Luther and Ariel hurried through the crowded streets toward the institute.
Every few minutes, frightened civilians rushed past them in the opposite direction.
No one stopped.
No one spoke.
Fear had become the city’s only language.
Just as they reached the end of the street
A deafening hum echoed through the air.
BZZZZZZT!
The sky itself seemed to crack.
Luther instinctively looked up.
“…What is that?”
A swirling mass of black and violet energy twisted above a nearby intersection.
It resembled a giant doorway suspended in midair.
Its edges rippled like water, while lightning danced across its surface.
“What… is that supposed to be?”
Ariel whispered.
Neither of them had an answer.
Without warning, the strange gate stabilized…
Then fell silent.
“…Let’s keep moving.”
Luther muttered.
“If that’s connected to all of this…”
“I don’t want to be standing here when it opens.”
The two sprinted toward the institute.
Twenty minutes later…
The Genesis Development Institute came into view.
Luther stopped dead in his tracks.
“…No way.”
Unlike the rest of the city which had remained mostly untouched,
The institute looked like it had survived an explosion.
Half the entrance had collapsed.
Glass littered the ground.
The walls were blackened with scorch marks.
“What happened here…?”
Ariel asked quietly.
Luther had no answer.
The two carefully made their way inside.
“…Luther!”
A familiar voice echoed through the ruined hallway.
James.
“You idiot!”
“I’ve been trying to find you!”
Before Luther could reply, James pulled him into a quick hug before immediately stepping back.
“I was worried.”
Luther laughed nervously.
“I guess we’re both still alive.”
“For now.”
The three quickly made their way toward Testing Room Three.
The closer they got…
The quieter everything became.
When the automatic door finally slid open…
They froze.
The testing room had suffered even more damage than the rest of the building.
The AI Core was gone.
Only its shattered containment chamber remained.
Yet strangely…
Every computer was still powered on.
Each monitor displayed nothing but a blank white screen.
“…They’re still running.”
James murmured.
“But… running what?”
Suddenly…
One monitor flickered.
Then another.
Then every screen in the room lit up simultaneously.
A translucent blue window appeared before Luther’s eyes.
Unlike the monitors…
Only he seemed able to see it.
STATUS
[Name: Luther Lark]
[Rank: D]
[Points: 0 / 50,000]
[Power: None]
[Title: None Obtained]
“…”
Luther’s heart skipped a beat.
“What…”
Before he could speak
A roar shook the entire building.
ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!
The floor trembled violently.
Chunks of concrete rained from the ceiling.
James immediately grabbed a broken metal pipe.
“What the hell was that?”
Ariel slowly turned toward the shattered window.
Outside…
Something enormous was moving between the buildings.
And whatever it was…
It wasn’t human.