"You started as a mistake," Echo whispered.
Kael smiled.
"And now I'm rewriting the whole damn book."
The sky bled colorless fire.
From the gaping Rift, memories of Earth streamed into the Nexus. But these were not just visual projections—they were shards of reality, lost fragments of a dying world.
Kael reached out as one neared him.
His fingers brushed it—and suddenly, he wasn't in the Nexus anymore.
He was back in the lab. Back inside the pod. He could feel the cold metal, smell the scorched ozone, hear the screams of scientists scrambling to escape.
A voice echoed behind the glass:
"He's incompatible. Purge the soulstring. Delete him before the sync completes."
Kael's younger self looked up.
Locked eyes with him.
And smiled.
Then the shard dissolved—and Kael was back in the Nexus.
But something came with him.
A line of code burned across his arm:
[Soul Anchor Acquired: "EARTHROOT"]
[You have become a bridge between worlds.]
Echo stared, stunned.
"You're not just rewriting the Nexus," she said softly. "You're dragging Earth back with you."