...

  [06: 17: 12: 54]

  System bring up the Sindivinity card.

  ***

  Cassian stared at the artifact’s description projected by the Soulkeep interface, the ornate script glowing faintly in the dim chamber. The name alone carried weight.

  ?SINDIVINITY?

  “Okay… that’s a lot to take in.” His gaze lingered on the words, absorbing each line with growing intrigue. A construct that starts as a dagger—that part stood out. Did it mean Sindivinity could shift into other weapons? A sword? A spear?

  He leaned back against the wall, brow furrowed. “Adapts with intent… is the artifact alive?”

  But what really made him pause was the core ability.

  Echo Consumption.

  “Upon killing a target, Sindivinity may absorb a fragment of their essence, granting the wielder temporary skills, reflexes, stat boosts, or even emotional imprints and memory fragments.”

  Cassian whispered the words under his breath, unsettled. The ability to absorb a fragment of a slain enemy’s soulspark and possibly gaining a skill or a buff. In rare cases, it could offer a permanent boon or a curse.

  That part made him pause.

  “First time, I’ve seen a warning in a card” he muttered, eyes scanning the final line again. ‘Warning: Frequent usage may result in multiple overlapping identities—eventually making it unclear who the wielder really is.’

  “Frequent use might cause overlapping identities, Lovely,” Cassian muttered with a scowl, rubbing the back of his neck. The prototype lab logs had hinted at this kind of absorption effect, but seeing it laid out so clearly sent a cold ripple down his spine.

  And the flavor text…

  “Forged without a name… sealed with forgotten screams… It hungers not for blood, but for memory.”

  Cassian swallowed. The weapon felt unfinished. Incomplete. Either way, until he understood it better, he’d reserve Sindivinity for serious battles only—no reckless use.

  He needed to stay himself for now.

  Cassian sighed, already feeling exhaustion pulling at the edges of his awareness. “Alright… that’s it. I’m sleeping,” he muttered to himself. His mind had dulled beneath the weight of everything he had endured. If there was ever a time to rest, it was now—who knew if he'd even get another chance.

  Thankfully, he’d had the sense to remove his armor earlier. Now dressed only in his worn utility overalls, he sank onto the mattress and let gravity take him. The world blurred, and sleep claimed him in moments.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  When he awoke, the first thing he noticed was warmth pressed against both his sides. Blinking away the drowsiness, Cassian turned his head and found two small forms curled up beside him. Lian and Mara, were both nestled close in the crook of his arms, fast asleep.

  A quiet laugh escaped him, soft and fond. “Little cuties,” he whispered, smiling as he looked down at them. They must have slipped into bed sometime during the night, seeking comfort in his presence.

  How much had these two endured? Children surviving this facility clinging to scraps of warmth in a world gone mad.

  To each their pain, he thought.

  His eyes drifted to the ceiling, expression sobering. He reached for the pendant resting against his chest—his mother’s pendant and clenched it tightly in his hand.

  Thank you, he whispered inwardly, for letting me sleep. For not letting the nightmares return. No visions of flames. No twisted whispers. No haunting lullabies. Just silence.

  Those memories, those emotions are best to stay suppressed for now.

  He dared not unearth them. Not yet. Even now, with upgraded stats and a stronger body, he wasn’t sure he could face them. If he thought too long about her—his mother… he feared he might unravel. She had been his anchor. His compass. His everything.

  No. Not now.

  Burying the thought, Cassian closed his eyes for a moment, taking slow, measured breaths until the sting behind them faded. He sat up gently, careful not to wake the kids beside him. A glance at his forearm revealed the glowing countdown: [06: 09: 12: 54]

  Just over six days left.

  His digital watch showed 08:43 AM.

  Cassian rose slowly, careful not to disturb the sleeping children curled up beside him. With a light stretch, his joints popped faintly, and the stiffness in his limbs began to ease. As he crossed the room, he spotted Dorian and Dr. Kaine deep in conversation, hunched over a large blueprint spread across the table. They were holding pins and markers, methodically marking sections of the map. It was far more detailed than the rough layout Cassian had been using until now.

  That’s new, and one problem solved…

  “Good to see you two working together,” Cassian said with a smirk, his voice still rough with sleep. “And good morning, by the way.”

  Dorian didn’t return the smile, just offered a curt nod. Cassian’s eyes drifted to the cups placed at the edge of the table. He paused, then blinked. “Wait… is that coffee? You have coffee?!”

  Dorian was the first to answer. “Yeah. Reserved for adults. And before you start begging—there’s a washroom down the hall to the left. Go freshen up first. You stink”

  Cassian snorted, amused. “Huh? Really? I had no idea!”

  He grabbed a fresh bodysuit and an overall from the supply stash and made his way to the washroom. Peeling off his grimy clothes, he stepped under the cold shower. The water cascaded over him, washing away the layers of blood, dirt, and fatigue.

