Prologue Part Three: Rebirth

“Markus?” Evelyn said, studying the arena.

It was shaped like a dome where at the base were straight down walls. A one-way mirror took up the vast majority of one wall's curvature, a viewing booth for the Director and his researchers.

“Evelyn? Why are you here?” Markus asked.

“I’m not sure, I was told this was the final phase of training.” she said, “why do you have a gun?”

Markus looked down at the weapon; the familiar cold steel felt like a brick in his hand, too heavy to raise.

“I’m not sure either, the director gave it to me. Said it was a reward for the research.”

“Markus,” the director said over a loudspeaker, the faint crackling distorting his voice, “Only one of you may leave this room alive.”

The loudspeaker’s hum faded. The director intended to say nothing further. The pair stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, Markus gazing at Evelyn and her gazing back. The gun began to feel like a branding iron in his hand, a bomb ready to explode at any moment.

“So, he gave you that to kill me huh?” Evelyn asked, her voice shaking.

“I would never.” Markus said.

“Don’t be stupid, it’s the only way you move on. All those experiments. That’s what it's all about. That’s what he cares about.”

She closed her eyes and knelt, accepting her death.

“Stand up! What are you doing?” he yelled, hysteria creeping into his voice.

“Please — it's clear they chose who they wanted to live. So, live for me.”

Markus dropped the gun and hauled her to her feet, “I can’t kill you, I can’t. Why would they want me to? I don't- I don’t understand.”

“You have to. They need you to be able to kill,” she whispered.

Markus stood in stunned silence, holding her tightly.

“I can’t.” he finally said, tears forming in his eyes.

Evelyn picked up the gun from the floor and folded Markus’ fingers around the handle, “It’ll be quick, okay?”

“Not for me.”

Evelyn didn’t reply, instead raising the barrel to her forehead, pressing the hollow metal into the skin on her forehead. The world sat still; the only sound was their breaths merging with one another.

“Please, I just need you to live.” she begged.

“I wouldn’t want to.”

Evelyn wrapped her shaking fingers around the trigger of the gun, and the other hand over his eyes.

“You saved my life; we got one last night together. I need to repay that.”

She squared her jaw, and, with a final sigh, she pulled the trigger.

The shot rang out, reverberating off the cold, white walls. She gasped, dropping to her knees dripping with sweat. The wall behind her that had once been so pristine was now tarnished with a single bullet hole. Markus’ shaking hands retracted flesh that had pushed the gun higher, and above her head.

“Markus!” she sobbed, grabbing his shirt, crying into his pant leg.

“I know how we can both live.” he said, eyes clouded in sorrow.

He turned the gun on his temple, eyes glazed over and held down the trigger. The sound came with color this time, a deep crimson that stained everything around them. Evelyn screamed, clinging to his limp body.

“No!” the director cried out, rushing in.

His voice was filled with heartbreak, as if he had just watched his family be killed in front of him.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this!” he shrieked, sounding near insanity.

Evelyn tried to reach for Markus again.

“And you! You were supposed to die!” he said, spit flying from his mouth and his eyes wide with madness.

His sword spun around him, his lack of composure swinging the mind link into action. Two more soldiers walked in and took Evelyn by the arms, carefully avoiding the wild blade that cut up the walls.

“What do we do with her, Director?”

The Director sobered up.

“She has… passed training. Give her officer status. She will be barred from gaining access to a cyberse weapon, or neophyte status, until I say so.” he murmured, lightly brushing Markus’ face, all the rage drained from his and replaced with a hollow despair.

The guards left, dragging Evelyn by the arms towards an exit door and through tears she gazed upon the splendor of the city for the first time.

“You can’t die, I won’t let it be over.” the director told the body, “I’ll bring you back, I will.”

As the director droned on, pleading to Markus’ corpse, a heartbeat slowly pulsed beneath Markus’ flesh.