The Outpost stood in uneasy silence in the aftermath of the Black Choir's destruction. The dead were buried, the wounded tended, and the walls patched — but something hung over the settlement like an invisible shroud: anticipation of the next threat.
Jack stood alone atop the highest watchtower, staring into the endless fog that blurred the horizon. His body still ached from the battle, his muscles remembering the weight of the Echo's power he had barely contained. The Echo itself whispered in his mind — quieter now, but still pulsing like a second heartbeat.
> "We are incomplete," it murmured.
"More strength lies ahead, if you dare take it."
Jack clenched his fists. He'd won, yes — but the cost? His body was changing. Slowly. He didn't know when, but he felt the shift in his bones, his skin. He wasn't fully human anymore, and every time he fought, he lost a piece of himself.
But that was a problem for later.
For now, he needed answers. About the Echo. About the Mist. About everything.
His moment of reflection was interrupted when Lena climbed the tower, her boots heavy on the iron steps.
> "You're brooding again," she said.
> "Thinking," Jack corrected without turning. "Wondering how long we have before the next monster shows up."
Lena stood beside him, watching the distant fog.
> "We have visitors," she said after a pause. "Someone came through the mist. Alone."
> "Who?"
> "Don't know yet. Mara's got him under guard. He's asking for you."
That piqued Jack's interest. No one came through the wasteland alone unless they were suicidal — or something worse.
They descended together, returning to the Outpost's inner courtyard, where a small crowd had gathered around a makeshift cell built from reinforced steel bars. Inside sat a tall, cloaked figure with his hands resting calmly on his knees. His face was hidden under a hood, but his posture was unnervingly relaxed — as if the situation amused him.
Mara stood with a rifle in hand, expression unreadable.
> "He walked through the perimeter like it was nothing," she said to Jack. "Didn't trip a single alarm. Said he knew you."
Jack stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
> "You're the one asking for me. So talk."
The figure raised his head. Beneath the hood was a gaunt but striking face, eyes like polished silver, reflecting everything yet revealing nothing.
> "Ah, Jack," he said, his voice smooth and melodic. "You've grown well with the Echo inside you. The rumors don't do you justice."
> "And who the hell are you?"
The stranger smiled faintly.
> "My name is Veyne. And I am here because if you don't learn what I know... you'll die, along with everything else."
The crowd murmured, but Jack kept his eyes on the man.
> "You're with the Citadel?"
> "Far from it," Veyne said. "I've been hunting them far longer than you've been alive."
Jack's eyes narrowed. "Then prove it. Tell me what the Mist is."
Veyne chuckled softly.
> "The Mist is not just pollution. It's not a virus. It's a signal."
That made Jack flinch. "A signal?"
> "A frequency — older than humanity, older than your solar system. Something broadcasts it, from far beyond the stars, and when it reached Earth... it infected the world. The Citadel knows this. They're trying to control the frequency. To weaponize it."
Mara scoffed.
> "And how the hell do you know this?"
Veyne's silver eyes gleamed.
> "Because I was there when the first pulse hit. Over a hundred years ago. I'm one of the first humans who merged with the Echo — like Jack."
That sent a chill through everyone present. Lena stepped closer to Jack.
> "He's like you?"
Jack stared, scrutinizing Veyne.
> "You're a Host?"
> "The first successful one," Veyne said. "But I learned to master it without becoming a monster. Like you're trying to do."
> "Then teach me."
> "I will," Veyne promised. "But first, you need to understand the cost. The Echo isn't just power. It's a key. And the Citadel is trying to forge that key to open something."
> "Open what?"
Veyne's expression darkened.
> "A door. A passage to where the Mist comes from. If they succeed... this world won't just be dead. It'll be conquered."
A heavy silence settled.
> "And you know where this door is?" Jack asked.
Veyne smiled grimly.
> "I know where they're building it."
Jack's heart pounded.
> "Then take me there."
> "I will. But you'll need more than knives and anger. You'll need to fully awaken the Echo inside you. To master it."
> "And how do I do that?"
Veyne's eyes gleamed again.
> "We start by going to the Ruins of Oras, the first city the Mist ever touched. What lies there will teach you... or destroy you."
Jack looked to Lena, then to Mara, who gave a reluctant nod.
> "We can't stay here forever," Jack said. "And if I have to become stronger... then let's go."
Veyne stood, his cloak falling back to reveal a lean but scarred body — symbols etched into his skin like circuitry.
> "Good. Then let's begin."
As the Outpost prepared for their departure, Jack stood in his quarters, staring at his reflection. His eyes glowed faintly crimson, his veins darker beneath the skin.
He was changing.
And soon, he'd see just how much.