Location: Echo Forward Base – Outer Wastes, Black Zone
Seris stood still in the middle of a darkened chamber.
She didn't blink.
Didn't breathe like she used to.
Her scars were gone—burned away and replaced by glowing etchings along her arms and spine. A faint hum followed every movement, like energy constantly charging beneath her skin.
Echo operatives watched her from behind reinforced glass, whispering.
"Is it really her?"
"Doesn't look like her."
"She's… quiet."
Then Zeyren entered.
He walked straight up to the glass.
"Seris."
She turned.
Her eyes were dim. Not cold—empty.
"Yes."
His smile was slight. "Tell me what you remember."
She blinked once. "The mission. The failure. Him."
Zeyren nodded. "And what do you feel?"
Silence.
Then—
"Nothing."
He leaned closer. "Perfect."
Meanwhile: Safehouse – You, Lia, and Kairo
The alert buzzed.
Kairo checked it, cursed under his breath.
Lia stood fast. "What now?"
He handed you the holo-pad. "Distress call. From the Watchtowers. Black Zone perimeter's breached."
You looked closer.
Single Echo signature. Strong. Moving fast.
The name pulsed on the screen: SERIS // PHASE II
Lia's voice was barely a whisper. "…She's coming."
You holstered your gear. The air felt heavier.
"She's not the same," you said.
Kairo grabbed his rifle. "Neither are we."
Final Scene:
The camera pans up over the broken watchtowers, flames licking at the sky.
And through the wreckage walks Seris—alone, dragging a cracked Echo spear behind her.
She stops at the edge of the base and stares into the distance.
Toward you.
Then, slowly, she smiles.