The morning sun filtered weakly through Brooklyn's skyline, painting the streets in pale gold. Ethan moved quietly through the crowd, his coat collar raised against the chill. His mind replayed last night's encounter with Colonel Phillips. The man's words lingered like a shadow: Be careful who notices you.
It wasn't paranoia—it was a warning. The Strategic Scientific Reserve was now aware of him. That meant his path forward had to be precise. One wrong step, and he could find himself dissected on a lab table.
He slipped into a narrow alley beside the bakery and tapped his wrist lightly. A soft blue light shimmered on his skin as the system interface appeared.
[Quest Progress: Traces of the Lost Qi – 14%]
[Next Resonance Point: Eastern Research Division, SSR Facility, Manhattan]
[Recommended Action: Infiltration / Observation]
[Time Limit: 2 years, 8 months remaining.]
Ethan frowned. "Manhattan, huh? That's government territory. Getting in won't be easy."
[Access Difficulty: High.]
[Warning: Energy fluctuation detected near subject Evelyn Carter.]
His gaze sharpened. "Evelyn?"
The system projected a faint image of her aura—calm but unstable, faintly glowing with threads of golden Qi.
"How…?" Ethan muttered. She wasn't supposed to have any energy signature. Humans here were untouched by cultivation—at least, that was what he believed.
He returned to the bakery. Evelyn stood behind the counter, greeting customers with her usual warm smile, but something about her felt different. Her movements were slower, more deliberate, as if she were listening to something beyond the senses.
When the crowd thinned, Ethan approached quietly. "How are you feeling today?"
She blinked, startled. "Oh, Ethan. I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. The strangest thing—I had a dream last night. There was this… field of gold, and I could feel the wind humming. It almost felt real."
Ethan's expression didn't change, but inside, he was alarmed. That description matched his vision when he'd connected with the talisman.
"What did you see in the field?" he asked softly.
Evelyn frowned in concentration. "There was someone there. A man with golden eyes. He looked at me and said, 'The seal weakens.' Then I woke up."
Ethan exhaled slowly. That wasn't coincidence. The Guardian was reaching her now, through residual energy she'd absorbed from being near him. The system confirmed his suspicion.
[Resonance Detected: Evelyn Carter – Involuntary Qi Synchronization (Stage 1)]
[Warning: Host risk 37%. Without guidance, subject may experience spiritual collapse.]
He clenched his fist. "Damn it."
He couldn't afford to lose her—not just because she was innocent, but because the resonance might be tied to the world's awakening Qi. If Evelyn died, a fragment of that energy could vanish forever.
He took her hand gently, ignoring the questioning look in her eyes. "Listen to me carefully, Evelyn. If you feel the hum again—don't resist it. Just breathe. Let it pass through you. Understand?"
She nodded slowly. "Ethan… you're scaring me. What's happening to me?"
He hesitated. "Something old is waking up, and it chose you as its echo."
Before she could ask more, the doorbell chimed. A soldier in uniform stepped inside, glancing around. "Ethan Ward?"
Ethan tensed, masking it behind a calm smile. "That's me."
The soldier handed him an envelope. "From Colonel Chester Phillips. You've been invited to a private discussion at the Eastern Research Division. Transportation leaves tomorrow morning."
The soldier left without another word. Evelyn's face paled. "You're not going, are you?"
Ethan pocketed the letter. "I don't have a choice. But don't worry—I'll be back."
That night, Ethan sat on the rooftop again, staring at the stars. The letter lay open beside him. It was a formal invitation, but between the lines, he could feel the weight of surveillance and suspicion.
"System," he said quietly, "run a predictive analysis. If I go, what's the likelihood this is a trap?"
[Probability: 63%.]
[However, potential lead strength: 92%.]
"So it's worth the risk."
He closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath. The Qi within him pulsed in rhythm with the city's faint heartbeat. For the first time, he felt New York wasn't just steel and smoke—it was alive, filled with hidden energy veins, long forgotten.
He meditated until dawn. The next morning, a black car arrived outside the bakery. Two uniformed officers escorted him in silence toward Manhattan. The streets blurred past, the noise fading into a low hum.
They stopped before a massive structure surrounded by guards. The SSR facility loomed like a fortress of iron and glass, its walls buzzing faintly with experimental machinery.
