The door creaked open slowly, revealing the towering figure of a CyberWatcher. His presence filled the space, as if the air itself had grown heavier. His face was concealed by a mask, a glowing Y-shaped pattern that wasn't quite a letter but an unsettling design. The eerie glow reflected in the dim light of the room, giving him an almost spectral quality.
His hood shadowed the top half of his face, but even that couldn't hide the total lack of humanity in his features. His arms, long and metallic, rested at his sides, unnervingly still, showing no signs of organic life. The coat he wore hung down to his legs, concealing most of his mechanical body, but as he moved, Kaius could catch glimpses of the intricate cybernetic components underneath. His legs, encased in what looked like sleek armor—Technoweave Armor—were fully mechanical. Each step he took was precise, his upgraded ankles clicking softly with every motion. Even his shoes were part of the seamless machinery of his body.
Kaius felt the presence of the CyberWatcher before the words left his mouth.
"Suspect no. 23451223442, you are required to come with us to the Sky District for interrogation. You will answer questions regarding your father."
The words hit like a punch to the gut, but Kaius forced himself to stay calm. His heart pounded in his chest, though his expression remained composed.
"What do you mean, questions about my father?" he demanded, his voice steady but with an edge.
The CyberWatcher's head tilted slightly, the glow of his mask flickering.
"That is not your privilege to know."
Kaius's calm facade cracked, fury boiling up inside him. His fists clenched at his sides as he took a step forward.
"Not my privilege? He's my father! Of course, it's my privilege! He's sitting right there! What the hell do you want from me?"
The CyberWatcher paused, his head shaking slightly to the side as if registering something new.
"Analysis complete. Suspect no. 23451223442 displays signs of psychic and mental instability. Nurse intervention requested."
The coldness of his words sent a chill through Kaius. "Psychic and mental instability?" he spat, his voice rising in frustration.
"What the hell are you talking about? Are your systems broken, or are you too mechanical to think straight?" His heartbeat was erratic now, adrenaline spiking his blood pressure. His vision narrowed, his world centering on the figure in front of him.
In the corner of his mind, the strings came into focus—red, red, purple, red, pulsing like veins in the air. They danced in and out of his peripheral vision, weaving around the CyberWatcher, connecting him to some invisible force.
The CyberWatcher took another step forward, his arms twitching slightly, preparing for action.
"Heartbeat irregular. Neural and psychological irregularities detected. Suspect no. 23451223442 is uncooperative. Violence will be initiated if compliance is not ensured."
Kaius's breath came faster, his anger sharpening into something more dangerous. The strings—those red threads—pulsed violently now, almost calling out to him. They were clearer than ever before, connecting to the CyberWatcher's head, his arms, his chest. It was as if they were offering Kaius a way out, a path forward that he didn't fully understand but couldn't resist.
In a split second, Kaius's vision blurred, and the colors intensified. His eyes flickered with a strange purple-blue light, a mixture that seemed to come from deep within him. Without hesitation, without fully understanding what he was doing, he reached out—not with his hands, but with his mind.
He pulled.
The red string snapped loose, severing the connection to the CyberWatcher's head.
The effect was immediate. The CyberWatcher froze mid-step, his legs collapsing beneath him. He crumpled to the floor, falling to his knees, his head lolling forward. His arms hung limp, the glow in his mask flickering once before fading entirely. No sound, no struggle—just silence.
For a moment, everything stood still.
Sura, who had been watching from the shadows, stepped forward, her sharp gaze wide with disbelief. She had seen a lot of strange things in her time, but this? This was something else. Her composure wavered for a moment, but only for a moment.
"Kaius!" she shouted, snapping him out of his daze.
"We need to move! Now!"
The urgency in her voice jolted him, the full weight of what he had just done sinking in. He turned, his breath ragged, adrenaline still coursing through him. His hands shook as he grabbed the Scramble Unit Sura had given him earlier, strapping it to his belt.
Behind him, Sura barked orders into her comm system.
"Squad InkLow, clear the perimeter. Do not be spotted. I repeat do not be spotted. We need a clean exit."
Kaius barely heard her. His attention had shifted to Gareth, who sat motionless in the corner, his face calm and unmoved by the chaos unfolding around him.
"Dad!" Kaius called out, his voice cracking as panic started to seep in.
"We need to go! Now!"
He moved toward Gareth, his hands trembling as he reached out to pull him up.
"Come on, stand up! We have to move! We're in danger!"
But Gareth didn't move.
Kaius's heart pounded harder, his vision swimming as he knelt beside his father.
"Dad, please. We don't have time. Put this on!" He held out the Scramble Unit, his voice desperate, but Gareth didn't reach for it.
He didn't even look at it.
And then, softly, Gareth spoke. His voice was calm, too calm.
"Go, Kaius. You won't be needing me anymore."
Kaius froze, his mind reeling.
"What do you mean, I won't be needing you? Stop saying nonsense! We need to go! Now!" His voice was frantic, the realization clawing at the edges of his mind, but he refused to let it in.
Gareth's form shimmered for a moment, like a mirage. And then, as if fading from existence, he began to disappear. His image blurred, growing fainter and fainter.
"Dad?! Dad, no! What's happening?!" Kaius's voice broke, panic clawing at his throat as he reached out, but there was nothing there.
The room spun, the edges of reality warping as his world began to collapse around him.
"What's happening?! Sura!!!"
Sura stepped forward, her face a mask of sadness and determination. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice soft but firm.
"We need to move, Kaius. They'll be coming in greater numbers, and we won't stand a chance. I'll explain everything when we're safe."
Kaius shook his head, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts.
"What about my dad? Where is he?!"
Sura didn't respond immediately. She simply nodded, her eyes filled with a quiet understanding.
"Come on, Kaius," she said gently. "We have to go."
She guided him toward the door, her hand steady on his back as they slipped out into the night. But even as they moved, Kaius's mind was spinning, lost in the chaos of what had just happened. His father's last words echoed in his ears.