The Citadel-marked clearing felt different the second Kayden stepped into it.
Not warmer.
Not safer.
Just… quieter.
Like the forest itself had stopped breathing.
Alex kept a firm arm around Kayden's waist as they moved deeper,Phineas trailing behind with a flashlight raised like it might fight ghosts.
The circle drawn in faint white geometric lines pulsed once under Kayden's feet—soft, steady,almost like a heartbeat.
APEX reacted immediately.
"Operator stability increasing.Ambient interference: beneficial."
Kayden blinked slowly.
"I feel…lighter."
Alex studied him carefully.
"Okay, but lighter as in good? Or lighter as in 'I'm about to float off the ground?'"
Kayden gave a tired smile.
"…good.I think."
The wind drifted through the clearing like warm breath.Leaves shifted softly.And then Kayden saw something glint between two stones.
A structure.
Small.White.Half-buried in the soil.No larger than a lantern.
It looked grown, not built—its surface smooth, curved like bone or pearl,etched with faint geometric pathways that dimly glowed as Kayden approached.
Phineas squeaked.
"WHAT is that?!Some kind of cosmic acorn?!"
APEX answered before Kayden could speak.
"Citadel restorative node."
Alex frowned.
"Restorative?Like… healing?"
"Stabilizing."
Kayden took a slow step toward it.
The node brightened—not aggressively,not alarmingly.
More like a candle rising to greet a familiar presence.
Phineas hid behind Alex anyway.
"Nope nope nope—Kayden, please don't touch the cosmic egg.We've had enough trauma for one day—"
But Kayden reached out.
His fingers hovered just above the surface.
The node pulsed—a soft ripple of white light.
Then it spoke.
Not in English.Not in sound.
A gentle whisper of resonance inside his mind:
welcome, variable.
Kayden's breath hitched.
"A-Alex…it's… talking."
Alex tensed.
"What's it saying?"
Kayden swallowed hard.
"It's…welcoming me."
Phineas slapped his forehead.
"WHY DO THESE THINGS KEEP BEING SO POLITE?!"
APEX hummed in agreement with the node.
"Operator, this field is designed to stabilize your resonance output after traumatic spikes."
Kayden blinked.
"So… it's safe?"
APEX paused—
Then gave a rare answer:
"…yes."
Kayden exhaled.
And touched it.
The node flared with white light—
But nothing exploded.Nothing surged.
Instead, warmth spread from Kayden's fingertips into his palm,up his arm,through his chest.
A gentle pressure settled behind his ribs—a steady rhythmic hum syncing with his heartbeat.
Kayden sagged in relief.
"Oh…that feels…nice."
Alex caught him before he collapsed.
"Whoa—hey—stay with me—"
Kayden shook his head softly.
"No—no, it's okay.It's… helping me."
APEX's voice softened.
"Resonance stabilized: 59%.Cognitive drift reduced.Stress load decreasing."
Phineas squinted at the glowing node.
"So…it's like a Citadel health potion?"
Kayden laughed weakly.
"Yeah.A weird one."
Alex kept a hand on Kayden's back,letting him lean fully.
"Kayden, your eyes…the static is fading."
Kayden blinked.
He hadn't noticed—but the flickering glow that haunted the edges of his visionwas dimming.
The forest expanded around him again—colors deeper,sounds sharper,the air easier to breathe.
Calm.
Stable.
He felt like himself.
For the first time since Orientation started.
He whispered:
"…thank you."
The node pulsed in quiet acknowledgment.
stability restored.continue.
And then it dimmed—folding its light inward,waiting,like a device entering sleep.
Kayden sat in the grass, breathing evenly.
Alex knelt beside him.
"How do you feel?"
Kayden stared up at the flickering sky dome above them.
"I… feel like me again.Not him."He hesitated."The me I saw in the vision."
Alex's expression softened.
"You were never him.You won't be."
Kayden leaned his head on Alex's shoulder.
"I hope so."
Phineas flopped onto the ground dramatically.
"Is the cosmic massage egg done? Because I would like to schedule an appointment for MY TRAUMA."
Kayden laughed—a real laugh.
And the forest stayed quiet,as if protecting this small, impossible moment.
Then APEX broke the silence.
Not harsh.
Just steady.
"Operator.Restoration complete.But movement is required."
Kayden blinked.
"Why…?"
APEX's tone sharpened.
"Because SRD is adjusting its search grid.And the Agent's vector fades here."
Alex stood.
"So this place is safe…temporarily."
"Correct."
Phineas groaned.
"CAN WE HAVE ONE NICE THING FOR MORE THAN 20 MINUTES—?!"
Kayden pushed himself up,Alex grabbing his arm to steady him.
Kayden inhaled deeply—and for once, it didn't hurt.
He looked at the dimmed node.
"…she gave me this."
Alex nodded slowly.
"Yeah.But she also wants something from you."
Kayden turned toward the darkening trees.
"Then we keep walking."
APEX hummed approval:
"Trajectory open."
The forest rustled gently,as if the wind itself agreed.
And the Citadel trail continued—calm,quiet,inevitable.