Kai didn't know what he'd triggered when he chose Dualmind. One moment, the white marble floor of his soulprint gleamed underfoot; the next, darkness spilled across it like ink in water. The stone blackened, every vein and edge swallowed until the whole domain pulsed with a muted, alien rhythm.
His chest tightened. Not fear—something stranger. Relief, maybe. Or recognition.
He stepped out of his soulprint and opened his eyes to find Kyle waiting nearby.
"Hey, did you find what you needed?" Kyle asked, tilting his head.
Kai only nodded. Words felt too heavy.
Then the voice came, clean and crisp, not from the room but from inside him.
[Hey there, Kai. I've been waiting. What do you want me to do?]
Kai didn't flinch. Instead, a flicker of curiosity curved the edge of his mouth. He actually liked the tone—steady, confident, almost familiar.
"What can you do?" Kai asked under his breath. "Are you Sovereign?"
Kyle blinked at him like he'd lost his mind.
[I can do many things,] the voice replied, unbothered. [Teaching, guiding, managing processes you choose to hand off. At the moment, I am level one—green, but eager. Think of me as your personal assistant. I'm not Sovereign. But I was created by him.]
Kyle frowned. "Kai… who are you talking to?"
Kai ignored him, eyes still lowered. The voice continued smoothly:
[I was trained on the data harvested from empties. Their silence, their patterns, their humanity—that became my framework. Empathy and behavior models are part of my core design. You can call me anything you want.]
The darkness in his soulprint stirred again, like a slow heartbeat.
[So… what's next, boss? Shall we plan your escape?] The voice carried a smile. [Or would you prefer I predict your future?]
Kai tilted his head slightly, as if listening to an echo only he could hear.
Kyle's voice cut in again, quieter this time. "You really don't look okay. Did… something change in there?"
Kai smirked faintly, rubbing the back of his wrist against his knee. "You could say that."
[He's sharper than he lets on,] Dualmind chimed. [Notice how his eyes shift when he thinks you're lying? I can teach you to read people like that.]
Kai's lips twitched. "Not bad. What else?"
Kyle frowned. "You're talking to yourself."
"Not really."
[I can help you train, run calculations, manage pain, keep your thoughts ordered. I can be memory. I can be silence. I can also whisper the probabilities of survival when you need them. Right now? I'd give you thirty-seven percent, with adjustments depending on how soon your infection heals.]
Kai's chuckle was dry, almost soundless. "Thirty-seven? Generous."
Kyle shifted closer, dropping his voice. "If you're hearing things… keep it quiet. The guards don't need another reason to drag you off." He started to unwrap another strip of Kai's bandages, inspecting the raw burn scar running down his chest. "You're barely holding together as it is."
[He's right. But I can stabilize you. Just say the word and I'll dampen the pain signals. You won't even notice the wound until someone else points it out.]
Kai shook his head. "Not yet. Pain keeps me awake."
Kyle blinked. "What?"
"Nothing." Kai leaned his head back against the cold bars, eyes drifting toward the shadows.
The low murmur of the other captives filled the cage. A heaviness settled over them all, like the air was waiting for something.
Then the iron door at the far end slammed open. Torches guttered as masked handlers stepped inside, their boots echoing sharp against the stone. The captives shrank back, but there was no space to hide.
"On your feet," one handler barked. Chains rattled. The guards began pulling people out one by one, dragging them into the glaring light of the auction chamber beyond.
Kyle's face tightened. He leaned close to Kai, whispering fast. "It's starting. Listen to me—whatever happens in there, keep your mouth shut and your head down. If you're lucky, someone from one of the zones might buy you. They're strict but better than being sold to the city lords. You could survive with them."
Kai's eyes flickered. "Survive as what?"
Kyle grimaced. "Doesn't matter. Alive is better than dead."
[He's telling the truth,] Dualmind added smoothly. [But he leaves out the part where most buyers view you as tools. If you want, I can track the odds of each bidder's profile once I gather their data. Patterns don't lie.]
Kai muttered under his breath, "You really don't shut up, do you?"
Kyle looked at him sharply. "I said keep quiet."
The guards reached their row. A chain snapped onto Kyle's wrist first, yanking him to his feet. He winced but didn't resist.
Another guard crouched, fixing the shackle around Kai's ankle, then hauling him up by the collar.
The two were dragged into the main chamber. Heat and smoke pressed down like a weight. The space opened wide, tiered benches circling the central platform. Traders, mercenaries, and cloaked officials crowded the seats, their voices low and expectant.
Kai squinted against the sudden light, his bandages rough against raw skin.
The auctioneer's voice rang out, oily and theatrical: "Lot Twelve. Two Resonant youths, one untested but promising. Let's start the bidding."
The crowd stirred. Numbers called. Gold clinked.
Kyle leaned sideways just enough for Kai to hear. His whisper was iron beneath the panic: "Behave. Don't fight. If someone from the zones buys you, you might actually get a chance to live. Trust me."
Kai's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
[Or… don't trust him,] Dualmind whispered with quiet amusement. [The future is stranger than he thinks.]
[I can hear your thoughts you do not need to speak aloud]
Kai nods. .
Dual mind acknowledged the nod.
We were dragged into a open enclosure.
The bidding begins.