The night air in New York City, 3024, is a gritty cocktail of ozone, synthetic fumes, and the distant tang of burning circuits, carried on a breeze that weaves through the city's towering spires. High above the neon-lit chaos of the red-light district, a hidden rooftop sanctuary clings to the edge of a derelict skyscraper, its crumbling facade a relic of a time before machines reshaped the world. The rooftop is a patchwork of scavenged materials: rusted metal sheets form a makeshift canopy, draped with tattered tarps to shield against the city's omnipresent drones. Solar panels, scavenged from abandoned tech hubs, hum faintly, powering a flickering holo-projector that casts a dim glow over a cluttered array of crates, wires, and salvaged tech. The space is a fragile refuge, a secret haven where the city's outcasts can breathe, if only for a moment, away from the watchful eyes of robotic enforcers and Jane's informants. The distant pulse of bass from the district below mingles with the soft crackle of static, a reminder that safety here is fleeting.
Kayden crouches behind a crate, his breath shallow and ragged, his battered body trembling from the adrenaline of their escape from Eden's End. His hoodie, now torn at the sleeve, clings to his sweat-soaked frame, and the bruises on his face throb with each heartbeat. Lila kneels beside him, her sharp eyes scanning the rooftop's perimeter, her hacked holo-device clutched tightly as it pings with alerts of nearby drones. The encounter with Bolt and the pursuing drone has left them exposed, their presence in the district a beacon for Jane's relentless hunt. Kayden's mind races, replaying Bolt's warning: a "light" in him, something Jane fears, tied to plans far beyond a simple debt. The words stir the fragments in his mind—visions of a radiant lake, a flowing black Hanfu, a golden voice that speaks of duty and darkness. The spark within him, the same that fueled his unnatural agility in the alley, pulses faintly, a foreign presence that both terrifies and emboldens him.
"We're clear for now," Lila whispers, her voice taut but steady, her gaze fixed on the holo-device's flickering screen. "Drones are circling the district, but they haven't locked on. That EMP bought us time, but Jane's gonna tighten the net." She tucks the device into her satchel, her cropped hair catching the holo-projector's glow as she turns to Kayden. "You okay? You were moving like you've got rockets in your boots back there. And that glow again—what's with you?"
Kayden's hands tremble as he clenches them, the faint glow on his knuckles fading under his conscious effort to suppress it. "I don't know," he admits, his voice hoarse, tinged with frustration and fear. "It's like… something's inside me, pushing me. I feel it—stronger now, since the P-Mansion. But I don't understand it." He touches the scar on his ear, the impossible healing a mystery that haunts him. "Bolt said Jane's scared of something in me. A 'light.' What does that even mean?"
Lila's brow furrows, her sharp mind piecing together the fragments. "Whatever it is, it's got Jane rattled, and that's not small. She's the queen of this city's underbelly—nothing shakes her. If she's hunting you for more than sport, we need to know why." She pauses, her expression softening. "But you're not alone, Kayden. I'm with you. We'll figure this out, starting with finding that resistance I mentioned. They've got beef with Jane's kind—might know what she's planning."
Kayden nods, grateful for Lila's resolve, but the weight of his situation presses down like the city's towering spires. He's a scavenger, a nobody, yet he's entangled in a web that feels cosmic, as if his life is no longer his own. The spark within him flares briefly, a warmth that courses through his veins, and with it comes a vision—a fleeting image of a grotesque figure on a throne of bones, its countless faces laughing in a void of darkness. He gasps, clutching his chest, the vision fading but leaving a chill that lingers. "Something's coming," he murmurs, the words slipping out before he can stop them. "Something… evil."
Lila's eyes narrow, but before she can respond, the air shimmers, a faint distortion rippling across the rooftop like heat rising from pavement. Kayden's heart lurches, his instincts screaming of danger, but the sensation is different—not the cold menace of Jane's drones but something… otherworldly. A golden light coalesces before them, a stream of glyphs and energy that pulses with purpose, its form fluid yet structured, like a living constellation. Lila scrambles back, her hand on her knife, but Kayden freezes, transfixed, as the light solidifies into a presence he recognizes from his fragmented visions—the System, the divine construct that awakened Zulong in the celestial realm.
"Incarnation detected," the System intones, its voice a resonant blend of authority and exasperation, echoing across the rooftop like a bell in a silent cathedral. "Kayden, vessel of Zulong, your awakening is incomplete. The Void's influence grows, and you dally like a fool. Heed my guidance, or all creation will fall." The glyphs swirl, forming patterns that seem to etch themselves into the air, each one a fragment of cosmic knowledge.
Kayden's breath catches, his mind reeling at the System's words. "What… what are you?" he stammers, his voice trembling with awe and fear. "Zulong? The Void? What's happening to me?" The spark within him surges, responding to the System's presence, and his vision sharpens, the rooftop's details vivid despite the dim light. Lila stares, her knife still raised, but her expression is one of wary fascination, sensing the moment's gravity.
The System's light flares, its tone sharp with frustration. "I am the System, created by the Supreme God to guide His soul fragment—you, or rather, Zulong, whose essence now resides in your mortal shell. You are the 167,568th incarnation, tasked with stopping the Void, a primordial evil that feeds on human negativity. Its prison weakens, and Jane, your pursuer, is a conduit for its power. Her actions amplify the despair that strengthens it. You must awaken your divine potential and stop her, or the Heavenly Divine Prison Realm will shatter, and all existence will crumble."
