Kai stirred awake after nearly twenty hours of dreamless sleep. His body felt like lead, each breath slow and reluctant. The alley ledge beneath him was cold, familiar, and safe—hidden high above the streets of Zone Alpha, wedged between forgotten scaffolding and cracked brick.
Below, the world had resumed its rhythm. Cars honked. Civilians hurried. Drones skimmed overhead, blue optics pulsing as they scanned faces and heat signatures for Sovereign's ever-hungry database.
Kai exhaled slowly, watching the city move on without him.
"Nynxreach?" he muttered. "Nah."
He didn't want to see Neo. Or Daniel, or Meredith, or even Forn. Getting close to people—it only ever made things worse.
Part of him knew that was fear talking. Another part—the louder one—didn't care. He liked the quiet. The distance. The clean line between them and him.
He reached into the side of his coat and pulled out the phone Forn had given him. Unlike his battered transponder, this one was newer—sleek, charged, preloaded with a SIM card and Sovereign sync permissions.
One contact already saved in the transponder so he just entered it into the phone.
Tara.
He hesitated, then pressed the call icon.
It rang twice.
"Hello? Who's this?" came her clipped, professional voice.
"Hey. It's Kai. Just wondering about my payment."
"Kai? Kai... Malakai? Oh. Yes, I remember you." A pause followed. "About that—we don't have any records on you. No ID. No entry logs. Nothing. If you can stop by my office at Nynxreach, I'll fill in the blanks, get you a credit account, and we'll handle the rest."
Kai hung up with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
His pack was still stuffed full from the trip—grimy, blood-marked, and half-zipped. He slid it back into the wall grate where it would stay hidden. Some habits died slow.
Then he dropped from the ledge, landing in the alley below without a sound, and started walking.
---
Zone Alpha was alive with movement.
Civilians weaved through traffic like water, ducking beneath flickering ad screens and collapsing umbrellas. Markets spilled into the streets, vendors shouting over the hum of drones. Propaganda posters—some digital, some weather-worn—flashed slogans like:
OBEY RESONANCE LIMITS. REPORT UNREGISTERED BURDENS. THE CONCORD SEES YOU.
Kai ignored it all.
Nynxreach Institute appeared ahead like a fortress of silver and glass—sprawling, high-walled, and humming with runes etched into its alloyed surfaces. Resonant energy pulsed faintly along the perimeter, flowing like veins of light.
He slipped past the outer gates without speaking. Security drones scanned him. His Soulprint pinged on Concords system confirming his status: resonant initiate.
Inside, the grounds teemed with students.
Some practiced boons—floating books, levitating metal, casting brief flickers of flame. Others sat in groups discussing recent rift activity, their voices low, tense. A handful carried visible injuries from missions.
Kai paused when he saw Neo.
Just for a moment.
Neo stood near the courtyard fountain, talking to Forn, her pale hair catching the breeze. Kai felt his chest tighten. He ducked behind a pillar before either of them saw him and waited—counting ten slow breaths before moving on.
He didn't want to explain himself. Didn't want concern.
Didn't want anyone to see the way his hands still trembled.
---
Tara's office was tucked into a quieter wing near the admin level.
The room was small—functional. A metal desk sat beneath a wall-mounted holo display showing student ranks and Concord postings. Filing cabinets were stacked with portfolios. A wide window overlooked the courtyard from above, but the blinds were half drawn.
Tara glanced up from her desk, eyebrows lifting.
"Ah—hello again. Kai, right? You've made quite a name for yourself. The Dead Zone report's still making waves."
She gestured for him to sit.
"I'll be honest, I wasn't supposed to send initiates into something that unstable. You weren't cleared for that depth. So… consider this my apology. And my way of making it up to you."
Kai gave a small nod. He remained standing.
"Let's start with identification. Do you have a birth certificate?"
"No," he muttered.
"Alright… what about birthday, place of birth, residence?"
Kai rubbed the side of his head. "Um… april 24th. I was born here in Zone Alpha. And I don't really have a residence. I'm… between places."
Tara paused, watching him closely. "Homeless?"
He nodded.
She didn't flinch. "That won't be a problem. I've registered worse."
Her fingers flew across the terminal keyboard. "Alright. Linking your Soulprint now. Age—estimated. Status—Resonant Initiate. Payment from the Dead Zone assignment: ten thousand credits, non-taxable due to hazard clause."
A soft beep confirmed the transaction.
Kai's phone buzzed in his pocket.
"All set," she said. "You're officially in the system."
He was already halfway to the door when her voice caught him again.
"Oh—before you go."
He stopped.
"There's a serial killer loose in Zone Alpha. Three Resonants dead in the last week. All young. All initiates. No resonance residue, no traceable soulprints left behind. Whoever's doing it is efficient—and calculated."
Kai turned slightly.
"Bodies were found arranged. Staged like rituals. Soulprint vanished like they're gone which is weird because soulprints tend to linger after death for about 2-3 days before fuzzling out."
Something cold stirred behind his ribs.
"If you're looking for a new assignment," Tara continued, "the Concord's offering bonuses for volunteer investigators. Especially ones with... experience."
Kai's ears twitched.
He didn't speak. Just watched her.
Then, finally—
"Tell me more."