Sofia's response is terse, her breath coming in short gasps as we run. "This shouldn't have happened. None of this should be possible."

Elena should still be alive. Her consciousness should have uploaded to the cloud automatically upon death. But if the power's down... Christ, what if it's all gone?

We reach Victor's door, and I wrench it open, taking a step forward before Sofia's hand clamps down on my arm, yanking me back with surprising strength. I look down, my heart nearly stopping as I see the yawning chasm where the floor should be.

"Fuck," I spit out, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. "If the power's down, they could have completely died. No backups, no uploads, just... gone."

Sofia's grip on my arm tightens, her nails digging into my skin. "Don't say that. We'll figure this out. We always do."

I turn to her, seeing the fear in her eyes that she's trying so hard to mask. "And if we can't? If this is it, if everything we've built, everything we've fought for is just... over?"

She shakes her head fiercely, her jaw set in a stubborn line. "Then we start over. We rebuild. We find a way, Alex. We always have."

I want to believe her. God, I want to believe her so badly. But as I stare into the abyss where my son's room used to be, I can't shake the feeling that this time, we might have finally run out of miracles.

Sofia tugs at my arm, her voice urgent. "We need to keep moving. Mircea might still be safe. We can't give up now."

I nod, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. "You're right. Let's go."

As we turn to head towards Mircea's room, I can't help but wonder if this is how it all ends. Not with a bang, but with the quiet desperation of two parents searching for children who might already be beyond our reach.

We sprint to Mircea's bedroom, our feet pounding against the floor in a frantic rhythm. My heart's racing, threatening to burst out of my chest. I slam the door open, my eyes wild as they scan the room.

There he is. In his pod. Safe. For now.

I lunge for the pod, my fingers trembling as I fumble with the release. "Come on, you piece of shit!" I snarl, panic rising in my throat. The pod hisses open, and I snatch Mircea up, clutching him to my chest.

"We need to get to the defense center. Now!" I bark at Sofia, already moving. She nods, taking point as we rush out.

We're halfway down the corridor when the world explodes. A beam of light, brighter than the sun, cuts through the ceiling. It's moving in slow motion, or maybe that's just my brain trying to process the unthinkable.

"Sofia!" I scream as the beam hits her. The force throws me back, and I feel the window shatter against my spine. Glass rains down as I fall, Mircea's weight driving the air from my lungs as we hit the ground.

For a moment, there's nothing but ringing silence. Then the pain hits. White-hot agony shoots through my body, and I look down to see... nothing. Where my leg should be, there's just a mangled, bloody mess.

"FUCK!" I howl, the sound tearing from my throat. "FUCKING HELL!"

Mircea starts wailing, his cries piercing through the chaos. Rubble rains down around us, and in a moment of clarity, I realize he's in danger. With a roar of effort, I hurl him away from me, praying he'll be safe.

More debris falls, pinning me down. I can feel the warm stickiness of blood pooling beneath me, soaking into my clothes. My vision's going fuzzy at the edges, and I know I'm losing too much blood.

"Adam!" I scream, desperation clawing at my insides. "Adam, you useless pile of code, where the fuck are you?!"

Silence. Just the sound of Mircea's cries and the groaning of the building.

"ADAM!" I shriek again, my voice cracking. "Answer me, you silicon-brained bastard!"

Nothing. Panic rises like bile in my throat. I turn my head, looking out through the shattered window, and my blood runs cold.

The sky is filled with alien ships, raining death and destruction on my city. My creation. My failure.

"No, no, no," I mutter, my mind reeling. "Lilith, where are you? You were supposed to stop this! You were supposed to protect us!"

The building shudders, and with a sickening lurch, I realize we're falling. The beam must have cut through something vital. We're going down.

"Mircea!" I scream, trying to spot my son through the dust and debris. "Mircea, baby, can you hear me?!"

His cries seem fainter now. Or maybe that's just the blood loss affecting my hearing. I can feel myself slipping, darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision.

"No!" I snarl, fighting to stay conscious. "I won't die like this! I can't!"

But I'm trapped, pinned under the weight of my own hubris, watching helplessly as my city burns. Is this what I created Lilith for? To fail us when we needed her most?

The world tilts sickeningly as our section of the mansion breaks away. I can see the ground now, rushing up to meet us. This is it. This is how I die.

"NO!" I scream, my voice raw and broken. "NO! NOT LIKE THIS! NO NO NO!"

Tears stream down my face, mixing with blood and sweat. "I'm sorry," I sob, the words catching in my throat. "I'm so fucking sorry. Mircea, Sofia, everyone... I failed you. I failed you all."

As we plummet towards the unforgiving ground, my mind races. Was this all for nothing? My work, my sacrifices, my grand vision for humanity's future... all to end like this?

The ground rushes up, promising a swift end to my torment. In these final moments, one thought echoes in my mind, a desperate, primal scream of denial:

This can't be how it ends. It can't be. I won't let it.

But as the world around me disintegrates, as I feel the last vestiges of life slipping away, I realize the brutal truth: I don't have a choice.

