Ash drifted through the air like black snow, settling over the fractured skyline of New Bastion. The wind howled through the hollow remains of skyscrapers, carrying with it faint echoes — whispers of the world that once was.
Rei followed Lyra through the maze of ruins. His legs burned, his breath came ragged, but she moved like someone who'd done this a hundred times — silent, sure-footed, her eyes scanning every shadow.
The further they went, the stranger the city became. Streets bent at unnatural angles; cars were fused into walls. Glowing fissures ran across the ground like molten veins, and the air itself shimmered, distorted by residual energy.
Finally, they reached a plaza — or what had once been one. A collapsed fountain stood at the center, half-swallowed by crystal growths that pulsed with faint blue light.
Lyra stopped beside it and raised her wristband, tapping in a code. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a low mechanical hum filled the air, and the broken tiles of the fountain slid aside — revealing a hidden stairwell descending into darkness.
Rei blinked. "A base?"
She nodded. "The Iron Dawn doesn't survive by living on rooftops. Come on"
They descended. The air grew cooler, tinged with the metallic scent of recycled filtration. Dim lights flickered along the walls.
At the bottom was a reinforced corridor leading to a massive underground chamber — a mixture of tech and scavenged magic. Computers built from mismatched panels, glowing runes scrawled on generators, and walls lined with weapon racks.
Dozens of people moved inside — some repairing gear, others tending to wounded survivors. The place hummed with activity and exhaustion.
Lyra motioned to him. "Stay behind me. They don't like strangers"
As they entered, heads turned. Conversations stilled. Rei felt every pair of eyes on him — some curious, some hostile.
A large man stepped forward — broad-shouldered, his left arm mechanical, glowing faintly at the joints. His face was scarred but not unkind.
"Lyra" he said, voice like gravel. "You made it back"
"Barely" she replied, pulling off her gloves. "Sector Twelve's gone. The Phase collapsed early"
The man's expression darkened. "And the others?"
She shook her head. "No survivors"
A heavy silence followed. Then his gaze shifted to Rei. "And him?"
"Found him under the rubble. He's not from here"
The man studied Rei for a long moment. "Name?"
"Rei Aran "
"You're not registered"
"I… don't know what that means"
Lyra stepped in. "He's a Phase-shifted. Woke up during the merge"
That got murmurs from the others. The man sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Another one"
Then, unexpectedly, he extended a hand. "Captain Varran. Welcome to the Iron Dawn, Rei Aran. Don't make me regret it"
Rei hesitated before shaking his hand. The man's grip was firm — too firm, almost mechanical.
Lyra gave a faint smile. "Told you he's not useless. He killed a crawler on his first day"
Varran raised an eyebrow. "Without a weapon?"
Rei lifted his metal rod. "With this"
A few people laughed quietly, though not unkindly
"Alright, rookie," Varran said. "Let's get you scanned. If the System hasn't tagged you yet, we need to know what we're dealing with"
He led Rei to a circular platform surrounded by glowing crystals and old monitors. A woman in tattered robes was already there — her face pale, eyes sharp behind cracked lenses.
"Kira," Varran said, "scan him"
The woman nodded, typing commands into an old keyboard. The crystals pulsed, forming a faint aura around Rei. He felt something tug at the edge of his mind — a cold static that made his vision blur.
Kira frowned. "That's… unusual"
"What's wrong?" Varran asked
"His data's fragmented" she said slowly "Part human, part–" she stopped, squinting. "Something else, The System can't categorize him"
Rei's stomach twisted. "What does that mean?"
Lyra stepped closer. "He's still human, right?"
Kira hesitated. "…Mostly"
The captain grunted. "If he bleeds, he's human enough. Assign him to your unit. Let's see if he survives a patrol"
Lyra nodded. "Yes, sir"
As they walked away from the scanner, Rei whispered, "Is that how it is here? Trial by survival?"
