The city was a graveyard of steel and silence.
Marcus stood atop a collapsed highway overpass, gazing down at the ruins of what had once been Dawnbreak City—a center of science and artificial intelligence research before the red rain fell. Now, its skyscrapers were husks. Vines clung to glass like veins over a corpse. Somewhere below, sirens still wailed on loops, decades out of sync.
[Location Identified: Dawnbreak Central | Origin Point of Architect Signal: Probability 79.3%]
Lucien climbed up beside him, rifle slung over his shoulder. "There's movement everywhere. No mutants—something else. Quiet. Coordinated."
Ember dropped down from a ruined billboard, eyes sharp. "I found a functioning terminal in the old research tower. Powered by something... wrong. Organic wires. Pulsing like a heart."
Marcus exhaled. "That's the Beacon's influence. But if there's power, there might be answers."
They descended into the city.
The deeper they went, the more unnatural it felt. Machines had grown flesh, screens blinked with eyes instead of pixels, and tangled roots pulsed with a low, rhythmic hum.
Eventually, they reached the Neural Hub—a bunker designed to house pre-rain AI systems. Marcus approached the main terminal, brushing dust from the interface.
To his shock, the display flickered—and spoke.
"User recognized: Marcus Chen. Accessing Legacy Key."
[Hidden Archive: PROJECT GENESIS – Entry #001: 'The Pact']
A holographic figure appeared. An older woman in a white lab coat, eyes sunken from lack of sleep. Her badge read: Dr. Yara Chen.
Marcus froze.
"My mother?"
The figure began to speak.
"If you're hearing this... the signal has reached Earth. The Architects are real. Not gods. Not invaders. Witnesses. We called out across the stars—seeking help to fix what we broke. But they didn't send salvation. They sent correction."
"We were given a choice: evolve under their design… or perish."
"We chose the third path."
"The Evolution System was my answer. A hybrid of Architect tech and human code. An act of rebellion, disguised as compliance."
"I encoded the legacy into a child—Marcus. If he lives, he may become the glitch they cannot erase."
The recording cut off.
Silence followed.
Marcus stood motionless, the cold realization settling in.
"I wasn't spared by chance," he said quietly. "I was made for this."
[New Objective Unlocked: Locate Project Genesis Lab – Coordinates Embedded]
Ember placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then let's finish what she started."
But before they could move, the building shuddered.
Lucien swore. "They're here."
The walls split open. Cloaked figures flooded in—Doctrine of Flesh operatives, followed by a towering creature stitched together from bones and Beacon circuitry. Its eyes locked onto Marcus.
[Doctrine Enforcer: "Witness Alpha" – Combat Level: Lethal]
[System Override – Ready]
Marcus clenched his fists.
No more running. No more questions.
It was time for war.