The underground market erupted into panic. Merchants abandoned their stalls. Families grabbed their children. The market guards shouted as they pushed people toward the exits.
"Move!"
"Leave everything behind!"
"Don't stop running!"
Kai stood frozen for only a second.
The deep pulse echoed through the station again. The Echo Core inside Mira's satchel answered with another pulse. His System appeared.
---
[WARNING]
Unknown Entity Responding to Echo Core
Threat Level: Unknown
Estimated Arrival: Immediate
---
Kai looked at Mira. "You really couldn't leave it alone, could you?"
Mira held the satchel close to her chest. "It was too interesting."
Kai sighed. "That's not a reason."
"It is to me."
Before Kai could answer, the concrete floor cracked. A massive black crystal claw burst through the ground. People screamed. The claw slammed into an empty merchant stall, reducing it to splinters.
A creature slowly pulled itself out of the broken floor. It was nearly eight feet tall. Its body looked almost human, but black crystal covered its skin. Purple light flowed through deep cracks across its chest and arms. Its face had no eyes, only a smooth surface with glowing lines that slowly turned toward Mira.
The System reacted instantly.
---
[VEIL CREATURE DETECTED]
Designation: Echo Stalker
Threat Level: D+
Behavior Analysis:
Tracks high resonance Echoes.
Primary Target...
Echo Core.
---
The creature let out a deep growl. Without warning, it charged straight toward Mira.
Kai grabbed her shoulder and pulled her backward. The creature's claw sliced through the air where her head had been. Concrete exploded behind them.
Mira stared at Kai. "You saved me."
Kai looked at her. "I'd appreciate it if you stayed alive."
She smiled. "I knew you liked me."
"I said nothing close to that."
The Echo Stalker attacked again. Kai stepped forward.
Reginald's calm voice echoed inside his head. "Left shoulder."
Kai moved before he realized he had made the decision. The claw missed him by inches. Marcus's Combat Echo shifted his balance naturally. His body moved with practiced precision.
The creature paused. Then attacked again. Kai barely blocked the strike with a broken metal pole. The impact shattered the pole in half. Kai jumped backward.
"We need a better plan."
Mira looked down at the satchel. "I have one."
Kai blinked. "You have a plan?"
"I usually do." She reached inside her bag and pulled out a small metal cylinder with glowing blue lines carved into its surface.
Kai frowned. "What is that?"
"My invention."
"What does it do?"
She smiled proudly. "I've never tested it."
Kai stared at her. "...That wasn't the answer I wanted."
Mira ignored him. She pressed a small button on the side. The cylinder began humming softly.
Lira's expression changed immediately. "Mira..."
"What?"
"That device is disturbing the Fate Threads."
Mira smiled. "Good. It means it's working."
Kai slowly backed away from her. "I suddenly have very little confidence."
The Echo Stalker roared again. It charged. Mira threw the cylinder toward the creature. The device landed beneath its feet.
For one second, nothing happened. Then a burst of blue energy exploded outward. The creature stumbled. Purple light flickered across its body. Its movements became uneven.
The System updated.
---
[NOTICE]
Echo Resonance Disrupted
Target synchronization temporarily unstable.
Duration...
Ten seconds.
---
Kai looked at Mira. "You actually built that?"
She folded her arms proudly. "Of course. It only has a forty percent success rate."
Kai blinked. "Forty?"
She nodded. "It succeeded this time."
"I feel like you're ignoring the other sixty percent."
The creature roared louder than before. The blue energy began fading.
"It's recovering!" Lira shouted.
Kai tightened his grip on the broken metal rod in his hand. "We need to finish this now."
Lira closed her eyes. The silver ribbon around her wrist floated into the air. Thin glowing threads spread across the station. They surrounded the creature.
Kai had seen Lira use her ability before. Never like this.
She slowly opened her eyes. "There." She pointed toward the monster's chest. "The future keeps breaking there."
Kai looked carefully. For a brief moment, he saw a tiny crack glowing beneath the crystal armor.
Reginald immediately spoke. "Probability of success... eighty-three percent."
Marcus answered without words. Kai's muscles tightened. His breathing slowed. Every instinct told him exactly when to move.
Kai lowered his body. The Echo Stalker roared. Then both of them charged at the same time.
Kai sprinted toward the Echo Stalker. The creature swung its massive crystal claw.
Reginald's calm voice echoed inside his mind. "Three steps to the left."
