Chapter III: Integration

I stood at the edge of the rooftop, the wind biting against my skin as I peered down at the city sprawled beneath me. Thirty metres below, the streets bustled with life—oblivious, indifferent.

From this height, I remained invisible to the hive of souls buzzing below. Their chaotic energy clashed violently with the stillness in my chest.

I was a ghost. A phantom weighed down by a truth too heavy to share—too dangerous to be understood.

The sun was dipping beyond the horizon, painting the sky in molten golds and infernal reds before surrendering to dusk. The light struck the skyline in a final, fleeting blaze—one last beautiful image to carry with me.

In my hand, my phone vibrated incessantly.

Message after message. Missed call after missed call. A swarm of voices from another world trying to reach me—trying to drag me back.

Each notification was a knife, slicing through the silence with memories of connections I had once clung to—now frayed, fraying… gone.

Tears carved cold rivers down my face. I turned and ran—not toward safety, but away from everything. I didn’t know where I was going.

Could I run off the edge of the world?

Please... take me home. Wherever that is.

I ran until I couldn’t feel the wind anymore. I ran in search of a soft place to fall.
And I kept running… searching.

My phone slipped from my grip. It hit the rooftop behind me with a hollow clatter.
I didn’t turn back.

I closed my eyes.

This is when I fall asleep.
Forever.

Eva’s eyes fluttered open.

A chill traced her cheek—a single droplet rolling down like a silent tear. She brushed it away reflexively, no longer surprised. Tears had long since become familiar guests.

It took her a moment to reorient.

She was in the elevator, descending—metal walls softly humming as it plunged toward the subterranean depths of Basement Level 3, where the NIX Detention Center resided.

Unlike the past few months—where power shortages had turned elevators into steel coffins—today it worked flawlessly. Ironically. Now that she wished it wouldn’t.

Most recruits had given up on elevators entirely, opting for the stairs. Claustrophobia, impatience, or both. But not Eva. She’d come to cherish these moments alone in the metal box. It was her sanctuary—brief silence amidst the unending noise of missions, deadlines, and the constant scrutiny of those around her.

She was the ‘quiet one.’ The anomaly. The ghost of the Polytechnic.

Until Felix came crashing into her world—loud, clumsy, persistent, and somehow... sincere.

Even during power failures, he stayed beside her. One time, he’d rigged the elevator into a makeshift VR pod. They’d spent hours in-game, escaping their lives under the avatars FergoProxy and Evanginocchio. Together, they befriended a rising pro gamer named Nuemeno. Felix even brought snacks, sodas, and fruit juice. Their tiny elevator transformed into a realm of beanbags, graffiti, and laughter.

And for Eva—who had never known joy in such form—it became something sacred.

Of course, the rumours spread like wildfire. But when the truth came out—that they were just two game-obsessed weirdos—the student body changed its tune. The elevator became a haven for gamers, rebels, and misfits.

But now… it was gone.

Clean. Sanitised. Sterile.
Just another part of NIX’s machinery.

She stepped out, never looking back.

She would never return to this version of the elevator again.

Eva sat quietly in the sterile white lobby of the NIX Detention Center, her body upright, her posture still—but every part of her trembled beneath the surface.

She’d contacted her former instructor—Captain Newt, now head of NIX Security Personnel—in a desperate plea to help Felix, who had been arrested under suspicion of conspiring with the Paradox Movement.

The evidence against him was damning. But Eva had conducted her own search, and what she’d found told a different story: Felix wasn’t motivated by malice, but compassion. His actions weren’t betrayal—they were sacrifice.

She waited. And waited. And waited.

Then, at last, the heavy vault-like door beside the reception booth groaned open.

Two men stepped into view.

The first was tall and wiry, with messy sandy blond hair tied into a loose man bun. Newt. His face was drawn—tired and tense.

The second man, lean with sharp features and swept-back blond hair, paced beside him, voice rising.

“I’m telling you, Newt! There’s something going on in this place. Something buried deep. Right under your damn nose.”

Newt rubbed his temples. “I know. But I can’t act beyond admin jurisdiction without risking my own arrest.”

Then he spotted Eva.

He gave a subtle gesture to the other man—Gunther—to leave it for now.

