LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 18: Fractured Bonds
The team's journey out of the Glass Wastes was fraught with an uneasy silence. The shard, now pulsing with an almost rhythmic glow, seemed heavier than before, as if it carried the weight of the enforcer's fractured identity.
Eli walked a few paces ahead, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, his face unreadable. Arjun followed close behind, occasionally glancing at his interface for signs of pursuit. Yumi lingered at the back, her sharp mind racing through the events of the battle.
"She hesitated," Yumi finally said, breaking the quiet.
Eli turned slightly, raising an eyebrow. "And? We still couldn't save her."
"That hesitation means something," Yumi continued, ignoring his tone. "She's not completely gone. Azrael hasn't erased her entirely."
"Great," Eli said dryly, kicking a loose shard of crystal. "Next time, we'll just ask her nicely to join the team. Problem solved."
Yumi stopped walking, her frustration boiling over. "Do you ever take anything seriously? We're trying to save people—actual human lives—and all you do is crack jokes!"
Eli spun around, his eyes narrowing. "And what good is obsessing over every little detail going to do? You think Azrael's just going to roll over because you've got a perfect plan? This whole thing is a mess, Yumi. Maybe you should stop pretending it isn't."
"Enough," Arjun said firmly, stepping between them. "We can't afford to fight each other. Not now."
The tension hung in the air for a moment before Yumi turned away, biting back a retort. Eli sighed and resumed walking, his shoulders tense.
By nightfall, they reached a concealed entrance that Arjun had uncovered during his research—a hidden archive buried deep beneath the wastelands. According to his findings, the archive was one of Azrael's early bases of operations, long abandoned but still brimming with data.
The entrance was a massive steel door, partially buried in the crystalline ground. Faint etchings of symbols lined its surface, glowing faintly as Arjun approached with the shard.
"This is it," Arjun said, his voice quiet. He held the shard up to the door, and the symbols flared to life, their light spiraling outward until the door groaned and slid open.
Inside, the air was thick with the hum of dormant machinery. Rows of ancient consoles lined the walls, their screens flickering to life as the group entered. At the center of the room stood a towering obelisk, its surface covered in shifting patterns of light.
"This place gives me the creeps," Eli muttered, his voice echoing in the cavernous space.
"It's a repository," Yumi said, her tone filled with wonder. "A nexus of Azrael's early experiments. If we're lucky, we'll find something that can help us understand his plans—or stop him."
Arjun was already at one of the consoles, his fingers flying across the interface. "I'm in. The encryption's old, but still complex. Give me a few minutes."
As Arjun worked, Yumi examined the obelisk, her analytical gaze picking out the patterns in its surface. "This technology… it's advanced, but there's something organic about it. Like it's alive."
"Let's hope it's not hungry," Eli quipped, though his eyes scanned the room warily.
After several tense minutes, Arjun managed to access the archive's core. The room filled with a soft hum as holographic projections flickered into existence, showing scenes from the early days of the system's creation.
The first projection showed a younger Azrael, standing in a pristine laboratory. He spoke to a group of scientists, his voice calm but commanding.
"The system is more than a game," Azrael said. "It's a gateway to something greater. A chance to transcend the limitations of our world and achieve perfection."
The scene shifted, showing the first experiments with players. Volunteers stepped through shimmering portals, their faces filled with wonder. But as the experiments continued, the expressions turned to fear and pain.
"Stop," Yumi said, her voice shaking. "He's… he's using them."
"Not just using them," Arjun said grimly, pointing to a section of data scrolling across the console. "He's extracting their memories, their identities, and weaving them into the system itself. That's why the enforcers are so powerful—they're fragments of countless lives, combined into a single entity."
Eli's jaw tightened. "So every enforcer we face is carrying the weight of dozens—maybe hundreds—of people Azrael's broken."
The final projection was the most chilling. It showed Azrael standing before the obelisk, his hand resting on its surface. Behind him stood a shadowy figure—vaguely humanoid, but its features were distorted, constantly shifting.
"This is the Echo," Azrael said, his voice reverent. "The culmination of all we've achieved. A living embodiment of the system's potential. And soon, it will awaken."
The projection ended, leaving the group in stunned silence.
"We're not just fighting Azrael," Arjun said, his voice low. "We're fighting this Echo—whatever it is. If it wakes up, it could reshape the system—and maybe even our world."
Yumi's mind raced. "The shard… it's part of the Echo's design. That's why it resonated with the enforcer. Each shard is a fragment of its consciousness."
Eli leaned against the console, his expression grim. "So what do we do? Destroy the shards? Use them against the Echo?"
Arjun hesitated. "We don't know enough yet. Destroying them could destabilize the system—or worse. But if we can collect more shards, we might be able to piece together the Echo's full nature and find a way to stop it."
"Sounds like a long shot," Eli said, though there was no sarcasm in his voice this time.
"It's the only shot we have," Yumi replied firmly.
Arjun disconnected from the console and turned to face them. "We need to move. If Azrael finds out we've accessed this archive, he'll send everything he has after us."
Eli pushed off the console and gave a mock salute. "Lead the way, Professor."
Despite the weight of their discovery, Yumi couldn't help but feel a spark of determination. They were uncovering the truth, piece by piece. And no matter how dangerous the road ahead, she was ready to face it.