The expedition to Godgrave wasn't sanctioned. It couldn't be. No one in Ashveil's council dared speak the name.
The journey took Kael beyond the Core Wastes, across terrain unrendered by the system—where glitches became storms and the terrain rewrote itself every hour.
At the edge of a collapsed Nexus wall, Echo froze mid-flight.
Her voice flickered. "I can't go further. Something in that zone unbinds logic. You'll be alone."
Kael stepped forward.
The ground changed.
A stairway, obsidian and humming, unfolded before him—like it had been waiting.
And at the bottom stood a boy.
Same eyes. Same posture. Same aura.
Except… he looked younger.
[Name: Kalen]
[Status: Project E-9 | Prototype Echoborn: Phase Zero]
"You're not supposed to be here," the boy said.
Kael's heart dropped. "You're… me."
Kalen smiled sadly. "I'm who they made before you. But I wasn't strong enough."