Chapter 21 · Gene Meltdown

"Stay still, Zero! If you twitch, I can't lock the signal!" Kael’s voice was raw, nearly a scream, as he slammed his palm against the metal siding of the wreckage to keep himself upright.

Zero didn't stay still. She couldn't. Her spine arched, a guttural sound ripping from her throat that didn't sound human. Underneath her skin, something was moving—coiling and snapping like live wires. She gripped his forearm, her fingers digging in with a strength that made the bone groan.

"It burns," she gasped, her voice cracking. "Kael, it's... it's eating me alive."

"I know. I know it is," he hissed, his face drenched in sweat and grime. He didn't pull away from her grip. Instead, he leaned in closer, his chest nearly brushing hers. He fumbled with the neural interface on his wrist, the small device sparking as he forced a connection. "I'm going to bridge the pain. Just follow my voice. Don't fight me."

"Why?" she choked out, her eyes flickering—the pupils splitting into vertical slits that pulsed with a predatory gold light. "Why do you care if I burn?"

"Because I'm the one who built the fire, you idiot!" Kael snapped.