She didn't remember collapsing.
Only waking up to cold sweat and heat surging through her veins.
The serum was reacting—amplifying. Her skin glowed faintly blue under the flickering light, like ice infused with fire.
"You were designed to become this," her father said. "The hybrid. The balance between control and chaos."
"I'm not a weapon," she spat.
"No," he said gently. "You're something more dangerous. You're a choice."
Aria stumbled from the facility, the world spinning.
When she returned to camp, days had passed.
Xander ran to her side. "Where the hell have you been?"
She collapsed in his arms, trembling.
"They knew. They knew everything. And now they want me back—not to kill me, but to use me."
Kell frowned. "Then what do we do?"
Aria stood, her voice steady despite the shaking in her limbs.
"We don't run. We don't hide."
"We burn them before they get the chance."