The stronghold loomed ahead like a scar in the ruined city—concrete walls layered with steel plating, watchtowers scanning the horizon with automated guns. A faint hum of barrier-tech buzzed in the air, faint blue ripples shimmering each time the wind hit the invisible wall. Humanity's last refuges weren't beautiful, but they were alive.
Kairis's boots echoed against the pavement as he walked through the gate, his coat pulling behind him. His siblings walked close: Elyra's sharp eyes darting from side to side, ever cautious, and Aeren's smaller frame tucked into his shadow. For a moment, he allowed himself to exhale. Not in relief—he wasn't wired that way anymore—but in acknowledgment.
They had made it this far.
The soldiers and Awakeners at the checkpoint stiffened when his name pinged through their systems. Whispers spread. His title preceded him now: The Sole Bearer of Dark Matter. They couldn't see his system, but they saw enough. Stats that didn't belong to a rookie. Abilities most had never heard of.
Kaiyara appeared at the gate, arms crossed, watching him with that same unreadable look. "Your family will be safe here," she said, voice even.
Kairis glanced at her, then at the guarded walls, and finally at his siblings. Elyra's hand was on Aeren's shoulder, her body tense as though ready to fight anyone who came too close. She didn't trust this place. Neither did he. But trust wasn't the point. Security was.
He crouched in front of Aeren, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You'll stay with Elyra here," he said firmly. "Don't leave the stronghold unless I say. Understand?"
Aeren nodded, lips pressed tight, his young eyes holding the weight of someone who had seen too much. Elyra folded her arms. "And where are you going?"
"Hunting," Kairis answered simply. His voice carried no room for argument. "Food. Resources. Strength."
Elyra looked like she wanted to push back, but one glance into his eyes silenced her. She knew that look. It was the same one he'd worn when their parents died—the unshakable resolve of someone carrying more than his share.
Kairis rose, turning to the Network officials waiting to brief him. "You protect them," he said coldly, his tone more command than request. "If anything happens to them while I'm gone—anything—you'll find out firsthand what Dark Matter can do."
The room seemed to freeze for a moment. No one doubted he meant every word.
---
That night, after ensuring Elyra and Aeren were settled in one of the stronghold's housing blocks, Kairis walked beyond the walls. The city stretched ahead, ruined skyscrapers split open like carcasses, streets drowned in shadows.
The system pulsed in his mind.
[Quest Progress: Survive and Grow Stronger]
[Sub-Objective: Hunt Awakened Beasts – 0/10]
The notification lingered, waiting. He adjusted the strap of his blade, feeling the hum of Graviton Edge at his side. Level 2 had expanded its potential—cuts sharper, momentum heavier, the very air shivering with each swing. He needed to see how far it went.
But more than that—he needed fuel.
Monsters were out there. Their cores carried Dark Matter, and Dark Matter carried power. The Network had safety. He had something else: hunger.
Kairis smirked faintly, a humorless expression, and stepped into the dark. Alone, as always.