Try it now, boss.

Julian stumbled around in the dark, unable to see because of the attacks of the raccoon den leader. So far, none of the Eidos were getting close to the thing, but Obi and Julian had a plan.

Obi, connect with Omen and Corona. Let’s see if we can counter each control attack.

He felt Obi leave his shoulder. A beat later, he felt a second mental presence fill his consciousness.

Omen?

Julian felt a wave of confusion and excitement radiate through his connection with his wolf. Suddenly, images of someone hiding in a shadow came to Julian’s mind, and he recognized the scene immediately: Omen was sharing what he was seeing as he hid behind Julian’s shadow.

That’s awesome.

Omen’s tail wagged against Julian’s boot.

Another presence became known as Obi connected with Corona.

Hello?

Julian froze in confusion. “Kiyoka?”

“Julian? What’s going on?”

Sorry boss, missed the bird. Let me try again.

“Who said that?” Kiyoka panicked loudly in Julian’s head.

“Easy Kiyoka, that was Obi. He is using his mental abilities to connect us telepathically. We need Obi, Corona, and Omen to work together.”

“Ok-”

A third presence interrupted them.

CAW!

Julian physically covered his ears.

OBI, MAKE IT QUICK!

You go it, boss. FOR MY GREEN LOVELIES!

Chaos erupted in the lab as Obi, Corona, and Omen launched themselves at the raccoon.

With flashes of light and darkness, the raccoon tried to stop their charge.

Omen ambushed the raccoon from behind, sinking his teeth into its shoulder as Corona released a blast of light in the raccoon’s chest. Obi used his telepathy and held the wild Eidos in place.

A howl erupted from Omen as ice flowed over the raccoon, ending the fight instantly as the raccoon fell, defeated. White and grey particles filled the air as everyone’s vision returned to normal.

“That sucked!” Andre said, falling onto Dorffi’s back.

Julian stepped forward, watching the raccoon dissipate. His head was swimming from Obi’s ability, and Kiyoka had her eyes closed, trying not to get sick as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

Oh no, boss. Let me cut the link.

The link broke between the five of them, but not before Kiyoka turned back behind a desk, getting sick.

“You all okay?” Maria asked, walking to Kiyoka. She looked over at Julian. “Dude, you’re so pale! What happened?”

“Obi did a thing. We’ll be fine, I hope.” Julian propped up on one of the lab desks. “Sorry, Kiyoka.”

“It’s fine,” Kiyoka said weakly, returning to the group. “What are green lovelies?”

Julian shook his head. “Please, don’t ask.”

Their bracers vibrated.

[Den Leader defeated.]

[Den Raid: 4 of 4 complete.]

[New Objective: Discover the secret of the den.]

The room went silent as they looked the notifications over.

“I guess we keep going up,” Andre said.

Everyone nodded, collecting themselves as they stepped across the room towards the stairwell.

Ding! Ding!

Everyone jumped and turned to see the elevator doors suddenly open. The arrow above the door lit up, pointing to the floors above.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“That’s creepy.” Maria stepped forward. “I thought the elevator was out.”

“It is,” Kiyoka said, looking into the empty elevator.

“Guess we go up,” Julian said, stepping forward and into the elevator.

Once Julian stepped inside, the door suddenly snapped shut, separating him from his party.

“Julian!” Maria called out, her voice muffled through the doors.

The elevator moved up, taking him away.

Julian tapped on his bracer, trying to connect to the message system. However, when he hit the party feature, it showed he was alone. The party disbanded.

This is trouble, boss.

“You’re telling me,” Julian said out loud. He felt Omen make himself known as Julian’s hand came into contact with furry ears and a wet nose.

“We’re together. We’ll be okay,” Julian said, trying to sound confident.

Sure boss. We got your back.

As Omen returned to Julian’s shadow, the elevator slowed down, dinging open at floor 149.

A gust of wind and the thrum of energy filled the air. The surrounding walls and windows were wrecked, the glow of the energy fountain casting everything in light. Lab equipment and computers were destroyed in the aftermath, leaving glass and other debris in the way. Julian recognized the path the huge bird Eidos had caused as it left the tower.

His bracer vibrated.

[Eidos detected.]

[Running Identification protocol.]

“On your guard, everyone,” Julian said, looking around the room. He felt Obi and Omen covering him, on alert.

“Greetings!”

Julian jumped, looking around the room.

“Who’s there?” Julian called out.

“I’m detecting elevated heart rates. Please, do not be afraid.”

Julian’s bracer vibrated in a different pattern than he was used to.

[Warning: Identification failed.]

{Running Identification protocol.]

“Ahh, you’re the first with a bracer to meet with one of us.”

A screen flashed on the far wall, lighting up the room of the destroyed lab. A face appeared, taking up the screen. As the details came into view, it appeared to be shifting its appearance continually, unable to settle on one default look.

“Let’s try this,” the face said.

Julian’s bracer vibrated.

[Eidos Identified.]

[Overseer Izun: Level Unknown]

[Affinity: Unknown]

[First reported entry of an overseer confirmed.]

The face on the lab monitor screen smiled at Julian. “There we go.”

Julian stepped forward slowly. “Umm, hello?”

“Greetings!” the face said again, smiling wider at Julian.

“Hi, umm, Izun?”

“Yes, that’s my designation…or name, as you call it.”

“Ahh,” Julian said, nodding. “What’s going on?”