Lyra smirked faintly "Welcome to the new world, Rookie. You live, you rank up, you keep moving. That's all that's left"
Hours passed. Rei was given a bunk in a corner of the base — a cot, a blanket, and a ration pack that tasted like plastic dust.
He sat there, staring at the faint glow of the System interface hovering above his palm.
[Status Window]
Name: Rei Aran
Level: 3
Class: None
HP: 120/120
MP: 60/60
Skills: Endurance I, Reflex Boost I, Adrenal Surge (Limited)
Title: Survivor of the Collapse
It looks like a game, he thought, but this isn't play.
He swiped instinctively – and the screen responded, shifting to a new tab.
[Quest Log]
Active: Join the Iron Dawn
Progress: 60%
Side: Analyze Kira's Scan Data (Optional)
Reward: Unknown
Rei blinked. "It's tracking… everything I do"
"You talking to yourself already?"
He looked up. A young man sat on the next bunk – messy black hair, goggles hanging around his neck, a half-eaten ration bar in hand.
"Don't worry" the guy said with a grin. "You'll get used to it. The HUD never shuts up"
Rei gave a small, uncertain smile "You are?"
"Eron Vale. Engineer, scavenger, resident genius"
"Resident?"
"Everyone else left or died. Makes me the genius by default"
Rei chuckled despite himself.
Eron leaned forward, studying Rei's still-active HUD. "Ah, a fresh Player. Nice. You'll love the part where the System decides when you sleep, eat, and panic"
Rei frowned "You have one too?"
"Everyone does, in some form. But yours looks cleaner – less corrupted"
"Corrupted?"
Eron shrugged "Most of ours glitch from overuse. The System here isn't stable – too many Phases overlapping. Sometimes it rewrites reality mid-sentence"
He took another bite, then said casually, "You know, rumor is that the System's evolving. Learning. Picking hosts"
Rei stiffened "Hosts?"
Eron grinned "You'll see"
Later that night, Rei couldn't sleep. The hum of generators, the faint murmurs of people dreaming uneasily — all blurred into background noise. His mind replayed the day over and over: the tunnel, the monster, the HUD's voice in his head.
Finally, he sat up.
"Alright" he whispered. "Let's see what you are"
The System responded immediately.
[Command: Identify User Query]
[You seek understanding of your designation]
[Classification: Undefined]
[You are not part of the System's original architecture]
Rei frowned "Then why am I here?"
[Error: Restricted Data]
[Access Denied]
He clenched his fists "Show me something I can know"
There was a pause. Then new text appeared.
[Hidden Condition Detected: Shadow Resonance]
[Warning: Unstable Attribute]
[Would you like to view suppressed data? ]
[Y/N]
He hesitated. His instincts screamed not to. But curiosity – or maybe –defiance – won
[ Y ]
The screen flickered violently, the air around him vibrating. For a moment, his vision went black.
Then he saw something — a place made of endless darkness and shifting shapes. Dozens of faint lights floated in the void — human silhouettes made of shadow.
And in the center, a single, massive eye opened.
[Connection Established]
[Host Acknowledged]
Rei gasped and ripped backward, the HUD collapsing into static. His heart hammered as cold sweat ran down his back.
"What… was that?" he whispered.
[Synchronization Incomplete]
[Recommend Suppression Until Level 10]
He stared at the fading text, trembling slightly.
Whatever this System was… it wasn't just code. It was alive.
The next morning began with the sound of metal boots and the low whine of generators. The Iron Dawn was already in motion — soldiers strapping on armor, engineers checking rifles that hummed with faint runic light, and scouts marking holographic maps across a cracked concrete table.
Rei stood near the entrance, adjusting the half-rusted chest plate Lyra had tossed him. It was heavy, worn, and smelled faintly of ozone.
