The rumors started quietly, like whispers in the dark.
Marcus first heard them in the mess hall, late one evening. He'd been working with the First One, coordinating relief efforts, when he overheard two fighters talking in hushed tones.
"They say he's still connected to it," one of them said, her voice low. "They say he's the reason it keeps coming back."
Marcus froze, his hand tightening around his cup.
The other fighter nodded, his expression grim. "I heard the same thing. They say he's been compromised. That the dark energy is using him."
Marcus felt a cold knot form in his stomach. He'd known that some people were afraid of him, afraid of what he'd become. But he hadn't realized the extent of the fear.
He set down his cup and walked away, his footsteps silent on the concrete flo
