It had been two months since Kaius had set the chip aside, and the world around him seemed to breathe easier—at least, on the surface. He told himself he was doing fine, that things were finally quieting down, but the truth was far messier. The shadows he had once seen lurking in the corners of the streets were gone, but they had left something else in their place—an ever-present tension, like the air was waiting to snap.
Kaius's mind hadn't felt this heavy in years. The days had blended into one another, a dull repetition of waking up, moving through the motions, and falling back into bed without feeling like anything had changed. He hadn't worked on the dream pill since the chip had taken over his attention, but even that was a distant memory now.
The strings danced around him more frequently—red, purple, grey—but he tried to ignore them. They were always there, pulling at his mind like whispers he couldn't quite understand. Some of Kaius's memories were buried deep, somewhere even the strings couldn't reach.
The city was quiet that evening, a rare calm settling over Neon Edge. Kaius sat at the table, staring at the half-finished notes scattered in front of him. His mind wandered as he absentmindedly traced the lines of formulas and equations they had scribbled out months ago. His father hadn't said much lately—just the usual words of encouragement, the steady presence Kaius had relied on for as long as he could remember.
He could almost hear Gareth's voice now.
"We'll make it out of here, son. One day. Just keep working."
But there was nothing left to work on. The dream pill was theoretical, an idea waiting to be born, but they had no materials.
No way to make it real.
Kaius sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. He glanced at the door, almost hoping for something—anything—to break the monotony.
And then there was a knock.
Kaius's heart jumped in his chest as he stood up, the tension from the last few weeks finally breaking. He approached the door cautiously, half-expecting another encounter with the shadows that had once followed him.
He opened the door a crack, and there she was—Sura, standing with that familiar calculating gaze. Her white hair, streaked with ruby at the ends, glowed faintly under the city lights. Her cybernetic leg moved smoothly as she stepped inside, the faint whir of mechanics barely audible. She looked different, more distant, but still carrying that same sharpness.
Behind her, the Gravewalkers hovered like shadows, silent and imposing as always.
"Kaius," Sura greeted him, her voice soft but firm.
"We need to talk."
Sura settled into one of the old chairs as Kaius watched her. Her sharp eyes scanned the room before they fell back on him.
"You were right," she said without preamble, pulling the chip from her jacket pocket.
"This wasn't just some ordinary piece of tech."
Kaius's pulse quickened.
"What do you mean?"
Sura frowned, her fingers drumming against the table.
"We tried cracking it. Booted the system, thought we were getting somewhere. But within minutes, there was an external breach. It forced us to shut everything down."
Kaius blinked, confused.
"Minutes? I worked on that thing for hours before a breach happened. Two hours, to be exact."
Sura's frown deepened.
"Two hours? How…?" She leaned back, staring at the chip in her hand. "We were using top-level systems, tech that should've bypassed most standard security in minutes. But this thing… it's different. It's reacting. It knows when someone's trying to access it."
Kaius leaned in, his heart racing.
"So, what now?"
Sura shrugged, tossing the chip onto the table.
"We're still working on it, but we're getting nowhere fast. This thing… it's not just encrypted. It's alive. It adapts."
Kaius stared at the chip, his mind buzzing with possibilities.
"And you want me to crack it?"
Sura shook her head.
"No. Not now, anyway. You're being watched—more closely than we thought."
Kaius's stomach twisted. He had felt it for months now, the eyes on him, the constant presence lurking in the background.
"By who?"
"The CyberWatchers," Sura said simply.
"They've been monitoring you ever since… well, for a while." Her voice trailed off briefly, and her eyes flickered toward Gareth, who sat in his usual spot.
Kaius didn't seem to notice, his attention fixed on the chip.
"Yeah, I know. I've felt them. They don't seem like a threat. Just… watching."
Sura studied him closely.
"How are you holding up, Kaius?"
He blinked, the question catching him off guard.
"I'm fine. I mean, I've been better, but… it's just the waiting, you know? We've got all this work done—theoretical work—but we don't have the materials. There's nothing more we can do until we get them."
Sura's gaze lingered on him, her expression softening.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
Kaius shrugged, glancing over at Gareth.
"Yeah. Dad's been helping me through it. We're just… trying to figure out our next steps."
Sura didn't respond right away. She nodded but glanced briefly at Gareth before turning back to Kaius. There was something in her eyes—concern, maybe even sadness—but she kept it buried beneath her usual calm demeanor.
After a moment, she reached into her jacket and pulled out a small, sleek device, handing it to Kaius.
"Here. We have two more Scramble Units in storage. You can use one to move around without being picked up by the CyberWatchers. But be careful."
Kaius's face lit up as he took the device, turning to Gareth with a grin.
"Dad, we can finally get out of this place. Start new."
Sura's eyes flicked toward Gareth again, but she quickly masked whatever emotion had crossed her face. She simply nodded, her voice quiet.
"Yeah. You can."
As the evening wore on, the tension in the apartment seemed to thicken. The shadows outside felt heavier, and there was a strange quiet that had settled over the streets.
And then, without warning, the Gravewalkers' comm units buzzed to life. One of the men, tall and grim-faced, pressed a finger to his ear, his voice low but urgent.
Cipher Comm—enemy approaching.
Repeat, enemy approaching.
Sura's head snapped toward the door, her hand instinctively going for the small weapon at her side.
"Take positions."
The Gravewalkers moved swiftly, each one slipping into the shadows of the room, their eyes locked on the entrance.
Sura turned to Kaius, her expression grim.
"You need to open the door. Slowly. Don't make a fuss. Act like you're alone."
Kaius hesitated, his pulse racing.
"What do you mean, alone?"
"Just do it, Kaius," Sura whispered, her voice low and firm.
Kaius swallowed hard, nodding as he stepped toward the door. His heart pounded in his chest as he reached for the handle, every muscle in his body tensing as he pulled the door open.
And there, standing in the doorway, was—