THE LAST SURVIVOR

THE SIX SURVIVORS

Smoke drifted across the battlefield.

The remaining Eclipse Beasts retreated into the forest, their glowing red eyes disappearing one by one into the darkness.

No one celebrated.

Everyone was staring at Ethan.

The silver glow around his body slowly faded, but the pendant remained warm against his chest.

The Guardian knelt once more.

"Commander Ethan Carter... synchronization stabilized at thirty-two percent."

Ethan frowned.

"What does that even mean?"

Before the Guardian could answer, Raven rushed over.

"Are you hurt?"

Ethan shook his head.

"I don't think so."

She looked into his eyes.

"That's impossible."

"What is?"

"You just synchronized with Guardian Unit One."

She paused.

"Nobody has done that in twenty years."

General Victor Kane walked toward them, his weapon lowered.

"The Guardian won't tell him everything."

Ethan turned sharply.

"Then you tell me."

Victor sighed.

"Project Eclipse wasn't created to build weapons."

"It was created to save humanity."

Raven scoffed.

"That's not how I remember it."

Victor ignored her.

"A strange energy source was discovered beneath this forest twenty-five years ago."

"The scientists called it the Eclipse Core."

"It wasn't from Earth."

Ethan's heartbeat quickened.

"You mean..."

"Yes."

Victor nodded.

"It was extraterrestrial."

The soldiers exchanged uneasy looks.

"The Core could heal diseases, power entire cities... and unlock abilities hidden inside the human body."

"But there was a price."

"The energy was unstable."

"It killed hundreds during the early experiments."

Ethan looked at the pendant around his neck.

"So why am I alive?"

Victor hesitated.

"Because your mother refused to let you die."

Silence.

"My... mother?"

"You remember the woman from your vision?"

Ethan nodded slowly.

"The scientist."

Victor's face softened.

"Dr. Amelia Carter."

"She was the lead researcher."

"And she was your mother."

Before Ethan could respond, the ground trembled again.

Not from monsters.

From helicopters.

Several advanced aircraft appeared above the forest, each bearing a symbol none of them recognized.

A silver shield surrounding a blue star.

Raven's expression changed instantly.

"No..."

"They found us."

One of the aircraft descended.

Its doors opened.

Six figures stepped out.

Three men.

Three women.

Each wore a black combat suit marked with glowing silver lines.

Around each of their necks hung a pendant.

Just like Ethan's.

The Guardian spoke.

"Identity confirmed."

"Project Eclipse survivors detected."

Ethan's eyes widened.

"There are others?"

The tallest of the six stepped forward.

He looked about twenty years old, with silver-gray hair and piercing blue eyes.

He smiled.

"So..."

"You're Ethan."

"I've been waiting a long time to meet you."

Ethan took a cautious step forward.

"You know me?"

The young man nodded.

"We all do."

"My name is Lucas."

"I was Subject E-03."

He pointed to the others.

"E-05."

"E-08."

"E-11."

"E-14."

"E-16."

Then he looked Ethan straight in the eyes.

"And you..."

"...were Subject E-17."

"The youngest."

"The strongest."

"The one they called..."

The Last Survivor.

Ethan's heart pounded.

"But that man said I was the only survivor."

Lucas's smile disappeared.

"He lied."

"We survived."

"But not all of us..."

He turned toward the mountains.

"...are still human."

At that exact moment, a blood-curdling scream echoed across the valley.

One of the six survivors clutched his chest and collapsed.

Black veins spread rapidly across his skin.

His eyes turned crimson.

He looked up...

Not as a human...

But as something else.