Inside, Colonel Phillips waited with two familiar faces: Howard Stark and a stern-looking woman with sharp blue eyes—Peggy Carter.
Phillips gestured toward a chair. "Mister Ward, thank you for coming."
Ethan sat calmly. "I assume this isn't about bread."
Howard chuckled softly. "No. We've been tracking an energy source under Brooklyn—unlike anything we've ever seen. You were there when it triggered."
Peggy's gaze was cold. "Care to explain why a civilian was found in a restricted factory surrounded by residual radiation?"
Ethan met her stare. "Because I was the one who stopped it from spreading."
Phillips folded his arms. "You expect us to believe that?"
Ethan leaned forward slightly. "You don't have to believe me. But I know you've been experimenting with a new kind of energy source—one not from this Earth."
Howard froze. "How do you know that?"
Ethan smiled faintly. "Because it's the same energy that flows in me."
The room went silent. Even Peggy's composure faltered.
Phillips narrowed his eyes. "You're saying you can control this power?"
"I can guide it," Ethan said evenly. "Control is relative. But if you keep pushing it through your machines without understanding, you'll open something you can't close."
Howard exchanged a look with the colonel. "You're talking about dimensional instability, aren't you? We've seen… distortions in our tests. Objects vanishing for seconds, returning scorched."
"That's not science," Ethan said softly. "That's a sealed gate begging to be left alone."
Phillips exhaled. "Suppose we believe you. What do you want?"
Ethan stood. "Access. I need to see the source you're experimenting with. It's connected to something ancient—the same energy that predates Asgard and the Tesseract."
Peggy's voice cut in sharply. "You speak as if you've seen it before."
Ethan met her gaze. "I have."
Howard looked intrigued. "You might be insane… but I like insane people. Follow me."
He led Ethan through the corridors until they reached a heavily sealed chamber. Inside, a crystal-like core floated within containment fields, pulsating faintly blue and gold. The energy radiating from it made Ethan's Qi stir violently.
"That's it," he whispered. "A fragment of the Lost Qi."
Howard frowned. "We call it the Zero Core. Recovered from a crashed meteorite. We thought it was an alien power source."
Ethan stepped closer, the containment field humming louder. The energy within reacted to him, swirling faster, as if recognizing its kin.
[Warning: Direct contact will trigger resonance.]
[Potential consequence: Spatial distortion within 30-meter radius.]
He ignored the system's caution. His hand hovered near the field, and the air trembled. Sparks of golden light leapt toward his palm, merging with his Qi.
Howard shouted, "Wait—what are you doing?"
Ethan's voice was calm. "Listening."
Visions flooded his mind. Mountains of light, rivers of energy, and a voice echoing through time. The seal weakens. The path reopens.
Then, an explosion of pressure. The containment field shattered, alarms blaring across the facility. Guards rushed in, shouting orders. Ethan staggered back, his eyes glowing faintly gold.
[Resonance Complete.]
[Energy Link Established: The Second Seal has Awakened.]
Phillips grabbed him by the collar. "What the hell did you do, Ward?"
Ethan's voice was distant. "I didn't do anything. The world did."
Howard looked at the core, now dimmed to a faint pulse. "He stabilized it. The readings are normal. How…?"
Peggy stared at Ethan, unsettled by the calm in his eyes. "What are you?"
He straightened his coat, meeting her gaze. "A cultivator. And if I'm right, your project is about to draw attention from forces this world isn't ready for."
The colonel released him slowly. "You're not walking out of here that easily."
Ethan smiled faintly. "Then I guess you'll have to catch me."
Before anyone could react, his Qi flared. The lights exploded in a shower of sparks, and a gust of wind knocked everyone off balance. When vision cleared, the room was empty. Ethan Ward was gone.
Outside, under the wide New York sky, Ethan stood on a rooftop overlooking the facility. His breath came slowly, his pulse steady. The world below shimmered faintly—he could feel the veins of energy pulsing beneath the surface, connecting everything.
The second seal was open. The next step would be harder, deeper. And somewhere far away, another presence had felt the awakening.
High above, in the realm between worlds, the Guardian with golden eyes opened them once more.
"So the cultivator takes his next step," he murmured. "Let's see if he survives what comes next."
Back on Earth, Ethan turned toward the dawn, his expression calm but resolute.
"The seals are waking," he whispered. "And soon, so will the gods."
To be continued.