“What have you done to me?” Kairos demanded, his voice shaking with rage and fear.
The Chimera didn’t respond. Instead, it turned and walked away, leaving Kairos alone in his cell.
Kairos was left to stumble around in the darkness, trying to come to terms with what had happened to him. He was no longer Nexarion. He was something else entirely.
As he moved, he felt his new body. It was stronger, faster, and more agile than his old one. He could feel the power coursing through his veins.
Kairos stood outside the base, his hands raised to the sky as he summoned a storm to aid their escape.
Lightning crackled and thunder boomed, striking fear into the hearts of the Council’s forces.
But as the storm raged on, Kairos felt his energy dwindling. He had been using his powers nonstop, and he was exhausted.
Just as he was about to collapse, he saw Thea making her escape. He tried to follow, but his legs gave out from under him.
He fell to the ground, his vision blurring. The last thing he saw was the base disappearing into the distance.
When he came to, he was lying on the ground, his head pounding. The storm had passed, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Kairos slowly got to his feet, looking around. He was in the middle of a dense jungle, surrounded by towering trees and thick underbrush.
The plan was simple. Kairos would create a diversion at the Council’s military base while Thea snuck in and planted a virus in their system. The virus would shut down their technology, giving The Order the upper hand when the time came.
Thea and Kairos set off, Erebus staying behind to wait. Thea snuck into the base, avoiding guards and cameras with ease. She reached the server room and set to work, planting the virus.
Thea nodded, handing over the tech. “What’s next?” she asked.
Malakar smiled. “Now we take down the Council,” he said. “But first, I need to explain something to you. About Erebus.”
Thea’s eyes narrowed. “What about him?”
Malakar took a deep breath. “I know you think he’s one of us, but…he’s not. At least, not completely.”
“What are you talking about?” Thea asked.
Malakar sighed. “Erebus was working with the Council. He was feeding them information about us. That’s why we had to take him down.”
Thea’s eyes widened. “No, she said. That’s not true.”
Malakar nodded. “I’m afraid it is. But we didn’t kill him. We just…altered his memories. Made him think he was one of us.”
Thea was stunned. “Why? she asked.”
Malakar smiled. “Because we needed him to get close to the Council. And it worked. He’s been feeding us information from the inside.”
Thea’s mind was reeling. “So…Erebus is a double agent?” she asked.
Malakar nodded. “Yes. And he’s been playing his role perfectly.”
Thea’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what to believe,” she said.
Meanwhile, back at the hideout, Gristle and Archon were having a heated discussion.
“I didn’t get the tech, so you don’t get paid,” Archon growled.
Gristle shifted uncomfortably. “We value our customers’ satisfaction. We’ll give you another batch for free.”
Archon raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting this offer.
