I hit the ground.Or I would have. Nyx-0 moved fast, pressing its small body against my chest, and a strange warmth spread through the black mark on my skin. The air around us thickened and slowed. I felt something cushion the impact, not enough to stop us completely but enough to keep me alive.I crashed through rusted metal and heard my ribs crack. My left arm, the mechanical one, twisted wrong and sparked. Pain shot through my body like fire, but it was different from normal pain, sharper and colder where the metal met the flesh.Then everything went dark.---When I woke up, I was staring at a stone ceiling with cracks running through it like veins. Warm orange light flickered from somewhere nearby, and the air smelled different, like old cloth and dried herbs.I tried to move, but my ribs screamed in protest. My left arm hung useless, the joints grinding and sparking occasionally."Stay still," a voice said from beside me, old and female and heavy with exhaustion.I turned my hea

We walked for hours.The Bone Yard stretched in every direction, endless and gray. Rusted metal crunched beneath our feet. The air tasted like iron and dust.My ribs ached with every step. My left arm dragged behind me, sparking occasionally. Dr. REN-9 had wrapped a piece of cloth around the exposed wires, but it was a temporary fix. I needed real repairs.Nyx-0 walked beside me in its wolf form, silent and watchful. Its burning-star eyes scanned the horizon constantly."You're thinking too loud," it said."I'm trying to figure out what's happening.""That's the problem. You're trying to figure it out. Just accept that you don't know anything.""Very helpful.""I try."Dr. REN-9 stopped ahead of us. She pointed to a cluster of ruins in the distance. Broken domes and collapsed arches, half-buried in rust and dust."We're close," she said."What is this place?""A safe house. One of many. The Resistance uses them to move people and information.""Resistance?"She looked at me. "The peop

The Resistance base was enormous.I walked through the main chamber with Dr. REN-9 beside me, trying to take it all in. People moved everywhere, carrying crates and devices, speaking in low voices. The air hummed with energy, faint and constant.Maps covered the walls. Some were old, yellowed and cracked. Others were new, marked with symbols I didn't understand. Screens displayed data that flickered and changed."This is incredible," I said.Dr. REN-9 nodded. "It took decades to build. Generations. We've been hiding and growing for a long time.""Waiting for what?"She looked at me. "For someone like you."I didn't know what to say to that.A woman approached. She was tall and sharp-eyed, with short dark hair and a scar running down her left cheek. She wore a dark coat and carried a device on her belt."So this is him," she said. "The one who bonded with a Null-Type.""This is Nova," Dr. REN-9 said. "Nova, this is Kira. She's one of our leaders."Kira studied me. Her eyes were cold, a

I woke to the sound of metal scraping against metal.My eyes snapped open. My body tensed. My new arm hummed, ready to move.Dr. REN-9 was already standing, her device in hand. "Something's coming."I stood up. My ribs still ached, but the sharp pain was gone. My arm felt strong. Ready.Nyx-0 appeared beside me, its wolf form low and alert."Two of them," it said. "Moving fast. Not soldiers.""Then what?""I don't know. But they're not wearing armor."I moved to the entrance of the collapsed structure and peered out. Two figures were approaching through the ruins. They moved quickly, weaving through the debris with practiced ease.One was tall and thin, with dark hair and a scarred face. The other was shorter, broader, carrying something on their back."They're Resistance," Dr. REN-9 said. "I recognize them."She stepped out and raised her hand. The figures slowed."Dr. REN-9," the tall one called. "Thank the Forge. We've been looking for you.""What happened?""The safe house. The on

Dawn came slowly.The sky shifted from deep gray to pale orange, and the rusted landscape emerged from the darkness. I sat up, my body stiff and aching. My mechanical arm hummed softly, ready.Dr. REN-9 was already awake, packing her bag. She moved quietly, efficiently, like someone who had done this a thousand times."We need to move," she said. "The Red Bazaar is a long walk."I stood up. My ribs protested, but the pain was manageable. I flexed my mechanical fingers and watched them respond instantly.Nyx-0 appeared at the entrance of the structure. Its wolf form was solid and strong."There are patrols in the distance," it said. "They're searching the area.""How far?""Two miles. Moving away from us. They don't know we're here.""Good," Dr. REN-9 said. "Let's keep it that way."We moved out, walking quickly across the rusted terrain. The Bone Yard stretched endlessly in every direction, a graveyard of metal and memory."Tell me about the Red Bazaar," I said."It's a black market,"