"NOOOOOOO!" The scream tears from my throat as I jolt back to consciousness, my hands clamped around something soft and yielding. It takes me a moment to realize I'm not falling through space anymore, that the world isn't crumbling around me.

"Stop! You're choking me!" Ioana's panicked voice cuts through the fog of my mind. I release her instantly, stumbling backward as reality reasserts itself.

I'm back in Lile's body, the familiar weight of it both comforting and disorienting after the vivid memory of being Alexander. The meadow around us is a disaster zone. Deep handprints mar the ground, as if a giant had been playing in the mud. Virginia lies unconscious, draped over a branch like a broken doll. Dumitra leans against a tree trunk, gasping for air, her usual composure shattered.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"What... what just happened?" I manage to croak out, my voice hoarse from screaming.

Ioana stands up, rubbing her neck. Her emerald eyes are wide with a mixture of fear and awe. "You must have woken from your sweet dream after you almost killed us all," she says, her melodic voice tinged with sarcasm.

"What are you talking about?" I demand, panic rising in my chest.

Ioana takes a deep breath, her words tumbling out in a rush. "You started flying. Actual flying. And then these handprints started appearing everywhere on the ground, like invisible giants were stomping around. You were gesturing wildly, and things started getting cut and crushed all around us. It was like... like you were fighting something we couldn't see."

As she speaks, I notice something strange. When I look at Ioana, I can... taste her. Not in a literal sense, but it's as if my eyes are sending flavor signals to my brain. The deep black of her hair tastes like rich, bitter coffee. The pale skin of her face is like sweet cream. Her emerald eyes have the sharp, fresh taste of mint.

It's overwhelming. I close my eyes and clap a hand over my mouth, falling to my knees. "I can taste you," I blurt out, the words muffled by my palm.

"What?" Ioana's voice is a mixture of confusion and concern.

I try to explain, my words coming out in a jumbled rush. "When I look at you, I can taste everything. Your hair, your skin, your clothes. It's like... like my eyes are a tongue or something."

Curiosity gets the better of me, and I open my eyes, glancing down at the ground. Instantly, I'm assaulted by a barrage of flavors. The dirt tastes of rich, loamy earth with hints of decaying leaves. The grass is a burst of green, chlorophyll-laden freshness on my tongue. It's too much. I squeeze my eyes shut again, fighting down a wave of nausea.

"This is insane," I mutter, more to myself than to Ioana. "What the hell did that plant do to me?"

As the words leave my lips, I hear footsteps approaching. Before I can react, a hand grabs my hair, yanking me upright. The sudden movement sends a jolt of pain through my scalp, and I instinctively squeeze my eyes shut.

"Open your eyes," a familiar voice commands, the words laced with a mixture of frustration and concern.

Reluctantly, I comply, my eyelids fluttering open to meet Dumitra's intense gaze. The moment our eyes lock, my senses are assaulted by an overwhelming barrage of tastes. It's as if my vision has been rewired, each color and texture translating into a distinct flavor on my tongue. Dumitra's presence is a cacophony of sensations - the metallic tang of blood, the musky scent of dogs, the cloying sweetness of perfume, and a myriad of other indescribable tastes.

Christ, what the fuck is happening to me? It's like my brain's been put through a blender and reassembled by a drunk toddler.

Before I can process this sensory overload, Dumitra's hand connects with my cheek in a sharp slap. The sting of it cuts through the confusion, momentarily grounding me.

"You shouldn't close your eyes," Dumitra admonishes, her voice stern. "As a sight mage, that should be a given. You must endure the sensory assault, especially after we fought so hard against your rampage and tried so hard not to kill you in self-defense."

Her words send a chill down my spine. Rampage? Self-defense? What the hell did I do?

"Did I... did I truly do all this?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper as I gesture vaguely at the chaos surrounding us.

Ioana steps forward, her emerald eyes filled with a mixture of awe and trepidation. "Yes," she confirms, her melodic voice tinged with disbelief. "Virginia tried her hardest to pin you down, but..."

She trails off, glancing at her unconscious sister draped over a nearby tree branch. The sight would be almost comical if the situation weren't so dire.

"I could have always tried to tell you to 'Die,' and you would have died," Dumitra interjects matter-of-factly, as if discussing the weather.

"I even tried to put you to sleep," Dumitra continues, frustration evident in her tone, "but it didn't work because you were so frantic and too 'awake.'"

She releases her grip on my hair, stepping back with a weary sigh. "I have to go fetch Virginia from the tree," she announces, glancing at her daughter's limp form. "I don't want her to look like a cheap art painting."

As Dumitra moves away, I can't help but stare at Virginia. She does look rather ridiculous, sprawled across the branch like a discarded marionette. It's almost funny, in a twisted sort of way. If this were a cartoon, there'd probably be little birds circling her head.

Suddenly, a wave of panic washes over me, cutting through the absurdity of the moment. My family. Where are they? Are they safe? Did I hurt them during my... rampage?