"Don't look so nervous" Lyra said, fastening her shoulder guard. "You'll get used to it"
He gave a weak smile. "Easy for you to say. You've done this before"
"Seventeen times" she said, slipping a small, glowing dagger into her belt. "Eighteen after today"
Captain Varran's voice boomed through the chamber:
"Alright, listen up! Recon team Alpha will investigate Rift Sigma near the eastern barricade. Reports suggest minor Phase distortion, but we move prepared for escalation. You know the drill — if the Rift screams, run"
The room went quiet. Then, with a mix of grim acceptance and faint humor, the soldiers began moving toward the lift.
Eron jogged up to Rei, carrying a compact device shaped like a folded cube. "Here" he said, tossing it.
Rei caught it clumsily. "What's this?"
"Field stabilizer. Turns System interference down to a mild headache. Don't lose it or you'll start seeing ghosts that aren't there"
"Comforting" Rei muttered, clipping it to his belt.
They entered the freight lift. The metal doors clanged shut, and the platform groaned as it ascended toward the surface. The deeper hum of machinery gave way to the wind's hollow roar as daylight — filtered through blood-red clouds — spilled across the lift.
The world above was even more broken than Rei remembered. The skyline sagged under its own weight; glass towers leaned like dying trees. Streets shimmered with residual energy, and cracks in the ground glowed faintly — like veins of living magma.
Eron whistled. "Still pretty, in a 'we're all doomed' kind of way"
Lyra rolled her eyes. "Focus, engineer"
They moved through the ruins in formation — Lyra at the front, Rei just behind her, Varran and two others covering the flanks. The air was heavy, humming faintly with unseen energy.
[ System Alert: Phase Rift Proximity Detected]
[Caution: Spatial instability increasing ]
The HUD flickered in Rei's vision, the warning pulsing faintly at the edge of his sight. His heartbeat quickened.
A few blocks ahead, the air shimmered — like a heatwave forming in the middle of the street. The shimmer widened, twisted, and tore open.
A black void appeared, crackling with blue lightning — a jagged wound in reality.
Varran raised a fist. "Eyes up. That's our target"
The team fanned out, taking cover behind debris as Lyra approached the edge. She held a small crystal sphere in her hand — a scanner, glowing faintly with internal runes.
"Reading distortion patterns" she murmured. "It's fluctuating — too fast. This Rift's unstable"
Eron muttered "That's what they said about the last one before it ate three blocks"
Varran gave him a glare. "Quiet"
Rei felt the pressure in the air grow heavier, like gravity itself thickened. His HUD jittered. Numbers spiked and glitched.
[WARNING: Phase Sync Error. Reality layer desynchronization imminent]
"Lyra" Rei said quietly "is it supposed to do that?"
She didn't look up. "No. Stay back—"
The Rift screamed.
A wave of blue fire erupted outward, smashing into nearby cars and sending shards of metal flying. The blast hit Rei like a hammer, knocking him off his feet. He rolled behind a collapsed wall just as a second pulse followed, warping the air.
Shapes began crawling out of the Rift — long-limbed creatures with bodies like fractured glass and faces that melted in and out of form. Their eyes were pure static.
"Contact!" Varran roared. "Engage!"
Gunfire erupted. Eron's weapon — a modified rifle glowing with runic circuits — spat arcs of white light. Lyra moved like a blur, her dagger slicing through one creature's neck as its body shattered into dust.
Rei scrambled to his feet, heart pounding. His HUD burst into motion.
[Combat Mode Activated]
[Target Lock: Phase Entity — Tier 1]
[Weak Point Identified: Core Resonance]
"Core resonance?" he muttered.
Then he saw it — the faint light pulsing deep inside the creature's chest. Instinct took over. He grabbed a fallen metal pipe, sprinted forward, and swung.
The impact cracked the thing's torso open. The light flickered — then exploded in a burst of shadow and static.
[Target Eliminated.]
[+120 XP]
[Skill Progression: Adrenal Surge → II]
A surge of energy rushed through him, electric and exhilarating.
Lyra landed beside him, kicking away another creature. "Not bad for a rookie!" she shouted.