Kai moved without hesitation. The claw missed him by inches. Marcus's combat instincts immediately took over. His feet planted firmly on the ground. His shoulders turned. His breathing slowed.
The Echo Stalker attacked again. Kai ducked beneath the strike and drove the broken metal rod toward the glowing crack in its chest. The creature twisted at the last second. The rod scraped across its crystal armor and bounced away.
Kai jumped back. "It moved!"
Reginald answered calmly. "It learned."
The creature growled and charged again. This time it was faster. Kai barely avoided the attack.
As he rolled across the ground, a strange feeling washed over him. His posture changed. His expression became calm. Then he spoke.
"This brute has absolutely no appreciation for proper technique."
Kai froze. "...What?"
The creature attacked again. Kai elegantly brushed dust from his sleeve before dodging. "I spent good money on this jacket."
Mira stared at him. "You were almost cut in half!"
Kai pointed at the monster. "That is hardly an excuse for poor manners."
Mira blinked. Lira sighed. "The overlap is happening during the fight."
Kai grabbed his head. "No..." He looked horrified. "Not now."
Reginald's voice remained perfectly calm. "Your composure has improved significantly."
Kai groaned. "I don't want improved composure!"
The Echo Stalker roared. It slammed both claws into the floor. Large pieces of concrete flew toward them.
Mira quickly pulled another device from her satchel. It looked like a flat metal disk covered with tiny glowing symbols.
Kai looked at her. "Please tell me you've tested that one."
"...Once."
Kai stared. "How did it go?"
"It exploded."
Kai sighed. "I walked right into that answer."
Mira threw the disk anyway. It landed beneath the creature. A pulse of blue light spread across the floor. The crystal monster suddenly slowed. Its movements became heavy, as if something invisible were pulling it downward.
"It worked!" Mira shouted.
Kai looked surprised. "It actually worked."
Mira smiled proudly. "I improved the design. For once."
Lira's silver ribbon floated higher into the air. The glowing Fate Threads appeared again. This time there were dozens of them. Some stretched into darkness. Others ended suddenly.
Lira focused on one thread. Then she pointed toward the creature. "Kai! The crack moved!"
Kai followed her finger. The glowing weakness had shifted from the creature's chest to its left shoulder.
Reginald immediately calculated the opening. "Attack now."
Marcus's instincts flooded Kai's body. He ran forward. The Echo Stalker broke free from Mira's device. It swung its claw one last time.
Kai slid beneath the attack. Without thinking, he jumped onto a pile of broken concrete. He pushed himself into the air. The broken metal rod came down with all his strength. It struck the glowing crack.
For a second, nothing happened. Then the crystal split apart. Purple light burst from inside the creature. The Echo Stalker let out a deafening scream. Its body cracked from head to toe. A moment later, it exploded into thousands of black crystal fragments that dissolved into dust.
Silence filled the market. Nobody moved.
Kai landed on one knee. He let out a long breath. "We're alive."
Mira laughed. "Barely."
Kai looked at her. "This is entirely your fault."
She smiled. "I know. But you have to admit..." She held up the Echo Core. "...that was exciting."
Kai opened his mouth to argue. Instead, he heard himself say, "An adventure worthy of distinguished company."
He immediately covered his mouth. "Oh, come on!"
Mira burst into laughter. "There he goes again!"
Kai straightened his jacket without realizing it. "I simply refuse to appear untidy after defeating such a common creature."
He stopped. His eyes widened. "I didn't mean to say that."
Reginald remained silent.
Kai looked down at his trembling hands. The words had felt natural. Too natural.
Lira stepped closer. She looked into Kai's eyes for a long moment. Then she quietly said, "It's getting worse."
Kai looked at her. "What is?"
"The threads." She lowered her voice. "Every time you use an Echo, your own thread becomes weaker."
Kai's smile disappeared.
The System appeared.
---
[WARNING]
Echo Synchronization Complete
Current Overlap Risk: 35%
Identity Drift Increasing
Recommendation:
Reduce Echo Usage
---
Kai stared at the warning. He remembered his mother's face. No, he remembered that he had forgotten it. What would disappear next? His father's voice? His childhood? His own name?
For the first time since gaining the System, Kai was afraid of becoming stronger.
Far above the underground market, a Hunter observation device blinked once. A signal was transmitted through the Veil. Priority Target Confirmed. Echo Signature Expanding. Hunter Response Authorized.
Deep within the fractured Veil, something opened its eyes.