Chapter 25: The Chase Across Rusted Bridges

The chains groaned under Nagomi’s weight as he sprinted across the swinging bridge, his boots thudding against the creaking metal planks. Behind him, the mechanical wolf and its smaller kin bounded after him, their gears snarling and jaws snapping like ancient engines hungry for prey.

“Why is it always wolves?!” Nagomi shouted over his shoulder, breathless but weirdly thrilled. “Couldn’t it have been a cuddly gear-bear or something for once?!”

The bridge swayed dangerously with every leap, a chorus of squealing metal and shifting chains echoing in the cavernous Hollow Core. Below, an endless drop into darkness yawned wide.

Focus, Nagomi. Running’s great and all, but if you don’t find a way out soon, you’re gonna be scrap metal chow.

He risked a glance ahead—and spotted another bridge splitting off to the left, leading to a crumbling platform lined with strange levers and mechanisms.

"No idea what that is, but it’s better than becoming a chew toy!"

At the last second, Nagomi veered left, the bridge rattling madly beneath him. The mechanical beasts tried to follow, but the narrowness slowed them, giving him a precious few seconds.

Reaching the platform, Nagomi skidded to a stop before the control panel—a mess of levers, rusty buttons, and half-faded symbols.

He grimaced.
"Great. It’s a puzzle. And I’m being chased."

The disc in his pouch pulsed again, stronger this time.

Nagomi yanked it out and waved it over the console. Surprisingly, the symbols flared to life, translating into readable words.

“Emergency Security Override,” he read aloud.
"That sounds useful!"

Without thinking too much—because who had time for thinking with death machines chasing them?—he slammed the largest lever forward.

There was a deep, grinding noise throughout the cavern. From the darkness, gears the size of houses began to shift. Pathways rose from the chasms, metal bridges extending, while heavy iron gates slammed shut behind the wolf creatures, trapping some of them.

Nagomi whooped in triumph.

"Yes! Who's the genius now?!"

Of course, not all of them were caught.
The massive wolf—the first one he had seen—leapt clean over the closing gate with terrifying strength, landing heavily on the new path just meters behind him.

Nagomi’s victorious grin froze.

"...Oh. Right. You're still here."

With no time to admire the mechanisms or celebrate, Nagomi bolted again, sprinting along the newly risen pathways that spiraled deeper toward the heart of the Hollow Core.

As he ran, the cavern transformed around him.

Huge cogs spun lazily, steam hissed from cracks in the floor, and ancient statues of forgotten inventors loomed from alcoves—faces worn and broken by time.

Despite the danger, a wild excitement beat in Nagomi’s chest.

This place… it's like something straight out of a dream. A crazy, deadly dream.

And somehow, it made him feel alive in a way he hadn't felt even during battles before.

Dodging a spray of scalding steam, Nagomi ducked under a collapsing pipe and leapt onto another bridge. The mechanical wolf stayed right on his trail, relentless.

"You just don't quit, huh?!" Nagomi barked between gasps.

Up ahead, the great heart-machine pulsed louder, the vibrations resonating in his bones.

If I can just reach it... maybe there's a way to end this!

The final bridge ended abruptly—twenty meters short of the massive heart engine.
The gap yawned wide, endless darkness swirling below.

Nagomi skidded to a halt at the edge, panting, the wolf just steps behind.

He stared at the distance, his heart pounding.

"No way... that's way too far..."

But then he remembered: the world he came from, the dullness he left behind, the dreams he never chased.

You're not that same guy anymore, Nagomi.

A grin tugged at his lips.

"You only live once. Or... twice, technically."

Without hesitation, he sprinted forward and launched himself into the void.

The air roared in his ears.
Gravity tugged at him viciously.

For a terrifying moment, he was weightless—falling, falling—

And then—
CRASH!

He slammed onto the platform surrounding the heart-machine, rolling painfully but alive.

"Ow ow ow... totally worth it!" he gasped, scrambling up.

Behind him, the mechanical wolf skidded to a halt at the broken bridge, growling furiously, unable to follow.

Nagomi threw it a two-fingered salute.

"Better luck next time, scrap-dog."

Turning his attention to the massive machine, Nagomi approached cautiously.

The heart was huge, twice the size of a house, and covered in strange, pulsating runes. Pipes fed into it from all directions, and smaller machines clicked and whirred around its base.

The disc he carried almost burned in his hand now.

He found a slot near the center—shaped perfectly to fit it.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered.

Slotting the disc in, Nagomi stepped back.

The machine shuddered—and then, slowly, a hidden compartment opened in the floor, revealing a staircase spiraling downward into even deeper darkness.

A breeze of cold air rose up from below, carrying scents of old machinery... and something else. Something ancient.

Nagomi stared down into the blackness.

A smile, reckless and bright, spread across his face.

"Guess the real adventure’s just getting started."

Without another word, he descended into the unknown, the doors closing silently behind him.