Rei grinned, adrenaline cutting through fear. "Guess I learn fast!"
"Then keep up!"
She vaulted over a barrier, stabbing her blade into another monster's head as Varran fired bursts of plasma from his mechanical arm.
Eron, meanwhile, was crouched beside a broken terminal, shouting over the noise. "Captain! Rift stability's collapsing — it's going to detonate if we don't shut it down!"
"How long do we have?"
"Two minutes, maybe less!"
Rei's HUD pulsed again.
[Emergency Quest: Close the Rift]
[Timer: 02:00]
[Condition: Destroy Anchor Node]
Anchor Node? His gaze flicked around — then he saw it: a glowing crystal cluster forming at the Rift's base, pulsing in rhythm with the distortion.
"I see it!" Rei shouted.
Lyra followed his line of sight. "That's the core!"
"Then we take it out" Varran said, voice grim. "Move!"
They charged together — the Iron Dawn cutting through the last of the Phase creatures as the Rift screamed louder, collapsing inward. Rei felt his body move almost on instinct now, each dodge and strike guided by glowing outlines from the HUD.
[Combo Bonus: 3x Multiplier]
[Temporary Buff: Reflex Boost +15%]
The battle blurred into chaos — sound, light, and motion blending into a single rhythm.
Finally, Rei reached the base of the Rift. The crystal cluster throbbed violently, shards levitating around it like orbiting blades.
He swung the metal rod — once, twice — but the blows bounced off.
"Too dense!" he shouted"
Lyra appeared beside him, hands glowing faint blue. "Then break it with me!"
She thrust her dagger into the cluster's heart. "Now!"
Rei followed, channeling every ounce of strength. The impact cracked the core, sending a shockwave through the air — and then everything went white.
The world dissolved into white.
A soundless pressure crushed Rei's chest; it was as if time itself had seized up. Fragments of light drifted around him—frozen dust, droplets of molten glass, Lyra's dagger suspended mid-air. Then everything shattered at once.
He hit the ground hard, vision reeling. The street was gone; only a crater remained where the Rift had been. Blue fire licked the edges of the hole, fading slowly into smoke.
"Lyra!" he shouted.
A cough answered. She was half-buried beneath a slab of concrete, blood running down her temple. Rei scrambled over, heaving the debris aside. The moment her leg came free, she pushed herself upright, eyes blazing.
"I'm fine " she hissed. "Check the captain"
Varran was already on his feet, metal arm sparking, bellowing orders to regroup. Two of the other scouts were dragging Eron from the wreckage—alive but dazed, his goggles cracked.
Rei's HUD was going wild.
[Emergency Quest: Complete]
[Reward: +1 Level, +300 XP, Unknown Data Fragment acquired]
[Health critical: 42 / 120]
[System anomaly detected]
He blinked sweat and soot from his eyes. The Rift was gone, but the air still vibrated—as if something enormous were breathing just beneath the surface.
"Report!" Varran barked
"Rift sealed " Lyra said "But I don't think it was natural. That core… it felt like it was fighting back"
Rei opened his mouth to agree—and then everything stopped again.
The world dimmed. Sound drained away. A thin line of black light traced itself across the crater, opening like a vertical pupil.
[Connection Re-established.]
[Shadow Resonance threshold exceeded]
A voice echoed inside his skull, low and resonant, not words so much as meaning.
"You touched the boundary again, little host"
Rei staggered "Who—who are you?"
"A question without shape. I am the memory your world discarded"
The ground rippled. Shadows leaked from the cracks, forming vague shapes—arms, faces, all whispering. His HUD flickered, trying to process it.
[ERROR 404: Entity classification failed]
[Would you like to override? ]
[Y/N]
He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. The others were frozen mid-motion, caught between frames of time.
"Why me?" he managed.
"Because you were empty" the voice said, almost tender. "The System needed a vessel that could be rewritten"
A cold realization crawled down his spine. "Rewritten…?"
