All Chapters of ZERO NEXUS : Chapter 71
- Chapter 80
119 chapters
Chapter Seventy One
The air beneath the earth was heavy, almost alive. Every breath Lena took felt like it pressed against her ribs, thick with dust, dampness, and the weight of the stone above. The dim glow from the cracked light panels flickered, throwing Mira’s face in and out of shadow. It made her look different — older, harder — and it reminded Lena of the dangerous new ability Mira had discovered only hours ago.The sound of dripping water echoed through the tunnel. Somewhere far behind them, the faint rumble of boots could still be heard, distant but closing in.Kai had his back against the wall, one arm resting over his knee, his eyes scanning the darkness like a hawk watching for prey. The Zero Child sat between Lena and Kai, knees drawn to her chest, silent and pale. She hadn’t spoken much since the last confrontation. Her small hands clutched the edge of Lena’s sleeve as though afraid to let go.Lena leaned closer to Kai. “They’re still following,” she whispered.He nodded without looking at
Chapter Seventy Two ( SHADOWS BENEATH THE EARTH)
The air underground felt heavier tonight. It clung to Lena’s skin, thick with the smell of damp stone and faint metal. The soft, uneven light from the cracked lamps on the walls cast long, shifting shadows across the tunnel, making every movement seem alive.They had been walking for what felt like hours, their boots crunching on gravel and wet dust, but the silence between them was louder than any echo. The Zero Child walked slightly ahead, his bare feet silent. His thin frame looked even smaller in the darkness, but Lena had stopped underestimating him. She could feel the strange pull of his presence—a pressure in the air, like the stillness before lightning strikes.Mira walked beside Lena. Her eyes were fixed forward, but they glowed faintly in the low light, as if lit from within. Lena had noticed the change in her ever since the confrontation earlier—how her movements had become sharper, more certain. Mira wasn’t just surviving anymore. Something in her was growing.Kai kept to
Chapter Seventy Three
The air shifted the moment they stepped into the new chamber.It was bigger than any tunnel they had passed through, the stone walls curving high above them like the inside of a cathedral. Faint light seeped through cracks in the ceiling, just enough to show the strange carvings that wrapped around the walls—symbols none of them recognized. The ground was uneven, littered with shards of rock and rusted scraps of metal, as if someone had abandoned tools here long ago.Lena’s breathing slowed, her eyes darting around the space. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t the first ones to step into this room… and that whoever had been here last had left in a hurry.Kai moved ahead of the group, his body tense, scanning every shadow. He didn’t trust the quiet. “Stay close,” he said, his voice low but firm.The Zero Child clung to Lena’s hand. Their small frame was trembling, but their eyes were locked on the carvings, almost… drawn to them.Mira’s gaze swept the room too, but her fo
Chapter Seventy Four
The ground beneath Lena’s boots felt different the moment they stepped into the new chamber. It wasn’t the same damp, uneven stone they had walked on for days underground. This floor was smoother, warmer somehow, as if the earth itself had been touched by something alive. The walls glistened faintly in the low light, streaked with veins of mineral that shimmered like silver under the flickering glow from Kai’s torch.Lena paused, breathing in the air. It carried no trace of the moldy scent that had clung to the tunnels. Here, it smelled faintly of rain and something floral—impossible this deep beneath the surface. She exchanged a glance with Kai, who didn’t lower his guard for even a second.“Stay close,” he said, his voice low but firm. His eyes swept the edges of the chamber, every muscle in his body tight.The Zero Child clung to his hand, small fingers curled around his like a lifeline. Mira moved ahead of them, her steps careful but certain, as if the strangeness of this place ca
Chapter Seventy Five
The air changed the moment they stepped through the broken steel doorway.It wasn’t just colder—it felt heavy, as if the walls themselves were pressing in on them. The tunnel they’d been crawling through had ended in this massive underground chamber, the ceiling disappearing into shadows far above. Dim lights flickered in a slow, dying pulse, giving everything a sickly yellow glow. The air smelled of rust, damp concrete, and something else…something faint but sharp, like burning metal.Lena froze as her eyes adjusted. The space wasn’t empty.Tall, jagged machinery lined the walls—huge rusted towers of pipes and vents, most of them dead and silent, but a few releasing soft hisses of steam into the air. Pools of water rippled on the cracked floor, reflecting the flickering light. Somewhere deep inside the chamber, a metallic clank echoed, followed by the slow scrape of something dragging across the floor.Kai’s hand found Lena’s arm. His grip was firm, silent, but the warning in it was
