Morning crept through the shattered windows of the old library, pale and uncertain.
The air smelled of dust and burnt paper. Outside, the city was silent—the kind of silence that listens back.
Inside, they moved like survivors who hadn't yet decided if they'd made it through.
They were tired. Hungry. Changed.
Ravi hadn't slept.
He sat cross-legged among maps and scraps of cardboard, eyes red but sharp. Thin lines of faint gold pulsed across his messy notes. At the top, scrawled in dark pencil, was a single word: SYNC.
Marcus yawned, rolling his shoulders. "You look like you argued with a god and lost."
Ravi gave a thin smile. "Close. I think I finally understand what it's doing."
Kira leaned against a shelf, flicking dust off her knife. "The system?"
He nodded. "It's not just tracking us. It's linking us—threads of resonance. Invisible, but real. If I focus, I can make them visible."
Ethan frowned. "Like the threads I saw after I evolved?"
Ravi's grin sharpened. "Exactly. But this time, everyone sees."
---
They formed a circle on the cracked floor.
Ravi inhaled slowly, and the air trembled. A golden pulse rippled outward—soft, warm, alive.
Silver threads appeared in the air, weaving between them like veins of light. Each one pulsed faintly, connecting heartbeat to heartbeat.
Ravi's voice deepened, distorted by something not entirely human.
"Mind-Warden interface active."
Symbols flickered above their heads—shapes felt more than seen.
"Before you ask," he said, "this isn't everything. I can only see what's new. The latest evolutions, or who's close to reaching one."
Marcus grinned. "So basically, a highlight reel."
"Exactly," Ravi said, and the light shifted.
---
Ethan Ward — Gene Warden [Level 10 — Evolution 1]
Class: Anchor of Life
New Ability: Gene Anchor — Bind a dying soul for sixty seconds, halting death and mutation.
Cost: Continuous essence drain.
Risk: Neural collapse if overextended.
Role: Support-Core
Ravi's tone softened. "He's the reason half of us are still breathing."
Marcus smirked. "And the reason I owe him new ribs."
---
Marcus Hale — Titan-Blood [Level 10 — Evolution 1]
Previous Class: Juggernaut
Evolved Class: Hammerborn
New Ability: Shock Pulse — Convert built-up momentum into a concussive ground-shock, releasing kinetic energy in a five-meter radius.
Cost: 10 essence per use.
Role: Vanguard / Frontline Breaker
The floor trembled lightly as his hammer shifted on his shoulder.
Marcus grinned. "Juggernaut with an upgrade. I can work with that."
Kira sighed. "And here I thought you couldn't get any louder."
---
Kira Voss — Phase-Strider [Level 10 — Evolution 1]
Class: Veil-Dancer
New Ability: Twin Step — Execute two short phase-shifts before cooldown.
Cost: Essence and spatial fatigue.
Role: Scout-Assassin
She blurred twice in the same breath, reappearing behind Darren. "Still the fastest thing in the room," she said with a smirk.
---
Ravi Sen — Neural Savant [Level 10 — Evolution 1]
Class: Mind-Warden
New Abilities: Predictive Feedback — Glimpse one-second future echoes.
System Projection — Share visual essence data with linked allies.
Cost: Mental strain increases with each linked participant.
Role: Analyst-Support
He winced, rubbing his temples. "So that's what sleep deprivation evolves into."
---
Maya Kellan — Sonic Veil [Level 9 — Evolution 0]
Class: Resonant Initiate
Primary Ability: Sonic Veil — Emit concussive soundwaves to disrupt, disorient, or detect.
Progress: Improved control and directionality.
Status: Pending Evolution — 1 level to threshold.
Role: Recon-Control
The air rippled softly around her hand. Maya blinked, startled. "It's steadier now. I can aim it."
Ravi nodded. "You're close. One more level and it'll refine into something bigger."
---
Tina Hale — Guardian's Instinct [Level 9 — Evolution 0]
Class: Protector
Primary Ability: Guardian's Instinct — Automatically forms a short-range shield when a child or dependent is threatened.
Status: Pending Evolution — 1 level to threshold.
Role: Defender-Support
A faint shimmer spread from her hand to the child curled beside her.
Marcus's voice softened. "You're already stronger than you think."
---
Darren Cole — Vanguard [Level 9 — Evolution 0]
Class: Steelheart
Primary Ability: Momentum Guard — Each successful strike increases strength and defense briefly.
Status: Pending Evolution — 1 level to threshold.
Role: Frontline
He nodded once. "Still standing. I'll hit ten soon."
---
Caleb Ward — Titan-Blood Initiate [Level 8 — Evolution 0]
Class: Unstable Adept
Ability: Bone Shell (Passive) — Skin hardens under impact, deflecting blunt damage.
Status: Developing.
Caleb straightened, chin high. "I'll get there."
Ethan smiled. "You already are."
---
The light dimmed until only faint silver threads remained. Ravi sagged, catching his breath.
"That's all it'll show—new evolutions, pending ones, and what's closest to changing."
Ethan helped him steady. "That's more than enough."
Marcus lifted his hammer, resting it across his shoulders. "So, we're stronger, faster, and definitely scarier."
Kira smirked. "Finally, something we all agree on."
Maya glanced toward the cracked window. "Then what now?"
Ethan followed her gaze. One thread hadn't faded.
It glowed faintly, stretching beyond the walls—thin, silver, pulsing like a heartbeat toward the city's heart.
His pulse matched it.
"Now," he said quietly, "we find out where that leads."