  Long day ahead… and this is possibly the only time I would get to rest.

  For a few moments, he allowed himself to simply breathe, eyes closed as the water pounded against his back. It felt… comforting.

  After drying off and dressing in the clean gear, Cassian returned to the main chamber, feeling somewhat renewed. Dorian and Dr. Kaine were still deep in discussion when he rejoined them. Without a word, Dr. Kaine slid a steaming cup of coffee his way.

  He took it gratefully, lifting it to his lips—only to hiss as the heat scorched his tongue. “Hot! Damn it—hot!” he muttered, waving a hand at his mouth. Dorian simply shook his head at Cassian’s antics, though there was the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.

  Then Dorian’s face turned serious. “Elira and I have been planning… going over everything. And things,” he said grimly, “are not looking good.”

  “Tell me something new, Dorian. Nothing in this place is safe,” Cassian muttered, taking another sip of his coffee.

  Man… even though it's a simple coffee, with all that’s happened in the last 24 hours, It feels so good.

  “I’m serious, Cassian. There’s nothing on B4 apart from the sinkhole and that’s where our trouble starts.” Dorian’s jaw tightened as he gestured for Cassian to step closer to the map.

  Sinkhole? what a name…

  Dr. Elira Kaine spoke up, her voice calm but heavy. “Subject 716 or the Mother of Kalrachs, as you call her—is in that sinkhole on B4.”

  Before Cassian could speak, Elira tapped a few commands into the console. Screens lit up, each displaying images of a massive crater-like hole in the center of Basement Level 4, its structure completely overtaken by alien terraforming. Kalrachs swarmed across the living terrain, twitching and chittering like an angry hive.

  Pointing at the central pit, Elira continued, “Long story short: nearly a decade ago, a meteor struck this site. Scientists flocked to it, and inside they found a crystal—something impossible. Energy beyond our understanding. Like a mini sun. That’s when they built this facility. Its sole purpose was to study that material.”

  “The sinkhole is the impact crater,” she added grimly. “And buried at the bottom of that crater is Subject 716.”

  Cassian stared at the footage, watching swarms of Kalrachs flood the abyss like a living ocean. His jaw tensed. “And I’m assuming... more elite-class Kalrachs down there, too.” He turned to Elira. “Tell me you have a plan. Because even with all the strength and every scrap of power I’ve got, going down there sounds like a death sentence.”

  Elira bit her lip before responding. “There is a plan. But it’s incredibly risky. If we do this wrong, the entire facility could blow.”

  Cassian closed his eyes. The immolation pact—still faintly burning on the edge of his awareness—tightened around his chest. The Mother of Kalrachs.

  “Well, that sounds just about perfect,” he said dryly. “Let’s hear it.”

  Elira and Dorian exchanged a glance. Then Elira turned back to the console and brought up a new set of files. The screen displayed a colossal cocoon—veins and tendrils exploding from its surface, spreading outward and anchoring into crystalline growths that pulsed with eerie light.

  “Subject 716 was part of Project Aether. The meteor’s fragments had miraculous properties. Not only did they extend human lifespan, but they gave test subjects unique powers,” Elira explained. She pointed to the tendrils latching onto three pulsing shards of crystal. “These are the remaining meteor fragments. There are three in total. They’re embedded in the sinkhole and also serve as power anchors for this facility. If you destroy them, the resulting energy surges will severely weaken Subject 716. It will also disrupt the security grid—enough for me to access the failsafe buried in the core crystal she’s using to evolve.”

  Cassian nodded slowly. “So, break the anchors. Weaken her. And then trigger the failsafe.”

  “Exactly,” Elira confirmed. “But we only get one shot at this.”

  Cassian turned to Dorian. “So who’s gonna do what?”

  Dorian stepped closer to the map, holding up three fingers. “Three objectives,” he said. “First, Cassian will be going down into the sinkhole. You’ll confront the Mother of Kalrachs directly and destroy the three meteor fragments embedded there. Stall her. Survive. And strike hard when the time comes.”

  Cassian exhaled, already feeling the weight of it settling on his shoulders.

  Dorian continued, “I’ll escort Elira to the Core Wing on B4. There’s a sealed terminal deep inside. She’ll need to get inside that vault to access the original meteor core and activate the failsafe.”

  “Meanwhile, the kids and I will work on clearing out the emergency exit paths. Lian and Mara will help me unlock the lift access, power the backup grid, and prep our extraction point.”

  “To lower our chances of encountering monsters we’ll be starting our mission only after you have engaged Mother of kalrach”

  Dorian looked at Cassian with a clenched jaw, “I hate to put this on your shoulder Cassian, But you are the only one who could do this. Forgive me for putting you in danger”

  Cassian glanced between them. “It’s okay Dorian, make sure the kids are safe I’ll survive”

  The plan was insane. Dangerous. A dozen things could go wrong. But as he looked at the footage of that monstrous cocoon… he knew this was their only shot.

  ...

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