Daniel didn’t move.
Not when the machine’s optic went dark.
Not when the last spark died in its chest.
Not even when the ashes settled around them like snow.
He just knelt there, breathing unevenly, staring at the empty space where the hologram had flickered. The recording replayed in his mind over and over — the lab, the scientists, the insignia, the capsule… and the man who wore his face like a prophecy.
Older. Sharper. His expression void of warmth, stripped of humanity. A version of Daniel that looked like he’d already lost everything worth saving.
Prototype One must never awaken.
The sentence smashed against Daniel’s skull like a hammer. He lowered his head slowly, fingers gripping the cracked pavement until his knuckles turned white.
Natalie reached for him gently. “Daniel… t
