---
The room on the first floor had become their base of operations. Jin, Mark, Lisa, and Simon gathered around a small table, the wrapped Brilliance Tree sitting on a nearby desk, its crystal casting a pale yellow glow across the ceiling.
Mark leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "So let me get this straight. There's a monster that collects bodies on the top floor, a plant that grows out of those bodies and might scare monsters away, and Josh is still sniffing around trying to figure out how Fidex got so strong."
"That about sums it up," Lisa said.
Simon sat apart from the others, his arms crossed. He'd been quiet since Jin told them about Wade's death. "Wade was careless. Greedy." His voice was flat. "That's what killed him."
"He was also a contractor," Mark said. "That's one less Summon we have for clearing floors."
Jin shook his head. "Wade wasn't going to be a reliable ally. He resented anyone stronger than him. His death doesn't change our situation much."
Simon's eyes flicked to Jin. "You sound cold."
"I'm being practical." Jin met his gaze. "We're running out of water. We have maybe four gallons left. Nathan's group has forty, but they've got twenty‑seven people. That's not going to last long. If we don't figure out a way to get more in the next few days, we're going to have real problems."
The reminder of their water shortage settled over the group like a weight.
Mark frowned. "What about going outside? The lobby's got those big glass doors. We could—"
"We don't know what's out there," Lisa cut in. "The fog, the thing that's been eating the corpses we throw out… remember the barricade two nights ago? Something hit it hard enough to crack the concrete."
"So we just sit here and wait to die of thirst?" Mark's voice edged up with frustration.
"No." Jin's voice was steady. "We prepare. We get stronger. And when we're ready, we go out."
He looked at each of them. "That means using the time we have to push our Summons. I've noticed that fighting makes them grow faster—more active use, more feedback. From now on, we train. Spar if we have to. We can't afford to stay passive."
Lisa nodded slowly. "So more floor clearing, more hunting."
"Exactly." Jin glanced at the wrapped Brilliance Tree. "And we keep studying that plant. If its light really affects monsters, it could be a tool we need to understand."
Simon uncrossed his arms. "What about Marcus?"
The question hung in the air.
Jin paused, choosing his words carefully. "Josh knows. He found the room on the fifth floor. He hasn't done anything yet, but he will."
Simon's face tightened. "If he touches my son—"
"He won't," Jin said. "Not directly. He's smarter than that. He'll use Marcus as leverage. Force us into a position where we have to share information about Fidex, or where he can paint us as a threat to the rest of the survivors."
Simon's hands curled into fists. "That bastard."
"There's more," Lisa added. "While you two were clearing upstairs, Josh sent some of his people to talk to Mark and Simon."
Mark nodded, his expression darkening. "A kid named Wu Guang. He came around asking questions about Fidex. Offered us gold—two hundred grams' worth—if we'd tell them how Jin made his Summon so strong."
Jin's eyes narrowed. "What did you tell him?"
"That we didn't know," Simon said flatly. "Which is true. You haven't told us much, have you?"
There was no accusation in his voice, just a statement of fact. Still, Jin felt the weight of it. He'd kept his cards close—the fusions, the prompts, the specific mechanics of how Fidex grew. Not out of distrust, exactly. Out of survival. In a world where knowledge was power, sharing too much was a weakness.
"I've told you what you need to know," Jin said carefully. "Fidex grows by fighting. By consuming materials. The details… the less people know, the less they can use against us."
Simon studied him for a long moment. "Fair enough. But if Josh's people are offering gold for information, they're desperate. Desperate people do stupid things."
"Which is exactly why we need to be ahead of them," Jin said. "We control the narrative. If Josh moves on Marcus, we make sure Nathan knows what he's really after. Power. Control. He doesn't care about the group—he cares about being on top."
Lisa leaned forward. "What about the gold they offered? That's a lot of value for a few guys who were selling barbecue a week ago."
"They've been looting," Mark said. "Taking jewelry, valuables, anything they can carry. I've seen Greg pocketing stuff when he thinks no one's looking."
