In the usually peaceful Sanctum of the Ascendants, an alarm continued to screech like a banshee. It was red, pulsing, and impossible to ignore. They had awakened the intelligence sectors, desperately trying to determine the cause of the alarm.
Inside the Core Archive, where forbidden data flowed like a river of secrets, a lone console blazed bright red. Slash stared at the alert and cursed under his breath.
“Code 25. Memory Awakening. Origin: Earth, Seoul Sector.”
Apex stormed over to where Slash stood. Initially, Slash didn’t budge, but he turned around when he sensed the rage radiating off the highest Ascendant. The other Ascendants whispered among themselves about the unfolding situation.
“25 has awakened?”
“This is a disaster! He’s our best agent.”
“The moment he transcends to full power, does that mean—”
“Shh! Don’t even say it. I can’t imagine this planet without 25!”
Apex continued to burn holes into Slash with his glare. “What did you do?”
Despite the frantic pounding in his heart, Slash tilted his head slightly. “I don’t recall needing permission.”
Apex cursed under his breath before dragging Slash to his tavern, a secure place shrouded in privacy. In that safe haven, their cloaks were removed, and two familiar faces stared back at one another. They clenched their jaws simultaneously.
It had been a while since they had seen each other in this manner. However, the memories they once shared were still vivid and hauntingly clear.
“Don’t play coy with me, Slash!” Apex snarled. “Do you realize what you’ve done? If 25 starts transcending—”
“He already has.”
Apex went still. “What?”
“He’s already on the first phase,” Slash repeated with a calm demeanor. “I’ve given him a different system to fulfill his past life’s inner desires.”
There was a pause before Apex reacted, grabbing Slash by the collar and slamming him forcefully against the wall. The impact echoed through the chamber.
“You did this behind my back,” Apex seethed. “You’ve been planning this all along.”
Slash didn’t resist. “You always knew 25 was different. We both know that better than anyone. We were there when he first spawned.”
“Don’t say it.”
“You knew he shouldn’t even be here.”
Apex’s grip tightened painfully. “You know what this means. If he transcends, if he truly remembers, the balance—our reality—”
“Will fall apart?” Slash scoffed. “That’s what you’re genuinely afraid of?”
“This isn’t a game!”
“No,” Slash replied. “It’s a system that has ruled for far too long. We’ve been slaves to it, but 25 was the biggest victim of all.”
Apex shoved him away, turning to pace the room anxiously. “Transcendence breaks protocol. It breaches the natural laws of Avalis and Earth. The last time it happened, we endured so much.”
“That sacrifice cost an entire generation of Earth’s progress. It cannot happen again.”
Slash’s gaze darkened. “You keep insisting this is a threat to the balance, but you conveniently forget one critical detail, Apex. You transcended your own counterpart too, didn’t you?”
Apex froze, caught off guard.
For a moment, silence enveloped the room.
“I—”
“Don’t deny it,” Slash said softly, leaning in closer. “I know the truth. You thought no one noticed, but I did. Don’t you remember? We’ve been friends for so long.”
Apex’s expression fractured, lips parting momentarily before pressing into a hard line.
Slash leaned in. “You made it happen. Just like I did.”
***
The sun was already high in the sky when the youthful group finally stirred from their slumber. After such an exhausting training camp, they had all slept in late, well into the noon hour. Now, with sleep still clinging to them, they began the process of packing up their belongings.
It was time to go.
However, a surprising stillness fell over them. Someone was missing.
“Where’s Master As?” Zeno asked, glancing around the area.
“He’s gone to hibernate,” Jace replied as he lifted his duffel bag into the back of the car.
“Hibernate?” Eli echoed, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
“Yeah,” Jace nodded enthusiastically. “For a whole month. That’s his thing. He sleeps for thirty days straight, then claims he wakes up for the next thirty.”
“That’s definitely not healthy,” Eli muttered, frowning as he buckled his backpack, “but okay.”
“I think that’s pretty normal for him,” Jace said with a shrug.
Zeno stood for a moment, his eyes scanning the quiet grounds. He hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye. A part of him would have liked to. There were still so many questions lingering in his mind about himself—so many things he didn’t fully understand. But as he looked up at the sun beginning to pierce through the clouds, he realized that the training had actually made him feel lighter.
The engine revved as Jace started the car, and one by one, they all climbed in.
“Bye bye, Jace’s mansion!” Doha called out from the open window. “I’m really going to miss you.”
“Take us back here, will you?” he then turned to Jace, hope shining in his eyes.
Jace scratched the back of his neck. “Sure. As long as my parents aren’t home.”
“Oh, daddy issues?” Doha teased.
Jace pursed his lips, trying to brush off the comment.
“Mommy issues?” Eli added, unable to resist.
Jace looked like he was on the verge of tears.
“Don’t worry!” Doha chimed in cheerfully. “We have those too. We can bond over them!”
Meanwhile, Minji stole a few glances at Zeno from the passenger seat, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
“I hope you had a good rest,” she said softly.
“Yeah,” he murmured. It felt like there was a boulder on his shoulders, but, he was used to it.
They drove in silence for a while, the air filled only with the sounds of tires crunching on gravel and a mellow playlist gently humming through the speakers.
Then, out of nowhere—
“GUYS!” Doha suddenly blurted out from the middle seat. “Did you hear?! The Gear of Guardians final tournament is going to happen right here!”
“What?” Eli turned his head so fast it nearly snapped. “No way. Here? In our own country?”
“Yes! Yes!” Doha exclaimed, his phone screen glued to his face as he scrolled excitedly. “It’s been in Europe every single year, but now it’s finally coming here next summer!”
“That’s huge,” Minji said, her eyes widening with delight. “But then again, everyone in this country seems to be addicted to this game. The pro players have become so popular, too! I really like Real-Faker!”
“Listen to this,” Doha added quickly. “To promote the finale and the Gear of Guardians game, they’re also doing a celebrity tournament—a mock tournament featuring artists.”
Jace nearly slammed on the brakes at the thought.
“WHAT?”
He glanced briefly at the screen before quickly returning his attention to the road.
“We’re joining,” Jace declared, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “We absolutely have to join.”
“No,” Zeno said immediately, leaning back in his seat to distance himself from the idea. “That’s not happening.”
“Come on, Zeno!” Jace exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. “You know how much I love Gear of Guardians. This is incredible exposure, too!”
“I’ve never played that game in my entire life,” Zeno replied flatly.
“I’ll teach you!” Jace shouted. “Come on, let’s sign up, huh?”
Zeno was about to open his mouth to say “no” once more, determined to stand firm with his decision. However, he had to shut his mouth real fast.
[New Mission: Join Game Tournament]
[1. Win = Upgrade one emotion
2. Loss = Downgrade one emotion]