Location: The Archive Chamber – Beneath Echo Base
POV: Lia
Zeyren moved like a shadow made of fire.
Every time Lia struck, he wasn't there. Every time Kairo launched a charge burst, the Genesis energy just… bent.
"I don't understand—he's predicting everything," Kairo snapped, gritting his teeth.
Lia kept moving, faster, slashing wide with twin blades.
Nothing landed.
And then Zeyren finally spoke, his voice smooth as silk soaked in poison.
"Careful, Lia. You might hurt yourself."
She froze mid-step.
His tone wasn't mocking.
It was tender.
---
Zeyren stood in the glowing circle of Genesis lines, letting her see him clearly. Tall. Impossibly calm. Hands clasped behind his back.
"I watched you grow," he said softly. "Your fury… your fire. So much like her."
Lia's breath caught. "What?"
Zeyren smiled.
"You carry Ada's blade, don't you? But your eyes… they're his."
Kairo stepped in, fists flaring. "Don't talk like you know her."
Zeyren's gaze flicked to him—disinterested.
"Child," he said.
And with one gesture, he sent Kairo crashing into a wall of solid crystal.
Kairo groaned, bleeding. Unconscious.
---
Zeyren Approaches Lia
"I didn't want this to be violent," Zeyren said as he walked toward her, slow and deliberate.
Lia didn't back down.
"You kidnapped my mother."
He tilted his head.
"I saved her. You don't know what they would've done. I kept her alive. Just like I'll keep you."
She snarled. "You're sick."
He stepped even closer, now only feet away.
"You're mine, Lia. Not by force. By design. By fate."
She slashed at him.
And this time—
He let her hit.
The blade dug deep into his arm, sparking blood and Genesis smoke.
He looked down.
Smiled.
"Good," he whispered. "I want you angry."
---
Scene End: Zeyren's Control
Kairo lay broken. Lia stood trembling, blade wet with Zeyren's blood. But she knew—
That wasn't a win.
He was letting her dance.
And somewhere deep down…
He didn't want to kill her.
He wanted to keep her.