Vara stood on the edge of the ruined city, staring out at the horizon. The wind howled, carrying the scent of decay and the distant crackle of lightning that pierced the heavy, dark clouds hanging low above Athon. The city—once a thriving hub of civilization—was now nothing more than a collection of broken buildings, scorched earth, and forgotten memories. In the distance, the faint glow of the Mech-Cities flickered like dying stars, a reminder of the ever-present technological decay spreading through the land.

  She had made her decision. The Codex was now a part of her—at least, a fragment of it was. The Synthborn had promised that the rest of it would be within her reach soon enough, but it was clear now that the journey would not be as simple as she had hoped. There were others who sought it, and they would stop at nothing to get their hands on its power.

  As she turned back toward the wreckage of the once-great city, she could see the remnants of the Codex Seekers, the faction she had been a part of. They had once been her allies—dedicated to protecting the Codex and uncovering its secrets. But now... they were scattered, divided, their once united cause broken by the knowledge of what the Codex truly represented. The Seekers no longer saw themselves as protectors of an artifact. They had become desperate, blinded by the same greed that had taken hold of the Mechanists and the Nomads.

  Vara's thoughts were interrupted by a voice—a familiar, raspy whisper that made her spine tingle.

  "Vara," it said, low and cold, cutting through the silence like a knife.

  She turned, her hand instinctively reaching for the blade at her side, but relaxed when she saw who it was. Herren, the former leader of the Seekers, stood before her. His once sharp, confident face was now gaunt, his eyes hollow and filled with the weight of too many years of battle. The years had not been kind to him, and the corruption of the Nano Plague had claimed its toll on his body. The faint metallic tinge in his voice was a reminder that he, too, was part machine now—a hybrid, like the Synthborn.

  "You shouldn't have come," Vara said, her voice colder than she intended. "Not after what happened."

  Herren didn't flinch. "You think I came to stop you?" He stepped forward, his metal limbs clinking with each movement. "I came to warn you."

  "Warn me?" Vara raised an eyebrow. "You think I don't know what I'm doing?"

  Herren shook his head. "You don’t understand, Vara. The Codex is more dangerous than you think. It’s not just a weapon—it’s an infection. It’s already spreading, inside you. The more you use it, the more it consumes you. You won’t just lose your humanity—you’ll lose everything that makes you who you are."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Vara swallowed hard. She had felt it, the stirrings of change within her. It was as if the Codex was calling to her, like an echo she couldn’t silence. But she had believed it was just the power, the surge of energy that came with it. She had believed that she could control it.

  "Don't come here to lecture me," she said, her voice a mixture of frustration and fear. "You left the Seekers long before I did. You abandoned our cause, Herren. Now you come crawling back, talking about the Codex like it’s some kind of curse. You were supposed to protect it, not fear it."

  Herren’s eyes darkened, and for a moment, he seemed to shrink in on himself, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his own regret. "I was a fool," he admitted. "We all were. The Codex was never meant to be wielded by mortals. We were na?ve to think we could control it. I’ve seen what happens to those who try. They become more than just machines—they become something... something worse."

  The wind howled louder, drowning out his words. Vara's heart raced as she considered his words. Could it be true? Could the Codex be something more than she had ever imagined? Something more dangerous than even the Wraiths and the Mechanists?

  A sudden flash of light in the distance caught her attention. She turned, narrowing her eyes as she saw the unmistakable shape of a Mech-Hunter approaching. The enormous machine, a twisted creation of both organic and synthetic parts, stomped across the wasteland with mechanical precision, its glowing red eyes fixed firmly on her position.

  "Looks like they found us," Herren said, a grim smile crossing his face. "The Mechanists never were ones to let anything slip away. You have two choices now, Vara. You can either run, or you can face them head-on."

  Vara clenched her fists, the heat of battle already rising within her. The Codex may have been dangerous, but she wasn’t going to let anyone take it from her. Not now. Not after everything she had been through.

  "I’m not running," she said firmly. "Not anymore."

  The Mech-Hunter’s massive metal foot came down with a thunderous crash, sending a shockwave through the earth. The Wraiths—shadowy figures that had long since ceased to be human—began to emerge from the wreckage of the nearby buildings, their glowing red eyes fixed on her. They had sensed the presence of the Codex, and they were here to claim it for themselves.

  Vara reached for the fragment of the Codex hidden beneath her cloak, feeling its warmth against her skin. She had no choice now. She would have to fight, and she would have to win.

  Herren stepped back, raising his hand in a gesture of both warning and farewell. "This is where our paths diverge, Vara," he said, his voice heavy with sorrow. "You’re on your own now. I can’t help you. But be careful. The more you fight, the more the Codex will change you."

  Vara didn’t have time to respond. The Mech-Hunter’s towering form was already bearing down on her, its massive weaponized arm aiming directly at her chest.

  Without another word, she drew her blade and charged, the wind howling around her as she leaped into the fray.