Lukas opened his eyes.
He stared down at the crystal in his hands.
Intricate.
Its inner structure was composed of tightly woven magnetic filaments—thin, almost impossible to trace by eye—interconnected through a layered matrix. When pulsed at just the right frequency and amplitude, it returned a signal.
Data. Encoded and clean.
The design was fascinating.
Light?
An exit?
I narrow my eyes. Odd. They didn’t mention anything about an exit on the other side.
But there is something about that light that feels… unnatural. It’s not exactly white—more like a faint, greenish glow.
I send Arjun a pulse.
“What do you think?”
“Some strange minerals that glow, perhaps?”
“<...
2025-04-25 00:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostLukas, Chiara, Wang and the others walked into the settlement, boots pressing against the pale stone paths set in wide, geometric lines. The ground was clean, the walkways bordered by short walls of dark basalt. Square buildings rose on either side—flat-roofed, with narrow entrances and stone support beams cut with careful symmetry.
Constructs moved across the open space. Some rolled lo...
2025-04-23 00:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostOverdrive.
Heat rolled off her skin. Her pulse climbed.
Ayu’s breath tasted like metal and fire.
Muscles snapped tight. Her stance lowered.
The air warped around her as focus drilled into instinct.
Something cracked under her heel. Stone. She didn’t notice.
The elder shifted—
She was already moving.
Ayu twisted.
The dagger sla...
2025-04-21 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“Speak for your people?”
The man speaks in their native tongue—K’ehli, as they call it.
“Yes,” I reply, having discussed this earlier with Imani and Arjun. Since I started speaking first, it only made sense for me to continue. It’s not like I enjoy being in charge—not at all—but Lukas isn't here, so…
He studies me for a moment, then continues. “Y...
2025-04-19 00:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostAyu opened her eyes.
The world around her unfolded with such clarity, it made her feel as if she’d been blind and deaf until now. Every blade of grass—even those hundreds of meters away—was so sharply defined it felt like they were within arm’s reach.
The sounds were more nuanced too. She could sense the flow of nearby streams without turning her head, feel how the water cur...
2025-04-18 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post“Well, first things first—we’re safe. Or… we should be. They left us this spot to settle in temporarily, but we’ll have to build our own shelters if we want them. They also asked us to learn their language before contacting them again.”
“That moment you stepped back quickly… what happened?” Imani asks, his eyes sharp.
“That… I’m not sure. A test, maybe? All I...
2025-04-17 00:00:12 +0000 UTC View PostAs we’re led by the man in front, I notice the others glance at us with curious eyes—but there’s a certain respect to it.
I sense no malice in their expressions, none of the subtle hostility or suspicion that often lingers toward outsiders in closed societies. It’s not rejection. Just… curiosity.
We make our way forward, the path widening with every step. The jungle gradua...
2025-04-16 00:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostI stay calm.
I don’t know if I can beat the human—if I can even call him that—in front of me. But… I like to think the Tower wouldn’t place us in an unwinnable situation. Either we fight and have a chance, however slim, or we don’t fight at all… if we play this right.
Either way, I can’t screw this up.
I study him more closely now. He’s short—maybe 5’5", ...
2025-04-15 00:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostThe water lapped at her waist, cold and clear, the current tugging faintly as she waded deeper.
It felt different from what she was used to.
Denser. Heavier.
Every movement took more effort. Staying afloat wasn’t natural anymore—her body was too heavy, too compact. She had to keep moving, muscles lightly tensed, adjusting to the flow and the increased gravity.
She di...
2025-04-14 00:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post“I think I’ve got something.”
Imani shifts toward me but says nothing, waiting.
I tweak the frequency and narrow my gaze in that direction, but the mountain fog blurs everything. Still, I catch faint movement. Tiny dots.
I push Overdrive. My senses sharpen, vision clears just a little. The shapes come into focus—barely.
“I think it’s Arjun and a couple of oth...
2025-04-12 00:00:12 +0000 UTC View Post“I’m picking up a lot of background noise,” I mutter, narrowing my focus. “But no clear signatures. At this range, I think only those who’ve reached the First Pillar State could pick me up.”
“So that means Chiara, Lukas, Arjun, and Wang aren’t in this direction,” Imani says beside me, his eyes scanning the wide expanse below. “But others could be.”
The region s...
2025-04-11 00:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post“Nothing?”
Imani shook his head. “No. You?”
“Nope.” I exhale, scanning the horizon again. “So… what’s the plan? Head for that mountain range in the distance, climb one of the closer peaks for a better view? Or follow one of the herds—see if they lead us to a freshwater source?”
“We’ve got enough water for six more days,” Imani says. “But freshwate...
2025-04-10 00:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostNo time for melee.
I flick a bullet from my pouch with my thumb. My waves catch it mid-air—spin it, accelerate it.
But my focus is ahead.
A small raptor. Just over two meters tall. Komodo snout, plated with metallic fangs. Electric pulses shimmer along its skull.
It’s fast—aiming straight for Camila’s thigh.
Less than half a second.
I narrow my eyes. ...
2025-04-09 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“Any luck?”
“Only two more,” Chiara said, opening her eyes. “My waves should have reached them, but they won’t be able to reach me back. None of them are from the main squad.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be too worried about the rest of the Awakened,” Lukas replied, arms crossed, his eyes scanning the tree line below. “They should be able to handle themselves just fine. ...
