The barrier shimmered faintly as the Harvesters pressed closer, their twisted forms shifting and snapping like broken machinery given unnatural life. Hensley’s knuckles were white around the grip of his gun as he glanced between Clara and the man cloaked in black.
“This is madness,” Hensley muttered, his voice low but urgent. “Clara, you don’t know who this guy is. He could be leading you straight into a trap.”
The man remained impassive, his gray eyes focused on the approaching Harvesters. “If I wanted the Node, I would have taken it already. Your hesitation is wasting valuable time.”
“Hensley,” Clara said softly, turning to him. “I can’t do this without answers. And you’re right—I don’t know who he is. But I know the Node is connected to me, and I have to understand why.”
Hensley’s jaw tightened. “You don’t owe anyone your life for answers, Clara. We’ve been fighting to stay alive this whole time, and now you want to just… trust this guy?”
Clara placed a hand on his arm. “You’ve always had my back, but this is something I have to do. If I don’t, we’ll be running forever. I can’t live like that.”
Hensley looked at her, his expression torn. For a moment, Clara thought he would argue. But then he sighed and shook his head. “You’re stubborn, you know that?”
Clara smiled faintly. “Takes one to know one.”
The stranger interrupted. “Your decision is made. We need to move.”
Hensley glanced at the man, his eyes filled with mistrust. “If anything happens to her—anything—I’ll hunt you down, I don’t care who you are.”
The man gave a small nod, his expression unreadable. “Noted.”
<hr>
The Farewell
Hensley stepped back, his hand lingering on Clara’s shoulder for a moment before he turned away. “You know where to find me,” he said over his shoulder, his voice tight. “If you ever need backup—or a way out.”
“I know,” Clara replied, her heart heavy. “Thank you.”
Without another word, Hensley disappeared into the trees, his figure swallowed by the shadows. Clara felt a pang of guilt watching him leave, but she pushed it aside. She couldn’t afford doubt now.
The stranger motioned for her to follow as the barrier began to waver. “Stay close. The Node draws them, but it can also shield us.”
Clara clutched the Node tightly as she followed him, the faint hum of the device thrumming through her fingertips. The Harvesters screeched behind them, their distorted voices blending into a dissonant chorus. The stranger activated another device, and a narrow path opened in the dense forest ahead, illuminated by a faint blue light.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“This way,” he said, his tone clipped. “We’ll lose them in the Wound.”
“The Wound?” Clara asked, her curiosity piqued despite the danger.
“A tear in the fabric of this region,” he explained, his pace quickening. “A remnant of the Node’s first activation decades ago. The Harvesters can’t follow us there, but neither can your friend.”
Clara swallowed hard, casting one last glance over her shoulder. The Harvesters were closing in, their unnatural forms writhing against the edges of the barrier. She turned back to the stranger and nodded. “Lead the way.”
<hr>
Into the Wound
The air grew colder as they entered the Wound. The trees gave way to jagged, crystalline structures that jutted out of the ground at odd angles, their surfaces shimmering like fractured glass. The atmosphere buzzed with an otherworldly energy that set Clara’s teeth on edge.
“What is this place?” she asked, her voice hushed.
The man slowed, his gaze scanning their surroundings. “A scar left by your ancestor. Jonathan Blackthorn’s experiments with the Node fractured reality here. This place exists between worlds now, a liminal space where normal rules don’t apply.”
Clara stared at the strange landscape, a mix of awe and dread settling over her. “And you’ve been here before?”
“Many times,” he said. “My order monitors locations like this—places touched by the Node’s power.”
Clara stopped, turning to face him. “You keep talking about your order. Who are you? And why do you care about the Node?”
The man hesitated, his eyes flickering with something she couldn’t quite place—regret, perhaps? “My name is Kael. I serve the Custodians, but not as you’ve encountered them. My sect broke away from the main directive years ago.”
“Why?” Clara asked, clutching the Node tighter.
“Because we saw the truth,” Kael said, his voice low. “The Node isn’t a tool for control or preservation. It’s a catalyst for chaos. Jonathan Blackthorn understood that too late, and now his legacy threatens to unravel everything.”
Clara’s chest tightened. “Then why does it respond to me? Why does it feel like it’s… alive?”
Kael studied her for a moment, then sighed. “Because it is. The Node is not just a machine—it’s a sentient construct, bound to the Blackthorn bloodline. It’s waiting for you to decide its purpose.”
Clara felt a chill run down her spine. “Its purpose? You mean I could...”
“Destroy or create,” Kael said gravely. “Stabilize or shatter. The Node amplifies intent, but it cannot act without a guide. And that’s why you must learn to control it—before others take that choice from you.”
<hr>
A Growing Threat
Before Clara could respond, the air around them rippled violently. Kael tensed, his hand moving to a weapon at his side.
“They’ve found us,” he said. “Even here, the signal reaches.”
Clara’s pulse quickened as she looked back. The shimmering forms of new pursuers appeared at the edge of the Wound, their shapes shifting erratically as they moved closer.
Kael turned to her, his expression stern. “You wanted answers, Clara. Now you must earn them. Follow me, and whatever happens, do not let go of the Node.”
Clara nodded, fear and determination warring within her. She clutched the Node tightly, its glow pulsing stronger as if in response to her resolve.
The path ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: she couldn’t turn back now.
And the echoes of her family’s past were louder than ever, demanding to be faced.