isla could break the link, even for seconds—
"Cole! Drive him back!" she shouted.
Without hesitation, Cole roared, his flames erupting into a blazing inferno. Fire and static collided midair, the rooftop trembling under the force. The masked figure raised a hand to shield itself, the crackling storm wavering under the assault.
Rhea, perched on a broken ledge, smirked as if she were watching theater. "Well, isn't this a delicious mess? Who knew our little lamb had such bite?"
"Rhea—shut up and help!" Layla snapped, sweat dripping into her eyes.
Rhea tilted her head. "Help? Darling, I am helping. I'm not stabbing you in the back."
Layla gritted her teeth. She didn't have time for Rhea's games.
The masked figure pressed harder, static surging in waves. Isla's knees buckled. Her body wasn't ready—her veins screamed with power too vast, too alien.
"You will break," the hive's voice hissed. "And when you do, you will crawl back."
Isla gasped, the pressure crushing her chest. For a split second, she thought about giving in. About letting the storm swallow her. About ending it.
But then she saw Layla—bleeding, bruised, still fighting. Cole—burning, stubborn, refusing to fall.
And Rhea—smirking, sharp, eyes gleaming as if she knew Isla's choice before Isla herself did.
Her fear twisted into fury.
"No…" Isla whispered.Then louder: "I'd rather break myself than belong to you!"
Her scream split the night.
Her power surged outward, brighter than before. The rooftop lit up in white fire, static unraveling around her like threads snapping apart.
The masked figure staggered for the first time. Static wavered, sparks bleeding from cracks in its form. Its distorted voice warped into a howl.
Cole seized the moment. Flames engulfed his fists, hotter than ever. He charged, slamming a fiery punch into the mask.
The rooftop erupted.
Glass shattered, concrete split, static lightning ripped skyward.
The figure flew back, crashing into the rooftop edge. Its mask cracked, sparks spilling out.
Layla's breath caught. For the first time—they saw a glimpse beneath.
A human face.
Not hollow. Not machine. Human eyes, bloodshot and wild, staring back at them with rage.
"It's… it's not just static," Layla whispered. "They're—"
"Possessed," Rhea finished, her smirk widening. "A living host. Fascinating."
The figure's voice broke into a distorted scream."You… will… not… take… her!"
The rooftop shook violently. Static speared upward, splitting the night sky in jagged bolts. Soldiers collapsed, writhing as the hive's control shattered.
But something else awakened.
From the figure's broken mask, tendrils of static burst outward, latching onto the rooftop, the walls, the sky itself. The hive wasn't retreating—it was unleashing everything.
Cole growled, shielding Isla with his flames. "It's going to bring the whole damn building down!"
Layla's instincts screamed. They couldn't win like this. Not here. Not now.
"Cole! Rhea! Grab Isla—we're leaving!"
Cole's head snapped toward her. "You want to run?"
Layla glared at him, voice sharp. "You want to die? Because staying here is exactly that."
For once, Cole didn't argue. He scooped Isla into his arms, her body limp but still glowing faintly.
Rhea sighed dramatically, brushing dust off her jacket. "Fine. But you owe me a drink after this."
The hive's scream turned into a roar, static energy ripping through the rooftop. Steel beams bent, concrete split, flames clashed with lightning.
They ran—dodging falling debris, drones crashing lifelessly around them. Layla pushed her legs harder than ever, lungs burning, mind racing.
Behind them, the masked figure's body convulsed, static consuming it in jagged bursts. Its voice followed them down the stairwell, distorted, vengeful, inescapable.
"You cannot run. You cannot hide. She is ours. She will always be ours."
Isla stirred weakly in Cole's arms, her voice a whisper. "I… won't… be theirs…"
Her fingers twitched, sparks flickering one last time before her eyes rolled shut.
The stairwell shook as the rooftop gave way, the storm collapsing into chaos above them.
Layla gritted her teeth, gripping the railing as they descended into darkness. She didn't know if they'd escaped—or if they'd only just begun the real fight.