Jessica's 'Soul Creation.' Elder Drifter's 'Grand Possession.' Elder Crown's 'Psychic Structure.' Elder Omen's 'Perfect Interpretation.' Elder Incarnate's 'Life Drain.' Elder Presence's 'Consciousness Field.'

Erica's 'Flawed Copy' had been collecting fragments of the Chosen Ones' strongest abilities for over a year, mixing them together inside Erica's unconscious mind in a sticky, chaotic soup. The final result was something entirely new, a formless and shapeless composite intelligence capable of autonomously learning, growing, and changing without any conscious input from Erica herself. It was an enormous and horrifying thing that didn't fit inside Erica's mind. And it was finally awake.

"I feel sick... ugh. I'm going to throw up."

'Flawed Copy.'
'Autohypnosis.'

"I'm going to try not to throw up. I feel better. I am safe. I am strong. I am in control."

Erica spoke those words without thinking them. She didn't understand where they came from. But she instantly felt better for saying them and started believing them. It was an affirmation combined with a comforting lie. Erica calmed down. But she wasn't sure if she was really okay yet.

"I feel different... maybe? I still feel sick, but... let's try that again..."

Erica leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, then tapped into her power once more. The strange swirling patterns and colored lights within her head grew in intensity. A thousand little colors flashed before her eyes, pulsing steadily like waves on the shore, growing larger, smaller, larger, smaller-

'Flawed Copy.'
'Sensory Modulation.'

The colors in Erica's mind twisted like she was playing with a kaleidoscope, breaking apart and mixing together into a million shades of combined color. The swirling pattern expanded out and enveloped Erica in an almost tactile sense of softness. And then, it came into focus and took shape. It shifted and stretched and shrank into three distinct objects, a trinity of inky black orbs with glowing, pale green centers.

There was a strange sensation of swelling. It felt like Erica had been holding her breath for too long and now her lungs were filling with air all at once. Then came the nausea. She started heaving, feeling hot bile rushing up from deep inside her.

'Flawed Copy.'
'Waste Absorption. Autohypnosis.'

"I'm not going to throw up. There is nothing inside my stomach."

The trinity of black orbs flashed in and out of view as she made her proclamation, moving at impossible speeds. Erica sat straight up in her chair. She didn't say that. No, she said it, but she didn't think it. Whatever it was that was inside of her... that was what said that.

It seemed like... her power was like a second mind inside her mind that helped her think and decide what to do?

No, it was more like, it was making decisions without her being involved at all.

That made her feel weird. She didn't like it. It felt wrong and uncomfortable. It didn't make any sense. What did it mean that this part of her had its own voice, that it thought and talked on her behalf, that it could control her body without her permission?

But maybe... maybe it wasn't anything bad. It hadn't done anything bad yet, right? Maybe she could learn to control it... or maybe, she could try to let it control her?

The black orbs grew brighter at that thought.They flickered and spun, splitting into six, then twelve, then twenty-four and more and more and more until she was blinded by a wave of green and she had to squeeze her eyes shut. She felt so sick. So tired. This power, whatever it was, used up a lot of mental energy. She hadn't eaten enough and she felt dizzy and weak.

"I'm tired..." she whispered to herself.

'Flawed Copy.'
'Autohypnosis.'

"It's time to go home. I'll think about this later. I have a good feeling about my new power."

Erica pushed herself out of her chair. She didn't stand straight. Not at first. But she lifted herself up and walked with her shoulders straight and head held high instead of hunching over like she normally did. She left the Tower and took long, confident strides towards the front gate. The guards didn't give her a second glance when she walked on by.

The streets were busy down in the commercial district. She felt dizzy again, like she was in a dream, watching the people move around her in slow motion. The sun was setting and the winter chill was settling in. The city was beautiful. Erica felt light and free, like she was weightless. Her new power sang to her. It told her how wonderful she was. How special.

Erica stopped walking and stared up at the sky. The world slowed down for a moment. The clouds shifted in a soft purple sky. A flock of geese flew across the horizon.

She knew exactly where she was. She'd been here dozens of times before. She'd walked these same streets and passed through those same buildings. But it felt different. She didn't feel lost anymore. She didn't feel alone. She was calm and happy. She felt...

"I don't understand what's happening, but I think you do. It seems like... you're helping me. Like, helping me find myself. Helping me see that I'm worth something. I feel... I feel... strong."

The three black orbs flashed in and out of view as she spoke. They shifted from shape to shape in a constant stream, never quite forming or fading away. A triangle, a line, a black dot. A disgusting feeling washed over her. The hairs on her skin stood up. She was being watched. She felt naked. Exposed.

The green center of each orb pulsed with a sickening green glow.

'Flawed Copy.'
'Autohypnosis.'

"I can trust this power. I know it's not going to hurt me. I should stop fighting it and just accept it. It's making me stronger. It's making me better. It's making me more like Jessica. I feel so much more like her now."

Erica smiled. It was a small, sad smile, and it made her feel even sicker. She saw her reflection in the glass of a nearby building. Her face was pale, her eyes dark and hollow. She looked scared. But she also looked...

"Strong? I am... strong... right?"

Erica laughed. It was a strange sound, like a child laughing at a cruel joke.