The path to the Red Door facility was buried beneath layers of fractured terrain—twisted highways, half-submerged buildings, and fields where gravity wavered like a slow breath. Nyra described it as "walking on broken glass dreams," which was surprisingly accurate.
Nuel led the group with unusual focus. His thoughts lingered on his mother's voice, the vision of their home, and that final warning: "Remember the red door."
The others didn't speak much. Kael kept scanning the horizon. Elara walked beside Nuel, occasionally glancing at him like she wanted to ask something but didn't. Nyra scouted ahead, her silhouette flickering between shadows.
After several hours, the sun—or what passed for it in this realm—began to dip behind thorny cloud-ridges. Strange, low music hummed in the air. Not natural. Like a radio signal being carried on the wind.
They crested a rise.
Below lay the remains of a military checkpoint, partially collapsed. Beyond it, embedded in the cliffside, stood a bunker with a massive rust-red steel door—three stories tall, covered in faded glyphs and painted warnings. The words CAUTION: CLASS-5 FRACTURE ANOMALY were barely visible beneath streaks of Rift-burn.
"There it is," Elara said quietly. "The Red Door."
Nuel's heart thudded.
Nyra returned from the ruins. "The outer checkpoint is clear, but there are motion blurs inside. Probably not friendly."
Kael nodded. "Shades, likely. Fracture-bound entities. Half-conscious, drawn to memories and heat. They'll come for us if we make too much noise."
"So we don't," Nuel said. "Let's move."
They descended silently.
The checkpoint had once been reinforced with barricades and turrets, now all scorched or overgrown. The floor was littered with shell casings, shredded documents, and burned-out power cores. A single security bot lay on its side, one flickering red eye still pulsing faintly.
As they approached the Red Door, the bracelet on Nuel's wrist warmed.
He placed his palm on the cold surface—and the glyphs lit up, responding to him.
The door groaned and began to open. Not all the way—just enough to allow them through, single-file.
Inside, the air changed instantly. Thick, electric. And heavy with something more than dust.
The corridor beyond was dim and humming with power. Lights flickered overhead. The walls were a strange fusion of metal and bone-like structure, as if the Rift had reshaped the building while trying to preserve its original form.
"Keep close," Kael said. "No one splits off."
They moved through a series of tight, branching corridors. Scorch marks lined the walls. In some places, handprints—blackened and melted into the metal.
They found a central hub. Consoles lined the room, most inactive. But one flickered to life as they entered.
A video log.
A woman appeared on the screen. Pale skin, sharp eyes. She wore a white lab coat over a dark tactical vest.
Dr. Isla Grene. Project Codename: Lantern.
Nuel's breath caught.
His mother's name was Isla.
She began to speak, her voice clipped and tense.
"We attempted to preserve non-military personnel during Phase One collapse. We believed we could isolate the anomaly using Subject Zero's anchor. That… proved incorrect. The anomaly evolved, merging with its host."
Static interrupted the feed. When it returned, her tone was frantic.
"He's still trying to reach us. Somehow—across the riftlines. I don't know how, but… my son. If this log survives—Nuel, I'm so sorry."
Nuel stepped forward, heart hammering.
"If you're seeing this… you have the anchor. It means you've survived what we couldn't. But he is still out there. The Riftbound. And you—you might be the only one who can fix what we broke."
The feed cut.
Elara was the first to speak. "That was her. Your mum."
Nuel's mouth was dry. "She was working here. She knew something was coming."
"And tried to fight it," Kael added. "They were experimenting with Rift energies. That 'anchor' is probably the bracelet."
Nyra's eyes were scanning the room. "This changes everything. She might've survived the facility breach. Might still be somewhere inside."
A low growl echoed from the hall.
Nyra drew her weapon. "Or something else did."
They moved deeper.
The corridors changed, warped by Rift influence. Walls rippled subtly, as if breathing. Shadows shifted even when no one moved.
They came to a chamber with no visible door—just a wall covered in dark, organic symbols. As Nuel approached, the bracelet pulsed.
The wall peeled open.
Inside, darkness waited. And something… singing.
A single voice. Low. Childlike.
Nuel stepped in.
The room was circular, lit by strands of Rift-light running across the ceiling like veins. At the center, suspended in a cylinder of mist, was a boy.
Floating.
Eyes closed. Breathing.
He couldn't be more than twelve. His face was young—too young—and familiar. Too familiar.
Nuel stepped closer. "Is that…?"
The boy opened his eyes.
They were white. Glowing. But his voice was calm.
"Nuel. You finally made it."
Everyone froze.
Kael took a defensive stance. "What is that?"
The boy smiled. "I'm part of him. The one your mother tried to lock away. The Riftbound. And the funny thing is…"
He looked directly at Nuel.
"We share the same blood."