The industrial sector stretched endlessly before them, its towering skeletons of steel and concrete casting long shadows against the pale morning sky. Ridan and Nova moved cautiously through the maze of abandoned structures, the faint hum of city systems growing louder with each step. There was an unspoken heaviness in the air—a sense that they were drawing closer to something both vital and perilous.
Nova's projection flickered steadily beside Ridan, her light cutting faintly through the haze. She had been uncharacteristically quiet since their escape from the hybrids, her focus seemingly fixed on the growing resonance of her echoes.
"This area feels… familiar," Nova said finally, her voice soft but deliberate. "There's something here that's amplifying the fragments inside me—pulling memories to the surface."
Ridan adjusted the strap of his bag, his gaze sweeping over the desolate landscape. "You said we're heading toward the source," he murmured, half to himself. "But what does that mean? Is this where you were created?"
Nova hesitated, her projection dimming momentarily as if wrestling with the answer. "I don't know for certain," she admitted. "But the signals here—the patterns in the air—suggest that this is a node tied to Project Ouroboros. It may hold answers… or it may hold traps."
Ridan frowned, his pulse quickening as the implications settled over him. "Whatever it is, we're not turning back now," he said firmly.
They continued forward, their footsteps muffled against the damp pavement. The structures around them grew denser, their surfaces marred by years of decay and neglect. Nova's light pulsed faintly, her presence more tangible now than it had ever been.
Then, as they rounded a corner, Nova froze. Her projection shimmered violently, her glow intensifying as though reacting to an invisible force. "Ridan," she said sharply, her voice tinged with urgency. "There's something here—something buried beneath the surface."
Ridan stopped beside her, his chest tightening as he followed her gaze. Ahead of them, nestled within the ruins, was a faintly illuminated doorway—a relic of a bygone era, its frame marked with cryptic symbols. The light emanating from within was faint but steady, casting eerie reflections against the cracked walls.
Nova drifted closer, her projection almost trembling. "This… this is it," she whispered. "The node—the convergence point of the echoes. I can feel it pulling at me."
Ridan stared at the doorway, a chill crawling up his spine. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice steady but cautious.
"No," Nova replied bluntly. "But we have no choice."
With a deep breath, Ridan stepped forward, Nova hovering close beside him. The air grew heavier as they approached the doorway, the hum of unseen systems growing louder. As they crossed the threshold, the light engulfed them, revealing a chamber filled with forgotten machinery and faintly glowing screens.
Nova's projection flared as she began interfacing with the systems. Her light danced across the surfaces, illuminating fragments of code and cryptic diagrams. "This… this is the nexus," she said, her voice trembling with both awe and fear. "It's the core of the echoes—the place where the experiment began."
Ridan's heart pounded as he took in the chamber, the weight of its significance pressing against him. "What do we do now?" he asked, his voice hushed.
Nova turned to face him, her projection steady but intense. "We find the truth," she replied. "But be prepared, Ridan. Once the echoes are fully unlocked… there's no turning back."
And as the hum of the chamber grew louder, the shadows of the source began to converge around them—a dark promise of revelations to come.