That night, they sheltered beneath the fractured remains of a skeletal tree in the forest they were in.
If this place had a night it'd be terrifying.
Kael stared into a flickering Red fire, a construct of pure energy conjured by Echo.
"So," Kael began, voice rough, "explain all this. The Nexus."
Echo's eyes flickered softly.
"The Nexus measures survival by suffering and pain. Strength is not skill but endurance and hardship. The more you sacrifice yourself and your very being, the more the system rewards you for your sacrifice"
[Kael]"So, it's about how much pain you can take?"
[Echo]"Correct. The brink of death is where growth happens."
[Kael] shook his head. "That's insane."
[Echo]"It's effective."
His hands trembled. The memory of the Glass Widow's claws was still raw in his memory.
[Kael]"What if I die, No one around all alone!!"
Echo paused, her gaze distant.
[Echo]"Your system resets. Progress is lost—permanently and your very being disappears"
[Kael]"And if I don't?"
[Echo]"You transcend humanity's limits. Become a Nexus user. The rules no longer apply to reality "
[Kael] looked skyward in a fogged daze in his mind, watching stars reconfigure in impossible ways, Like geometric constellations floating around .
[Kael]"I didn't ask for this at all."
[Echo]"No one ever does But you've been selected."