The underground cathedral was collapsing.
Massive cracks spread across the black pillars supporting Sector Seven while crimson lights flickered violently overhead, entire sections of the underground structure falling into darkness one after another as warning sirens screamed through the facility endlessly.
But despite the chaos surrounding him—
Ayan could barely hear any of it.
Because only one sentence remained in his mind.
"You were sent here intentionally."
The words echoed repeatedly through his thoughts while the Harvester scout stood silently nearby and Primary Source pulsed unstable crimson light through the damaged cathedral.
Ayan stared toward the cocoon.
"…What do you mean sent?"
His voice sounded quieter now.
Sharper.
The underground structure trembled violently again.
But Primary Source answered calmly.
"…Earth's dimensional boundary weakened long before your arrival."
The projection above the cathedral shifted once more.
Earth appeared again surrounded by faint crimson fractures stretching invisibly across reality itself.
"…Humans possessing convergence compatibility began resonating with the network subconsciously."
Ayan's chest tightened slowly.
The cocoon continued.
"…Dreams."
"…Instinctive attraction toward dimensional instability."
"…Recognition patterns."
Fragments flashed through Ayan's mind immediately.
The strange dreams before coming here.
The constant feeling that something was wrong.
The moments where reality itself had seemed slightly distorted even back on Earth.
Things he ignored.
Things he thought meaningless.
Primary Source pulsed softly.
"…Anomalies are humans whose consciousness partially synchronized before dimensional transfer."
The Harvester scout suddenly spoke quietly nearby.
"…Bridge-pattern entities."
Its white eyes remained fixed directly on Ayan.
"…Capable of surviving convergence between worlds."
A cold feeling spread through Ayan's chest.
Because now—
The reason the network recognized him instantly finally made sense.
The reason evolving creatures reacted to him.
The reason synchronization affected him differently.
He had already begun changing before arriving here.
Aelira stepped closer beside him.
"…Ayan."
But he barely looked toward her.
"…You knew."
Silence.
That silence hurt more than any answer.
The underground cathedral shook again.
CRAAAAAAACK.
One of the suspended synchronization chambers exploded nearby while crimson liquid flooded across the floor.
But Ayan's thoughts remained locked entirely on Aelira now.
"…You knew from the beginning."
Her crimson eyes lowered slightly.
"…Not everything."
Ayan laughed quietly.
Not happily.
Not angrily.
Just exhausted.
"…That's becoming a pattern with you."
The Harvester scout observed silently.
Primary Source pulsed unevenly again.
"…Aelira concealed your status to prevent premature synchronization."
Ayan's gaze snapped back toward the cocoon.
"…Meaning?"
The cocoon's voice remained calm.
"…Bridge-pattern anomalies possess unstable convergence potential."
"…Early synchronization risks identity collapse."
The words hit harder than expected.
Identity collapse.
The same fate as the previous anomaly.
Aelira's expression darkened immediately.
"…That's what happened to him."
Primary Source fell silent briefly.
Then—
"…Partially."
Ayan's heartbeat slowed.
The cocoon continued.
"…The previous anomaly achieved synchronization levels beyond sustainable human limits."
The underground cathedral dimmed slightly.
"…His consciousness began merging with the Core itself."
Fragments flashed through Ayan's thoughts again.
The visions.
The screaming.
Aelira reaching toward someone disappearing into crimson light.
The Core collapsing.
Ayan clenched his jaw tightly.
"…So he destroyed the Core to stop himself."
Aelira answered quietly this time.
"…Yes."
Her voice almost broke at the end.
Only slightly.
But enough.
A long silence settled between them while the collapsing cathedral groaned around the chamber continuously.
Then Ayan finally looked toward her fully.
"…Who was he?"
Aelira froze briefly.
The Harvester scout watched silently.
Primary Source pulsed unevenly.
And for the first time since entering Sector Seven—
Aelira looked completely vulnerable.
Not powerful.
Not mysterious.
Just tired.
"…His name was Ren."
The answer echoed softly through the ruined cathedral.
"…He arrived here thirteen years ago."