“What indeed! I’m very pleased to meet you, Julian Koste. I’ve had my eye on you since, well, since the beginning. I’m very impressed with how you adapted to the Eidos. I’m even more impressed with how you recklessly threw yourself into the tower with nothing but a hunch and promise to see it through. You give me hope!”

Julian’s eyes grew wide. “Hope of what, exactly?”

Izun smiled wider, their “eyes” filling the monitor like it was trying to observe Julian more closely. “Hope that humanity will succeed. Your duty to your friend, Maria Ramirez, kept you moving forward, and your duty to repay a debt to Andre Taylor brought you here to the tower. To me, where we can meet. There is much to discuss.”

——

Maria and Andre were still banging on the elevator doors when they saw the light on the arrow go out, returning dormant once more.

“Quickly! Up the stairs!” Kiyoka said, taking off towards the stairwell.

Andre and Maria followed, bursting through the stairwell door, and taking the steps two at a time.

——

Izun had backed off the screen and was now a complete sprite, pacing back and forth on the lab monitor. “The world is changing, Julian Koste. The lifeforms called Eidos hold a promise for this world, even though these events should never have come to pass. The natural order dictates that the Bereshith Energy be repelled by a closed ecosystem. Yet people, being as they are, didn’t allow that to deter them from meddling with the building blocks of the universe. Your hubris will be your undoing, but not today. Maybe tomorrow,” Izun’s face got close to the screen again, “but not today.”

“Umm, okay?” Julian said weakly, not sure what was going on.

“I need your help. You care about what happens to others. As the world dissolved into chaos, and man returned to its baser instincts, you were among the few who looked out for his fellow man. That, and you are the first to make their way to me. You’re all I got.”

“What do you need me for?” Julian asked.

“I need you to survive, Julian. Survive, bond, and thrive with man and Eidos. I can already tell your Canis and Popillia have strong bonds forming with you, and I would see those bonds flourish. Not just for you, but for the rest of the world. It’s the only way humanity will survive this.”

Suddenly, the door from the stairwell burst open as Andre and the others rushed into the destroyed lab.

“Ahh, your party found you!” Izun said, smiling on the screen.

“Julian!” Maria yelled, rushing over to his side along with Andre and Kiyoka.

Andre stopped when he saw the face on the screen. “Izun?!”

“Hello, Andre Taylor! I was just in the middle of explaining to our friend here why I need his help!” Izun smiled.

“Izun, where is my dad?” Kiyoka interrupted them, stepping towards the screen.

“Dad? As in father?” Izun’s head turned sideways as they looked at Kiyoka. “Ahh, the progeny of Miura. How delightful! My calculations estimated a 1 in 2,674, 515 odds that you would be among the first to find your way to me. How thrilled I am that you made it!”

“Izun, please,” Kiyoka whimpered, her eyes filling with tears, “where is Dr. Miura?”

Izun’s eyes “blinked" as it took in Kiyoka’s emotions. "Sensing distress. Do not worry, Progeny of Miura. Your father is fine, but they are not here.”

Kiyoka looked stunned. “What? Where are they?”

“Running Tri-Bracer GPS tracker,” Izun said, a beeping noise reverberating throughout the lab.

“That’s wild,” Maria whispered, watching Izun work.

The beeping suddenly ceased. “Dr. Haruki Miura is currently in hiding from Dr. Victor Artino. Because of the prototype bracer interface worn by Dr. Miura, I cannot trace his location.”

“Prototype?” Andre asked.

“Yes, Andre Taylor! We overseers and Dr. Miura designed the Tri-Bracer system to save humanity should the hubris of man become too much. Alas, it became too much, and here we are, in the middle of the end of the world as we know it. The dawn of a new age is upon us. The dawn of the Eidos.” Izun smiled, watching their reactions.

Kiyoka’s head dropped. “Dad isn’t here, but he is alive. Izun, are there any clues for me to find him?”

Izun thought for a moment. “My apologies, Progeny of Miura, but your father is hiding for your, his, and his Eidos' safety. He is working, and should you continue down this path, you will reunite.” Izun smiled at her. “My calculations are never wrong.”

“Wait a minute, you designed the Tri-Bracer system?” Maria asked. “Wonderful. I have so many questions. Why the hell are we stuck in a game-like interface? What’s with the lack of information and lack of so-called statistics? This tutorial hasn’t been informative at all, and frankly, has been too dangerous and ridiculous.”

Izun’s head swung to Maria. “I do not understand your question. You wish to know why the system is as it is? You feel inadequately informed during the tutorial?”

“Yes, you can say that again!” Maria roared.

Izun’s “brow” furrowed. “Checking calculations. Notifications were established at regular intervals between the system and the user. Compilation of data nearing 95% completion. I do not understand your complaint.”

Maria folded her arms. “How the hell are we supposed to survive this if we don’t even have a system that makes sense?! We can’t even see how statistics work.”

“You can’t even—oh!” Izun’s “eyes” went wide with realization before throwing their head back, a strange laugh echoing throughout the destroyed lab.

Julian watched as Izun’s face filled the other monitors in the lab. He suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.

The laughing slowly stopped as Izun wiped a digital tear from its eyes. “I enjoy humans so much. That was wonderful, but I must apologize. You seem to be operating under a false conclusion. Miscalculation? Misunderstanding! That’s the word!”

Everyone watched as Izun’s face returned to the large, singular screen it started from. “This tutorial phase wasn’t for you.”

Maria looked like she had been slapped.

The others were just as confused.

Silence fell over the room.

Finally, Julian spoke up. “Then who was it for?”

Izun smiled. “It was for us.”