"Arthur!"
Madison dropped to her knees beside him.
Blood stained his shirt.
Bright red.
Terrifyingly red.
The old founder grimaced in pain.
But he was alive.
Barely.
---
Ethan immediately pressed both hands against the wound.
"Stay with us."
Arthur laughed weakly.
Even now.
Even after being shot.
The man somehow found humor.
"I've survived worse."
Nobody believed that.
Not even Arthur.
---
Meanwhile—
Samuel Brooks was running.
Fast.
Far faster than a man his age should have been capable of moving.
Obsession fueled him.
Forty years of obsession.
Forty years of sacrifice.
Forty years of waiting.
All leading to this moment.
---
The Core Chamber doors slammed open.
Samuel disappeared through them.
---
"No!"
Aethel moved instantly.
For the first time, the ancient custodian looked truly alarmed.
Because Samuel reaching the Gateway was apparently a very bad thing.
A very, very bad thing.
---
Madison looked toward Ethan.
Their eyes met.
No words were needed.
They both knew.
They had to stop Samuel.
---
Charles nodded grimly.
"Go."
---
"What about Arthur?"
Madison asked.
---
The founder opened one eye.
Barely.
Then managed a faint smile.
---
"Save the world first."
---
Fair enough.
---
Seconds later—
Madison.
Ethan.
Aethel.
Noah.
And Charles.
Were sprinting through Vault Zero.
---
The underground city blurred around them.
Corridors.
Platforms.
Ancient machinery.
Flashing lights.
---
Everything shaking.
Everything awakening.
---
The entire facility felt unstable.
Like it was preparing for something enormous.
Something final.
---
They reached the Core Chamber.
---
And stopped.
---
Because the sight before them was unbelievable.
---
The Gateway stood fully open.
Towering.
Magnificent.
Terrifying.
---
Silver light poured from the opening.
Washing over the chamber.
Turning shadows into ghosts.
---
And standing at the edge of the portal—
Samuel Brooks.
---
The old man laughed.
A triumphant laugh.
A victorious laugh.
---
"I won!"
---
Nobody answered.
---
Because something was wrong.
---
Very wrong.
---
The silver light surrounding Samuel wasn't welcoming.
---
It was consuming him.
---
Tiny glowing cracks spread across his skin.
---
His hands.
His arms.
His face.
---
Like his body couldn't withstand whatever power flowed through the Gateway.
---
Aethel immediately understood.
---
"Samuel!"
---
The old founder turned.
Still smiling.
Still convinced he'd won.
---
Then he saw Aethel's expression.
---
And for the first time—
Doubt appeared.
---
"What?"
---
Aethel's voice echoed through the chamber.
---
"The Gateway didn't choose you."
---
Silence.
---
Samuel's smile vanished.
---
"What?"
---
The glowing cracks spread faster.
---
His body began shaking.
---
"No."
---
The denial came instantly.
---
Violently.
---
"No!"
---
The Gateway pulsed.
---
Once.
---
Twice.
---
Three times.
---
The symbols surrounding the portal suddenly blazed with impossible brilliance.
---
And a voice emerged.
---
Not from speakers.
---
Not from computers.
---
From the Gateway itself.
---
Ancient.
Infinite.
Beyond human understanding.
---
REJECTED.
---
The word shattered the chamber.
---
Samuel screamed.
---
The silver light exploded around him.
---
And then—
---
He vanished.
---
Gone.
---
Not burned.
Not killed.
Not thrown away.
---
Gone.
---
As though he had never existed.
---
The chamber became silent.
---
Absolutely silent.
---
Nobody moved.
---
Nobody spoke.
---
Because they had just watched a man erased from reality.
---
Then the Gateway pulsed again.
---
And another message echoed through the chamber.
---
HEIR CONFIRMED.
---
Madison froze.
---
Because she knew exactly who it meant.
---
Everyone did.
---
The symbols throughout the chamber illuminated.
---
One by one.
---
Responding to her.
---
Only her.
---
The silver light stretched outward.
---
Forming a pathway.
---
Leading directly into the open Gateway.
---
Into another world.
---
Into the impossible.
---
Aethel slowly turned toward Madison.
---
His ancient eyes filled with something she hadn't seen before.
---
Hope.
---
"Now you understand."
---
Madison swallowed.
---
"No."
---
She honestly didn't.
---
Not completely.
---
Aethel smiled softly.
---
"You will."
---
Then he pointed toward the world beyond the portal.
---
The alien sky.
The impossible stars.
The distant Titans.
---
And far away—
On the horizon—
A city.
---
A gigantic silver city.
---
Larger than any city on Earth.
---
Standing beneath three moons.
---
Waiting.
---
For her.
---
Then the Gateway spoke one final time.
---
A message meant for Madison alone.
---
A message that changed everything.
---
WELCOME BACK, FIRST WALKER.