The ground shook beneath us, sending vibrations through my bones. The air was thick with tension, the kind of silence that comes just before the storm. I could feel it—something was off, something deeper than just the chaos we had been fighting for so long.
We had barely made it out of the facility when the Faded appeared.
At first, it was just one or two—shambling figures emerging from the edges of the forest. But within moments, the numbers grew. Dozens, maybe hundreds, moving in unison, their movements disturbingly synchronized.
I gripped my knife tighter, my pulse quickening. Something wasn’t right. The Faded were never this organized, never this... coordinated. They weren’t just wandering mindlessly anymore. They were following a pattern, moving like they had a purpose.
"What's happening?" Elias muttered, his hand resting on the gun at his side. His usual confidence was slipping. "This isn’t normal."
We were both crouched behind the ruins of an old building, watching as the Faded marched past. Their hollow eyes scanned the surroundings, never once deviating from their path. I’d seen them before—slow, mindless, easy to kill if you were careful. But this... this was different.
"They’re... guarding something," I said, my voice low.
Elias looked at me, brow furrowed. "Guarding what?"
I didn't have the answer. I couldn’t even guess. But there was something about their movements, the way they grouped together at certain points, as if they were keeping watch.
"Maybe they're not just mindless," I muttered. "Maybe they're... protecting something. Or someone."
Elias didn’t respond, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. The truth was starting to settle in. I had no idea what had changed in the Faded, but it was like they were being drawn to something—or someone.
The thought made my stomach turn.
We stayed hidden, watching the strange procession unfold. The Faded marched toward the center of the ruined city, where the tallest building still stood—a massive skyscraper, its windows shattered, its walls cracked and crumbling. But even from a distance, I could see the eerie glow coming from within.
"Do you think it's connected to the rift?" Elias asked, his voice barely a whisper.
I didn’t answer immediately. My thoughts were racing, connecting dots I hadn’t seen before. The Faded, the rift, the strange behavior—it all pointed to something bigger than just survival.
"It's possible," I said, my voice tense. "But if that's true... then we need to be careful. If they're protecting it, whatever it is, it's powerful. Dangerous."
Elias nodded, his eyes narrowing. "Then we find out what it is."
I hesitated. The idea of getting closer to the Faded, of putting ourselves in the heart of whatever they were guarding, terrified me. But I knew there was no turning back. The answers we needed were somewhere inside that building.
"Let’s move," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
We stayed low, darting from cover to cover, keeping our distance from the Faded as they moved past us, unaware of our presence. The tension in the air was palpable, every step we took feeling like a countdown. The closer we got to the skyscraper, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.
When we reached the building’s entrance, we paused. The massive doors were ajar, barely hanging on their hinges. But there was no mistaking the pulse of energy coming from inside, a low hum that reverberated through the ground beneath our feet.
Elias’s eyes were fixed on the entrance. "Ito na ‘yun," he said, his voice a mix of determination and uncertainty. "Whatever’s inside, it’s the key to everything."
I didn’t argue. I knew he was right. We had no choice but to find out.
We stepped through the door, entering the darkness of the building. The walls were lined with broken equipment, dust hanging in the air like a shroud. The faint hum grew louder, vibrating through the floor as we moved deeper into the heart of the building.
Suddenly, the air shifted. A cold breeze swept past us, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of something decaying. The Faded were getting closer.
I turned to Elias, my hand instinctively reaching for my knife. "We’re not alone," I whispered.
Elias stiffened. "Stay close."
We continued through the building, every step cautious, every sound amplified in the silence. The hum was now deafening, and we could feel it in our chests. Something was pulling us forward, like a magnetic force, urging us to keep moving.
Then we reached it.
A large, circular room stood before us, the walls lined with strange symbols. At the center of the room, a large machine hummed with life. Its design was unlike anything I had ever seen—futuristic, yet decayed, as if it had been abandoned for years. But the most terrifying thing was the glowing blue orb that floated above the machine, suspended by an unseen force.
It pulsed with energy, casting an eerie glow across the room. And surrounding it... were the Faded.
They were gathered around the machine, not attacking, not moving, but standing still as though waiting for something.
"They’re not guarding it," I whispered, my voice trembling. "They’re... connected to it."
Elias’s face paled. "What does that mean? Are they... part of it?"
Before I could answer, the Faded turned toward us. Their hollow eyes locked onto ours, their movements stiff but deliberate.
It was then that I realized something horrifying.
The Faded were no longer mindless. They were aware.
And they weren’t just protecting the machine—they were bound to it.
I stepped back, heart racing, but the Faded were already advancing, moving faster now, their eyes glowing with a terrifying intensity.
"Run!" Elias shouted, but before we could make a move, the ground beneath us shook violently, and the door we had entered through slammed shut with a deafening crash.
We were trapped.
