Lowwater didn't sleep. It just slowed its pulse and waited for morning.
Smoke drifted between rooftops like thin gray breath. The tower of Node Seven was half rebuilt, wrapped in scaffolding and cables that sparked whenever Evan walked by. His lightning still lingered in the metal.
Aelira stood over a pile of slates, running data like she was fighting the air itself. Cairn leaned against a pipe, eating something that looked like burnt bread and didn't seem to care.
Evan stretched his arm. It still ached from the fight. Every time he flexed his hand, a line of violet light ran up his veins and disappeared under his sleeve.
"Residue levels?" he asked.
Aelira checked the slate. "Stable. But the city's heartbeat is off-beat. You're still syncing unevenly."
"So… I'm limping," he said.
She nodded. "In lightning terms, yes."
Cairn tossed the burnt roll away. "Then we train. Before you start twitching like a broken relay."
[SYSTEM STATUS — ONLINE][USER: EVAN SHARP] [TIER 3 — GOLD (CITY'S SPINE)] [CURRENT ABILITIES:] Lattice Link — Maintain control of city Domains.Pulse Step — Teleport between active lanes (Range: 3km).). Momentum Field — Convert movement into charge. Storm Choir — Amplify morale and harmony. Ashcode — Contained. Activity: 2%.
They headed to the Foundry. The place where rails glowed under dust, where the streets hummed from every passing footstep. It was where Evan's power had first touched the city.
Aelira stopped in the middle of the road and dropped a small hex-shaped device on the ground. Blue light pulsed out of it like ripples in water.
"Cadence training field," she said. "It'll record your rhythm against the city's. We'll find out where the sync breaks."
Evan rolled his shoulders. "And if it breaks too hard?"
She didn't look up. "Then we start over. Or scrape you off the floor."
Cairn smirked. "Motivating."
Evan closed his eyes. The city was never silent. He could feel carts rolling, kids running, boots tapping. A thousand small beats under his feet. That was Lowwater's rhythm.
He let his lightning fall into step with it.
Then he ran.
[PULSE STEP — INITIATED]
The world snapped open. He blurred through the Foundry's streets, between cranes and pipes, leaving a line of violet sparks in his wake. Each step echoed like a drumbeat that matched the city's pulse.
He vanished. Reappeared behind Cairn. Vanished again. Appeared on the tower.
The lanes lit up across Lowwater like a web of purple arteries.
[PULSE STEP SYNC — 44% → 77% → 93%]
"Good," Aelira called out, eyes on the readings. "You're syncing faster than expected!"
"Because I'm better than expected," Evan shouted back. His voice came from five places at once.
Then the light flickered gray. His storm faltered.
Aelira's expression dropped. "Ashcode interference! Pull out now!"
Evan slowed, sparks scattering from his heels. A faint static hiss crept through the rails.
He gritted his teeth. "No. Not again."
He pressed his palm against the metal. The storm inside him flared bright white.
[ALERT — ASHCODE SURGE DETECTED][COUNTERMEASURE: MANUAL PURGE][OVERRIDE ACCEPTED]
The rails screamed. Gray melted back into light. Then silence.
Aelira's slate calmed. "Signal's clean."
Cairn let out a low whistle. "You burned it out by hand? That's new."
Evan exhaled, sweat dripping from his chin. "Guess it's learning. So I'll keep teaching it who's in charge."
They walked back toward Node Seven as the sun cut through the smog. Workers were already repairing the plaza. Children followed behind them, copying Evan's steps and pretending their shoes sparked.
Aelira looked at the readings again. "You realize your storm's not separate from the city anymore, right? You and it share a pulse now."
Evan nodded. "Then I'll make sure it never skips a beat."
Cairn cracked his neck. "You say that like you're planning to sleep tonight."
Evan smirked. "Sleep's a luxury. Speed's a necessity."
[SYSTEM UPDATE — NEW SKILL UNLOCKED] Cadence Step: Maintain Pulse Step indefinitely by syncing heartbeat with city rhythm. Condition: Focus required. Mental strain increases over time. Warning: Overuse may attract Ashcode attention.
Evan stretched his arms again, lightning sparking between his fingers. "Perfect. Let's see how long the city can keep up."
Aelira sighed. "You mean how long you can."
He grinned. "Same thing."
He vanished in a streak of violet light, and Lowwater's rails flared alive, pulsing to his rhythm.
The city was running again. And this time, it was keeping pace with its storm.