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Chapter 87 - Losing control

{ Mia }

Scarlett didn't answer. She didn't need to.

The Boss raised the device again.

"Stall him," I whispered.

"Already on it," Scarlett replied.

The rooftop floodlights exploded to life — too bright, too sudden. A decoy drone shrieked overhead, spraying sparks as it spiraled toward the edge.

The Boss flinched. Only for a second. But it was enough.

I dropped to my knees beside her. The clone. Me.

Her eyes were dull, flickering. Not fully conscious, but not gone either.

"I'm here," I whispered. "It's time."

I touched her forehead.

Static bloomed beneath my skin, like thousands of memories clawing to reconnect. The world around me dissolved , rooftop, sirens, even Scarlett's voice.

And in that silence, she opened her eyes.

My eyes.

And we remembered each other.

It wasn't clean. It wasn't gentle.

But it was complete.

The flood of memories was burning hot — a wildfire inside my skull.

The clone's pulse merged with mine. Thought. Identity. Pain. Power.

Then—

Her voice.

No.

His.

"You're not done."

The words echoed like they came from inside my bones. Gravel and growl, ancient and alive.

"You've held back too long, Mia. You can't outrun what you are."

I dropped to one knee, clutching my chest. The air was colder now. Sharper. My skin tingled, stretched, peeled at the edges like something underneath wanted out.

"He'll kill you," Ash said. "Unless you stop pretending to be human."

"I can't," I hissed.

"You already are."

I looked up.

The Boss was striding forward, his device humming louder, warping the air around it.

"Let me out," Ash growled. "Just this once. I'll take him down. I'll keep us safe."

My fingers curled against the concrete. Nails thickened.

Scarlett's voice cut in, static-glitched: "Mia—something's happening to your vitals. Are you—?"

"I'm not running," I whispered.

I stood.

And let it happen.

" The girl you tried to cage is gone."

And suddenly, I pounced, ready to rip him apart limb by limb.

{ Ace/ Hunter }

I was sitting at my desk, the weight of the city pressing down on me like it always did, the usual hum of activity around me failing to distract me from the uneasy feeling crawling beneath my skin.

My fingers hovered above the keyboard, thoughts scattered as they often were. It was then that I felt it, a subtle pull in the air, a shift, a crackle of energy that snapped through my consciousness like lightning.

The link.

It was faint at first, but it was there. Mia.

My heart skipped. I sat up straight, a cold sweat prickling across my skin. Something was wrong.

Conner stirred inside me, the wolf's low growl vibrating against my chest. He knew it too. The bond between me and Mia was sharp, undeniable, like a tether stretched too thin, and now it was vibrating, singing with urgency.

I closed my eyes, reaching out with my senses. Her heartbeat. Rapid. Her breath. Sharp.

And then it hit me like a punch to the gut. The crackle of power, wild and untamed, surging from her.

She's in danger.

I didn't need to think. Didn't need to hesitate. The moment the link flared, I knew what I had to do.

Conner growled again.

I didn't have time to waste. I closed my eyes and imagined Mia, I felt her pain, and then, I teleported.

The world flipped around me. A second of disorientation.

Then, the rooftop. I landed with a thud, the ground firm beneath my feet, and immediately, I felt her. Her energy was like a storm, crackling in the air, a surge of raw power that wasn't hers to control.

She was attacking. Mia was attacking.

I could see her, a flash of her figure in the chaos. Her body was a blur, her eyes glowing with an intensity I'd never seen before. The Boss was there, trying to defend himself, but Mia—she was unstoppable.

The bond between us pulled me to her. I felt the rush of her emotions, the fear, the power, and... something darker. She was slipping. Losing herself.

"Mia!" I shouted, but it barely reached her. She didn't even flinch, her focus entirely on her target.

No. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I wasn't going to let her become this.

Her energy crackled again, and I felt the burn of it, like a flare of heat against my skin, almost too much to handle. She wasn't herself anymore. This power was ripping through her, destroying everything in its wake, and she was getting lost in it.

I couldn't let that happen.

Conner's growl was deep, low. The wolf wanted to run, to chase, to fight, to protect. He urged me forward. I couldn't stand by and watch her destroy herself.

I ran toward her, my feet moving faster than I could think. I couldn't let her go further.

"Mia!" I called again, this time closer, my voice breaking through the chaos. Please, hear me.

But she didn't stop. She didn't even look at me.

I reached out, my hands grasping her arm, pulling her back.

The moment my fingers touched her skin, I felt it a surge of raw energy, burning, searing through me. Her power slammed against mine like a tidal wave, and I almost fell beneath the force of it.

But I held on.

"Mia, please—stop!" I begged, my grip tightening.

But her eyes—her eyes weren't hers anymore. There was something else behind them. Something that wasn't Mia.

This wasn't her. It was like she was being consumed by it.

The Boss was still on his feet, but I ignored him. I didn't care about him. I cared about her.

"Mia, you're not alone," I said, my voice trembling. "Please. You don't have to do this."

But the link between us pulsed violently, and for a moment, I wasn't sure if it was me speaking, or if it was her, or if it was something else entirely.

I could feel her slipping further away. I could feel it taking over.

If I didn't stop her now…

No. I wouldn't let it happen.

I pulled her closer, my hands gripping her arms like lifelines.

"Mia, I'm here." My voice was quiet now, raw. "I won't let you destroy yourself like I did.... When I lost control... Please. Listen to me."

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