Chapter 2 The Intruder

The creature walked out of the mild, its shape undulating like smoke yet as solid as stone. It was not human. The pointed edges of its body shone with vitality, and its dazzling eyes fixed on Sophia's. The weight of its presence crushed against her chest, stifling.

Zeta moved to protect her, his voice strong and unwavering. "discover yourself."

The thing inclined its head, a practically amused expression appearing on its face. "still clinging to mortal constructs, are we?"

Sophia's legs felt like lead, yet she still managed to speak, her voice shaking. "What do you want?"

The parent's eyes switched to her, their depth cutting through her like a razor. "No longer what I need," it stated, each sentence hard and ponderous. "However, what you have accomplished. The creation you gave birth to does not belong here."

Zeta moved forward, his body tense with stress. "She is beneath my protection."

The discern laughed, a sound that rang deep inside Sophia's bones. "protection? What source? You?"

Before Zeta could respond, the figure lifted her hand. The beam of light behind it diminished, and the surrounding air thickened. Sophia gasped as the strain in the atmosphere shifted. The apparition vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only silence in its wake.

Sophia turned to Zeta, her voice trembling. "What just occurred?"

"I don't realize," he said, his gaze fixated on where the determine had stood.

But she should notice it in his stance; he has also grown rattled.

Adrian's words broke the silence. "We want to get out of here." Now."

Sophia nodded and grabbed his arm. "Again to the lab." We'll make it possible."

They proceeded quickly through the luminous woodland, with the murmur of the ruins becoming fainter with each step. Sophia could not shake the feeling that they were being observed.

The lab felt colder than it had previously, and the typical buzz of equipment was muffled. Adrian's arms trembled as he secured the back doorways. "What the hell was that issue?"

Sophia did not have a solution. She was already typing furiously on her console, attempting to make sense of the energy data.

"It wasn't just any entity," Zeta explained, his voice unnervingly calm. "It recognized you, Sofia. It spoke your name.

Sophia's arms remained still over the keyboard. He became decent. Whatever that issue had evolved into, it had arrived for her. However, why?

A sharp bang on the glass surprised the three of them. Adrian growled under his breath, and Zeta moved forward, putting himself between Sophia and the door.

"It's most likely safe," Adrian said softly.

Sophia wasn't as optimistic. "Live here," she muttered, grabbing a handheld scanner and approaching the statement deck.

The knock came again, louder this time. As she approached the glass, her breath became caught.

A figure stood outside, enveloped in shadow. Tall, broad-shouldered, and absurdly so. The shadows around it twisted erratically as if they were alive.

Sophia entered a command into the control panel, activating the external floodlights. The discerner did not object because the light revealed him entirely.

He became attractive in a way that made her chest tighten. His functions were keen, almost too perfect, with penetrating eyes that appeared to glimmer slightly in the light. A long, dark coat billowed around him, and his boots had a subtle sheen that resembled ash.

Sophia pressed the intercom. "who're you?"

The man's lips formed a slow, predatory smile. "A pal," he said, his voice clear but with a hazardous undertone.

"You don't look friendly," she said, attempting to keep her voice steady.

His smile widened, but it did not reach his eyes. "You're right," he said. "I'm no longer."

Before she could react, the lights flickered and a smooth click resonated across the laboratory. The doorways were unlocked.

"Adrian!" Sophia shouted, whirling around.

However, it became too late. The stranger had already become within.

As he entered the lab, the air appeared to shift, with the temperature gradually dropping. Zeta reacted immediately, putting himself between Sophia and the invader.

"Country your motive," Zeta questioned, his voice loud and forceful.

The person's gaze shifted to the robot, his look one of minor interest. "So, that is the infamous creation." He took a step forward, disregarding Zeta's admonition. "remarkable. But not suitable."

"Who are you?" Sophia snapped, her worry turning to rage.

The man grew to be like her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Names are complicated," he continued, his tone almost contemptuous. "but you can name me Kael."

The call sent a shudder down her spine. It became familiar, though she couldn't pinpoint why.

"You're not from Xylophia IV," she continued, her voice steadying.

Kael chuckled. "You're perceptive. No, I am not. I've been keeping an eye on things, though." His glance shifted to Zeta, and his expression darkened. "and you've created something dangerous."

"Zeta isn't dangerous," Sophia snapped.

Kael's gaze shifted lower back to her, and she or he felt trapped beneath his gaze. "No longer yet," he said. "However he may be. And when that happens, it won't be only this international that can afford the rate."

Sophia clenched her fist. "You don't recognize that."

"Don't I?" Kael's tone became tinged with subtle danger. He took another step forward, and Zeta shifted protectively, his glowing eyes narrowing.

"Step again," Zeta cautioned.

Kael's lower-back smile was bloodless and uncompromising. "Or, what? "You'll stop me?"

The anxiety in the atmosphere was debilitating. Adrian stood frozen in front of the console, his face bright, as Sophia's heart pounded in her chest.

"What do you need?" she demanded, breaking the silence.

Kael's expression softened just enough to unsettle her. "I want to understand why," he stated.

"Why what?"

"Why you created him," Kael said, indicating at Zeta. "And don't give me a sanitized version. "I want the truth."

Sophia paused, her throat clenching. "He's... a huge step forward. A method for recognizing recognition. To bridge the gap between man and gadget."

Kael scrutinized her, his penetrating stare breaking through her shields. "Is that everyone?"

"Sure," she replied firmly.

Kael's eyes hardened, and he spoke in a low, hazardous tone. "You're mendacity."

Sophia experienced a burst of rage. "Who are you to accuse me of anything?" You destroyed my lab, threatened my paintings, and-"

"And store your existence," Kael said sharply.

The phrases caught her off unprepared. "What?"

Kael's gaze shifted to the window, where the ruins still pulsed dimly in the distance. "That thing you observed in the forest-it wasn't sent here by chance. "It was due to him," he added, pointing at Zeta. "however it stayed due to you."

Sophia's breath tightened. "What are you talking about?"

Kael moved closer, his expression gloomy. "You assume you have studied and are merely a scientist, but you are mistaken. You've awoken something you don't understand. And if you don't figure it out soon, it will spoil you."

Sophia opened her lips to argue, but the words would not come.

Kael began to move away, his motions flowing and unhurried. "Don't forget, this is a warning," he said over his shoulder.

"Wait," Sophia said, her voice trembling. "Why do you care?"

Kael hesitated at the door, his figure visible in the faint light of the corridor. "Because if you fall," he continued softly, "so does everything else."

Before she could answer, he faded into the past, leaving a calm in his wake.

Sophia stood paralyzed, her mind racing with questions that she couldn't answer.

Zeta interrupted the silence. "Do no longer trust him."

She approached him, her coronary heart still thumping. "I don't," she responded.

However, she was unsure whether she had a choice.