Arylos and Iris stood as they watched what Reyz had become. Nothing more than a broken man on his knees as the creature within took over. After the screaming passed, he sat where he was in silence as he stared at the sky as a purple fluid dripped from the stump of his severed arm. Arylos lifted his sword, preparing for anything the creature may try.

Sounds of servos whirring emanated from Reyz as he slowly lowered his head and looked at the duo with glowing purple eyes that sent a shiver down Arylos’s spine. Reyz twisted his neck unnaturally as he looked down at his chest and examined the sword in his chest. He moved his shoulder before craning his neck over and examining his missing arm.

Reyz’s severed stump let out a series of clicks as metal braces unfolded from inside the flesh, jutting out from the cut off stump as more wires and metal features unfolded, slowly rebuilding a mechanical arm. Reyz lifted the artificial arm and continuously moved the fingers of the arm, adjusting the machinery holding it together. Reyz then turned his attention to the sword in his chest and grabbed it with his mechanical arm. Metal squealed and scraped as he slowly pulled the sword out of his chest, leaving a gaping hole with glowing purple wires with lights that danced around like firing nerves. Reyz then leaned against his sword as more machinery unfolded from his chest and began building a structure next to the gaping wound that shone with a bright white light and hummed with a haunting energy.

Arylos slowly took a step closer towards the creature, lowering his sword slightly but keeping it at the ready. “Reyz? Are you okay?” he asked softly with an outstretched hand.

Reyz slowly turned his head up to look at Arylos with his purple eyes, his pupils changing shape repeatedly as they examined the Titan and the white of his eyes slowly turned black with more purple lights flashing amongst the distorted flesh.

“Nerseis?” Arylos asked in a softer voice as his eyes darted around, trying to find any semblance of the man that was.

Reyz turned away and looked at his intact human hand. The hand twitched before he lifted the hand and examined the features of it and moved the fingers, watching as more machinery inside his arm clicked with each movement.

Arylos sighed, realising just what was happening. “Jowydit syoldat,” he spoke in a foreign tongue with a stern voice.

Recognising the language, Reyz immediately turned to face Arylos as the purple glow in his eyes intensified. “Akwn’th vnbty`ch,” the creature responded in a deep mechanical voice.

Arylos knew the words well; ‘ready to comply’ the creature said. Arylos let out a saddened sigh as he realised that the man that was Nerseis was now gone. “Designation,” Arylos ordered, recognising the man for the Eikon he had become.

The Eikon turned away as its eyes darted around, looking for an answer. It took the creature moments to come to its conclusion. “Unknown,” it replied as it continued to look around.

“That’s a fucking lie,” Arylos said in frustration. “What is your fleet?”

“Unknown,” the Eikon responded.

“Then what is your rank?” Arylos asked as he raised his voice.

“Unknown,” the Eikon responded.

“Your commanding officer,” Arylos said while clenching his fists.

“Unknown,” the Eikon responded. “So much…noise in my head.”

“What’s going on?” Iris asked while slowly approaching the Eikon.

“He’s been awakened as an Eikon, but it looks like he can’t access their neural network,” Arylos answered while trying to plan what to do with the Eikon.

“Neural what now?” Iris asked with raised eyebrows.

“Eikons have a hive mind so to speak,” Arylos explained while trying to find the right words for Iris. “They all communicate with one another and share thoughts, ideas, and information through their minds rather than speech.”

“Like psychics?” Iris asked with a scoff.

“In a way, but it seems that this one can’t communicate with the other Eikons,” Arylos said while bringing his sword to the Eikon’s chin. “That’s good; that means it won’t be able to ask for help.”

Arylos lifted his sword and readied to cut the Eikon’s head off as Iris realised what he was going to do. “Arylos wait!” she called out while trying to reach for Arylos’s arm.

Before the blade could land on the Eikon’s neck, the Eikon jumped to its feet and stopped the blade with its sword and looked at Arylos with a growl as the purple in its eyes flashed in sequential patterns.

“Designation; ‘Arylos’, fleet; ‘Mortehksun’, rank; ‘Vlajhilsen’, commanding officer; ‘Lord Demise’” the creature spoke in its deep voice as it watched Arylos intently. “Information inaccurate; commanding officer query does not match assessment.”

“Uh, honey?” Iris asked while slowly moving behind Arylos.

The Eikon roared as it pushed Arylos away from it and it looked down at the ground as its thoughts became clearer. It reached for its head and groaned as if experiencing a deep pain. “Assessment; stranded on foreign world, colonisation status unknown, attacked by foreign party, systems malfunctioning. Initiate protocol 10735-B; build trace with secondary unit, home to nearest fleet, await assistance or orders.”

