The dawn over the mountain was cold and quiet, but the tension among Jiang Xia's team was palpable. They had destroyed Gao's lattice, yet it felt like a hollow victory. The words Gao had left behind—"The Architects are answering"—hung in the air, threatening to unravel the resolve they had fought so hard to maintain.
Li Wen sat cross-legged on the ground, his laptop balanced on his knees, analyzing the residual energy readings from the collapsed observatory. His face was pale, his eyes dark from exhaustion.
"This is bad," he muttered, breaking the silence.
Jiang Xia turned to him, her arms crossed. "How bad?"
Li Wen hesitated, glancing at the others. "The lattice is gone, yes, but the Rift's energy didn't dissipate. It's consolidating… and it's sending out a signal."
"A signal?" Xu Min asked, her voice sharp. "To what?"
Li Wen's fingers flew over the keyboard, pulling up a series of graphs and diagrams. "It's not just random. It's a pattern—an intentional, structured message. The Architects… they're listening, and they're answering."
Jiang Xia's stomach sank. "How much time do we have?"
Li Wen shook his head. "I don't know. But if this signal strengthens, it's not just the city that's at risk. The whole planet could be affected."
---
A New Target
Qin Chuan paced, his frustration evident. "So we destroyed the lattice for nothing? Gao's plan is still moving forward?"
"Not for nothing," Xu Min interjected, her tone firm. "We slowed him down. But we need to find out where that signal is coming from."
Li Wen pointed at his screen. "The signal isn't just coming from one source—it's amplifying through residual Rift nodes across the city. Gao's lattice may be gone, but the anomalies it created are still active, and they're acting as relays."
Jiang Xia leaned over the laptop. "Then we find those nodes and shut them down. All of them."
"It won't be that easy," Li Wen said. "The nodes aren't just physical locations. The anomalies themselves are acting as living transmitters. Disrupting them might trigger even more instability."
"We don't have a choice," Jiang Xia replied. "If we don't stop this, the Architects will come, and everything we've fought for will be for nothing."
---
The Hunt Begins
The team returned to the city under the cover of darkness. The streets were eerily quiet, the once-bustling neighborhoods now ghost towns. Rift distortions had taken hold in multiple areas, warping the environment and creating pockets where time and space bent unnaturally.
Their first target was an old subway station, now overrun by an anomaly that caused endless time loops. As they approached, Jiang Xia felt a strange pull, as if the air itself was alive.
"Stay close," she warned, her voice low. "These places play tricks on your mind."
Inside the station, the air shimmered, and faint echoes of conversations long past filled the space. The team moved cautiously, their weapons drawn. At the heart of the anomaly was a glowing rift, pulsing faintly with energy.
"Li Wen, what do we do?" Qin Chuan asked, his eyes scanning the flickering shadows.
Li Wen studied the readings on his scanner. "We need to destabilize it. If I can get close enough, I can disrupt the signal it's sending."
"Let's move," Jiang Xia said, stepping forward.
---
Distortions and Remnants
As they approached the anomaly, the environment shifted. Shadows moved in ways that defied logic, and fragments of memories played out in the air around them. Jiang Xia froze as she saw an image of her father, Jiang Yuan, standing in the distance.
"Xia…" his voice echoed. "Don't let them win."
"It's not real," Xu Min said sharply, pulling her back. "Focus."
The shadows grew darker, and remnants began to emerge from the distortion. These figures were more solid than before, their forms shifting and pulsing with Rift energy. They lunged at the team, their movements erratic but deadly.
"Here we go again," Qin Chuan muttered, opening fire.
The battle was chaotic. The remnants seemed endless, their numbers growing with each passing second. Jiang Xia fought fiercely, her movements precise and calculated, but the sheer weight of the assault was overwhelming.
"Li Wen, now would be a good time!" she shouted.
"I'm working on it!" Li Wen yelled, crouched by the rift and typing furiously into his laptop. "Just keep them off me!"
---
Destabilizing the Node
The rift pulsed violently as Li Wen activated his disruption device. The remnants dissolved into nothingness, their forms collapsing into streaks of light. The environment around them shifted, the shimmering distortions fading.
"It's done," Li Wen said, slumping against the wall. "One node down."
"Good," Jiang Xia said, helping him to his feet. "How many more?"
Li Wen checked his scanner. "At least three major nodes left. But with each one we disrupt, the signal weakens."
"Then let's keep moving," Xu Min said, reloading her weapon.
---
Gao's Next Move
As the team regrouped, Jiang Xia's comm buzzed. She hesitated before answering, knowing who it would be.
"Jiang Xia," Gao's voice said, smooth and mocking. "You're persistent, I'll give you that. But you're wasting your time."
"Your signal is failing, Gao," Jiang Xia snapped. "We're stopping this."
"Are you?" Gao replied. "The Architects are already listening. You can't silence them. The Convergence isn't just an event—it's evolution. And you can't fight evolution."
Jiang Xia gritted her teeth. "Watch me."
The line went dead, leaving the team in tense silence.
---
A Growing Threat
Li Wen turned to the others. "He's bluffing. The signal is weakening. If we hit the remaining nodes, we can stop this."
Jiang Xia nodded, determination etched into her features. "Then let's finish what we started."
As they moved toward their next target, the city around them seemed to shift. The distortions were stronger now, the anomalies more aggressive. But Jiang Xia refused to falter.
The Convergence was not inevitable. She would fight until her last breath to make sure of it.