The moonlight outlined the quiet room.
Red wine rested in a glass on the table next to him.
Dark blue light filled the dim observatory.
No movement occurred.
Silent.
A man sat in the center.
Alone.
His hand ticked, at set intervals.
He reached towards the sky above.
The air shifted.
Detached.
Five roots protruded outward, growing towards the sky.
His eyes followed the first.
End to end.
He moved to the second.
Following its path.
The dim blue caught a brand on the hand—
01.
The gear underneath shifted.
The hand moved over.
His ticking—
Off rhythm.
The third root—
Stopped.
Like it was cut off.
He moved his finger along it.
Reading the path.
It's...
The branch distorted.
His finger twitched back.
A space formed.
Between the second and fourth root.
...that failure.
A faint ripple formed on the wine.
The gears began churning rapidly.
The ticking increased in intervals.
More roots grew—
Unordered.
He traced—
Searching.
...
The dark corridor filled with footsteps.
Art continued in front of Kane.
A dim green light flickered from a room in front.
Art stopped next to the door, standing against the wall.
Kane's movement paused.
Chains rattled—
Softly.
He continued.
She held up her hand.
Kane walked into it—
Stopping.
Her veins surged white.
The surroundings pulsed.
No movement.
Guards were absent.
A moment passed.
She exhaled, waving for him to follow.
Art took a step into the room.
Metal pipes lined the ceiling.
Tubes carried void cell fluid next to them.
Converging to a single point.
Like an oak tree.
Her eyes focused on the center.
A ticking clock rested behind a single monitor.
Art continued.
Kane stepped into the room.
Focused on the clock.
The air—
Detached.
His mind—
Pulsed.
A fragment—
His body was surrounded by water.
Floating.
Chains—
Adorned.
Holding him still.
A hand.
Extended to him.
Resting on the glass.
Kane tried.
To match.
His arm—
Unmoving.
Bubbles formed.
Rising to the top.
The hand lowered.
Turning away.
A crack opened.
Consuming.
Empty.
Kane's head raised.
The air—
Returned.
His gaze looked ahead.
He approached Art.
She stood before the computer.
Her arm reached.
Cables exited from her fingertips like tentacles.
They stretched to the screen, hacking into the system.
Rapid clicking sounded around her.
The display changed.
Constantly.
Art's eyes twitched.
Dreamscape...
Firewalls were breached.
Another change.
The screen shifted.
...completion.
Her finger rested on her chin.
The cables continued tapping into the network.
Kane stopped next to her.
Chains—
Shook.
The cables briefly stuttered.
The screen glitched.
Art's eyes twitched.
Her senses—
Changed.
Feeling—
Detached.
Kane's hand began to raise.
To the clock.
Art glanced towards the disturbance.
Kane stood.
Still.
She exhaled, regaining her composure.
Art turned facing the exit.
The cables returned into her suit.
She tapped Kane's shoulder.
"Let's go."
Kane's movement halted.
Art lowered her hand.
She walked towards the exit.
Kane lingered.
Staring beyond the clock.
It ticked.
His core—
Shifted.
The chains began—
Alignment.
A crack—
Surfaced.