As he walked toward the desert, his heart began to race. He had lived through so many intense moments, and now it was all about to end. The air changed for the better as he left the city behind, growing drier, lighter, free from that suffocating weight that pressed down on everything within the Djinn Domain. Each breath felt cleaner than the last, as if his lungs were finally expelling all the filth that had built up inside them. He still didn't know exactly what he would do next, but anything was better than what he had endured so far.
'I need to reach the end of this desert, get out of this cursed Djinn place.'
Each step was a struggle. His muscles begged for rest he couldn't afford, his throat cried out for water, and his vision blurred now and then under the merciless sun. Sweat rolled down his face only to evaporate instantly in the dry heat. But then, slicing through the horizon like a blade against the orange sky of dusk, a dark line appeared, stretching endlessly from one side to the other.
'That's...'
Kayden blinked, making sure it wasn't a mirage.
'The Wall.'
The corner of his mouth curved upward, an involuntary smile forming on his weathered face.
It stirred a storm of emotions within him, anger for having been kept outside for so long, hope of one day being part of that protected world, resentment for having been left behind. But now that Kayden was finally allowed to enter, he saw it as an opportunity. A chance to start over, to finally have something of his own.
His steps grew quicker, almost stumbling over themselves in his urgency. The closer he got, the more imposing the structure became. What had once been a thin line on the horizon turned into a colossal mass of reinforced concrete, layers of steel plating, and watchtowers that rose like accusing fingers pointed toward the sky. Everything there had been built to keep the outside world far away, to separate the worthy from the rejected.
And as he nearly ran, his heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst.
'Damn it.'
Kayden clutched his chest, feeling the violent beats against his palm. The pressure grew, a wave of heat rushed through his veins, followed by a chilling cold that crawled down his spine.
'It's the same feeling as the convergence...'
The realization hit him like a punch.
'That means—'
[You have left the Djinn Domain.]
[You have entered the Human Domain.]
A wide, genuine smile spread across his face. His legs buckled under the weight of emotion, his knees nearly giving out, and he had to steady himself to keep from collapsing in the sand. His hands trembled. His chest heaved with heavy breaths.
'I... I did it!'
He clenched his fist so tightly his nails cut into his palm, but he barely felt the pain. It was real. He had crossed over. He was finally on the other side.
'Now...'
Kayden reached into his pocket and pulled out the broken piece of the bar's sign, the one stained with blood and memories. He ran his thumb over its rough surface, feeling every scratch, every imperfection. The old man's face came to mind, his tired smile, his eyes that still held a flicker of hope even after everything.
'Now let's see what's so great about that dream of yours, old man.'
***
Kayden finally got close enough to hear the sounds coming from within the walled city. He had never been this near before.
Muffled voices echoed beyond the massive walls. The low hum of generators, the metallic hiss of gates being adjusted, the constant buzz of energy running through the defense systems. The wall was more than a physical barrier, it was a machine, a living organism breathing electricity and surveillance.
The wind whistled through the gaps in the metal plates, carrying fine dust and the sharp stench of burnt oil mixed with something chemical that stung his nose. Kayden stopped a few meters from the main gate.
Two guards spotted him and raised their rifles in perfect sync, their movements sharp and practiced. The black barrels followed him as he continued walking.
"Stop right there," one of them said, his voice amplified through a helmet communicator. "What do you want here?"
"To enter."
"Identification?"
"Don't have any."
The second guard was silent for a moment, his helmet reflecting the orange glow of the sunset. Then he rested his weapon on his shoulder, half-relaxed, half-threatening.
"Then pay."
Kayden raised his hands, palms open.
"No money."
The first one snorted. He adjusted his rifle and pulled the trigger. The shot cracked like muted thunder, and the bullet kicked up dust just inches from Kayden's foot.
He didn't move. Didn't even blink. He simply stared at the two guards through their dark visors, keeping his breathing steady.
"Is that how you treat an Oathbounder?"
The guards exchanged glances. Even through their helmets, Kayden could feel the shift in atmosphere. The silence that followed was heavier than the warning shot.
"If you're lying," the first one said slowly, "you'll bleed right here."
"If I were lying, I'd already be running," Kayden replied, a tired smile touching his lips. "But guess what? I'm still here."
The two guards stood still for a moment, processing his nerve. Then, almost in unison, they slightly lowered their weapons.
"Come."
***
Kayden was led through a narrow corridor that cut through the inside of the wall, lit by flickering lamps that blinked at uneven intervals, casting dancing shadows across the damp concrete. The sound of footsteps echoed strangely, as if the wall were hollow, or as if something beyond the walls was listening. Exposed pipes dripped condensation, leaving dark trails on the cracked floor.
The air inside was different, heavier, thick with mold and chemicals, as if the ventilation rarely reached this deep.
At the end of the corridor, they entered a small, claustrophobic room. The stench of stale smoke and greasy paper filled the space, clinging to the throat. Behind a metal desk piled with yellowed papers and overflowing ashtrays, a fat man watched in silence. His pudgy fingers tapped against the tabletop while his small eyes studied Kayden from head to toe, evaluating, calculating.
Finally, he spoke.
"The test doesn't fail. Put your hand on the device."
The man dragged a metal box to the center of the table, about the size of a toaster, poorly welded at the edges, wires sticking out, and a cracked screen flickering with green light. It didn't look trustworthy. In fact, it looked like it could explode at any moment. Yet the device pulsed with a strange, almost living energy, as if it had its own heart beating inside the metal shell.
Kayden hesitated for a split second, then pressed his palm onto the sensor.
The machine vibrated instantly with a deep hum that filled the room, rattling his teeth. The lights flickered violently, some bursting in sparks, and the guards instinctively stepped back, hands returning to their weapons. The cracked screen flashed bright red, then blue, then gold, as numbers and symbols scrolled too fast to read.
The fat man's eyes widened, his mouth slightly open.
"This... this is an incredibly powerful contract," he whispered, his voice trembling with awe. "Far above average. We haven't seen one like this in years... maybe ever."
Kayden crossed his arms and withdrew his hand from the sensor. "Can I go in now?"
The man licked his lips nervously. His eyes gleamed with new interest, greed, curiosity, maybe even fear.
"Yes, of course. But we could perform a more detailed examination of your contract, understand the nature of your power better, catalog it for the military records—"
"No."
The answer cut through the air like a blade, sharp and final. The man went silent immediately, his mouth still half open around an unspoken word. He bit his lip, clearly irritated by the refusal but lacking the authority or courage to press further.
"Guards," he said after swallowing his frustration, "prepare his military ID."
Kayden frowned. "ID?"
"Every Oathbounder needs one." The man leaned back in his chair, which creaked under his weight. "If you don't enlist within a week, you'll be expelled from the Human Zone. Those are the rules. Power without control is danger. Power without loyalty is threat."
'Perfect. That was my plan anyway.'
One of the guards stepped forward with a tablet, his fingers gliding across the screen.
"Name?"
"Kayden."
"Kayden what?"
The question hung in the air.
"What do you mean, Kayden what? Just Kayden."
The guard sighed impatiently. "Give me any last name to register, kid."
The pause weighed on him like a physical burden. Kayden closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. Not everyone had a family name in the Collision Zone. Most didn't even know who their families were. So... what name would he choose?
'Last name means family name...' Kayden felt the Drunken Cow sign in his pocket, as if it were a signal. 'Ah... of course. You'd definitely want this name on the uniform, old man.'
"Kayden... Ludovisi."
The pen scratched against paper with a rough sound in the tense silence.
"Welcome to the Human Zone, Kayden Ludovisi."
[Name updated: Kayden Ludovisi.]