Neo-Lumen City never truly slept. The neon glow reflected off rain-soaked streets, casting long shadows between the towering skyscrapers. Yet below the glittering surface, the city's true pulse thrummed in darkness. John and his allies descended into the underworld—a place where Helix's control weakened, but danger thrived.
Lyra pushed aside a rusted metal panel, revealing a narrow passageway. Her mechanical arm lit the tunnel with a bluish glow. "Welcome to the Abyss," she said, voice low. "Helix doesn't bother with this place, but that doesn't mean it's safe."
Nika floated above the ground, eyes sparkling. "Perfect. The more dangerous, the better. I love it."
Sora's gaze was fixed on John. "If the Central Node exists, it's down here. In the spaces Helix forgot—or hoped we'd forget."
---
The Underground City
They emerged into a staggering sight: an entire city beneath the city. Collapsed buildings repurposed as shanties, neon graffiti painting the walls. Hundreds of figures survived here, their bodies augmented in crude ways. Some had metal replacing flesh on their arms; others had opaque cybernetic eyes.
John's stomach churned. These weren't citizens. They were the discarded—the failed experiments of Helix.
An elderly man approached, legs fully mechanical, his yellow eyes glowing faintly. "Strangers… again. You don't belong here."
Lyra stepped forward, hands raised. "We're looking for a rumor. The Node."
A heavy silence fell. The word seemed forbidden.
The old man chuckled, a sound like breaking metal. "The Node… the sick heart of this city. No one comes back. Some call it God. Some, a demon. One thing's certain: it calls."
John shivered. Could that voice in my head… be from here?
Sora's shadow flickered. "Then you weren't chosen by chance. You carry its echo."
Lyra clenched her teeth. "Or you're just a pawn."
The man placed his mechanical hand on John's shoulder. "You carry its signal. We hear it too… but you are its herald."
---
The Legend of the Node
He led them into a ruined subway station, transformed into a sanctuary. On the walls, luminescent graffiti formed concentric circles and lines of hand-carved code.
"The Node is not a machine… not exactly," the man whispered. "It is a mind, born when Helix connected too many human consciousnesses in their servers. An anomaly. Some call it God. Others, a demon. But one truth remains: it reaches out."
John felt a chill. And the voice in my head…?
Sora stepped closer. "If that's true, John wasn't chosen by chance."
Lyra's voice softened. "Or it could mean you're doomed."
The old man leaned closer. "You carry its echo. Listen, but be careful. Once it touches you, you are never the same."
---
Ambush
Before John could respond, a metallic screech erupted.
The ceiling collapsed. Figures plunged from above: massive Helix units, heavier than the Echos, equipped with integrated cannons and steel claws.
"Target acquired. Eliminate."
Chaos erupted.
Lyra intercepted the first barrage, her mechanical arm shielding the group. Nika rose into the air, sending gravitational waves that toppled two assailants. Sora disappeared into the shadows and reappeared behind a soldier, striking with surgical precision.
John froze for a moment, civilians screaming around them. Then the System's voice forced itself into his mind:
Activate me, John. Or they die.
---
The System's Wrath
He gave in.
A surge of data roared through his body. Circuits blazed with blue fire. His fists became blades of pure energy. He struck, one motion enough to obliterate a soldier.
Every movement was flawless, lethal. Yet in his mind, pain surged. The System fed, taking more of him each time.
Lyra screamed, "You're losing yourself, John!"
He hardly heard her. The System's cold command and the Node's whispering melded together, a discordant song. Free me… Use me…
With the last enemy destroyed in a violent flash, silence fell.
John knelt, gasping. Civilians stepped back, fearful.
"My God," one whispered. "He isn't human… he's a demon."
---
Warning
Sora crouched near him, impassive. "See? Even the forgotten fear you. You're becoming what they dread."
Lyra placed her metallic hand on his shoulder, softer now. "But you're not lost… not yet. You still choose."
Nika, half-excited, half-worried, muttered, "You just obliterated an entire squad. Do you even realize? You're… superpowered. And dangerous."
John gritted his teeth. In his mind, the two voices battled. The System raged, the Node pleaded. And somewhere in the middle, he no longer knew who he was.