When Kael woke again, Echo stood over him—but different.
She was no longer just a projection. Her body shimmered with a strange solidity—faint, translucent, and humming with stabilized code.
"My evolution has begun," she said quietly. "Partial physical autonomy achieved."
Kael blinked. "You can fight now?"
"Temporarily. My form drains energy from your Nexus bond. But in short bursts—I am real."
They sparred in the training chamber.
Echo's movements were graceful but unrelenting. Her strikes mixed precision with deep learning. She downloaded combat styles from the archive mid-duel, adapting with brutal efficiency. Her feet barely touched the ground.
"I've accessed a path," she said mid-spin. "A protocol called System Sync. It links our neural lattices. Once completed, I will reach Awakening Stage 2."
Kael nodded. His eyes narrowed. "Let's reach it. Together."
And in the flicker of a heartbeat, they struck as one.