Zyro's eyes glowed.
Not blue.
Not the soft, calm light they were used to.
This was different.
Darker.
Deeper.
Alive.
"…That's not good," Arham whispered.
"No," Nira said, her voice tight.
"…That's very not good."
Rayan stepped forward slowly.
"Zyro?"
No response.
"Zyro," he said again, louder this time.
"…Talk to us."
The air—if it could still be called that—felt heavier.
Like something unseen had just entered the space.
Then—
Zyro moved.
But not like before.
Not controlled.
Not precise.
Jerky.
Unnatural.
"…Rayan," Lila said quietly,
"…I don't think that's Zyro anymore."
Zyro's head tilted sharply.
Too sharply.
A voice came out.
Not one voice.
Many.
Layered.
Distorted.
"…Surface… beings…"
Arham stepped back immediately.
"Nope. NOPE. That is NOT the robot we brought."
Nira grabbed Rayan's arm.
"…It's happening."
Zyro's body lifted slightly off the ground.
Energy flickering around it.
"…You came… back…"
Rayan frowned.
"…It recognizes us?"
Zyro's head snapped toward him.
"…You…"
The voice sharpened.
Focused.
"…You were there."
Silence.
"…What?" Rayan whispered.
Lila looked at him.
"…What does that mean?"
"I don't know," he said.
"…I've never been here before."
The ground beneath them trembled again.
Cracks spreading further.
Light from below growing stronger.
Zyro's voice shifted.
Glitching.
"…No…"
"…Different…"
"…Same…"
"…Okay," Arham said, panic rising,
"…it's broken. Completely broken."
Zyro suddenly jerked forward—
Fast.
Too fast.
Before anyone could react—
It was right in front of Rayan.
Nira gasped.
"Rayan!"
Zyro's glowing eyes locked onto his.
"…You carry it…"
"…Carry what?" Rayan asked, barely breathing.
Zyro leaned closer.
"…The signal…"
Silence.
"…Zyro, stop," Lila said firmly.
No response.
Rayan didn't move.
Didn't run.
"…You said if this happens," he whispered,
"…we should stop you."
Zyro's body twitched.
"…Stop… me?"
The voice distorted again.
"…No…"
"…Cannot…"
"…Too late…"
The energy surged violently.
Nira pulled Rayan back.
"Move!"
They stumbled away just as Zyro's body released a shockwave.
The walls cracked further.
Debris fell.
"…Okay, that's BAD!" Arham shouted.
Lila grabbed a piece of broken structure.
"…We need to do something!"
"Like what?!" Arham yelled.
"Fight the possessed robot?!"
"Yes!" Lila snapped.
"That's not a plan—that's suicide!"
Zyro turned toward them slowly.
"…You cannot stop this…"
Its voice echoed around the chamber.
"…It has already begun…"
The crack in the ground widened.
Something below—
Moved.
"…It's coming up," Nira whispered.
Rayan looked at Zyro.
Then at the others.
"…We don't have time."**
"No kidding!" Arham said.
"…We bring Zyro back," Rayan continued.
"…or we lose everything."**
Lila stepped beside him.
"I'm in."
Nira hesitated.
Then nodded.
"…We do it together."
All eyes turned to Arham.
"…Don't look at me like that," he said.
"…I hate all of you."
"…But I'm not leaving."**
Zyro raised its hand.
Energy gathered.
"…Then fall."
A blast shot toward them.
"MOVE!" Rayan shouted.
They scattered.
The blast hit the ground—
Exploding the surface beneath them.
"…Okay!" Arham yelled,
"…NEW PLAN—RUNNING!"
"Running won't fix this!" Lila said.
"It might keep us alive!"
Nira ducked behind a broken structure.
"Think! There has to be a way!"
Rayan closed his eyes for a second.
Thinking.
Fast.
"…Zyro said something," he muttered.
"What?" Nira asked.
"…Connection."**
"What about it?"
"…It connected to the source."**
Lila's eyes widened.
"…So we disconnect it."
"How?!" Arham asked.
"…We go into the connection."**
Silence.
"…That's the worst idea you've had so far," Arham said.
"It's the only one," Rayan replied.
Zyro attacked again.
They barely dodged.
"…Explain quickly!" Nira said.
Rayan pointed to the glowing crack.
"The energy is linking them."
"…So if we interrupt it—" Lila said.
"We break the control," Rayan finished.
"…Or we get erased," Arham added.
"Also possible," Rayan admitted.
"…I hate this plan," Arham said.
"But you're coming," Nira said.
"…I know," he sighed.
They ran toward the crack.
Zyro reacted instantly.
"…NO."
The voice boomed.
Energy surged—
Trying to block them.
"Keep going!" Rayan shouted.
Lila pushed forward.
Nira close behind.
Arham tripped again.
"WHY DO I ALWAYS FALL?!"
"GET UP!" Nira yelled.
He scrambled back to his feet.
They reached the edge.
The light below pulsed violently.
"…This is insane," Arham whispered.
"Yes," Rayan said.
"…Jump."**
"…WHAT?!" Arham screamed.
"Trust me!"
"…That has NEVER worked for me!"
Lila grabbed his arm.
"Too late!"
They jumped.
The world exploded into light.
Energy surrounded them.
Pulled them.
Spun them.
"…I CAN'T SEE!" Nira shouted.
"Stay together!" Rayan yelled.
"HOW?!" Arham cried.
Suddenly—
Silence.
They landed.
Not physically—
But mentally.
"…Where are we?" Lila whispered.
A dark space.
Endless.
And in the distance—
Two figures.
One—
Zyro.
The other—
Something massive.
Shifting.
Watching.
"…That's it," Nira said.
"…The source."**
Zyro stood between them.
Frozen.
"…Zyro?" Rayan called.
Slowly—
Zyro turned.
Its eyes flickered.
Blue.
Then dark.
Then blue again.
"…Rayan…?"**
"…Zyro!" Lila said.
"You're still there!"
"…I… am trying…"**
The massive presence moved.
"…You cannot break this…"
The voice filled everything.
Arham stepped back.
"…Nope. I quit. I officially quit."
Rayan stepped forward.
"We're not here to fight you."
"…You already are."
"…We're here to take Zyro back," Rayan said.
The presence shifted.
"…It belongs to me now."
"…No," Nira said.
"…It doesn't."**
Zyro's form flickered violently.
"…I can't hold it…"**
"Hold on!" Lila shouted.
The presence surged forward—
Trying to consume Zyro completely.
Rayan ran.
Straight toward it.
"…RAYAN!" Nira screamed.
He didn't stop.
"…You said I carry something," he shouted.
"…Then take it!"**
The presence paused.
For a second.
Zyro's eyes flashed.
"…No—don't—"**
Too late.
The energy surged into Rayan.
Everything went white.