“Later, Gunther,” he murmured. Gunther frowned, then nodded and slipped away.

Newt approached her, his expression heavy with regret.

“I’m so sorry, Eva,” he said, his voice raw. “I tried everything. I pushed for visitation. A bail hearing. Hell, even a damn conversation. They wouldn’t budge.”

The words hit her like a slap, but Eva only nodded. No tears. Not now.

She forced a small smile. “You did your best. We’ll find another way. I won’t give up on him.”

Newt’s lips curled into a brief, bittersweet smile. He ruffled her short bob affectionately.

“You’re tough, kiddo. Felix would be proud. I’ll keep digging—quietly. Just… take care of yourself, alright?”

Eva nodded. Then, glancing at the wall-mounted digital clock—08:00 A.M.—her expression shifted.

Determined. Clear.

“Thank you, Captain Newt. I have an important task to attend to.”

She turned, her coat trailing behind her like a shadow, her boots echoing across the sterile floor.

And though she walked alone, hope followed her.

***

Tetsuo, a part-time employee at the NIX Bistro, drifted among the morning crowd like a shell of himself. His footsteps were sluggish, eyes ringed with dark circles, his body weighed down by exhaustion and a growing numbness. With every shift, the vibrant spark that once fuelled him dimmed further. The bistro was calm now—eerily so. Too quiet.

It hadn’t always been this dull. In the past, Felix had been a walking disaster zone of joyful chaos. He would leap over the counter with acrobatic flair just to uncover Tetsuo’s “secret stash” of pizza boxes. Their chase through the kitchen was part comedy, part tradition—Tetsuo waving a broom like a knight while trying to manage the queue.

But now… Felix was gone. And with him, the colour had drained from Tetsuo’s world.

The monotony became unbearable.

Tetsuo had even started falling asleep mid-shift—upright, bent at the waist, drool pooling on the countertop.

He jolted upright when three firm taps landed on his skull.

“Good morning! Welcome to NIX Bistro! What can I get—”

He froze. The person standing before him was Lucy Drakenstein.

He met her cool gaze with horror. A raised eyebrow, a hint of a smirk—deadly combination.

Kill me now.

“Hey, Tetsuo. Relax. No need to self-combust,” Lucy said with an unexpected warmth in her tone.

Tetsuo sighed in relief, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I barely got any sleep. Life’s gotten… well—”

“Dull,” she finished.

He nodded. “Exactly. I could fall asleep right now.”

Lucy regarded him for a beat, then leaned in slightly.

“Tetsuo, are you free at 07:15?”

The question punched straight into his chest. “YES. ABSOLUTELY.”

His voice echoed. He winced. Too loud. Probably startled someone.

“Cool,” Lucy replied casually. “Meet me behind the Athena statue in the North End Lobby.”

She turned to leave. Tetsuo looked at the clock: 06:59 A.M.

“Oh, poop!” he exclaimed, snapping into action.

He ditched his uniform, stuffed it in his locker, and changed into a white, high-collared sweatshirt. From the depths of his locker, he retrieved a glittery, pastel-coloured welcome sign he’d helped Felix design. “Welcome to NIX Polytechnic, Sasha Everhart!” it read in bold red script, decorated with gold stars and stickers.

Tetsuo bolted through the halls, down nine flights of stairs, and reached the Polytechnic lobby in twenty-one seconds flat.

To his surprise, Eva was already there.

She wore a white coat patterned with delicate pink sakura blossoms, a red sweater beneath, and fitted jeans. Calm, composed—yet clearly waiting for someone important.

They were expecting Sasha Everhart—the girl Felix had risked everything for.

Felix had told them Sasha lived in Hell’s Kitchen, raised in a modest family restaurant—until the NIX Emporium opened and steamrolled local businesses. After spiralling debt and foreclosure, NIX invoked eminent domain, absorbing the land. In return, the family escaped their debts—but lost their home and livelihood.

“Hello, Tetsuo. Thank you for bringing the sign,” Eva said kindly. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

Tetsuo smiled. “Not at all! I arrived in full-throttle warp mode! Nobody saw a thing. Though… working all night has its side effects.”

“That’s good to hear.”

They waited in companionable silence. Then, Tetsuo checked the clock again.

13 minutes had passed.