The air was thick with tension, each breath more difficult than the last. The Faded surrounded us, their eyes glowing with an eerie intensity. I could feel the pulse of the machine, resonating deep within my chest, as if it was syncing with my heartbeat.
Elias grabbed my arm, pulling me back towards the farthest corner of the room. His grip was tight, but his eyes were frantic, scanning for an escape. There was no way out.
The Faded moved toward us, their movements jerky but purposeful. They were not the same mindless creatures we had encountered before—they were aware, they were hunting us, and it was like they were controlled by the very force that powered the machine.
"There's no way out," Elias muttered, panic creeping into his voice. "We need to destroy that thing."
My eyes darted to the machine, the orb floating above it, humming louder now. The symbols around the room seemed to glow with an unnatural light, and the energy in the air crackled, making my skin tingle.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. The Faded were closing in, and the only thing standing between us and them was the machine. But destroying it? It didn’t feel like a choice anymore. It felt like the end of everything.
"Elias," I said, my voice shaky, "this is bigger than just us. That thing... it’s not just a machine. It’s the source of everything—the rift, the Faded, the loop. It’s all connected."
Elias’s eyes met mine, full of determination and fear. "Then we have to shut it down. Whatever it takes."
Before I could respond, the first of the Faded lunged at us, moving with terrifying speed. I barely had time to react, my knife slicing through the air, but the creature was already on me, its cold hands grabbing hold of my arms. The stench of rot filled my nose, and I struggled to break free, but it was too strong.
"Elias!" I gasped, my heart racing. "Help!"
He lunged forward, slashing at the creature with his crowbar. But as he hit it, the Faded recoiled and let out a low, guttural growl, its grip tightening on me. I could feel its cold breath on my neck, its twisted face just inches away from mine.
The machine's hum grew louder, and I could feel the air crackling with energy. The Faded weren’t just drawn to us—they were being controlled by the machine, its power feeding into them, driving them to protect it, to stop us from reaching it.
I struggled against the Faded’s grip, my knife slipping from my hand. I couldn’t breathe, the pressure of its hold suffocating me. I could feel myself slipping, my vision blurring at the edges.
Then, without warning, the creature’s head exploded in a spray of blackened blood and gore. I gasped in shock, my body finally able to break free as the lifeless form of the Faded crumpled to the ground.
Elias stood over me, his crowbar dripping with the creature’s remains. "We don’t have time for this," he growled, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet.
The remaining Faded were now moving in on us from all sides. They weren’t mindless anymore—they were relentless.
"We need to shut that thing down now," Elias said, his voice low, steady.
I nodded, but my eyes were locked on the machine. The orb was glowing brighter now, pulsing faster, and the symbols on the walls were flashing in sync with the hum of the energy. It felt like the room itself was alive, and I could feel the rift—the time loop—tearing at the fabric of reality.
I turned toward the machine, but before I could take a step, the ground beneath us trembled. The Faded were getting closer, their hollow eyes fixed on us, unblinking. And just when I thought we were finished, the entire room went dark.
A blinding light erupted from the orb, engulfing the room in an intense, searing glow. The hum of the machine reached a deafening crescendo, and I felt my body being pulled toward it, like I was being sucked into the very heart of the rift.
"NO!" Elias screamed, but his voice was lost in the chaos. "Liora, RUN!"
I tried to move, but my feet were glued to the ground, my body heavy, as if gravity itself had changed. I could feel the rift expanding, tearing at my very soul, threatening to unravel everything.
And then, in an instant, everything stopped.
The light blinked out, and the room fell into complete silence.
I gasped, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The Faded were gone, the machine was still, and the eerie glow of the orb had faded into nothingness.
For a moment, I thought we were safe.
But then, I heard it—a low, rumbling sound, like the earth itself groaning. The walls of the room began to crack, and a deep, unnatural voice echoed through the space.
"Liora..." the voice whispered, its tone haunting, familiar.
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. The voice... it sounded like mine.
"Elias," I whispered, my throat dry. "Naririnig mo ba ‘yun?"
Elias was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah. But... it’s coming from inside your head, isn’t it?"
I didn’t answer. The voice—it was calling to me, pulling me deeper into the darkness of the rift. I could feel the pull, like a magnetic force, stronger than anything I’d ever known.
"Liora..." The voice repeated, louder now, closer. "Come to me."
Suddenly, the walls cracked open, and a swirling vortex of light and darkness erupted in the center of the room, pulling everything in its path toward it. The Faded were back, but they were different—more powerful, their forms twisting and distorting as they were sucked into the vortex.
I grabbed Elias’s arm, but the pull was too strong. "Elias!" I screamed, but he was already slipping away, his body being dragged toward the center of the vortex.
"No!" I cried, but the last thing I saw was Elias’s face, twisted in terror, as he vanished into the darkness.