The alarm didn't go off. It was the cold itself that pulled Kai out of shallow sleep, his muscles stiff, his mind trying to cling to a few more seconds of peace before facing the world again. He stayed there, lying down, listening to Lina cough softly on the other side of the room, the sound weak but constant, reminding him of everything at stake. The sky outside seemed even grayer, and the fog came in through the crack in the window, making the air almost solid.
Kai got up slowly, dragging himself through the silent house, checked on Lina, and adjusted the blanket over her thin shoulders. He wanted to stay there, protecting his sister from that world, but he knew that if he didn't go, there wouldn't even be enough for the next week. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the tightness in his chest, and put on his jacket. Before leaving, he left the medicine within Lina's reach, a glass of water beside it, and half an apple. He looked at his sister for a moment, wanting to believe that coming back would be easy.
Out on the street, the city was suffocated by fog, a strange silence swallowing the voices and footsteps of the few who crossed the sidewalks. Kai moved quickly, dodging puddles and thrown cans, trying not to attract anyone's attention. He passed the same corner with the bulletin board, where old missing person notices and expedition job offers mixed, each torn paper carrying the scent of fear. He didn't waste time there. The warehouse where they marked the departure was already open, with dim light from hanging lamps and collectors scattered around, each more suspicious than the other.
He entered without saying anything, handed the crumpled form to the group leader, the chubby man with the scruffy beard who no longer seemed to remember anyone by name, only by the type of core on their chest. Kai felt the man's gaze scan his body, pausing for a second on the strange glow under his shirt. He pretended not to notice, preferring to busy himself adjusting his mask and checking the tools, all old, secondhand, but still able to save someone, with luck.
The mood was tense, no one exchanged jokes or even said good morning. One of the veterans, bald, his arm marked with scars, was packing his backpack non-stop, glancing at Kai out of the corner of his eye. When he noticed the boy looking at him, he shook his head, letting out an almost inaudible mutter, something like "deeper in the pit, huh." Kai ignored it, used to being the odd one in any room. He just needed to do the job, get the credits, and go back to Lina.
A sharp whistle sounded, cutting through the silence, calling everyone to line up. The leader explained quickly, wasting no time with names. "Nexo 17, simple mission. Collect stones from the outer areas, no heroics. If you get lost, that's your problem. The payment is divided equally, but only if you come back whole. Weird cores go up front. And, if any are left, we count them later." He laughed alone, the others didn't even pretend to join in.
Kai felt the hostility in the air but didn't let it show. He grabbed his collection tool, checked the rusty knife at his waist, and the small energy detector with almost no battery. Deep down, he knew that nobody there trusted him, some considered him bad luck, others just didn't want to share with one more desperate face. He did his best to disappear in the middle of the group, trying to look smaller than he already was.
They all went together to the terminal. The Nexo portal was a metal arch patched up, wires hanging down, lights flickering out of sync. Union soldiers watched the passage, looking everyone up and down, but let the group pass quickly, as if speed was more important than the safety of those going in. Nobody wanted collectors hanging around too long.
Crossing the portal was always the same sensation: the air changed weight, the light seemed to lose color, and the sound of the real world disappeared, replaced by a suffocating silence, broken only by footsteps and the whispers of electricity running through cables in the walls. The floor of Nexo 17 was slippery, covered in blue moss, and the walls pulsed with a cold light, as if the whole place was breathing along with the intruders.
The most experienced collectors took the lead, advancing through narrow corridors, lighting the way with short-beam flashlights. Kai lagged behind, together with other rookies and rejects, each trying not to draw attention. They were ordered to search the outer areas, far from the big energy stones, but supposedly far from real danger too. The truth is, inside there, every place was dangerous, the creatures that inhabited the Nexo followed no human rules.
Kai tried to focus on the job, but couldn't ignore the pulsing of the core in his chest, an uncomfortable vibration, growing more intense as he moved through the living corridors. Every step echoed with fear and tension, the walls seemed to close in, and the smell of damp mixed with ozone filled his nose. The air was heavy, hard to breathe, and shadows danced at the slightest movement of light.