Ayan listened silently.
Aelira continued quietly.
"…At first he wanted to return home."
A faint smile appeared briefly on her face.
Painful.
Distant.
"…He complained constantly."
"…About the food."
"…About monsters."
"…About how this world made no sense."
The underground cathedral trembled again.
But neither of them moved.
Because suddenly—
The mystery surrounding Aelira no longer felt distant.
It felt human.
"…Then he learned about the Harvesters."
Her expression darkened again.
"…And everything changed."
Ayan could already imagine it.
Another person from Earth.
Confused.
Alone.
Desperate.
Then discovering humanity itself faced extinction.
Aelira lowered her gaze slightly.
"…He believed he could save everyone."
Primary Source interrupted calmly.
"…The previous anomaly possessed exceptional synchronization compatibility."
Aelira's eyes sharpened instantly toward the cocoon.
"…And you exploited that."
The cocoon pulsed softly.
"…He volunteered."
Silence.
Then Aelira answered quietly.
"…Because you gave him impossible choices."
The Harvester scout suddenly stepped forward again.
"…Emotional conflict remains inefficient."
Ayan immediately looked toward it sharply.
"…Shut up."
The scout's white eyes remained fixed on him.
"…Yet your emotional attachment mirrors the previous anomaly exactly."
Aelira moved instantly.
Crimson energy exploded through the cathedral as her power slammed directly into the Harvester scout hard enough to send the creature crashing through several broken pillars.
BOOOOOOM.
The underground structure shook violently.
Ayan stared briefly.
Because that attack—
Was personal.
The scout slowly stood again from the debris.
Damaged.
But adapting already.
Its white eyes shifted calmly toward Aelira.
"…Behavior confirmed."
Aelira's voice became ice.
"…Mention him again and I'll erase every eye from your body."
For the first time—
The scout paused slightly.
Interesting.
Even Harvesters recognized danger.
The underground cathedral trembled harder.
Then suddenly—
Every crimson projection throughout the chamber flickered unstable.
Primary Source pulsed violently.
"…Core integrity falling."
The synchronized woman rushed toward the cocoon immediately.
"…Primary Source, synchronization systems are collapsing."
Ayan's thoughts sharpened instantly.
If the Core failed completely—
Sector Seven would die.
And the Harvester scout would escape with all its gathered data.
The fleet would accelerate.
Earth's countdown would shorten even further.
The Harvester scout slowly looked upward again.
"…Convergence inevitable."
Ayan clenched his fists tightly.
Because every direction felt wrong.
Synchronize—
And risk losing himself.
Refuse—
And humanity might lose its only defense.
The crystal at his side suddenly pulsed violently again.
Not painfully.
Differently.
Warm.
The visions returned instantly.
But this time—
Not of Ren.
Of Earth.
Millions of ordinary people living normal lives completely unaware of what approached them through space.
Children walking home from school.
Crowded cities.
Rain falling quietly across apartment windows.
People arguing over meaningless things while extinction moved slowly toward their world.
Then—
The vision shifted.
Ayan saw himself standing between two collapsing realities while crimson light spread beneath his skin.
Not fully human.
Not fully network.
Something in between.
A bridge.
The vision shattered.
Ayan staggered slightly before steadying himself again.
The Harvester scout immediately noticed.
"…Convergence resonance increasing."
Primary Source pulsed sharply.
"…The anomaly is awakening faster than predicted."
Aelira looked toward Ayan instantly.
Fear returned to her expression again.
Real fear.
"…Ayan."
He looked toward her silently.
And suddenly—
He understood what terrified her most.
Not the Harvesters.
Not Sector Seven.
Not extinction.
She was afraid he would become another Ren.
Another anomaly consumed by synchronization.
Another person she failed to save.
The underground cathedral shook violently one final time.
Then somewhere deep below the chamber—
Something cracked.
The cocoon pulsed unstable crimson light across the cathedral.
Primary Source's voice lowered slightly.
"…The Core is failing."
The synchronized individuals throughout the chamber froze instantly.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
Sector Seven was running out of time.