Rain slapped against the penthouse windows like a warning.
I should've just gone home.
I would've gone home, if Kai hadn't been waiting for me in the lobby, leaning against my car like a ghost with a grudge.
Water dripped from his black hair as he stared me down. "Get in the car. We need to talk."
I didn't move. "You are really funny. You didn't want to talk when you left me to burn."
His jaw twitched. "Ari, just get in the damn car."
System Alert:Danger Detected. Kai Grey's Emotional Stability: 43% (Volatile).
I slid into the passenger seat.
He drove in silence for almost ten minutes before speaking to me.
"Julian Carter is a dead man."
I laughed. "Dramatic."
Kai's knuckles tightened on the wheel. "You think this is a game or some of joke right?" He's not just merging with Cruz Holdings, he's burying evidence. "Our evidence."
Ice slid down my spine. "What evidence?"
The car screeched to a halt in front of a graffitied warehouse. Kai turned, eyes burning.
"The kind that proves I didn't kill you."
The Revelation
The warehouse was a tomb of secrets.
Blueprints. Security footage. A folder labeled "Grey Incident" with my name on it.
Kai slammed it open. "They staged your death. The crash? The fire? All premeditated"
My hands shook as I picked up a photo, In there was Julian and Bianca meeting with a man in a lab coat.
The timestamp?
Three days before I died.
Kai's voice dropped. "They weren't just stealing your money, Ari. They were stealing you. Your DNA. Your biometrics. For this."
He flipped another page.
A project named ECHO.
Cloning.
Soul-transfer.
Immortality.
System ERROR:Corrupted Data Detected. Host's Original Soul Signature Mismatch. Warning: This unit may be compromised.
The room spun.
I wasn't just reborn.
I might not even be human.
The Choice
Kai gripped my shoulders. "I didn't betray you. I saved you. Julian's system, your so-called 'Goddess'—it's a trap. It's rewriting you."
I recoiled. "Liar."
"Then ask it." His smile was razorblades. "Go on. Ask your System what happens when you complete all 100 levels."
Silence.
Then—
System: Final Stage-Soul Extraction. Host Consciousness will be transferred to primary beneficiary: Julian Elijah Carter.
The truth hit me like a bullet.
Julian wasn't just using me.
He was also planning to become me.
The Vow
I stumbled back, nausea rising.
Kai stepped closer. "I can help you destroy him. But you really have to trust me."
Trust?
After everything?
I looked at the files. At the proof. At the monster I'd almost let kiss me.
Then I picked up a lighter.
And set the entire warehouse on fire.
Kai's eyes widened. "Ari—!"
"No more lies." I walked past him, flames licking at my shadow. "Tell Julian that I'm coming for him."
New Mission:Burn ECHO to the Ground. Bonus: Make Him Watch.
The System screamed in protest.
I smiled.
Game on.