Chapter 9: Threadwalkers and Threadbreakers
Date: 2742-08-22
Time: 04:32 AM
Location: Backstreets, Kyoto Outer District
Ren crouched in the alley for about fifteen minutes, half-expecting time to stop again or for a feathered death-cult to sniff him out like a glowing snack.
But nothing happened.
No system whisper. No Core glow. Just the hum of distant traffic and the smell of rain-soaked trash.
He slowly stood up and whispered, "You picking up anything?"
Define 'anything.' Because all I've got is low-grade dimensional residue, a funky Thornkind pheromone trail, and the strong emotional stench of betrayal. Oh—and the residual pain in your chest like you just swallowed a goddamn fusion battery.
Ren rolled his eyes. "So… not helpful."
Correct. Welcome to my TED Talk.
He tapped the side of his head. "Can you scan for the core shard?"
Already did. Tried three different spectrums. Even jiggled the metaphysical antenna. No dice. Either the fragment got moved, shielded, or went on vacation.
Ren exhaled, adjusted his hoodie, and stepped out of the alley like a man who had definitely not just glitched time and spied on armed aliens.
Location: Downtown Kyoto – Residential Loop Road
He took the long route home, head down, hands deep in his jacket pockets. The city was still mostly asleep, but the sky was softening at the edges — a hint of blue bleeding into the dark.
Then a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Ren?"
He looked up.
Maya.
She was wearing an oversized hoodie and sneakers, carrying a bag of breakfast bread and looking mildly suspicious.
"You're up early," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Or… not up at all?"
Ren chuckled, forcing casual. "Could ask you the same."
"I have insomnia," she replied, smirking. "You look like you just got back from punching a demon in the face."
You did. You literally did. Well, metaphorically. Still counts.
Ren coughed to hide a laugh. "Rough night."
They fell into step side-by-side.
"You vanished yesterday," Maya said, giving him a side-eye. "Didn't answer messages. I thought you were dead, abducted, or worse — trapped in another Zoom meeting."
Say 'trapped in another dimension' and see how she reacts. DO IT. I DARE YOU.
Ren grinned awkwardly. "Yeah, sorry. I've been… dealing with some personal stuff. Weird stuff."
"Like weird-weird, or just tax fraud?"
Say 'interdimensional existential crisis.' Or 'alien elf heart-surgery.' I'm begging you.
"Just... work burnout," Ren lied.
"Hmm." Maya didn't press. "You wanna grab coffee?"
"Rain check. I have to get home. My… roommate's not doing great."
Understatement of the fucking century. She murdered a riftbeast with her ribcage half-collapsed.
Maya nodded, smiling slightly. "You're always weird. But thanks for not being boring."
They exchanged a brief wave, then split at the next corner.
Time: 04:57 AM
Location: Ren's Apartment
He entered quietly.
The apartment was dim, lit only by the amber glow of a desk lamp. Lirael sat at the kitchen table, her cloak hanging over the chair, a steaming mug in her hands.
She didn't look up.
"You went to the warehouse," she said quietly.
Ren froze, halfway to taking off his jacket. "...Yeah."
"How much did you see?"
He exhaled. "Enough."
Silence stretched between them.
"I saw the shard," he added. "And I think it saw me back."
Lirael finally looked up.
Her eyes were tired — older than her face.
"I tried to warn them not to bring it here," she said. "But they're desperate. They've all lost homes. Families. Worlds. They think the shards will save them."
"They looked like they were preparing for war," Ren said carefully.
"They are." She sipped the mug. "But not just against The Fallen."
Ren sat down across from her. "They looked at me like I was a threat."
"You are," she said. "You carry something ancient. And broken. And powerful. You shine like a beacon to beings who've been in the dark for too long."
"Great," he muttered. "So I'm not just a guy with a smartass eyeball and a glowing chest. I'm a goddamn lighthouse for the multiverse."
Correction: A sarcastic lighthouse with no sense of direction and a low coffee budget.
"Shut up Vortex" he whispers silently.
"What is the Core really, Lirael?" he asked. "Why does it do… all this?"
She looked at him for a long moment. Then said softly:
"The Aetherium Core wasn't made to destroy. It was made to choose."
"Choose?"
She nodded. "Time. Fate. Worlds. You're carrying a key that rewrites paths. And pieces of it are still out there — each one drawn to the next."
Ren leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "And what happens if I collect all of them?"
Lirael hesitated.
Then said, "You either become everything."
"...Or?"
"Or nothing at all."