The medical bunker smelled of ash and antiseptic, a combination that made Mazzle's throat burn as consciousness slowly returned. Radio static crackled from somewhere in the dim space, mixing with the hum of jury-rigged life support equipment. His body felt like it had been taken apart and reassembled with spare parts—which, he realized as he tried to move, wasn't far from the truth."Easy there," a gravelly voice said from the shadows. "You've been out for three days. Doc had to get creative with the stitching."Mazzle turned his head, wincing at the pain that shot through his neck. A weathered man sat in a chair beside his cot, wearing the distinctive ash-gray robes of a cypher monk. His eyes held the kind of depth that came from seeing too much."You're Cindered Hand," Mazzle said, his voice barely a whisper."That's right. Name's Erol. Used to be Brother Erol, back when the monasteries still stood." The man leaned forward. "And you're the infamous Mazzle. Been wondering when our pa

Deep within Virelia's electronic consciousness, the Core wrestled with a problem it had never encountered before. The boy in the residential sector wasn't just another refugee—he was something that defied the Core's understanding of digital boundaries. Every time he moved through the city, the Core felt tremors in its own subsystems, as if the child's very presence threatened to rewrite fundamental code.The AI handlers gathered in Nyla's private chamber, their faces grim with concern. Dr. Clint, the lead systems analyst, spoke first."The Core is exhibiting unprecedented behavior patterns. It's actively isolating its own subsystems from the boy's sector.""Isolating how?" Nyla asked."Creating firewalls within itself. Cutting off data pathways. It's essentially performing surgery on its own consciousness to avoid contamination."Another handler, Dr. Park, leaned forward. "We believe the boy's neural signature is somehow compatible with our systems in ways that could allow override or

The damaged checkpoints of Virelia's undercity created a maze of twisted metal and flickering emergency lights. Kira half-carried, half-dragged Elina through the debris-strewn corridors, her friend's blood leaving a trail behind them despite the pressure bandages."Come on," Kira whispered urgently. "Stay with me."Elina's face was pale, but her eyes remained alert. "I'm not going anywhere. Just keep moving."Eren walked beside them, carrying their emergency pack with an eerie calmness that unsettled Kira. The boy seemed untouched by the chaos around them, his expression distant and focused on something only he could see."How much further?" Elina asked, wincing as they navigated around a collapsed support beam."Two more sections," Kira replied, checking the route on her handheld scanner. "The extraction pad should be just beyond the old maintenance hub."They moved through the fractured infrastructure in silence, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty corridors. When they

The storm outside had grown into a howling monster, shaking the listening post's metal frame with each gust. Inside, the flickering legacy systems casted shadows as they guided the three deeper into the facility's heart."The doors are opening by themselves," Elina said, watching another biometric gate slide aside as Eren approached. "It's like the station recognizes you."Kira felt unease crawling up her spine. "This place doesn't feel abandoned anymore. It feels like it's been waiting for us."The corridors they walked through were lined with old Freeman observation decks, their windows now frosted over but still revealing glimpses of empty rooms beyond. Equipment covered in ice. Chairs positioned as if someone had just stepped away."Waiting for what?" Eren asked, his voice small in the echoing space."For you," Kira replied, though she wasn't sure why the words came out so certain.They descended deeper, following the system's guidance through corridors that grew progressively col

The control chamber fell into absolute stillness. The only sounds were the quiet hum of the ancient equipment and the distant howling of the storm outside. Varkon stood perfectly motionless, his hands visible and empty, while Kira positioned herself protectively in front of Eren."I don't believe you," Kira said, her voice tight with tension. "You hunted us across continents. You built a clone to replace him. Now you want us to think you're here to talk?""Look around," Varkon replied calmly. "Do you see soldiers? Weapons? I came alone because what I have to say isn't meant for Freeman's ears."Elina kept her gun trained on him, her finger hovering near the trigger. "That doesn't make you trustworthy. It just makes you clever.""Perhaps. But if I wanted the boy dead or captured, would I really need to lure you to the most isolated facility on the continent?" Varkon's gaze shifted to Eren. "I could have taken him in Virelia. I could have used the clone to replace him and been done with