Part Four
Wen De's instincts screamed at him to run.
But something else stirred inside him.
The pulse he'd felt earlier.
The network.
The connection.
The approaching entity stopped several meters away.
Its face was smooth. Featureless.
A voice echoed from it, layered and metallic.
"Unauthorized Restoration Confirmed."
Wen De glanced at the girl.
"Is it talking to me?"
"Yes."
"Cool."
The entity's gaze locked onto him.
"Host of Forbidden Line detected."
His chest tightened.
"Evaluation commencing."
The air grew heavier.
Pressure pressed against his bones.
He nearly dropped to one knee.
The girl stepped forward again, energy lines forming faintly around her fingers.
"Don't," she warned quietly. "If you attack first, they escalate."
"I'm open to suggestions!"
The entity extended one hand.
Light condensed into a narrow blade.
"Threat Probability: 78%."
"That feels high," Wen De muttered.
The blade shot forward.
Time slowed.
He didn't think.
He reacted.
His hand snapped up instinctively—
And the streetlights flickered violently.
Power surged through nearby buildings.
The current beneath the city responded to him.
The blade stopped inches from his chest.
Frozen.
Not by force—
But by interference.
The entity tilted its head.
"Network Override Detected."
Wen De's eyes widened.
He wasn't consciously doing this.
But he could feel it.
Like grabbing invisible wires.
He clenched his fist.
The streetlights exploded.
The energy blade shattered into fragments of light.
The entity staggered back.
Across the city, every Observer Unit paused simultaneously.
The girl stared at him.
"You're not just connected," she whispered.
"You're interfacing."
The entity's voice glitched.
"Anomaly… exceeds parameters…"
Wen De felt something click inside him.
Understanding.
If the world was circuitry—
He could reroute it.
The Observer raised its hand again—
And Wen De slammed his palm downward.
The entire building's power grid surged.
A shockwave of invisible force blasted outward.
The nearest Observer shattered into scattered light.
Across the city—
Every watcher flickered violently.
Then vanished.
Silence.
Rain.
Distant car alarms.
Wen De stood there, breathing hard.
His hands were shaking.
"I did that."
"Yes," she said quietly.
He looked at her.
"So what does that make me?"
Her expression was unreadable.
"It makes you visible."
Above them—
The sky cracked again.
This time—
Wider.
And something far beyond the previous probe began pushing against the barrier.
The voice inside his mind returned.
Warning.
Higher Realm Intervention Approved.
The girl's face lost color.
"That's too fast."
Wen De swallowed.
"You said eventually."
"Yes."
She looked at him directly.
"I didn't think eventually meant tonight."
The crack split open.
And from within it—
A colossal eye began to open.
Watching the city below.
Watching him.