Jin filed that information away. It wasn't surprising. In the chaos of the cataclysm, some people would always look out for themselves first. But greed made people predictable—and vulnerable.
"Let them take what they want," Jin said. "Gold won't keep them alive when the water runs out. Food, medicine, weapons—that's what matters. And strength."
Simon stood abruptly, pacing to the window. His reflection in the glass was gaunt, hollow. Outside, the fog pressed against the building, thick and unmoving. "I should have killed Marcus when I had the chance."
No one spoke.
"But I didn't," Simon continued, his voice rough. "I chained him up like an animal, told myself I'd figure something out. And now that bastard thinks he can use my son against me."
Jin rose and walked to stand beside him. "Then we make sure he can't. Marcus is still contained. He's not a threat unless someone lets him out. We guard that door. We make it clear that anyone who touches it is crossing a line."
Simon turned to look at him. "And if Josh crosses it anyway?"
"Then we deal with him." Jin's voice was calm, but there was steel underneath. "The apocalypse doesn't care about fair. Neither do I."
They stood in silence for a long moment. Outside, the fog shifted, pressing against the windows like a living thing. Somewhere in the building, a distant thud echoed—someone moving, or something else.
Finally, Simon nodded. "Alright. I'll take first watch on the fifth floor tonight."
"Take Mark with you," Jin said. "I need to work on Fidex."
Mark looked uncertain but nodded. "We'll keep an eye on the door. And on Josh's people."
Lisa rose from her chair. "I'll have my Rat patrol the hallways. If Josh makes a move, we'll know."
"Be careful," Jin said. "Don't let anyone see it. The less they know about what we can do, the better."
Lisa gave a tight smile. "I know how to be sneaky."
As Mark and Simon gathered their things, Mark hesitated at the door. "Jin… about what Simon said. You haven't told us everything about Fidex, have you?"
Jin met his gaze. "No. I haven't."
Mark nodded slowly. "I figured. I'm not asking you to. Just… when you're ready, we're still your team. Whatever you're doing, we've got your back."
He left before Jin could respond.
The door closed, leaving Jin alone with Lisa and the Brilliance Tree. Lisa lingered, her Mutant Rat perched on her shoulder.
"He's right, you know," she said quietly. "We're in this together. Whatever secrets you're keeping, they don't change that."
Jin looked at the wrapped plant on the desk, its crystal pulsing faintly through the fabric. "Some secrets keep people alive. Share too much, and it becomes a weapon against you."
"And keeping too much to yourself?" Lisa tilted her head. "That can drive people away."
Jin didn't answer immediately. He thought of the prompts only he could see, the fusion system that no one else had discovered. If he told them, would they understand? Would they want the same power for themselves? And what would that mean for the fragile balance of their group?
"I'll tell you when the time is right," he said finally. "For now, trust that everything I'm doing is to keep us alive."
Lisa studied him for a moment, then nodded. "That's enough for me. Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be another long day."
She slipped out, her Rat disappearing into the shadows ahead of her.
Jin turned back to the Brilliance Tree. He unwrapped it carefully, exposing the dark branches and the glowing crystal at its crown. In the dim room, its light cast strange shadows across the walls, flickering like a heartbeat.
He reached out and touched the crystal. The cold prompt appeared.
[Found fusion material: Brilliance Crystal. Do you wish to fuse?]
Not yet, he thought. I need to understand what it does first. What it costs.
He withdrew his hand and settled into a chair, keeping watch over the plant, the crystal, and the darkness beyond the window. Fidex stood motionless in the corner, its four arms folded, its metallic skin gleaming faintly in the pale light.
Tomorrow, they would figure out the water situation. Tomorrow, they would deal with Josh. Tomorrow, he would decide what to do with the Brilliance Tree.
But tonight, he would watch. He would wait. And he would keep his secrets close.
The crystal pulsed once, twice, then settled into a steady glow. Outside, the fog pressed against the glass, silent and patient.
Jin closed his eyes, but he did not sleep.
---
End of Chapter 21