The underground chamber pulsed faintly, lit only by the blue glow of the data sphere spinning slowly in the air. Rael stood motionless, eyes fixed on the small boy in the corner of the room—the one he had seen earlier through the surveillance feed.
Now, the boy was real. Still. Silent. Alive.
" Who are you? " Rael asked, voice low and sharp with tension.
The boy didn't answer. He just stared, his eyes pure black, reflecting no light—like voids in human form.
Rael took a step forward. " Which zone are you from? "
This time, the boy spoke. His voice was soft, almost weightless.
" I don't belong to any zone "
Rael frowned. " Impossible. Every citizen, every entity in this world is assigned to one of the ten zones "
" That's exactly why," the boy replied, tilting his head slightly. "I'm not a citizen."
A silence heavier than before settled in the chamber.
" You're an anomaly? "
The boy gave a faint smile. " Or maybe… you are."
Suddenly, the screen behind Rael flickered to life on its own. The ten zones appeared again—but now, a new section had emerged at the bottom:
> Zone-X : Undefined / Commander Unknown
Rael turned slowly. " Zone-X? "
" You can't access it from above," said the boy. " Only those who've seen the cracks in the glass can come here "
Rael glanced at the data sphere. A crack had formed inside it—widening. For a moment, he saw his own face within, older, colder… hollow.
" What is this world, really? " he asked.
The boy took a step forward, calmly.
" One by one, the zones are collapsing. Not because of war. But because the Commanders… forgot they were still human "
---
Surface – Tower Hall, Zone-9
Elane stared at her console, watching as Rael's signal disappeared from the primary network for over fifteen minutes.
" Commander has entered a non-authorized region " the system reported.
Miro rushed over, eyes wide. " That's the primary archive zone. It's supposed to be locked since Cycle-0 "
" If he accesses more than one core file… "Elane muttered, visibly shaken.
Haven, watching from behind, finally spoke—soft, calm, but unmistakably firm:
" Then it's time we stop pretending this is a simulation "
---
Back underground
Rael remained still, his breath steady but heavy. A new file hovered before him, unrequested.
> Protocol: Fractured Commanders
He turned to the boy. " You want me to overthrow the other zones? "
The boy shook his head. " No. I want you to remember… that you once had a mirror "
Rael clenched his fists.
For the first time, he understood—this wasn't a world to be conquered through logic or strategy.
It was a world that would consume him, unless he first understood who he truly was.
And behind every broken glass….
Something was trying to get in.