Chapter Seventy Six
The air in the new location was sharp and cold, carrying the faint tang of metal and damp stone. Every sound seemed to echo, even the softest breath. Lena could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. They had barely stepped out of the tunnel when she knew—something was wrong.The faint hum of machinery somewhere deep in the walls vibrated through her boots. It was a low, steady thrum, unnatural in a place that looked so abandoned. Kai’s shoulders tensed instantly, his hand going to the weapon at his side.“We’re not alone,” he said in a low voice.Mira’s eyes narrowed, her new ability still a mystery to Lena but clearly growing stronger. Her gaze swept across the shadows, as if she could see beyond the stone walls. The Zero Child clung to Lena’s side, her small fingers cold but steady.Then Lena heard it—a scrape, faint but deliberate, like metal brushing against stone. It was coming from ahead, somewhere beyond the half-collapsed archway that led deeper into the structure.Kai
Chapter Seventy Seven
Kai’s jaw tightened. “If ‘everything’ knows we’re here, we’re dead.”The Zero Child’s hand trembled slightly over the console. “If I don’t wake it, the doors will fall, and we’ll be dead anyway.”Mira leaned against the wall, catching her breath. Sweat glistened on her forehead, but her eyes still held that strange, unnatural glow. “She’s right. We don’t have time for debate. Whatever’s coming is worse than the Reapers.”The metal of the sealed doors groaned, a deep sound that made Lena’s skin crawl. Something heavy struck from the other side, denting the surface. Dust shook loose from the ceiling.Kai cursed under his breath and gestured to the girl. “Do it. But fast.”The Zero Child touched the glowing symbols. The console reacted instantly—light flared up the walls, racing through old circuitry, illuminating the chamber with an eerie, cold glow. The hum in the air intensified, growing into a low, steady vibration that Lena could feel in her bones.The symbols shifted and began to m
Chapter Seventy Eight(THE CORE BREATH)
The blue light of the underground lake shifted and shimmered, as if the water itself was breathing. It pulsed in a slow rhythm that made Lena’s heart match its beat without meaning to. Every ripple on its surface seemed to whisper something, too faint to understand.The Zero Child stood at the edge, her bare toes just touching the glow. She stared into the water like she was looking through it, past its surface and into something much deeper.Kai moved closer to her, keeping one hand tight on his weapon. “We don’t have much time. They’re coming.”From the spiral staircase, faint metal thuds echoed down, followed by the sharp click of something mechanical reloading. The Reapers were not far.Mira staggered forward, leaning against one of the crystal-covered pillars that grew from the ground. Her breathing was heavy, but her eyes scanned the space quickly. “There’s no cover here. If they get down that stairway, we’ll be exposed.”The Zero Child didn’t look up. Her voice was calm, almost
Chapter Seventy Nine( THE CORE BREATH CONTD)
The sight in the glowing water made Lena’s throat tighten. The thing beneath wasn’t just large—it was endless. It stretched deeper than the lake should have gone, its edges fading into darkness like it had no true form.The only clear thing were its eyes—two vast, blazing orbs that seemed to burn through the water itself.A cold dread gripped her spine. “What… is that?”The Zero Child didn’t blink. “Something that should never wake.”The Core’s voice thundered inside their heads again, the sound almost painful.LEAVE.The tremors grew violent, shaking loose shards of crystal from the ceiling. One piece crashed into the lake, sending up a splash of glowing water that hissed against the stone.Kai stepped toward the girl, grabbing her arm. “We’re moving—now!”But the Zero Child didn’t resist. “It’s too late. It’s already—”The lake erupted.A column of water and light shot upward, hitting the high ceiling and exploding into glowing mist. Through the spray, something vast moved—slow but
Chapter Eighty (THE THRESHOLD)
The two burning eyes hung in the darkness above them, each one as large as a doorway. They glowed with a light that wasn’t like the lake’s glow—it was harsher, older, and full of something Lena couldn’t name.The air thickened. It felt heavy to breathe, as if every inhale was pulling in dust and cold water at once.The Zero Child didn’t move. She stared up at it with a strange calm, as if she had expected this moment.Mira gripped Lena’s arm. “What… is it doing?”Lena’s lips were dry. “Looking at us.”The creature shifted, and the sound of it was like mountains scraping together. The cavern trembled. A long, jagged shape emerged from the crack in the ground—a piece of its body, glistening as if made from wet stone and molten glass. It flexed slowly, and the movement alone sent shockwaves through the floor.Kai stepped in front of them, sword out, though the weapon looked small and useless against something this size. “If it comes closer—run.”The Core’s voice burst in Lena’s head agai