The morning light seeped through the cracks in the rotten ceiling, blending with the sour smell of rain, oil, and old wood that filled the warehouse. Kai blinked slowly, feeling his body sore, his clothes sticking to his skin, and the taste of dried blood on his lips.
Still leaning against the cold wall, he tried to figure out if he was really awake or if the night had just decided never to end. The core in his chest throbbed, irregular, with a nervous beat that didn't match the apparent calm of the city outside.
Lina slept next to him, curled up, her knees hugged to her chest, her face almost hidden by her own arms, her hair matted with rain and sweat, shivering with cold. Kai looked at her, trying to memorize every detail of that ordinary moment, because he knew any second could be the last in peace.
The sound of rain dripping and turning into a rhythmic leak was almost hypnotic, but the silence didn't last long.
A slight tremor passed through the floor, so subtle it almost seemed like his imagination – but then another came, and another, increasing in intensity, making the tiles rattle.
He tensed up immediately. The core responded, vibrating so hard that Kai felt his skin heat up on his chest, as if his whole body had woken up to something coming from deep underground.
Lina opened her eyes slowly, confused, her hair tangled, her eyes red from so much crying.
"Do you feel that too?" she asked softly, too scared to get up.
Kai took a deep breath, fear returning at the same speed as the tremor.
"Yeah. It's like…", he stopped, trying to find the words, "like the Nexus is waking up."
Just saying that already felt like a bad omen. The last tremor was stronger, shaking the whole warehouse, and a beam of dirty light fell from the roof, illuminating dust in the air.
Outside, the city was coming to life. In the distance, hurried voices echoed, mixing worry and excitement. Drone engines buzzed above the streets, and even from inside the warehouse, it was possible to hear people talking about a "new Nexus," a "portal opening in the Old Zone." It was impossible not to catch the panic mixed with hope: there was always someone willing to bet everything for a chance to get rich… or disappear forever.
Kai stood up with difficulty, his body still heavy, every muscle complaining from the previous night. The core seemed to pull him toward the rumors, as if an invisible line was dragging him.
Lina noticed immediately, grabbing his jacket sleeve, her voice hoarse with fear:
"Don't go, please. You can barely stand up. We could run to another neighborhood, hide until it's over."
He looked at his sister, the desire to stay was real, but it was as if his body no longer belonged to him.
"I can't. I feel… I need to go. Maybe it's my only chance to understand what's happening to me, to control this, Lina. And maybe… maybe to help you too."
Lina shook her head, holding back her tears.
"If you go into that Nexus now, you might not come back. They'll all be there, Kai, the Union, the Syndicate, everyone who hunts strange resonants. You know that."
Kai tried to smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"I know. But it's worse to keep waiting, running away for the rest of our lives. If I find out what's changed in me, maybe I can really protect us."
His heart ached, but his conviction was stronger.
Zero whispered, cold, in his mind:
"Anomalous activity confirmed. The energy epicenter is one kilometer away. Immediate approach recommended. High mutation response potential."
He ignored the automatic recommendation, but the impulse only grew.
Lina let go of his sleeve, giving up on arguing.
"Just… come back to me. Please."
Her eyes sparkled, filled with an old fear, the kind only those who have lost everything understand.
Kai took a deep breath, trying to memorize his sister's image, and left. The sky was clearer, but black clouds gathered in the distance, a sign of more rain to come.
He walked through streets full of puddles and trash, the sidewalks empty in the morning, but buzzing with rumors. On every corner, small groups whispered, some laughed loudly, others looked fearfully toward the Old Zone. The tremor was now constant, a vibration rising from the asphalt, making cans roll and door sensors blink red.
In the middle of the street, a familiar figure leaning against a post, orange jacket half open, eyes watching everything around: Zak, always appearing when least expected. He noticed Kai from afar, gave a half-smile and nodded, like someone inviting him into dangerous conversation.
"Knew I'd see you today, Ender," Zak said, not taking his hand out of his pocket. "The new Nexus… you feel it too, right?"
Kai nodded, looking around.
"Everyone's feeling something. But the core… it really feels like it's pulling me, like it wants to go in there."
Zak gave a dry laugh.
"Anomalous types like you always feel it stronger. I just feel like staying far away, but I'm not stupid. Whatever comes out of there is going to change everything forever. You're going?"
Kai hesitated.
"I have to go. I don't know if it's right, but I need to understand what's happening to me."
Zak was silent for a few seconds, watching the street, the collectors coming and going, the drones buzzing lower, sensors blinking.
"If you go, you won't last five minutes alone. The Union's closing off the streets, the Syndicate's watching everything, there are hunters who disappeared just getting close. But if you want company… at least someone to cover your escape."
Kai looked suspicious, but he knew he wouldn't get far alone.
"Why would you do that? It's never for free."
Zak shrugged, with that crooked smile.
"Nothing's free here, Ender. But for now, having you alive is more interesting than dead. And if the Nexus swallows everyone, better to be with the weirdest guy in town. Know how to fight? Let's see."
Kai accepted the partnership, though reluctantly. The two went together, dodging Union blockades, passing through corridors of abandoned buildings and jumping fences, always alert to sensors and the curious eyes.
Zero guided every step, whispering routes, analyzing the guards' movement patterns, pointing out blind spots. The way to the quarantine zone was a maze, every closed street meant a new shortcut, every corner a chance to be seen by the wrong person.
At the Nexus gate, Union soldiers blocked the main entrance. Nervous collectors argued, trying to bribe, others were already starting fights, but nobody seemed willing to cross the line.
Zak pulled Kai into a side alley, where a broken fence allowed access to an empty warehouse leaning against the containment barrier.
"Here," he whispered, "it's easier inside, fewer sensors. But it's all improvised. If it goes bad, run."
They crossed the warehouse in silence, only the sound of boots on cracked concrete and the low hum of Union equipment outside. At the end of the hallway, a broken window led straight into the quarantine zone.
On the other side, the Nexus pulsed—a gigantic portal of raw energy, distorted metal arches glowing with blue and purple light, the ground cracking around it. Soldiers watched from a distance, a few too brave or too dumb to get closer.
Kai felt his core race, as if an invisible force pulled his body forward. The air around the portal seemed to vibrate, a distortion impossible to ignore. Voices whispered, distant, some in languages he didn't even understand, but all seemed to call his name. The heat rose from his chest to his face, and his eyes started to see patches of light everywhere.
Zero whispered, directly:
"Anomalous presence detected on the other side of the portal. Maximum risk. Preparation for hostile contact suggested. The symbiosis may be pushed to the limit."
Zak looked at Kai, reading the fear on his face.
"Never seen anything like it. If you go in, there's no turning back. Are you sure?"
Kai nodded, feeling his hands sweat cold.
"There's been no turning back for me for a long time. If I don't go in, I'm nobody."
Zak just laughed, lightly tapping Kai on the shoulder.
"Then let's go together. At least, if you die, you die in good company."
Kai walked slowly to the edge of the portal. The ground seemed to tremble beneath his feet, and the light pulsed like the core in his chest.
As he faced the open Nexus, he felt a monstrous presence on the other side—not just hostile, but curious, hungry, a horror that existed long before any human ever set foot there.
His mind spun, memories invading, flashes of destroyed planets, battles in ruins, voices that weren't his or Zero's.
Zero whispered, with a cold urgency:
"Stay alert. The contact will change everything. You will not be the same, nor will this world. Accept it. Prepare to fight or be consumed."
Kai took a deep breath, feeling the shadow grow behind him, ready for anything.
In the next instant, he crossed the threshold of the portal, ready to face the unknown.