Kai lay motionless, each breath a struggle against an invisible force pressing down on him. His body was battered, every muscle screaming in agony as though weighed down by the crushing weight of the world. Darkness enveloped him completely, an oppressive void where time seemed to stretch and bend. The only sound was the irregular drip of water echoing through the silence, a cruel reminder of his isolation.

Marvin’s red eyes burned in his mind—a memory seared into his thoughts, relentless and haunting. Every time Kai closed his eyes, he saw them, glowing like embers in the consuming darkness. They had replaced the Marvin he once knew: a friend, a colleague, someone whose brilliance had been their guiding light. Now, that brilliance had twisted into something monstrous.

Kai felt feverish, his skin clammy and burning all at once. The world moved on without him, but he was trapped in a dreamlike state of suffering. Every passing moment blurred into the next, leaving him adrift in a haze of pain and despair.

Tim’s body lay crumpled nearby, a grim testament to Marvin’s transformation. It had begun to decompose, the sour stench mixing with the damp, metallic tang of the air. The sight filled Kai with dread, a stark reminder that his own time was running out. If dehydration didn’t claim him first, another attack from the Imperium would bury him beneath the rubble of this crumbling building.

The Imperium’s bombings had become relentless. Their strikes now came with a ferocity Leafheim hadn’t faced in years. Many of Kai’s friends dismissed it as desperation—a futile attempt to crush the city’s resilience. But to Kai, it felt different. This wasn’t just an assault on their defenses; it was calculated, methodical, as though the Imperium knew something Leafheim’s defenders didn’t.

His thoughts spiraled deeper into despair. His throat was too dry to call for help, too parched even to whisper. What would be the point? No one would hear him here, buried in this forgotten corner of Leafheim.

And yet, as hope flickered on the verge of extinguishing, a faint light pierced the suffocating darkness.

Footsteps echoed through the cold, damp air, measured and deliberate. The sound stirred something primal in Kai—a spark of hope tempered by fear. His heart raced, each beat thudding painfully against his ribs. Was this Marvin returning to finish what he had started? The thought sent a fresh wave of terror coursing through him. He couldn’t bear another encounter with whatever Marvin had become.

The footsteps grew louder, closer. Kai’s body tensed, his instincts screaming for him to run, though he knew he couldn’t move. Then, a voice—familiar, tinged with worry—cut through the silence.

“Kai? Are you here?”

Peter.

Kai’s breath hitched, a new kind of panic rising. Was he dreaming? Could it really be Peter? He forced himself to respond, his voice barely more than a hoarse whisper, the effort draining what little strength he had left. “Peter… here…”

The flashlight beam swept across the room, finally landing on Kai. Peter froze, his face etched with shock and disbelief. He knelt beside Kai, the light trembling in his hand. “You’re alive! Thank God, I thought we’d lost you.”

Kai squinted up at him, the dim light casting Peter’s face in harsh relief. He looked exhausted, his eyes sunken and rimmed with dark circles. The war was wearing on everyone, but this… this was something else.

Peter pulled a knife from his belt and quickly cut the chains binding Kai. “What the hell happened to you? Where’s the rest of the team?” he asked, his voice tight with urgency.

Kai wanted to answer, to explain, but his throat was too dry, his words catching in his chest. Peter must have noticed because he quickly pulled a water bottle from his pack and pressed it into Kai’s hands. “Drink,” he urged.

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Kai drank greedily, the cool water flooding his parched throat. It felt like life itself flowing back into his body. Peter handed him an energy bar, and Kai tore into it, the act of eating both a necessity and a strange comfort.

With Peter’s help, Kai managed to sit up, though his body protested every movement. He leaned heavily on Peter, his legs too weak to support him. “It was Marvin,” Kai finally rasped. “I don’t know what happened to him, but he… he’s not Marvin anymore. He killed Tim. He almost killed me.”

Peter’s expression darkened, his grip on Kai tightening. “What do you mean? How?”

“He… touched us. Just a touch, and it felt like he was draining the life out of us,” Kai said, his voice trembling. “I don’t understand how it’s possible, but it’s like he’s become something else entirely. And… the others…”

Peter’s face paled. “I’ve seen the reports. At least fifteen from your team are dead. Do you think Marvin killed all of them?”

Kai nodded weakly. “I don’t have proof, but… yes. He went through the portal. Just for a moment. And when he came back…” His voice faltered.

Peter’s jaw tightened. “Damn it. I knew that portal was trouble, but we only had this one chance. What were you even thinking, pushing the experiment so far without testing it first?”

“We had no choice,” Kai muttered. “The Imperium… they’re closing in. We needed something, anything, to turn the tide.”

Peter shook his head, his expression a mixture of frustration and pity. “First things first—we need to get you out of here. We can figure out the rest later, but right now, you’re in no condition to do anything.”

Peter half-carried, half-dragged Kai through the ruins, navigating the labyrinth of collapsed walls and twisted metal. Every step was a struggle for Kai, but Peter moved with purpose, his determination unwavering. When they made it out of the building Kai saw it. Saw the damage to the city, which was almost not a city anymore. His home soon the soldiers would come and try to kill every one of them. Peter helped him into the car, and they drove about an hour until they reached there destination in an almost untouched part of the city.

Finally, they reached a hidden bunker—a small, reinforced room tucked away beneath the debris. It was stocked with basic medical supplies and a few rations. Peter eased Kai onto a makeshift cot and began tending to his wounds from the explosions of the bomb.

The touch of antiseptic on his torn skin stung, but Kai barely noticed. He was too consumed by the memories of Marvin—those glowing red eyes, the way his touch had drained the life from Tim.

“He wasn’t like this before,” Kai said quietly, breaking the silence.

Peter glanced at him, his hands pausing mid-motion. “What do you mean?”

“Marvin,” Kai said. “He was brilliant. Focused. He believed in what we were doing. But when he came back from the portal… he was different. Twisted. It’s like something changed him, infected him.”

Peter frowned, his brow furrowing. “I’ve been analyzing the portal data, but it’s incomplete. Fragmented. Whatever happened when Marvin went through, it wasn’t just a physical journey. It’s like he brought something back with him. Or… something came back in his place.”

Kai shuddered at the thought. “We have to stop him, Peter. Before he kills anyone else.”

Peter nodded grimly. “We will. But first, you need to recover. Whatever he did to you, it’s left you dangerously weak.”

Kai closed his eyes, exhaustion pulling at him like a tidal wave. Peter’s presence was a comfort, a reminder that he wasn’t entirely alone in this fight. But the shadow of Marvin loomed large in his mind, a constant reminder of the danger that still lay ahead.

As Kai drifted in and out of sleep, Peter worked tirelessly, patching up his injuries and preparing for the journey ahead. He knew they couldn’t stay in the bunker for long. The Imperium’s bombings were too unpredictable, and Marvin… Marvin could be anywhere. But now Kai was too weak to do anything. He passed out again and again only being conscious for a few minutes at a time.

Kai woke to the sound of Peter packing supplies. “We’re leaving?”

Peter nodded. “We can’t stay here. It’s not safe. There’s a safe house on the outskirts of the city. We’ll regroup there.”

Kai struggled to sit up, his body still weak but his resolve growing stronger. “What about Marvin?”

Peter hesitated. “One step at a time. First, we get you to safety. Then, we figure out how to deal with him.”

Kai nodded, though the weight of the unknown pressed heavily on his chest. He didn’t know what the future held, but one thing was clear: Marvin had to be stopped, no matter the cost.