The silence between Damien and Myles held weight. It was not hostile, but heavy with calculation. The kind of silence that spoke of a thousand lived battles and the patience to wait for the right moment to strike.
Myles finally broke it. "You think you are building something important. So prove it."
Damien met his gaze. "You already know who I am. You saw my domain claim. You saw the corrupted wave."
"I did," Myles said. "And I watched you survive it. That is why I am still here."
Nova stepped forward, her presence calm but edged. "Time is short. You can scan him later. We need to move before this tunnel floods."
Myles tilted his head slightly. "That is the first smart thing either of you has said."
He flicked his wrist. A signal burst from his interface, illuminating a hidden door behind him. It slid open with a groan of twisting light.
"This way. We will talk while we walk."
They followed him through the door and into a narrow corridor carved into unstable system code. The walls shimmered and shook like jelly made of glass. Occasionally, sparks burst from cracks in the floor, and Damien had to dodge sharp edges that flickered in and out of existence.
"This whole area is collapsing," Nova muttered.
Myles nodded. "It has been for months. The system does not bother repairing it. Too far out from the core. But that also means it does not watch here."
Damien listened carefully. That kind of space was valuable. A blind zone in a world where surveillance never slept.
After several minutes of walking, they entered a chamber made entirely of frozen light. Inside were broken machines, damaged cores, and glowing fragments that hovered like stars in a glass jar.
"This is where I stay," Myles said. "No system influence. No network connection. And no random invaders."
Damien stepped into the room, sensing its stillness. It was rare to find any place in the Supremacy System that felt truly private.
Myles turned to him. "Now tell me why I should care about your mission."
Damien wasted no time.
"There is something bigger coming. You feel it. The Revenant is not just claiming zones. They are building toward something. The system itself is reacting."
Myles nodded slowly. "I have seen signs. Sectors that should not exist. Broken data forming patterns. Red sky warnings."
"Exactly," Damien said. "And if we do not act, they will take everything before we even understand what we lost."
Nova added, "We need scouts. Ghosts who can see without being seen. If we wait for the system to give us permission, we lose."
Myles looked at her, then back to Damien. His face gave little away, but his eyes had a glint of interest.
"You talk like a man who has lost before," he said.
"I have," Damien replied.
Myles paused. Then he tapped his interface.
Ally Request Sent: Myles
Class: Ghost
Skill Bonus: Hidden Paths Unlocked
Current Loyalty: Unknown
Damien accepted without hesitation.
Another chime echoed in the air.
Ally Slot Two Filled
Quest Complete: Form Your Circle
Next Tier Unlocked
The map updated instantly. Several fogged areas brightened, revealing outlines of hidden zones and moving icons that had previously been invisible.
Nova's eyes widened. "Look at that."
Myles raised an eyebrow. "That is new."
Damien opened his interface and saw a message flash across the top of the screen.
New Tier Reached: Sector Access Expanded
New Quest: Confront the Revenant
Optional: Discover the Architect's Trace
The name hit Damien like a knife.
The Architect.
The one behind the poison.
The one who had ruined everything.
He closed the menu slowly.
"We move at dawn," he said.
Myles smirked. "There is no dawn here."
"Then we make one," Damien replied.