“We feel what you feel.” The words hollowed Kessler out instantly. I saw it happen in real time. The unbearable realization spreading slowly across his face as he looked at the synchronized survivors standing motionless in the corridor.
Because this was exactly what he feared becoming. Not a monster that destroyed people violently. Something worse. Something people welcomed willingly.
The woman standing closest to us smiled softly. Her expression carried traces of Kessler’s mannerisms now. The slight tilt of her head. The careful stillness in her posture.
Even the sadness beneath her smile felt familiar. It made my stomach turn violently. Kessler stepped backward again. And every survivor mirrored the movement at the exact same time. Like his body had become the center of a nervous syst