2025-04-08 00:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostI remain still, unsure of how to proceed.
There are twenty-two of them. Not exactly the kind of odds I want to test, especially not under higher gravity.
But… they don’t advance.
They just stand there. Watching.
Unmoving.
Odd.
Every creature so far has attacked on sight. No hesitation. No exceptions.
But these?
They’re just observin...
2025-04-07 00:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostNovember 15, 2024 - Melbourne, Australia
Jack was unsure of what exactly he had just watched.
It wasn’t the first fight against the Black Lobster he had seen. There had been several events before—most successful, a few with casualties. But the one he had just witnessed...
What the hell was that?
He hadn’t seen what Gen-1 p...
2025-04-04 23:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post“Houston, Darius, ready?”
“Whenever you are.”
I nod as I sit cross-legged on the smooth white floor, still in the casual clothes.
I close my eyes and steady my breathing.
I visualize the pattern—the sword strikes blending as they arc through the nodes, each with its own rhythm and speed. Slowly, they connect from one node to the next, each set...
2025-04-03 23:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“Oh, smells good,” Lukas said as he pulled up a chair to the table. “Paella. It’s been a while.”
“Oh, you know it?” Alonso looked pleasantly surprised.
“Well, of course. I’ve tried it several times. I wouldn’t say it’s in my top ten, but maybe somewhere in the top thirty or fifty. There were a few good places back in Munich, but I did try one in Spain ...
2025-04-02 23:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostAyu stood before the mirror, dressed in the clothes that had been laid out in her room, on top of the bed. The set was simple, yet familiar, and strangely comforting—as if it had been tailored just for her.
The sports bra hugged her frame snugly, offering the right support without limiting her motion. The Muay Thai-style shorts rested low on her hips, loose around the thighs, allowing c...
2025-04-01 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostHow can I visualize all these paths?
How can I consciously choose the best one when I’m operating in the high stages of Overdrive, where rational thought takes a back seat and instincts drive everything?
Every action in a fight breaks down into three stages: input → decision-making → output.
Right now, my input is fast—insanely fast—thanks to Overdrive enhan...
2025-03-31 23:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostI step forward.
The ground is no longer a foundation—just a boundary.
My blades slice through the air as I twist, but the force behind them feels wrong. Too light. Too weightless.
My muscle memory fights me, every movement just a little off. My mind screams something is wrong. And of course it is…
I glance up—or rather, down. The bed, the table, the barrels, all ha...
2025-03-30 23:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostMy eyes narrow as the space around me shifts in an instant.
My grip tightens on my swords, but slowly, I ease the tension as I take in my surroundings.
Another white room.
I don’t relax just yet—my waves scan for anomalies, any sign of movement. While a few features catch my attention, there seems to be no imminent danger.
My gaze locks onto the counter on t...
2025-03-28 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostNovember 8, 2024 - Russia, ???
“A new signal?”
“Yes, it was received just after the last event.”
“What did it say?” Viktor asked.
“Challenge Completed. Knowledge Acquired. It followed the prompt with a large data sequence that was processed and related to seemingly two paths to refine the body and the ...
2025-03-27 23:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostDarius and Houston remain seated in the chairs, the atmosphere shifting the moment Alonso disconnects.
“You knew.”
Darius’ smile changes—no longer the warm, easygoing expression he wore with Alonso, but something more amused, almost teasing. Yet, he says nothing.
“So you faked it all along?” Houston’s voice tightens with frustration. “You… you made us waste s...
2025-03-26 23:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“Darius, I’m not even mad anymore. I’m not. Just… please… for the love of God, I beg you—from the bottom of whatever the hell counts as a heart for me—figure this out.”
Darius keeps his gaze straight and just shrugs. “What do you want me to do? I don’t get it. Simple as that.”
“The fuck you mean, you don’t get it? Six fucking days. Six. Damn. Days! Even Arj...
2025-03-25 23:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostAyu exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders before settling into her stance. She shifted her weight effortlessly, feeling the ground beneath her feet as if it were an extension of her body.
She focused.
Activating Overdrive, she pushed it to her usual limit—only to notice something strange. Her thoughts were sharper than they should be. Less resistance. Less strain on her mind and b...
2025-03-24 23:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostPablo awkwardly rose, his movements slightly stiff, as if his body hadn’t quite caught up with his mind. He hesitated for half a second before grasping her hand, unsure of how firm or light the handshake should be.
“The pleasure is mine,” he managed, clearing his throat. “I’m… uh, I’m Pablo.”
Leonie’s grip was cool, composed, yet strangely grounding. She didn’t s...
2025-03-23 23:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostIt hurt.
Ayu sat cross-legged on the ground, the faint wind barely reaching the small, shallow cave.
Her teeth clenched as she felt the burning sensation spread through her body—burning, over and over again. The electric shocks tore through her cells, relentless. At first, the pain was tolerable, like the sharp prick of countless needles. But the more she pushed, the wors...
2025-03-22 01:00:19 +0000 UTC View PostHis English was clear but carried an unmistakable South Indian accent.
“English—I heard from your chat with Steve. Good. Fewer people speak it here than you’d think.” He gestured around lazily. “Anyway, I let you kids take in the sights first. Pictures say a thousand words, don’t they?”
Pablo swallowed, unsure how to react. The man’s presence was imposing, but he did...
2025-03-21 01:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post