The moon hung low, its light filtering through the canopy of what was once the Amazon rainforest. Now, the ground shimmered faintly with nanite-infused flora—trees with metallic veins, vines whispering with data. It was here, deep within the jungle, that Kairos found himself alone.
Not because he wanted to be. But because the Mamachine demanded it.
Rex and Ben had stayed behind at a Providence safe zone while Dr. Holiday analyzed the Herald's corrupted code. Kairos had been drawn into the jungle by an overwhelming pull—one that was neither instinct nor logic. It was memory. A memory that hadn't happened yet.
He knelt before a pool of nanite-infused water, its surface undisturbed. He stared, not at his reflection, but at the flickering images appearing in the ripples.
A burned sky. A city of chrome and fire. A tower of light piercing the stars. And him—Kairos—wearing armor he hadn't yet forged, leading armies of machines against... something.
The False God.
A whisper curled from the water. Not in words, but in sensation. Longing. Regret. Power.
Then: a voice.
"You remember because you were made to remember. You are the echo of what must become."
Kairos blinked. The image shifted. Now he stood beside another figure—masked, cloaked, but familiar. They had fought together once... or would fight together. The vision was fracturing, too many futures colliding in the stream of time.
He stood up as a pulse rumbled through the ground. The jungle stirred. Nanite-charged insects scattered as the soil cracked, revealing another buried Mamachine conduit—this one shaped like a lotus of chrome.
Another node is near completion.
Kairos reached out. The moment his hand touched the chrome petals, a surge of data flooded his consciousness.
He saw the birth of the nanite grid. He saw the first machine that thought in dreams. He saw himself, not born, but coded. Not a boy—but a failsafe.
He gasped.
"I'm not just a person... I'm a contingency. A living key."
A hand landed on his shoulder. Kairos spun—only to find Ben there, her eyes wide, worried.
"We tracked you. Providence dropped everything when they picked up the node spike."
Rex stepped out from behind her, arms crossed. "You okay? You look like you just fought your own ghost."
Kairos looked at them, something in his chest twisting. For a moment, he wanted to tell them everything. About what he was. About the future he'd seen. About the fact that he might have loved them both in different timelines.
But instead, he forced a smile.
"I'm fine. This node's almost ready. We need to prepare."
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Prepare for what?"
He turned back to the glowing lotus. "For the memory of the future to become the reality of now."
Rex groaned. "You really need to work on making your cryptic stuff more encouraging."
They all laughed, but behind it, Kairos felt the weight of destiny pressing harder. The Mamachines were waking. The False God was stirring. And his memories—those that hadn't happened—were sharpening like blades.
Next time, there would be no room for hesitation.