That night, they sheltered beneath the fractured remains of a skeletal tree.
If this place had night.
Kael stared into a flickering blue fire, a construct of pure energy conjured by Echo.
"So," he began, voice rough, "explain all this. The Resonance."
Echo's eyes flickered softly.
"The Nexus measures survival by suffering. Strength is not skill but endurance. The more you sacrifice yourself, the more the system rewards."
"So, it's about how much pain you can take?"
"Correct. The brink of death is where growth happens."
Kael shook his head. "That's insane."
"It's effective."
His hands trembled. The memory of the Glass Widow's claws was still raw.
"What if I die?"
Echo paused, her gaze distant.
"Your system resets. Progress is lost—permanently."
"And if I don't?"
"You transcend humanity's limits. Become a Resonant. The rules no longer apply."
Kael looked skyward, watching stars reconfigure in impossible, geometric constellations.
"I didn't ask for this."
"No one ever does."