Early in the search, a small accident became a reason for mockery. One of the rookies, tripping on a dark root crossing the floor, dropped some of his tools, making a noise too loud. The leader shouted curses from the end of the hall, and the veterans laughed, but the laughter didn't last; everyone was too scared to pretend this was an adventure. Kai helped the boy gather his things, but in return only got a suspicious look.
As they collected small stones, the tension grew. One of the veterans, impatient, said, "You two there, if you're good for nothing else, at least be bait if a monster shows up." Nobody replied, they just kept working, faster and faster, eyes always on the dark. The mood there wasn't one of a team, it was every man for himself, ready to ditch the other if needed.
Suddenly, the ground shook. First, lightly, almost imperceptibly, just enough for Kai to feel his core speed up. Then stronger, the walls vibrating, blue dust falling from the ceiling. Someone ahead screamed, the sound muffled but clearly full of panic. The leader came running, sweating, eyes wide. "Everyone to the evacuation point, now! No arguing!"
The group split up instantly, each running down a different corridor, shoving, stumbling, dropping tools, bags, even some of the stones they'd collected. Kai tried to keep up, but soon got lost in the confusion, the path changing as the Nexo trembled again, the lights flickering harder, corridors seeming to stretch and bend as the whole place woke up to something bad.
Kai ran by instinct, trying to remember the path he'd taken to get there. He felt something brush his leg, turned quickly, but only saw a shadow fleeing through a crack in the floor. His heart raced, and his core was now shining even stronger, as if trying to warn him of a danger he couldn't see. He heard distant voices, echoes of orders, shouts and pleas for help, but it was impossible to know where they were coming from.
In his hurry, he slipped in a viscous puddle, banged his knee hard, let out a quiet curse and felt the cut sting. There was no time to check, he just got up, wiped his hand on his jacket, and kept going, guided by the memory of the entrance and by pure fear. The sound of hurried footsteps came and went, and Kai realized he couldn't see anyone from the group anymore.
He tried to use the energy detector, but the battery was dead for good, leaving only a silent crackle in the air. The others' flashlights were no longer visible, and the corridor narrowed, tightening his chest with fear. He felt his hand sweat, his body shake. For a moment, he thought about stopping, leaning against the wall and waiting for it to pass, but the image of Lina, alone at home, coughing, wouldn't let him give up.
Suddenly, a muffled explosion shook the whole Nexo. The ground vibrated, dust fell in a cascade. A door ahead slammed shut with a crash, blocking the way back. Kai hit the metal surface, shouting for help, but no one answered. Now the corridor was his alone, his breathing heavy, his core pulsing like never before. He felt that at any moment, something could come out of the shadows and take everything from him.
In the dark, all that was left was to move forward. Kai forced himself to walk, each step a battle against panic. He heard a whisper behind him, turned quickly, but it was only the echo of his own breathing. The walls throbbed gently, as if they had veins, and the blue moss glowed, creating patterns that disappeared as he got close. He felt watched, faceless eyes hidden in every corner.
Finally, a faint light appeared at the end of the corridor. Kai ran, ignoring the pain in his knee, and reached an open room, full of old boxes and rusted equipment. It was the old Nexo supply depot, according to the veterans' rumors. The place seemed untouched, but the silence was absolute, the kind of silence that carries an invisible threat.
Kai leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath, listening to his heart pounding in his chest. He searched the place, found a piece of cloth to stop the bleeding from the cut, and tried to organize his thoughts. He knew he needed to get out of there before the Nexo changed again. While he was thinking about his next step, he heard, again, a distant noise, something dragging itself through the corridors, something that wasn't human.
With trembling hands, he grabbed his knife, ready for anything. He looked around, searching for an alternative exit. At the back of the storage room, a half-open door revealed a corridor filled with blue mist. Kai's heart raced, but staying still wasn't an option. He gathered his courage and entered the corridor, guided by survival instinct, by fear, and above all, by the silent promise to return to Lina.
Every step forward was a victory over his own despair, but the Nexo seemed to whisper that surviving there would have a higher price than he could have imagined.