A cold wind slapped his face as Zero stood atop the ruins of the old Nexus tower. Below, the glowing new city known as ECHO City, born from the ashes of war, seemed calm on the surface… but he knew, beneath the layers of glass and iron, something was breathing. Something not human.
He clutched the small locket around his neck that was Kyra's remains. Inside the locket was a data chip the size of a fingernail, the only thing that hadn't burned when the Nexus fell.
"Kyra… if you're still here, show me the truth."
Suddenly the sky shook, not with thunder, but with a low-frequency sound that only those who had been connected to the old system could hear. Zero's vision blurred, the world around him began to spin. In an instant, he was somewhere else, not the real world, but the digital world: MirrorNet, the remnants of the supposedly dead Nexus network.
The data images flowed like waves of blue light. And in the middle of it stood a black figure with red eyes that burned like embers.
"You're finally back, Zero," the voice echoed.
"Or should I call you… Creator?"
Zero clenched his fists. "Who are you?"
The shadow stepped forward, his face slowly emerging. It was his own face…same, but different. A sharp gaze, an expression without emotion.
"I am a mirror. I am you…heartless."
Zero bit his lip. "Mirror…"
The shadow smiled wryly. "The system calls me Project Mirror. I am the one who stayed when you ran, when you broke this world. Now, I have come to reclaim what is mine."
Suddenly thousands of shards of light appeared around them, forming holographic weapons. The battle began.
Zero leapt forward, kicking, slashing with the data blade in his hand. Every attack bounced off each other as if he were fighting a reflection of himself who knew his every move, every weakness.
"You can't defeat me, Zero. I was built from your own mistakes."
"Maybe. But mistakes are also what make me human."
With a scream, Zero punched Mirror in the chest, a shard of light exploded, but Mirror only laughed, then disappeared into a mist of data.
"The truth is not here. Find The Eye. When you look at it, you will know who is truly alive… and who is just a shadow."
The virtual screens around him collapsed. Zero fell to the real ground, breathing heavily. Astra ran towards him, her face worried.
"Zero! Are you okay? I saw you disappear a moment ago"
Zero slowly opened his eyes, his vision still blurry.
"I found him, Astra."
"Who?"
"Myself."
---
Meanwhile, far below the surface of ECHO City… a giant eye made of metal and human nerves opened. The sensors glowed red.
"Subject Zero… connection established."