"You will understand soon. Until then, survive"
The eye blinked once—and the world snapped back.
He gasped, stumbling forward. Lyra caught his arm. "Rei! Are you okay?"
He nodded shakily, though his heart still hammered. "Yeah. Just… dizzy"
Eron limped over, clutching his rifle. "Congratulations, rookie—you didn't die. That's a good start"
Varran surveyed the destruction. "We're done here. Pack up whatever cores you can salvage and move out"
As they turned to leave, Rei glanced back at the crater. For just a second, he thought he saw the faint outline of that eye staring up through the ash.
And then it was gone.
The trek back to the base was a blur of burnt air and falling ash.
The city's skyline looked flatter now—one more wound in an already dying world.
Eron limped along beside Rei, tapping at a cracked tablet that projected faint green glyphs in the air.
"Readings are off the charts" he muttered. "That Rift shouldn't have existed here. It was piggy-backing on something bigger"
"Something bigger?" Rei asked
"Yeah" Eron said, giving him a sidelong glance. "And it centered right where you were standing"
Rei tried to laugh it off. "Lucky me"
But inside, he felt the faint pulse of the Unknown Data Fragment thrumming like a heartbeat beneath his skin.
The freight lift groaned as it descended into the Iron Dawn's underground chamber.
When the doors opened, the usual clatter of tools fell into uneasy silence.
Everyone stared; they could smell a mission that hadn't gone clean.
Varran strode forward first. "Rift Sigma sealed" he said flatly "Two wounded, no fatalities. We lost half our munitions"
The quartermaster whistled. "And the payload?"
Varran dropped a small black crystal onto the table.
It pulsed once—like something alive—and the lights overhead flickered.
Kira was there almost instantly, snatching it with gloved hands.
"This isn't a normal Rift-core," she said, eyes narrowing. "It's… layered. As if it's holding memories"
"Memories?" Lyra repeated
Kira shot a glance at Rei but said nothing. "I'll need to isolate it "
Varran nodded. "Do it. Dismissed, everyone. Debrief in two hours"
Rei retreated to the dorm section, exhaustion dragging at his limbs.
He collapsed onto his cot, staring at the faintly glowing lines of his HUD still floating above him.
[Level Up : 4 → 5]
[Attribute Points +5]
[Inventory Updated – Item: Unknown Fragment (Sealed)]
[Skill Unlocked : Shadow Trace I]
He froze. "Shadow Trace?"
A small description flickered underneath:
Allows brief movement through partial shadow space (0.7 sec max)
Warning: High neural strain. Cool-down — 120 sec.
His breath caught. The System was granting him skills on its own.
No prompts. No class assignment. Just… evolution.
He whispered, "What are you turning me into?"
[Response unavailable]
A soft knock broke the silence.
Lyra stepped inside, carrying two steaming cups of synth-tea.
"You looked like you could use this"
He managed a smile. "You always this kind after missions?"
"Only when the rookie saves my life" She sat opposite him, the dim lamp catching the bruise along her cheek. "That thing today wasn't a regular Rift. The way it reacted—like it recognized us—it's new"
Rei stared into the cup, steam curling like ghosts. "What happens when it's not new anymore?"
Lyra shrugged "Then we adapt. Or we vanish. Either way, we don't stop"
For a while they sat in companionable silence.
But Rei could feel the fragment pulsing again, faint and insistent, and somewhere deep inside the HUD, a line of text blinked unseen:
[Hidden Protocol Initiated …]
[Seed Growth 0.2%]
In the corridor outside, Kira paused in front of the lab's observation window.
The black crystal core sat suspended in containment gel, its surface shifting like liquid shadow.
For a heartbeat, an image rippled across it—an enormous eye, opening.
She stepped back sharply. "That can't be right…"
The monitors flickered.
[Subject Link Detected — Rei Aran]
Kira's mouth went dry.
"What in the void are you, kid?"