“Fuck,” Arylos growled while lifting his sword. Arylos swung wildly at the Eikon yet the creature deflected each blow with a hissing growl. Arylos caught the Eikon’s sword and prepared a punch but the Eikon headbutted Arylos and grabbed his sword arm and struck it with its metal arm, fracturing Arylos’s elbow joint as he dropped his sword.

The Eikon growled as Arylos hit the ground and grabbed his arm while groaning. The Eikon took its chance and ran off into the streets, howling all the while as it fled. Iris went to her knees as she held Arylos’s broken arm, seeing it piece itself back together slowly.

“You have to run,” Arylos warned softly as his joint rebuilt itself with a disgusting crack. “This isn’t your fight; get out of here before something bad happens to you.”

“I’m not leaving you to that thing,” Iris said while gripping Arylos’s arm tight.

Arylos growled as he shrugged her off and grabbed his sword while returning to his feet. “You will because you must. This is my fight and mine alone.”

“What happened to us being stronger together?” Iris shouted as she rose to her feet. “Why do you get to run off into danger when I sit here and do nothing?”

“I must protect you at all costs; I cannot let you die for my battles,” Arylos growled without looking at Iris. He started to walk away but Iris grabbed his arm and refused to let him go.

“Our battles,” Iris corrected in a soft voice. “We take on everything together.”

“You can’t fight it,” Arylos growled softly.

“And you can?” Iris asked while holding onto his arm tighter.

“I must,” Arylos roared as an invisible force knocked Iris back and threw her against a wall with a grip on her throat. She groaned as she saw Arylos slowly turn towards her with glowing red eyes that burned with fury as faint flames danced around him.

Iris’s heart raced as she saw the monster he was coming back out. The force holding her securely intensified as it threatened to crush her. Arylos growled as he walked towards her. Iris tried to push back against the invisible force but found herself unable to escape. Arylos glared at her with his burning eyes before the lights in his eyes faded and he looked at what he had done. His body shook as he gently set Iris back down on the ground and his power faded.

“I’m sorry,” Arylos said while fighting back tears. “But I must do this. This is my mistake to correct; you shouldn’t have to die for my sins.”

Iris rubbed her throat as she looked at the carnivore. “What sin is that?”

Arylos rubbed his eyes before looking at Iris with red tearful eyes and gritted teeth. “I killed my people to stop this,” Arylos said remorsefully as his voice cracked. “I became what I am, destroyed my world, consumed my people, all because they were on the verge of turning into something like the Eikons, or worse. I killed them to stop it, and yet what do I find in the aftermath once the dust settled? The Eikons were born anyway.”

Iris slowly approached Arylos, trying to make sense of the creature. “You would think that’s the worst part,” Arylos continued as he continued fighting back tears. “Killing my people, hiding the truth, seeing how I failed. No. The worst part is that I can’t die. Only a Titan can kill another Titan and I’m the only one left.”

Iris shook her head as she tried to find words for Arylos, to make him feel better. “Honey, I–”

Arylos growled and shook his head, cutting Iris off. “You’re too precious to me to lose,” he continued as he clenched his fist. “If those Eikons took you from me, I would have failed again. Do not put me through that.”

“And what if you die?” Iris asked softly.

Arylos laughed and shook his head. “You and I know I can’t die.”

“Yes yes I know; that body is only a vessel,” Iris said in frustration while trying to contain her anger.

“Then you know I can’t die,” Arylos said sternly. “I will only be unable to interact with this world until I find a new vessel.”

“Which means you’ll be a ghost,” Iris said softly as tears came to her as well.

Arylos’s expression softened as he shook his head. “Iris–”

“Don’t you get it?” Iris shouted while clenching her fists. “If something happens to you, I will lose you. I don’t care if you can’t die and you’ll be out there as some kind of disembodied spirit; you might as well be dead to me!”

Arylos lowered his head as he felt guilty as Iris walked closer to him. “You don’t want anything to happen to me because you’re afraid to lose me,” Iris continued while trying her hardest not to hit Arylos. “Can’t you see that I want the same thing? I don’t want you running in there alone because what if something happens to you. Did you ever stop to think that?”

Arylos shook his head as he backed away slowly. “I am expendable,” he said softly while continuing to back away. “You have to let me do this; this is my destiny and my legacy. Head back to the others where it’s safe.” Arylos then suddenly turned and ran off to chase the Eikon.

“Arylos!” Iris howled as she ran after the Titan. She channelled her power and launched forward as a lightning bolt yet Arylos turned and grabbed the lightning and threw it at another wall as it slowly reformed into Iris.

“I will not lose you,” Arylos said in a deep growl as he let Iris go and ran to chase the Eikon. Iris, with the wind knocked out of her, fell to the ground and leaned against the wall with a heavy sigh as she helplessly watched her Titan run off into the distance.

She began to wonder if she had already lost him.