Kayden's mind spins, the System's words a torrent of concepts too vast for his mortal understanding. "I'm… a god?" he says, incredulous, his voice cracking. "I'm just Kayden, a scavenger! I don't know anything about voids or prisons! Jane killed me—she's after me for some game, not some cosmic war!" His hands clench, the spark within him pulsing in protest, as if urging him to accept the truth he denies.
Lila steps forward, her knife lowered but her stance defensive. "Hold up," she says, her voice cutting through the tension. "You're saying Kayden's some kind of divine warrior? And Jane's tied to this… Void thing? That's insane. He's barely standing, and you're talking about saving the universe?" Her pragmatism anchors the moment, but her eyes flicker with unease, sensing the truth in the System's presence.
The System's glyphs swirl faster, its tone laced with impatience. "Insane or not, it is reality. Kayden is the vessel, chosen to bear Zulong's light. The Void's influence seeps into this city, fueling corruption through figures like Jane. Her 'game' is no mere whim—she senses the divine spark in you, a threat to her master's plans. You must grow stronger, awaken your power, and dismantle her network before the Void breaks free."
Kayden shakes his head, his human fears clashing with the divine instincts stirring within. "I don't want this," he says, his voice raw with desperation. "I just want to know why Jane killed my father, why she's after me. I'm not a hero—I'm nobody!" The words spill out, a confession of his vulnerability, but the spark within him flares, a golden warmth that steadies his trembling hands. Another vision flashes—a man in a black Hanfu, standing before a lake of stars, his eyes burning with resolve. Kayden gasps, the image fading, but it leaves a certainty he can't ignore: he is more than he seems, and running is no longer an option.
The System's light softens, its tone less harsh but still firm. "You are not nobody, Kayden. You carry the Supreme God's essence, a fragment of His divine soul. Your father's death, Jane's pursuit—these are threads in the Void's web, designed to break you. But you survived, reborn by Zulong's light. Deny it, and you doom not just yourself but all creation. Accept it, and you may yet unravel the truth and stop her."
Lila places a hand on Kayden's shoulder, her touch grounding him amidst the cosmic weight of the System's words. "He's right, Kayden," she says, her voice steady despite the strangeness of the moment. "Whatever's in you, it's real. I saw you move back there—nobody runs like that, not after what you've been through. Jane's scared of you, and that's power. Use it. Find out what she's hiding, and we'll take her down together."
Kayden meets her gaze, her fierce resolve a lifeline in the storm of his confusion. The System's presence, Lila's support, and the spark within him converge, forging a fragile determination. "Okay," he says, his voice steadier, though fear still lingers. "Tell me what to do. How do I… awaken this power?"
The System's glyphs pulse with approval, its voice clear and commanding. "Your divine essence is sealed, suppressed to protect your mortal form. To awaken it, you must train—physically, mentally, spiritually. Seek the resistance Lila speaks of; they oppose the city's corruption, unknowingly fighting the Void's influence. They may hold knowledge of Jane's plans. But beware—her reach is vast, and the Void's whispers grow louder. Each moment of despair in this city strengthens it. Move swiftly, or Jane will find you first."
Kayden nods, the weight of his purpose settling like a mantle. "The resistance," he says, glancing at Lila. "Where do we find them?"
Lila's lips curve in a determined smile. "I've got leads—whispers of a hideout in the old industrial sector. They're cagey, but I know people who know people. We'll track them down, but we need to lay low tonight. Jane's drones are still hunting." She gestures to the rooftop's canopy, its tarps fluttering in the breeze. "This place is safe for now. Rest, eat, then we move at dawn."
The System's light begins to fade, its glyphs dissolving into the air. "I will return when you are ready to train," it says, its voice a fading echo. "Do not falter, Kayden. The cycle depends on you." With a final pulse, it vanishes, leaving the rooftop in the dim glow of the holo-projector. The silence that follows is heavy, broken only by the distant hum of the city and the crackle of static.
Kayden slumps against the crate, exhaustion crashing over him like a wave. The spark within him pulses faintly, a reminder of the power he doesn't yet understand, but Lila's presence anchors him. She rummages through her satchel, pulling out another can of protein paste and a water pouch, handing them to him with a wry grin. "Eat," she says. "Heroes need fuel, right?"
Kayden manages a weak smile, the act of eating grounding him in his human body even as Zulong's essence stirs. "Thanks, Lila," he says, his voice soft but sincere. "For sticking with me. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Lila shrugs, but her eyes soften. "Don't get sappy on me. We've got work to do." She settles beside him, her holo-device scanning for drone activity, her small frame a bulwark against the city's chaos. As Kayden eats, his mind churns with the System's words—Zulong, the Void, Jane as a conduit. The visions of the lake and the throne of bones linger, a puzzle he's only beginning to unravel. The spark within him, though faint, is a beacon, guiding him toward a truth he both fears and craves.
Far below, in the P-Mansion's fortified core, Jane sits in a dimly lit chamber, her crimson eyes glinting as she reviews drone footage of Kayden's escape. A hooded figure stands beside her, its voice a low rasp that echoes with the Void's malice. "The light grows stronger," it warns. "He must be extinguished before he awakens fully." Jane's lips curl into a predatory smile, her laughter a chilling echo of the Void's own. In the Heavenly Divine Prison Realm, the chains tremble, their golden light dimming as the Void's countless faces grin, sensing the cycle's turning. Kayden/Zulong's path is set, and the clash of light and shadow draws ever closer