Chapter 14: Fractured Alliances

  The faint hum of the data stream coursed through Jin’s earpiece, blending with the rush of his thoughts. He was still reeling from the sudden drop into the depths of Echelon’s forbidden yers, and yet, his path was set. The Cipher Breaker was his ticket forward—his gateway to something bigger, but at what cost?

  Kael had led him to a temporary safehouse on the edge of Zone 4. It wasn’t much—a barely functional hideout with cracked walls and dim lighting. Yet, it felt like the first pce in weeks that didn’t pulse with the oppressive weight of the colpsing VR world. The walls, once sleek and efficient, were now coated in yers of digital decay. They flickered erratically, remnants of older systems desperately trying to stay alive, attempting to patch up broken systems before the network colpsed entirely.

  Jin ran his fingers across the cool surface of the Cipher Breaker device, feeling the slight vibration emanating from it. This object was more than just a key to the unknown; it was a fragment of the old world—before the colpse. A time when the network, Echelon, was a unified, prosperous system used for everything from entertainment to managing entire industries. Now, it was a fractured system, controlled by shadowy factions and rogue agents scavenging whatever scraps they could find.

  Zone 4, where they had taken refuge, was one of the most dangerous regions within Echelon. Once a thriving tech hub, it had become a ghost town of sorts—a pce where abandoned data streams collided with rogue programs. The system here was constantly at odds with itself, some parts still running as if nothing had changed, while others had fallen into chaotic loops, endlessly repeating obsolete protocols.

  As he sat cross-legged on the floor, Jin could hear the faintest echoes of the world that once was—a system that was once efficient, now nothing more than a decaying shadow of its former self.

  “Did you ever think we’d end up here?” Kael’s voice broke through his thoughts. She was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning casually against the frame.

  Jin looked up, giving a slight shrug. “Honestly? No. But here we are.”

  She stepped in, her gaze lingering on the device in his hands. “You unlocked something important. But do you even know what it means?”

  He met her eyes, feeling the weight of her words. “I’ve been using the Cheat Module to guide me, but it feels like I’m missing something. I need to know what this—” he gestured to the device “—actually does. And how I can use it.”

  Kael didn’t answer immediately. She moved closer, sitting down beside him. For a moment, they just sat in silence, the faint buzzing of the network almost calming.

  “You know, there are a lot of people who would kill to have that thing,” Kael said softly, her eyes flicking to the Cipher Breaker.

  Jin nodded, his mind working through the implications. “I figured as much. That’s why I don’t think I can trust anyone in this mess—not even you.” His voice was steady, but there was a thin yer of uncertainty beneath it.

  Kael smiled, a little too knowingly. “Smart.”

  He took a moment to think about what he had uncovered so far. The map in his vision was still half-buried beneath yers of encryption. The deeper parts of Echelon were shrouded in darkness, but the Cipher Breaker was a tool he couldn’t afford to ignore.

  “I have to go deeper,” Jin muttered to himself. “I need to know the truth—about Echelon. About the colpse. And about how this damn system works.”

  Kael didn’t look surprised. “You’re not the first person to seek answers. Hell, you won’t even be the st. But you’ll be marked. And once you’re on the map, there’s no going back.”

  “I don’t have a choice,” Jin replied. “I’m already too deep.”

  There was a long pause. Kael seemed to consider this, her expression unreadable. Then, in a surprisingly gentle tone, she spoke.

  “I’ll help you. But you need to understand something, Jin. People will come after us. People who have been waiting for the right moment to pull the strings on Echelon. If you push forward, it won’t just be the network colpsing on you—it’ll be every faction, every pyer in this game.”

  Jin felt a cold chill creep down his spine. “I’m used to enemies.”

  Kael’s lips quirked into a slight smile. “I bet. But you haven’t faced them yet. Not in full force.”

  A sudden beep from the Cipher Breaker interrupted their conversation. A new notification fshed in his vision:

  [New Data Received: Echelon Layer 12 Access Point – Coordinates Updated]

  [Warning: Unauthorized Access Detected – Initiating Lockdown Protocol]

  The words hung in the air, the weight of them pressing down on Jin’s chest.

  Kael stiffened. “Layer 12… That’s not even supposed to exist.”

  Jin blinked, a chill running down his spine. “What do you mean, not supposed to exist?”

  Kael exhaled sharply. “Echelon wasn’t always like this. Before the Colpse, it was a unified system—one network, controlled by the Council of Overseers. The whole system was designed to serve the people, manage everything from governance to economy. But some yers, especially the higher ones, were off-limits. Too dangerous. Too controlled. Layer 12 was one of those.”

  Jin frowned, trying to grasp the enormity of what she was saying. “What happened to it?”

  “The Colpse happened. The system fractured. Layers went dark, and the Council fractured into factions. Some still want control, others just want power. But all of them are hunting for the st remnants of the original code—the true heart of Echelon. The Cipher Breaker is a key to that.”

  Jin clenched his fists. “I don’t care about control. I just need answers. I need to understand what went wrong.”

  Kael’s gaze softened. “Trust me, you’re not the only one. But what you’re about to uncover won’t just change your understanding of Echelon—it’ll change everything about the world outside.”