The Nexus chamber had grown darker, fractured shards of reality swirling like jagged glass. The Apex Convergence had pushed Kael, Aria Vale, and Veyra to the brink—but now, a shadowed presence emerged from the flux.
Ryken Holt, the resurrected mercenary, landed heavily, energy flickering across his gauntlets. His eyes scanned the chaotic chamber, suspicion etched into every line of his face. "Don't think I've forgotten," he growled, "everything I've seen. I don't trust this place—or anyone in it."
Kael clenched his fists, but didn't flinch. "We don't have time for distrust, Ryken. The Architect is escalating the Convergence. Every reality is at risk."
Ryken's jaw tightened. "I've survived worse. But trust? That's earned—not given. Don't make me regret being here."
Aria Vale's resonance pulsed gently. "Ryken, we need you. Your experience, your instincts—they're critical to stabilizing these layers. And I can link with your mark to amplify our paradox currents."
Veyra's shadows coiled around Ryken, subtly testing his response. "You'll survive this trial, but only if you work with us."
Ryken's gaze flickered between Kael and the team. He gritted his teeth, then nodded curtly. "Fine. But I'm watching everything."
The Architect's voice reverberated, omnipresent and cold:"Trust is a luxury few can afford. Let's see if the resurrected mercenary can endure what the living cannot."
Reality fractured violently. Alternate layers appeared where Ryken's mistrust could have caused disaster—civilians trapped, allies isolated, chaos running rampant. Kael extended his mark, linking with Aria Vale's resonance to stabilize the critical layers.
Ryken moved instinctively, cutting through shadowed anomalies with lethal precision, every strike calculated, yet detached. His experience as a mercenary, tempered by death and resurrection, gave him a perspective Kael could not fully replicate.
"Focus," Kael said. "Every move counts. Every reality matters."
Ryken's eyes narrowed, shadows of skepticism lingering. "I focus for now… but don't mistake that for trust."
Together, they stabilized a cluster of collapsing layers. The Architect's presence pulsed, almost curious. "Ah, the resurrected. So sharp, yet so reluctant. This trial will test more than survival—it will test conviction."