The underground market slowly returned to life. Workers repaired broken stalls. Merchants gathered the scattered supplies left behind during the attack. The frightened voices had become quiet conversations. Life continued. It had to.
Kai sat alone near the edge of the abandoned platform. His hands rested on his knees. His thoughts refused to settle.
Only a few hours ago, he had died. Since then, he had awakened with a mysterious System, inherited two Echoes, lost the memory of his mother's face, met a girl who could see Fate Threads, and another who thought stealing dangerous objects was a hobby.
He let out a long breath. "My life officially stopped making sense."
Reginald answered calmly. "That conclusion is logical."
Kai smiled weakly. "You really enjoy proving me right."
"My purpose is to present accurate information."
Kai shook his head. "I miss arguing with computer bugs."
Before Reginald could answer, a sharp pain spread across Kai's chest. He gasped. The pain lasted only a second. But it was enough to make him stand. His System activated without being called.
---
[WARNING]
Unknown Echo Resonance Detected
Beginning Analysis...
---
Kai frowned. "I didn't activate anything."
The blue screen flickered. The words disappeared. Then returned.
---
Scanning...
Scanning...
Scanning...
Error
Restarting Analysis...
---
Kai stared. The System had never done that before.
Lira noticed his expression and immediately walked over. "What happened?"
Kai pointed toward the floating screen. "It's malfunctioning."
Lira's expression changed. "My threads are moving."
Kai looked at her. "What does that mean?"
Instead of answering, she slowly closed her eyes. The silver ribbon around her wrist drifted upward. Invisible threads spread through the station. They stretched across walls. Across people. Across the broken market. Each one shimmered softly.
Then Lira froze. Her breathing stopped.
Kai took a step toward her. "Lira?"
She did not answer. Her eyes remained fixed on something standing behind Kai.
Kai immediately turned. There was nothing there. Only empty air. He looked back. "What are you looking at?"
Lira swallowed. "There should only be one."
Kai frowned. "One what?"
She looked directly at him. "One Fate Thread."
Silence filled the space between them.
"But..." She hesitated. "There is another one."
Kai slowly looked over his shoulder again. He still saw nothing. "Where?"
Lira's voice had become almost a whisper. "It isn't beside you. It isn't following you. It is..." She struggled to finish the sentence. "...attached to you."
Kai felt the air grow colder. "What does that mean?"
Lira slowly shook her head. "I don't know. I have never seen two Fate Threads connected to one person."
The System interrupted them.
---
Analysis Restarted...
Compatibility Scan Beginning...
---
Kai looked down. The percentage slowly appeared.
11%
27%
46%
63%
81%
His heartbeat grew faster. The numbers continued climbing.
90%
95%
97%
The screen froze. For several long seconds, nothing happened. Then one final number appeared.
98%
Kai stared at it. "What exactly am I compatible with?"
No answer came. Reginald remained silent. Marcus remained silent. Both Echoes had completely withdrawn. It felt as though they were afraid to speak. Kai had never experienced silence inside his own mind before.
Then the lights throughout the station flickered once. Every Echo user inside the market suddenly stopped moving. Some looked around in confusion. Others instinctively reached for their weapons. Nobody understood why. But everyone felt it. Something had just entered the city.
The station became unnaturally quiet. No one spoke. No one moved. Even the merchants who had been arguing moments earlier now stood frozen, looking around as if they had all heard the same silent warning.
Kai felt it too. The air had changed. It felt heavier. His System flickered again.
---
Compatibility Scan...
Please Wait...
---
The words vanished before another message replaced them.
---
Scanning Origin...
Error
Unknown Data
Restarting...
---
Kai frowned. "It failed again."
Reginald remained silent.
"Reginald?"
No answer.
Kai tried again. "Marcus?"
Nothing.
For the first time since becoming an Echo Weaver, he was completely alone inside his own mind.
Lira slowly stepped closer. Her eyes never left Kai. "The second thread..." She spoke so quietly that only Kai could hear her. "...it isn't moving."
Kai looked at her. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know." She shook her head. "Every person's Fate Thread changes every second. They become brighter. They become weaker. They branch. They disappear when someone dies." She swallowed. "But yours..." She looked directly into his eyes. "One thread is changing. The other one isn't."
Kai felt a chill run down his spine. "It just stays there?"
Lira nodded. "As if..." She hesitated. "...it has always been waiting."
Before Kai could ask another question, Mira hurried toward them. She held the Echo Core tightly against her chest. "You two need to look at this."
Kai turned. The Echo Core was glowing again. But this time, its light was no longer purple. It had become a deep golden color. Warm light spread across the cracked platform. The glow lasted only a few seconds. Then it faded.
Mira frowned. "It has never reacted like this before."
Kai looked at the Core. His chest suddenly tightened. The System immediately responded.
---
Unknown Resonance Confirmed
Compatibility...
98%
Origin...
Unknown
Classification...
Unavailable
---
Kai stared at the screen. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. The blue window trembled once. Then a final message slowly appeared.
---
Warning
This Echo should not exist in this world.
---
Nobody spoke. Kai read the sentence again. The words never changed.
Lira slowly lowered her hand. "I can't see where the second thread begins."
Kai looked at her. "And where does it end?"
She met his eyes. "I can't see that either."
The station lights suddenly returned to normal. The strange pressure disappeared. People looked around in confusion. Some laughed nervously. Others simply returned to their work. It was as if the moment had never happened.
Only Kai, Lira, and Mira knew something was different.
Kai closed the System. "What happens now?"
No one answered.
A market guard ran across the platform. "Hunter patrol! They've entered the lower district!"
The station erupted into motion. Merchants packed their goods. Families gathered their belongings. Guards rushed toward the outer tunnels.
Kai looked at Lira. "We should leave."
She nodded. "Yes."
Mira adjusted her satchel and looked between them. "I suppose I'm coming too."
Kai smiled faintly. "I figured you'd say that."
The three of them disappeared into one of the underground tunnels. None of them noticed that the Echo Core gave off one final pulse inside Mira's bag. Not purple. Not blue. Gold.
Kai did not hear a voice. He saw no figure. He felt no presence. But for the briefest moment, it felt as though something, somewhere beyond the Veil, had noticed him.
And then the feeling was gone.