I lunge forward, grabbing Ioana's clothes with desperate hands. "Where's my family?" I demand, my voice cracking with urgency. "Where are Aislin and Maeve?"

Ioana's brow furrows in confusion. "Why are you even asking something like that now?" she questions, clearly perplexed by my sudden shift in focus.

From across the clearing, Dumitra's voice rings out. "Let her be, Ioana," she calls, her tone softening slightly. "That must be the trauma she experienced - the loss of her family. That's why she's asking that question."

Family loss? The words echo in my mind, stirring up a maelstrom of fragmented memories and emotions. Images flash before my eyes - a crumbling building, the sound of screaming, a child's terrified face.

I release my grip on Ioana's clothes, my hands shaking as I try to make sense of the conflicting thoughts and sensations bombarding my mind. The taste of fear - acrid and metallic - fills my mouth, mixing with the lingering flavors from my synesthetic vision.

What the fuck is happening to me? Am I losing my mind?

As I struggle to make sense of the conflicting emotions and memories swirling through my mind, Dumitra makes her way to the tree where Virginia hangs limply. With a grace that belies her inhuman nature, she reaches up and gently lifts her daughter from the branch. Virginia's body is like a rag doll in Dumitra's arms, her head lolling back at an unnatural angle.

"Come, my sweet," Dumitra murmurs, her voice uncharacteristically tender. She cradles Virginia close to her chest, moving back towards where Ioana and I are situated.

I watch, fascinated and horrified in equal measure, as Dumitra settles on the ground with Virginia in her lap. The vampiress brings her wrist to her mouth, and with a flash of fang, she tears open her own flesh. Dark, viscous blood wells up from the wound, its scent hitting my nostrils with an intensity that makes me dizzy.

Fuck me sideways, it smells like a mixture of copper, roses, and something I can't quite place. Old books, maybe? Or is that just the residual effect of whatever the hell that plant did to my senses?

Dumitra presses her bleeding wrist to Virginia's pale lips, her free hand gently massaging her daughter's throat to encourage swallowing. "Drink, my child," she coaxes, her ruby eyes fixed intently on Virginia's face. "Let my blood awaken you, restore you."

For a moment, nothing happens. Then, with a sudden, violent motion, Virginia's body arches, her hands flying up to grasp Dumitra's arm. Her eyes snap open, glowing an intense emerald green as she latches onto her mother's wrist with desperate hunger.

Ioana moves closer, her own eyes wide with a mixture of concern and fascination. "Is she alright, Mother?" she asks, her melodic voice tinged with worry.

Dumitra nods, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "She will be, sweet one. Your sister merely needs to replenish her strength."

I can't tear my eyes away from the scene before me. Virginia drinks with an intensity that's both terrifying and oddly mesmerizing. Her throat works as she swallows, small rivulets of blood escaping from the corners of her mouth to trail down her chin.

After what feels like an eternity but is probably only a minute or two, Dumitra gently pulls her wrist away. Virginia lets out a small whimper of protest, her eyes still closed as she licks the last drops of blood from her lips.

"Enough, my dear," Dumitra says softly, brushing a strand of hair from Virginia's face. "You must regain your senses now."

Virginia's eyes flutter open once more, this time without the eerie glow. She blinks slowly, confusion evident on her face as she takes in her surroundings. Her gaze drifts from Dumitra to Ioana, and then...

The moment her eyes land on me, Virginia lets out a blood-curdling scream. She scrambles backward, nearly falling out of Dumitra's lap in her haste to put distance between us.

"Get away!" she shrieks, her voice raw with terror. "Don't let it near me!"

It? Well, that's just fucking charming. I've been reduced from a person to an 'it' in the span of one drug-induced rampage. Fantastic.

Dumitra's arms encircle Virginia, holding her firmly as she thrashes. "Hush, child," she soothes, her voice taking on a hypnotic quality. "You're safe now. The danger has passed."

Virginia shakes her head violently, her eyes never leaving my face. "You don't understand," she gasps, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush. "It was... it was like nothing I've ever seen. The power, the rage... it wasn't human!"

I flinch at her words, a wave of guilt washing over me. What the hell did I do to inspire such terror in a being that's practically immortal?

Ioana moves to her sister's side, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "It's over now, Virginia," she says gently. "Lile is back to normal. Well, as normal as she ever is."

I can't help but snort at that. Normal? I haven't been normal since I woke up in this godforsaken medieval hellscape with the mind of a grown man trapped in a little girl's body.

Virginia's eyes narrow, darting between her sister and mother. "How can you be so calm?" she demands, her voice rising in pitch. "Did you not see what she did? The way she tore through our defenses like they were nothing?"

Dumitra sighs, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Of course we saw, Virginia. We were all there. But losing your composure now serves no purpose."

"No purpose?" Virginia echoes incredulously. "Mother, she nearly killed us all! She was flying! And those things, crushing everything in their path..."

What kind of eldritch horror show did I put on while I was tripping balls?

"I... I did all that?" I ask, my voice small and uncertain. The words taste like ash in my mouth, bitter and acrid.[...]