The hideout was quiet.
Too quiet.
Jaden stood in front of the wall of maps, red string trailing between sectors and names—some crossed out, some circled. Lena's name was still there, pinned near Sector Seven.
He hadn't touched it since she died.
Tess approached from behind, her voice low and measured. "You didn't sleep again."
"I'll sleep when Eclipse is ash," he said flatly.
Tess didn't argue. They had work to do.
Later that evening, Jaden ventured beyond the hideout alone.
Sector Six was too quiet—no infected, no scavengers. Just silence. That meant danger.
It didn't take long to find it.
The creature wasn't like the others.
Towering, half-fused to rusted chains, its back was covered in plated bone and scorched metal. Glowing eyes burned with eerie intelligence.
[Warning: Unique Variant Detected]Name: Bound RevenantThreat Level: High
Jaden raised his weapon, but the Revenant was already charging. He barely dodged in time, Phase Trigger activating with a gasp of mist and smoke. He reappeared behind it, knife drawn, but the blade barely pierced its hide.
The Revenant roared and backhanded him into a cracked pipe.
System Alert: Critical Encounter Active. Optional Objective Generated.Quest: Survive and Analyze the Bound Revenant.Reward: Skill Upgrade – Identification
Jaden's ribs ached. Blood trickled down his temple.
Thinking fast, he kicked a valve, sending a blast of hot steam into the corridor. The Revenant lunged—blindly—and he moved. One last Phase, a pivot behind its neck, and a desperate stab beneath the exposed plating.
It screeched—mechanical and human—and collapsed.
The Lock System pulsed.
Quest Complete.Identification Skill Upgraded.New Passive Ability Acquired: Loyalty SenseYou can now see Loyalty Points of individuals who have spent time with you. Range increases with proximity and shared combat.
Jaden stood slowly, watching as numbers and names began to overlay faintly in his vision. Tess, back at the hideout:Loyalty: 87/100.A steady, unwavering light.
When he returned, Marcus and Raya were already there—waiting in the main hall.
Jaden studied them.
Marcus stood tall, scarred, built like a human battering ram. He leaned on a massive sledgehammer, the same one he'd used to fight the guards at the prison rig.
Loyalty: 53/100. Rising.
"I didn't join you for sympathy," Marcus said, cutting the silence. "Eclipse took my brother. Said he tested 'positive'—whatever that means. I tracked them as far as Sector Twelve. Lost the trail. Then I saw what you did. What you're building." He paused. "I want in. Not for revenge. For purpose."
Raya leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes distant.
Loyalty: 44/100. Flickering.
"They used me as bait," she muttered. "I was part of a decoy team. They left us behind the moment a variant showed up." Her fingers twitched like she still felt the betrayal. "I don't care about your speeches. But if you're really taking Eclipse apart? Then I'll fight. Just… don't lie to me."
Jaden nodded slowly. He didn't promise safety. Or victory. Just war.
The Loyalty Points shifted again.
Marcus: 57/100Raya: 48/100
Getting there.
He turned to Tess, who had remained silent, watching him.
"This is the start," Jaden said. "We scout supply routes. Hit Eclipse labs. Build strength. Real strength. Not just weapons—people."
Tess nodded. "It's slower this way. But it'll last."
Jaden turned toward Lena's name still pinned to the map. His voice tightened.
"They killed her to break me."
Tess stepped forward. "They failed."
His Lock System pulsed again.
Lock #013: Command Thread—Active.Link established: Marcus, Raya, Tess.Effect: Minor boost to response time.Stronger with Loyalty.
Jaden stared at the glowing names.
Three people. Not much.
But now, with Loyalty Sense, he could finally see clearly.
Not just enemies.
But allies.
The kind worth fighting for.
And the kind who'd follow him when the real war began.