Kai did not know how much farther he had walked. Every step felt heavier than the last. The underground tunnel stretched endlessly before him. Broken lights flickered overhead, barely pushing back the darkness. Water dripped from cracked pipes, and the cold air made every breath sting his lungs.
His vision blurred. A blue screen appeared.
[HOST STATUS]
Host: Kai Voss
Physical Condition: Exhausted
Mental Fatigue: High
Active Echoes: 1
Current Echo: Reginald Ashford III
Overlap Risk: 23%
Stability: 78%
Warning: Continuous Echo synchronization may cause temporary loss of consciousness.
Recommendation: Rest immediately.
Kai rubbed his eyes. "I know," he muttered. "You don't have to keep reminding me."
The Echo answered calmly. "You have ignored three previous warnings."
Kai sighed. "I was a game tester. Ignoring warning messages is part of the job."
There was no reply. He managed another few steps before his legs suddenly gave out. His knees hit the concrete floor. Pain shot through them. He tried to stand again, but the tunnel spun around him. "So... this is embarrassing."
Darkness crept into the edges of his vision. He leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the ground. His breathing became shallow. The system flashed once more.
---
Warning
Host consciousness falling.
Kai closed his eyes. "Just... five minutes."
A voice answered. "You should not sleep here."
Kai's eyes opened immediately. A young woman stood a few meters away. She wore a dark coat covered with dust from the collapsing city. A thin silver ribbon was tied around her left wrist, moving gently although there was no wind. She looked calm. Too calm.
Kai reached for the metal pipe beside him. "Who are you?"
"My name is Lira."
She did not move closer. She simply watched him.
Kai tightened his grip on the pipe. "If you're here to rob me, I don't have anything worth taking."
"I know." That answer surprised him.
Lira looked at him quietly before speaking again. "You are unstable."
Kai forced himself to stand. "I've had a rough day."
"No." She slowly shook her head. "I don't mean physically."
Kai frowned.
Lira lifted her left hand. The silver ribbon floated gently in the air. "My ability lets me see Fate Threads."
Kai blinked. "I have absolutely no idea what that means."
"It means I can see where people's futures are leading." She looked directly into his eyes. "I have never seen threads like yours."
Kai remained silent.
"They keep breaking." She paused. "Then they reconnect." She paused again. "They split apart again." Her expression became more serious. "And every time they do... someone else's fate appears inside yours."
Kai felt a chill run through his body. The Echo remained silent. For the first time since he had awakened, even Reginald had nothing to say.
Kai swallowed. "Can everyone do what you do?"
"No."
"Can everyone see... whatever you see?"
"No."
Kai let out a slow breath. "Good."
Lira looked at him curiously. "You are not surprised."
Kai laughed weakly. "This morning I died." He pointed toward the cracked ceiling. "The sky broke." He touched his chest. "A blue screen tells me how close I am to losing my mind." He looked back at her. "A girl saying she can see fate isn't even the strangest thing that's happened today."
For the first time, Lira smiled. It was small. Almost impossible to notice. "But it is still strange."
Kai smiled back. "Yeah." He paused. "It really is."
A loud vibration suddenly shook the tunnel. Dust fell from the ceiling. Both of them looked toward the darkness ahead. The system appeared instantly.
[WARNING]
Echo Hunter Scan Detected
Signal Strength: Increasing
Estimated Contact Time: Unknown
Recommendation: Leave current location immediately.
Kai looked at Lira. "I was hoping for five minutes of peace."
Lira's smile disappeared. "They found this sector."
"You know them?"
"I know what happens when they arrive." She turned toward a narrow tunnel on the left. "Come with me."
Kai hesitated. He had known this girl for less than two minutes. Following strangers had almost gotten him killed already.
Lira looked back once. "If you stay here..." She glanced at the fading blue screen floating before Kai. "...your future ends in this tunnel."
Kai looked at the warning message. Then at the darkness behind him. Then back at Lira. Finally, he nodded. "I guess I don't have a better plan."
Without another word, Lira disappeared into the narrow passage. Kai took one last breath and followed her.
Far behind them, another Hunter scan swept through the underground. This time, it stopped exactly where Kai had collapsed.