The silence on the bridge was so heavy it felt like a physical weight pressing against Diego’s lungs. Leon was trembling, the broadsword vibrating in his hand. He looked at Diego, then at his men, and finally back at Diego, his face twisted in a silent, desperate question."You're making a mistake, kid," Leon whispered, his voice barely audible. "You have no idea what you're messing with.""I think I know exactly what I'm messing with," Diego countered, his voice steady. "I know about the vault, Leon. And I'm willing to bet your men don't."Leon’s eyes flickered toward his subordinates. They were closing in, rifles raised, looking at their leader with confusion. "Sarge? What’s going on? Who is this punk?"Just as Leon opened his mouth to snap a command, the violet sky above them fractured. It didn't crack like glass; it tore open like a wound. A beam of blinding, golden light erupted from the heavens, scouring the asphalt of the bridge. The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves ri

The earth didn’t just shake; it shattered.The slab of concrete beneath Diego’s boots groaned, a sound like a thousand violins snapping at once. Before he could reach for Alina, the bridge deck splintered down the middle."Diego!" Alina’s scream was ripped away by the howling wind of the collapsing structure."Alina! Hold on!" Diego lunged forward, but the bridge tilted violently. His boots skidded on the grit, and the world tilted forty-five degrees. He didn't jump; he was thrown.The descent was a blur of darkness, freezing air, and the smell of ozone. Diego slammed into something solid—a steel maintenance walkway—and tumbled into the pitch-black abyss beneath the city’s major arteries. He landed hard, the air driven from his lungs in a wet wheeze."Alina? Mikhail?" Diego gasped, scrambling to his feet despite the searing pain in his shoulder. He clicked his small flashlight on, the beam cutting through the dense, dust-choked air. "Alina!""Over here," a strained, shaking voice whis

The door frame shrieked, the iron groaning under the pressure of the Lurkers’ combined weight."Alina, now!" Diego roared, his shoulder burning as he braced against the workbench.Alina tapped the interface, her finger lingering on the glowing blue text. "I’m in, Diego! I see you! What do I do?""Just trust your eyes! The lines—they’re your target!"The wood finally splintered, and the workbench flew across the room like a toy. A flood of grey, twitching limbs erupted into the maintenance office, filling the air with the smell of rotted ozone.[System: Party Link Established. Shared Fate Active.]A surge of electricity slammed into Diego’s nervous system, a golden warmth that made his heart beat with the force of a hammer. Beside him, Alina inhaled sharply, her pupils dilating until her eyes were nothing but pools of obsidian light."They’re... they’re slow," she whispered."Then kill them!" Diego shouted, swinging his fire axe into the lead creature’s collarbone. The impact was twice

The plaza had become a pressure cooker of tension. The air felt thin, ionized by the static discharge of Captain Harks’ plasma blade, which hissed like a cornered viper."Final chance, medic," Harks sneered, his stance widening. He looked like a titan of industry compared to Diego, his armor gleaming under the harsh floodlights. "Walk away, and I’ll only break your legs instead of your neck. You really want to die for a mystery girl and a brat?"Diego didn't blink. He kept his hands at his sides, his breathing perfectly regulated, the rhythm dictated by the lingering, subtle hum of the Shared Fate bond still tethered to Alina."I’m not walking anywhere, Harks," Diego said, his voice level. "You made the challenge. Let’s see if you can actually back it up.""You’re a dead man," Harks laughed, and the sound was like gravel in a blender. "I’m level twenty-five! I’ve got skills you can’t even dream of!""Level doesn't mean you aren't pre

The hollowed-out tree felt less like a refuge and more like the inside of a living, breathing lung. The bark was soft, pulsing with a rhythmic, bioluminescent glow, and the air was thick with the cloying, sweet scent of rotting vegetation.Diego leaned against the curved wall, his lungs burning with every labored breath. He watched Mikhail, who lay curled on the mossy floor, his skin turning a sickly, translucent shade of grey. The boy’s breathing was a thin, whistling sound—the unmistakable rattle of spore-sickness."He’s getting worse, Diego," Alina whispered. She was kneeling beside Mikhail, her hands trembling as she wiped the boy’s forehead with a damp cloth. "His temperature is dropping. If this keeps up, he won’t last until sunrise."Diego looked at his own hands; they were steadying, but he felt a cold, jagged pit of guilt opening in his gut. "It’s the spores. The Red Zone isn't just toxic to metal, Alina. It’s a parasitic ecosystem. Once the