In the Gold Zone, near Central Park, Leo watched the broadcast on a cracked tablet. He frowned."Do not listen to the false prophet, Jayden," Caelum’s voice purred from the speakers. "Jayden tells you to be peaceful. But peace just means waiting to be killed. The Militia proved it today. Violence is not evil. Violence is purification. It is a tool. The Red Zones are the only safe places left. Join my Purists. Fight back. Kill your enemies, and the System will reward you with eternal strength. Do not be a sheep. Be the wolf."The screens went black.Then, they flickered again. This time, it was a different broadcast.Leo was recording a video. He stood in the snow, pointing his phone camera at a live feed from a security camera in Times Square.The feed showed Jayden. It showed Jayden creating the golden wires. It showed Jayden pulling the deadly EMP bomb into his own chest. It showed Jayden falling into the crater, smoking and bleeding, saving the entire city."Look at him!" Leo shout

Jack gritted his teeth. He pressed his eye against the scope. He put the red crosshairs directly over the center of Jayden’s chest, right over his heart.Jack took a slow breath, held it, and pulled the trigger.CRACK-BOOM.The sound of the massive sniper rifle echoed off the buildings of 5th Avenue like a clap of thunder.The .50 caliber bullet traveled faster than the speed of sound. Before anyone in the park even heard the gunshot, the bullet found its target.The heavy, armor-piercing round slammed directly into Jayden’s chest.The impact was absolutely devastating. It was not a small handgun bullet. It was a bullet meant to destroy military vehicles.Jayden was violently thrown backward off his feet. He flew through the air and crashed hard into the white snow, ten feet away from where he had been standing. A massive spray of glowing white blood painted the snow behind him.The peaceful silence of the park shattered into pure screaming panic."JAYDEN!" Leo screamed, his voice bre

"Leo is right," David said, resting his heavy iron wrench on his shoulder. "You are our server, Halo. You are the battery. If you die, we all lose our shields. We all die. You must let us protect you."Jayden looked at the heavy steel door of the bank vault behind them. It looked like a tomb."I am not a king," Jayden whispered. His voice sounded like two pieces of rough sandpaper rubbing together. "I will not hide in a cage while people burn outside.""But the System!" Leo pleaded. "You told us! The System upgrade is trying to force you to kill normal humans! If you go out there and see the Militia shooting at us, your brain might lose control. The System might take over!""That is exactly why I have to leave," Jayden said.He took a slow, painful step forward. Every muscle in his body screamed. The golden wires of the Endurance Authority wanted to connect to Leo and David, but Jayden brutally forced the wires to stay inside his own chest. He refused to drag them into his personal ag

The famous golden clock in the center of Grand Central Terminal was broken. The metal hands were forever frozen at twelve minutes past four.Before the world broke apart, this massive train station in the heart of New York City was a place of rushing crowds, expensive coffee, and bright lights. Now, it was a dark, freezing tomb. The beautiful ceiling, painted with the stars and the night sky, was covered in thick black soot from the fires outside. The huge glass windows were completely shattered. Cold winter wind blew through the empty halls, carrying dry snow and the smell of burning plastic.Jayden stood right next to the broken golden clock.He was incredibly tired. His simple grey coat was torn and stained with dark mud and glowing white blood. Just last night, he had fought thirty of the faceless, grey monsters called Hollows. He had survived, but it had cost him. His body ached. Deep inside his chest, the golden light of his Immortality Lock hummed weakly. He was pushing his Sys

The twenty Militia soldiers opened fire all at once. The loud, deafening roar of automatic weapons filled the massive train station. Hundreds of bullets flew through the air, tearing chunks of stone out of the walls and the floor.Elias and his four Enforcers charged forward, moving with unnatural, magical speed. They dodged the bullets, leaving trails of red fire behind them. One Enforcer reached a Militia soldier and punched him in the chest. The red kinetic force shattered the soldier’s ribs, sending him flying across the room."Leo, shields!" Jayden shouted.Leo threw his hands up. A massive wall of solid blue light appeared, protecting Jayden, David, and himself.Bullets hit the blue shield and flattened like rain. Streaks of red fire hit the shield and exploded."We have to stop them!" Jayden yelled over the terrible noise of the guns and the explosions."We can't!" David shouted back. "They want to kill each other! And they want to kill you!"Jayden looked through the blue shie