James sat cross-legged, deep in meditation, attempting to absorb the energy radiating from the void crack’s core.

  As soon as he started, the energy split into three streams, flowing toward him in separate threads.

  After what felt like hours, James finally opened his eyes.

  “What the hell?” he muttered. “The energy in that core was massive… so why did it barely make a dent in my reserves?”

  He groaned, pushing himself up as he made his way back toward the twin orbs—red and yellow. But what he saw left him stunned.

  “My cup barely absorbed anything... Don’t tell me—”

  He turned sharply toward the orbs.

  “You bullies! Stop trying to take what doesn’t belong to you!” he scolded, jabbing the yellow orb.

  “Ow!” He winced, pulling his hand back. He sighed.

  “I guess there’s no changing that. Still… even from just a fraction of that core, I gained more energy than from all the void breaks I’ve cleared.”

  He laid flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

  “It’d be nice if more void cracks had cores... but even if they did, there’s no way I’d survive those trials. And taking the core might mess with the whole structure of the void crack itself.”

  He let out a long breath.

  “I’ll figure out how to obtain void cracks later. First thing tomorrow.”

  ---

  The Next Morning

  James flagged a cab and climbed in.

  “So, where to?” the driver asked.

  “Take me to the nearest void break.”

  The driver gave a slight nod and started the engine. After a few minutes of driving, he kept glancing at James through the rearview mirror.

  “You look familiar, kid. Have we met before?”

  James stiffened.

  "Damn it… Vanessa probably announced I was dead. If I go public now, it’ll be a disaster".

  “No. Uh… first time seeing you. Must be someone else.”

  The driver stared a moment longer, then shrugged. “My bad.”

  James let out a relieved sigh.

  “By the way,” he said carefully. “Speaking for a friend… if someone wanted to clear void breaks without being seen, how would they go about it?”

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  The driver raised a brow. “Your friend some kind of celebrity?”

  “Yeah… something like that.”

  The man sighed. “Kid, it’s best to stay away from someone like that—”

  “I’ll pay for any info.”

  “Ah… nothing gets through a man’s heart like money,” the driver said with a grin. “You sure? It won’t be cheap.”

  “Name your price.”

  With a final sigh, the cabbie nodded. “Fine. I’ll introduce you to my cousin Frederick. He knows his way around the underground.”

  ---

  At Frederick’s Apartment

  The cab pulled up in front of a worn-down apartment. The driver banged on the door.

  “Fred! You’ve got a client!”

  A muffled voice answered. “I told you, I already paid part of the rent—I’m working on it!”

  “It’s Collins, you idiot!”

  There was a pause. Then the door creaked open.

  “Collins! Been a while, man.” Frederick leaned lazily against the frame.

  His gaze met James. “Who’s the kid? Yours?”

  “What’s with this guy?” James frowned. Frederick stood in nothing but his underwear and a mess of dreadlocks.

  “Dumbass. This is the client I mentioned,” Collins snapped.

  “Oh! Right, right. My bad.”

  James turned to Collins, skeptical. “This guy’s gonna help me?”

  “He may act like an idiot, but he knows his stuff. You can count on him.”

  Frederick suddenly hugged Collins. “Didn’t know you respected me so much, man. I take back everything bad I said.”

  Collins responded with a solid punch to the head.

  “Ow! You just had to ruin the moment.”

  Frederick turned to James. “Don’t worry, kid. Whatever you need, I’ve got you covered.”

  James sighed. “Right…”

  Collins climbed back into his cab. “By the way, I already charged the kid. That clears your debt.”

  He drove off, laughing.

  Frederick glared after him. “I take back my compliment.”

  Then he looked at James. “So, what do you need?”

  “You’re not gonna charge me too, are you?”

  “Nah, but I tell you what—treat me to lunch, and I’ll answer any question you’ve got.”

  James considered. “Honestly, I need someone to bring me up to speed. I’ve been… out of the loop for a while now.”

  “Deal!” Frederick grinned. “But no take backs. Fair warning—I’m a heavy eater.”

  ---

  A Local Restaurant

  James sat across from Frederick, staring in disbelief at the mountain of food piling up.

  “You weren’t kidding about the ‘heavy eater’ part…”

  “You sure I can order as much as I want?” Frederick asked, still chewing.

  “It’s not like this is your tenth entree or anything.”

  Eventually, Frederick leaned back, satisfied. “Ahh, that hit the spot. Thanks, kid.”

  “Don’t mention it. As long as you answer all my questions—no matter how odd—they may sound.”

  “You got it. I’ve got ears everywhere. Hit me.”

  James waved a hand subtly, materializing a barrier of condensed energy around them.

  Frederick blinked. “Wait... You can control energy directly?”

  “You noticed?”

  “Of course. I may not look it, but I’m a Level 2 awakener.” He pointed to himself proudly. “You must be Level 3, at least.”

  “I’m Level 1.”

  “…Sure you are.”

  “I mean it.”

  Frederick studied him. "His energy feels cold… endless… like it could swallow me whole. But it’s smaller than mine. Weird…"

  “Well, if you can do that at Level 1, plenty of vanguards would kill to recruit you.”

  “Vanguards?”

  “Yeah, coalitions of awakeners that manage local void breaks.”

  “I thought AUN handled that?”

  Frederick waved his hands dismissing James assumption.

  “They’re more like overseers. Day-to-day stuff? That’s on the vanguards.”

  “So… who owns void breaks?”

  “The government. You buy clearing rights—and they ain’t cheap. Even a low-level city break can go for hundreds of thousands.”

  “That makes no sense. What’s the gain in paying for that?”

  “You clearly don’t know how much a person can earn from a break. The monsters, the Void Serum—it’s enough to make someone to never worry about money for his lifetime.”

  “Monsters are that valuable?”

  Frederick went ahead and explained.

  “Every part has a use. Skins for armor, bones to enhance weapons—sometimes they even grant abilities. Meat restores energy. Blood’s used for potions and elixirs. There are barely any parts that could be wasted.”

  “Wait… how did people make weapons back during the first void break?”

  “That’s where energy ore comes in. Normal ore mutated from energy exposure. It’s what we use for most gear now. Makes hunting monsters a lot easier.”

  James nodded, absorbing everything. "I never knew any of this before the coma…"

  He leaned forward. “Okay… my real question. How do I enter void breaks without being seen by the public?”

  Frederick smirked and leaned in as well.

  “You’re not the first who’s wanted to work in the shadows. That’s why the Awakened Black Market exists.”

  “There’s a black market… for awakeners?”