He tensed. He needed six minutes to reach the North Lobby—even with warp speed. The hallway was now packed with students and staff. Every moment he hesitated, the odds of making it on time worsened.

“Eva, I’m sorry! I have to go!”

“Huh? But I don’t know how to—”

“You’ll be great! You’re amazing! Just smile and hold the sign!” Tetsuo shoved the sign into her arms and sprinted away.
“I’m sooorrryyy!”

Eva sighed at the attention the outburst drew. She stared down the crowd until they looked away.

“Mum! Look! That lady has my name on the sign!”

An excited girl with curly hair and wide eyes ran toward her. Behind her, an older woman followed quickly.

Eva recognised them instantly.

Sasha. And her mother—Danielle Everhart.

There was also a dog—a large, black beast, somewhere between wolf and guardian. Felix had mentioned him. Fenrir.

“Hello! You must be Eva! I’m Danielle Everhart—Dani. Felix talked about you all the time.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Dani,” Eva replied with a soft smile.

Her gaze lingered on the dog.

You’re… strange. Familiar. Where have I felt this before?

“Oh! Don’t mind Fenrir—he’s very friendly!” Dani offered quickly.

“Not at all. I like animals,” Eva said. “I had a cat once.”

“Wow! Felix didn’t say NIX owned all of Central Park!” Sasha said in awe.

Eva nodded slowly.

So this is the reason Felix sacrificed his future. That document must have cost a fortune.
You must mean everything to him.

“Actually… they practically own everything,” Eva corrected. Sasha blinked.

“Where’s Felix? I haven’t seen him yet,” Sasha asked, scanning the crowd.

Both mother and daughter turned to Eva expectantly.

She swallowed. Then lied.

“He’s… filling out job applications. He’ll join us once Sasha’s fully integrated here.”

She smiled—a perfect, warm lie. Not for their sake, but her own.

Lucy looked at her watch and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re one-millionth of a second late.”

Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, foot tapping, she smirked as Tetsuo arrived, panting and wild-eyed.

Warping through human traffic without turning someone into red mist was tricky, but he’d managed.

“So, what do you need me for?” he asked between gulps of air.

“How did you know I needed help?” she countered, intrigued.

“Just a hunch,” he replied with a blank stare.

She chuckled. “Follow me.”

They entered a restricted corridor. Lucy swiped her keycard. Inside, she led him to a service hatch. Beyond it was a narrow, dim tunnel.

Tetsuo followed silently.

Eventually, they emerged into a hidden room—cluttered and chaotic. Posters lined the walls—movies, anime, music bands. A couch faced a Holo-TV, while a workbench overflowed with disassembled parts and open devices.

In the far corner, something far more serious: a board covered in missing person cases, pinned photos and documents strung together with white threads.

Lucy cleared a space on the couch. “Sit.”

She pulled a black cellulose-paper folder from her notes and handed it to Tetsuo.

“Have you heard about the spike in missing person reports?”

“Only on the news. Don’t know the details.”

He began reading.

1. Frederick Winston – 15, Caucasian male. Disappeared Nov 12, 2202. Last seen near his home on 34th Street. No signs of foul play.

2. Barbara Gordon – 17, African American female. Disappeared Sept 20, 2202. Last seen leaving NIX Polytechnic. Excellent student, under stress but stable.

3. Trevor Fujiwara – 16, Asian male. Disappeared Oct 5, 2202. Last seen after shift at a NIX grocery. Responsible, no known issues.

4. Xander Martinez – 17, Latino male, Stargazer recruit. Disappeared March 19, 2202. Known to be under academic and social stress.

Tetsuo looked up, confused. “Okay… there’s a lot of missing people. But what does this have to do with me helping?”

Lucy fixed him with a stare sharp enough to slice atoms.

“They all have three things in common.”

“First, they either worked for NIX Corp or studied at NIX Polytechnic.”
“Second, they all graduated at the top of their class—regardless of background or age.”
“Third, and most importantly: they weren’t normal.”

Tetsuo blinked.

“They were Quasars,” Lucy said, her voice dark. “Stratosphere to Mesosphere magnitude.”

The air in the room turned still.

“I believe,” Lucy continued, “that they were taken.”
“And I think they’re being held right here—in the NIX Detention Center.”