The world wasn't breaking anymore.
It was… shifting.
Not in one place.
Everywhere.
— Signals —
Reports flooded in faster than before.
Not just incidents.
Patterns.
Clusters of fragment activity.
Different cities.
Different regions.
But all pointing—
To the same direction.
— The Resistance Base —
Mara stood before a large map display.
Points of light blinking across it.
"…They're gathering."
Eli frowned.
"…Or being pulled."
Juvy stood beside them.
"…Lina felt it too."
Mara glanced at her.
"…Then it's confirmed."
A pause.
"…This isn't random."
— Juvy's Decision —
Juvy turned away from the map.
"…We go to them."
Eli blinked.
"…You mean recruit them?"
Juvy shook her head.
"…No."
A pause.
"…We protect them."
Mara crossed her arms.
"…That won't be easy."
Juvy nodded.
"…I know."
Her gaze hardened.
"…But if we don't… someone else will use them."
— The First Gathering —
An abandoned industrial zone.
Silent.
Broken structures.
Faint distortions in the air.
Juvy and Lina stepped inside.
Carefully.
"…There are a lot," Lina whispered.
Juvy nodded.
"…Stay close."
They moved deeper.
Then—
Figures appeared.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Fragment bearers.
Some stable.
Some unstable.
All watching.
Tension filled the space.
— Confrontation —
A man stepped forward.
Older.
Scarred.
His fragment flickered violently around his arm.
"…Why are you here?" he asked.
Juvy met his gaze.
"…To help."
He laughed.
Bitter.
"…Help?"
He raised his hand.
Energy crackled wildly.
"…No one helped us when this started."
The unstable ones reacted.
Growing agitated.
Juvy didn't move.
"…I'm not here to control you."
A pause.
"…I'm here so you don't lose yourselves."
Silence.
The man hesitated.
Just slightly.
— Lina Steps Forward —
Lina moved beside Juvy.
Her light appeared.
Calm.
Stable.
"…You don't have to fight it," she said.
The group reacted.
Surprised.
"…You can listen to it."
The unstable energy around some of them—
Shifted.
Not fully stable.
But less chaotic.
The man lowered his hand slightly.
"…What are you…?"
Lina tilted her head.
"…Same as you."
— Maxruell —
Elsewhere—
Maxruell stood atop a ruined structure.
Looking down at another cluster of fragment users.
Unlike Juvy—
He didn't approach quietly.
He stepped forward.
Open.
Direct.
They turned toward him instantly.
Hostile.
"…You here to take it?" one of them asked.
Maxruell smirked.
"…Maybe."
The tension exploded.
They attacked.
Maxruell moved.
Dodging.
Striking.
No powers.
But overwhelming presence.
One by one—
They fell.
Not dead.
Defeated.
Maxruell stood over them.
Breathing steady.
"…If you're going to have power…"
A pause.
"…Then don't be weak with it."
The shadows beneath them flickered.
Reacting.
Maxruell noticed.
"…Heh…"
— The Pull —
Back at the industrial zone—
Lina suddenly froze.
"…It's stronger now…"
Juvy turned.
"…What is?"
Lina's eyes widened.
"…Something's calling us."
The air shifted.
A faint distortion appeared above them.
All fragment users felt it.
At once.
Deep underground—
The fragments gathered.
Orbiting something.
The Vessel.
Still incomplete.
But growing.
More defined.
More stable.
Its eyes flickered open.
"…come…"
"…become whole…"
Above ground—
Dozens of fragment users looked toward the same direction.
Unconsciously.
Juvy felt it.
Maxruell felt it.
Lina… felt it strongest.
Something was calling them.
Not asking.
Pulling.