Elara sat on the broken street, breathing slowly as the ground stopped shaking. The primal vein's glow faded behind her, and the hidden city's collapse was over. The air smelled like dust and old metal, the third shard's light weak against the cracked walls covered in twisted vines.
She held the disruptor in her hands, feeling tired but safe. The ruined city of San Francisco towered above, its jagged skyline dark after the storms. Lira leaned against her, her mind sending a quiet message of peace.
Kael stood nearby, his big frame calm, rifle on his back. Nyx sat on a fallen beam, her lenses soft, hands still. Vey sat close, his holo-map off, face full of thought. Saria watched the area, her energy waves low, her steady presence comforting.
"We got out alive," Elara said, her voice soft but firm.
"But we can't rush at Calder yet. We need to learn more—about Project Nexus, where Flux came from, and even if I really made the Weave."
She thought about Mira's sad eyes and the bloodline's call. It made her wonder—was she the creator, or just part of Calder's big trick?
Kael nodded, his gruff voice low. "My gift can help. I travel memories, but it's hard without the shard's energy to guide me. I almost got lost back there. Now, with it, I can look into the past if we find clues."
He touched his head, showing he was ready to try.
Nyx looked up, her quick mind turning. "I can't hack Calder's whole setup by myself. We need more help or old records. Maybe there's data we can use."
She tapped her device, thinking hard.
Saria spoke, her voice gentle.
"Flux belongs to ancient heritages like the Luminants. My people guarded it for centuries. I can ask the elders for its history." Her hands glowed softly, a sign of her rare power.
Vey added, his voice shaky.
"My brother's with Calder. The map might track him, and it's linked to Project Nexus. We should dig into that. He turned the map on, studying the lines.
Lira squeezed Elara's hand, her mind sending, We'll find answers. Her weak energy steadied, showing her support.
They agreed to take it slow and plan. They found a safe hideout, an old apartment with dusty couches and cracked windows.
The city outside buzzed with life. Bright neon lights—pink, blue, green—flashed across the night sky. Hover cars zoomed by, their quiet engines a new sound. People wore shiny clothes with glowing patches, some with cybernetic arms or eyes that lit up.
Holo-ads floated in the air, selling chips and gadgets powered by rare tech. The streets smelled of metal and street food, a mix of progress and decay.
Tall towers gleamed with rich folks, while tent cities crowded the alleys, showing the gap between rich and poor.
Over the next two weeks, they dug into the past. Kael used his memory gift on old tech scraps found in the ruins, seeing bits of Project Nexus.
He saw people in white coats, Lira tied to a table, and failed tests with stolen Flux.
"They took Flux from Luminants," he said. "It hurt a lot of people."
He looked worn out but kept going, relying on the shard to stay safe.
Nyx searched the city's black market, meeting a group called the Circuit. These hackers had glowing tattoos and old Synapsis files, but they wanted payment.
She traded a lens part and some credits, getting logs about Project Nexus labs.
"They stole Flux from Luminant sites," she said. "Calder forced the tests, even on kids." The files showed Lira's name and others, a grim history.
Saria contacted Luminant elders through a secret comms link in a hidden cave. They sent holo-scrolls, explaining Flux came from deep earth veins, known only to their ancient line since the 1800s.
"We kept it safe," Saria said. "Calder's people raided us in the 2050s, took samples, and made weapons."
The scrolls hinted at a primal vein under the bay, guarded by old rites.
Vey studied his map, finding Project Nexus sites—empty labs under the city.
"My brother worked there" he said. "He might know how they got Flux."
His hands shook as he marked the spots, hoping for answers.
Lira linked their minds, We're getting closer. Her energy grew, helping them share thoughts.
Elara's doubts deepened. She remembered coding the Weave, but Calder's voice kept popping up in her mind, giving orders.
"Did I just follow her lead?" she asked, her voice quiet.
They visited an old lab, its walls rusty and full of broken machines. Neon lights from outside cast long shadows. Hover drones patrolled, but they snuck in at dawn. Inside, they found dusty files—Project Nexus logs, Flux thefts from Luminants, and Elara's name on Weave drafts.
But Calder's name was there too, dated years before Elara joined. "She planned this," Elara whispered, her hands shaking. A video showed Calder meeting Luminant traitors, stealing Flux samples.
Kael dived into the video's memory, seeing Calder bribe the traitors, plant Elara's name, and test the Weave on unwilling subjects.
"She framed you," he said, pulling out with a frown.
"The Weave was her idea, not yours." He needed rest, the shard's energy draining him.
Nyx copied the files, her device humming. "I'll need the Circuit to spread this, but it's risky. They want more credits and a safe drop."
She planned a meeting, taking days to arrange.
Saria found more holo-scrolls, showing the bay vein's location.
"It's protected by Luminant spirits," she said.
"We need permission to go there." Her energy pulsed, ready to ask the elders again.
Vey traced a signal to his brother's last spot—a warehouse near the docks.
"He's there," he said. "But Calder's guards are thick."
His voice showed hope and fear as he planned a way in.
Lira's mind sent, Truth is near. Her energy linked them, easing Elara's worries. They spent another week gathering credits from scrap sales and studying the files.
One evening, they met the Circuit in a basement lit by glowing signs. The hackers, with cyber-eyes and patched coats, traded files for a plan to leak the truth.
"Calder's got spies," a leader warned. "You need proof from the vein or her lab."
They suggested Vey's brother again, leaving Elara unsure if he could be trusted.
Back at the apartment, Elara stared at the files.
"If I didn't make the Weave, what was I doing? Was I" Her doubts grew, but the bloodline's call pushed her to keep searching. They decided to seek the bay vein next, uncover Flux's origin, and find Vey's brother for more answers.
The city glowed outside, a mix of hope and secrets, their new path unfolding.