The city was too quiet today.
The wind stopped too cleanly.The old bridge's metal cables didn't hum at all.
As I stepped onto the suspension bridge,the Source in my chest tightened once—like saying:
—Stop.
I halted in the center.
A thin layer of resistance hung in the air,as if the entire space had been downscaled in resolution.
The far end of the bridge shuddered—a slight "bend,"like someone folded space a little and let it spring back.
Patch's tail puffed instantly.
I reached out and touched the thickened air.
Instantly—the far scenery peeled into a semi-transparent afterimage,as though the world hesitated half a beatbefore deciding how to render the frame.
I was still studying it when heavy footsteps hit the bridge behind me.
Something stepped on the planks.
An infected.
But its eyes—too focused.Too present.
Not a normal infected.
A pre-Awakener.
I barely lifted my head before Emilia burst onto the bridge.
"Back up! That one isn't standard!"
The creature lunged.
My body moved first—dodging the first strike,though claws carved a deep line through my shoulder.I grabbed its wrist, holding it back.
Emilia found her moment.Her blade dropped.
Space settled instantly.
But Emilia stared at me—and her frown tightened.
"No normal human can block a hit like that."
She looked at me like a math problem that shouldn't exist.
"Jeff…what exactly are you?"
ARC Monitoring Room
"Bridge-zone fluctuation detected.Awakener B-87 approaching B-39."
The silver-rimmed man murmured:
"So the real contact is finally close."
He changed B-39's status from Observationto: