Chapter 6: The Others
The elevator rattled and groaned as it descended deep beneath the city.
Kaito tightened his grip on the side rail, glancing at Aya, who stared grimly at the flickering floor counter.
"Where are we going?" he asked, voice low.
Aya didn't look at him. "Home," she said simply.
The elevator jolted to a halt with a screech. Before Kaito could ask, Aya forced open the rusted doors, revealing a cavernous expanse lit by harsh industrial lights.
Rows of abandoned subway tunnels crisscrossed above and below, twisted with cables and makeshift bridges.
And people.
Dozens of them.
Hackers, ex-corporate defectors, augmented warriors — a hidden community, surviving under the radar of AegisCorp's surveillance.
The Riftborn.
"Welcome to the Rift's Shadow," Aya said, stepping onto a steel platform overlooking the bustling chaos.
Kaito's eyes darted across the scene. Scrappy kids with old cybernetic implants patched bikes; old men tuned stolen tech; women in armored jackets argued over maps and blueprints. The air buzzed with energy — and danger.
A trio approached them.
Leading them was a mountain of a man, arms thick with mechanical grafts, one glowing red eye clicking as he analyzed Kaito.
"New blood?" he rumbled.
Aya nodded. "We need him."
The big man grunted. "We'll see."
Beside him stood a slim woman, her hair silver under the lights, fingers dancing across a virtual keyboard floating from her gauntlet. She didn't bother hiding her distrust, glaring at Kaito like he was an insect.
"I'm Mira," she said coldly. "I don't like tourists."
Kaito bristled but bit back a retort. He had no idea what game he was stepping into — and getting thrown out before he even started wouldn't help him find answers.
The last of the trio was a wiry old man with glasses that projected scrolling diagnostics into the air. His lab coat was scorched and patched in places, and he had the look of someone who hadn't slept in days.
"Dr. Shiro," he said warmly. "I fix what the Rift breaks."
Kaito offered a shaky nod.
Aya leaned in close, whispering in his ear, "They're good people. But trust has to be earned down here."
Kaito swallowed hard, feeling the weight of dozens of unseen eyes boring into him from the shadows.
He wasn't just an outsider.
He was an unknown.
And if he wanted to survive long enough to discover the truth about his father — and the Rift — he'd have to prove he belonged.
No matter what it cost.
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[End of Chapter 6]