Riley woke to his alarm. The dim light of his apartment came into focus, painting familiar shapes against walls that seemed more confining than comforting. He swung his legs out of the pod, rubbing away the grogginess. He had been dreaming, but the details were already slipping away. For some reason, he felt a sense of unease he couldn't shake.

  His morning routine blurred together: brushing his teeth, gnawing on a stale breakfast bar, and staring at the jagged skyline. It was meant to anchor him, to smother anything that didn't fit his gray life. But cracks were forming. Thoughts of the gateway and the people he'd soon face it with slipped through like rays of light through fracturing stone. Excitement simmered beneath the surface, edging closer to breaking free.

  The factory floor teamed with mod jockeys and the sounds of clanging equipment. Riley kept his head down, keeping himself as busy as possible to make time flow faster. But his focus faltered every time he passed Thom's spot. He lingered there during his break, staring like the act might change something.

  "I'll get out of here," his voice cut low enough to be swallowed by his surroundings. The words were more a promise than hope.

  As the hours blurred together, his thoughts kept slipping away toward the gateway. Finding it had felt like stumbling upon a secret meant just for him. He could still see its churning mists inviting him through. He'd stepped away from it before, unsure of what lay ahead, but now he felt the pull more strongly than ever. Then he saw Scribblez, Vox, and Clio. They were strange, new additions, but on his side. For the first time since graduation, Riley felt a glimmer of possibility.

  When the shift ended, Riley practically ran to his apartment. He shut the door behind him and went straight to the InfiNet pod, sinking into its familiar embrace. The glow enveloped him as the transition began. Reality blurred into pixels of light, and Auron emerged.

  He adjusted his jacket, ensuring the Watcher's Cover was safely tucked away, then left for the abandoned subway station. The city's noise faded with each step, replaced by unsettling silence.

  The station hadn't changed. Shadows pooled in the corners, cracks spiderwebbed through the walls, and everything was overgrown with glowing plants. Descending into the dark, Auron felt a shift in the air. The plants glowed brightly for a moment as if welcoming his return.

  The others were waiting. Scribblez stood with her orb spinning lazily by her side, Vox leaned against a rusted column, and Clio paced at the edge of the dark. They acknowledged him with nods, but no one seemed to want to talk. At the room's center, the gateway rippled with strange energy against the decayed backdrop.

  This time, there was no hesitation. One by one, everyone stepped through the portal. Scribblez first, then Vox, then Clio, each dissolving into the swirling void. Auron took a deep breath, steeling himself. The weight of the day, the memories, and his doubt all fell away as he stepped forward.

  But instead of the pull of the unknown, his hand struck something cold and unyielding. A brick wall.

  His breath hitched as confusion swept through him. He pressed against the wall, his palms flat against the rough surface. From the other side, faint voices filtered through, warped and muffled.

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  "Auron! Where are you?" Scribblez's urgent words broke through. Auron pounded on the wall, desperation mounting as the voices grew louder. Scribblez's voice turned frantic, joined by Clio's terse commands and Vox's booming calls. Their voices quickly devolved into yelps... then howls of pain. Each wail rose in pitch and panic, layering over one another until they started blending together.

  Auron's fists beat against the wall as the cries shifted into something raw and primal. He could hear Scribblez's voice crackling, her cries dissolving into gasps. Vox's usual confidence gave way to terror, his shouts strangled and incoherent. Clio's voice was the last to break, a single, sharp scream cutting through the others.

  Then, silence.

  Auron slowly withdrew his fist from the wall. He struggled to breathe. It was as if the air had been sucked from the station, leaving behind the void that pressed against his ears.

  A chill ran down his spine as another voice echoed behind him. "You didn't think we wouldn't notice, did you?"

  He turned to find Marcus and a half-dozen Catch22 enforcers emerging from the shadows. Their faces oozed with perverse cruelty amid the glowing plants.

  Auron backed away instinctively, only for his heel to meet nothing but empty air. Darkness surged around him, and in the void, two unblinking orange eyes opened, cold and watchful. Marcus began laughing.

  The thugs moved closer, their hands outstretched. The void seemed to close in. The orange eyes narrowed, and the air grew too thick to breathe. Terror swept through Auron.

  Just as the hands reached him, he jolted awake, gasping for breath. The room was still, save for the building's heating system. His heart hammered against his ribs, and the nightmare clung like a parasite. He ran a hand through his hair, his breathing uneven.

  The first light of dawn filtered through the blinds, tracing faint lines across the apartment walls. Riley sat on the edge of his pod, trying to calm himself. The screams clung to him like static, refusing to fade completely.

  Outside, the city carried on as usual. I'm here. I’m safe. He let the thought settle, grounding himself in the ordinary.

  After a minute, Riley stretched. His body felt stiff from too much time in the pod. A glance at the clock reminded him that it was the weekend. No factory shift to endure today. The realization brought an ounce of relief. It gave him space to prepare, mentally and physically, for the gateway and whatever it held.

  Riley grabbed his communicator and pulled up the InfiNet forums. He flicked past a never-ending stream of headlines until one caught his eye.

  Arcanis Prime's Collapse: A New Era or Catastrophe

  The Vault world's destruction sent bigger shockwaves through the InfiNet than Riley realized. Some users hailed it as a landmark event, while others condemned the fallout. He skimmed the debates without diving too deep.

  Another headline claimed, "Artifact Sabotage Behind Collapse." The post theorized that a losing guild torpedoed the artifact to prevent others from seizing it. Riley frowned. It sounded plausible. Guild greed was rarely subtle.

  Another thread appeared about HorizonTek Industries. Apparently, their heir had gone missing. The post offered theories ranging from corporate subterfuge to personal vendettas. Riley lingered briefly. HorizonTek specialized in adding content to the InfiNet. Their company was often featured when they sent InfiNet explorers into developing deep zones. He knew nothing else about them, though, except that they were rich.

  One post snagged his attention longer than the others:

  Unkillable Boss Spotted in Collapse Aftermath!

  The details were sparse and sensational, with claims of entire guilds being wiped out. Most commenters dismissed it as hype or fabrication, though few speculated it might be a new, high-tier challenge. Riley shook his head, torn between curiosity and wariness.

  Eventually, the forums blurred together, and the nightmare's hold loosened. After soaking in the endless chatter of the InfiNet, Riley set the communicator down.

  He stood and stretched again. The gateway still lingered in his thoughts. For now, though, he had to get ready.