The sun was beating down on Xin’s neck. He was nineteen years old, hanging by a thin safety cable fifty stories above the ground. In the giant city of Jiangnan, Xin was a nobody—just a window cleaner trying to earn enough for a warm bowl of noodles.​"Hey, kid! Focus!" his partner, Old Chen, yelled from the other side of the glass. "One slip and you’re a pancake. My wife will be furious if I have to find a new partner."​Xin wiped the sweat from his eyes and grinned. "Don’t worry, Chen. I’m too poor to die. The universe wouldn't know what to do with my medical bills."​They shared a quick laugh, but it didn't last.​The birds suddenly went quiet. The air felt heavy, like it was about to rain, but the smell wasn't rain—it was burnt metal. Xin looked up and saw the sky cracking open like a broken mirror. A massive rock, glowing with a strange purple light, was screaming through the clouds.​It wasn't a normal shooting star. It was moving too fast, and it was headed right for them.​"Che

​The wind screamed in Xin’s ears as Mei’s floating bike zoomed through the ruined streets. Behind them, the rock monster—a giant beast of stone and sparking electricity—let out a roar that shattered the windows of nearby shops.​"He’s gaining on us!" Xin yelled, looking over his shoulder. Each time the monster stepped, the ground cracked. "What do I do?"​"You've got the Engine in your chest, Window Boy! Give it some gas!" Mei shouted back, steering the bike through a narrow alleyway.​"Warning," the voice in Xin’s head spoke again. "Host heartbeat is too high. Level 1 energy is unstable. To reach Level 2, you must synchronize with the threat."​"Synchronize? You want me to be friends with that thing?" Xin asked.​"No. You must absorb its impact to unlock the 'Kinetic Burst' path."​Xin looked at the monster. It was lifting a massive chunk of a fallen bus, ready to throw it at them. "Mei, stop the bike!"​"Are you crazy? We’re finally making distance!"​"Just do it! I have an idea, an

​The dust from the cave-in hung heavy in the air. Xin’s lungs burned, but the sight in front of him made his blood turn to ice.​The Elemental was massive, its body made of jagged obsidian and flowing lava. It held Old Chen off the ground with one hand. Chen, the man who had taught Xin how to tie a safety knot and shared his lunch every day for three years, looked like a broken doll.​"Put him down," Xin said. His voice wasn't shaking anymore. It was flat and cold.​"Come and take him, little Spark," the Elemental hissed. Its grip tightened. Chen let out a strangled groan.​"Warning," the voice in Xin’s head rang out. "Emotional distress detected. Host energy is turning volatile. If you attack now, the Engine will enter 'Overdrive.' You will gain power, but you may lose your mind."​I don't care, Xin thought. Save him.​"Xin... don't..." Chen wheezed, his eyes bulging. "Just... run..."​"I'm done running, Chen," Xin said.​Xin didn't wait for a plan. He didn't wait for Mei or the Capt

​The General laughed, a sound like grinding metal. He was pinned to the ceiling by the gravity field, but he still acted like he had won.​"Time is up, Xin," the General sneered. "The portal is closing. You have sixty seconds. Do you save your planet, or do you save those few tiny souls?"​Xin’s hand hovered over the big blue button. Inside his helmet, red lights flashed.​"Warning," the Engine’s voice said. "Closing the Spire now saves Earth. But 4,200 people are still trapped inside the alien ship. If you close it, they stay in Earth-6 forever."​"Xin! Don't listen!" Mei’s voice crackled in his ear. "If you don't shut it down, the whole alien army will come through! You can't fight an entire world!"​Xin looked out the window. High in the clouds, the giant golden ship hung like a hungry monster. He thought about the people inside. They weren't soldiers. They were just regular people—moms, dads, and kids. People just like him.​"I’m not choosing," Xin whispered.​"What?" the General

​Xin and Mei didn't wait. They jumped onto the flying bike and roared toward the center of the city. The giant glass Spire stood tall against the dark sky, but it didn't look like a beacon of hope anymore. It looked like a tomb.​When they landed at the base, Captain Han was waiting. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Around him, dozens of soldiers were sitting on the ground, staring at nothing. Their eyes were wide open, but they weren't "there."​"They won’t wake up," Han said, his voice cracking. "It started with the civilians we rescued from the fortress. Then it spread to my guards. They just... stop talking. Then they start screaming in their sleep."​Xin walked up to a young soldier. He used his new Pulse Sense. In his mind’s eye, he didn't see blood or bones. He saw a thick, oily purple mist wrapped around the man’s brain.​"It’s a Mind-Stalker," Xin said. "A parasite from Earth-6. It feeds on fear. If we don't pull it out, their minds will dry up and die."​"How do we