The alarm was faint but constant, like an invisible hand gripping their nerves.

“This still doesn’t feel right,” Suna murmured under her breath.

Li Chuan nodded, the pressure inside him mounting. He forced himself to focus on the present, but fragmented memories of laboratories and data screens flashed through his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

Their steps halted almost on their own. Around them, researchers moved busily, a stark contrast to the desolation they’d seen before. Li Chuan's hand instinctively reached for his weapon as he noticed a red light flicker on the nearby cameras.

“Will they recognize us?” he muttered, a hint of panic flickering in his eyes.

Suna didn’t answer, her body tense. Just as they were preparing to move again, a staff member walked by, nodding at them in acknowledgment. Li Chuan froze—they hadn’t been exposed.

“Safe, for now,” he whispered, glancing down at his uniform. The insignia on his shoulder gleamed under the lights.

But then, as his gaze shifted to the corner of the room, his heart clenched. The monitor's red frame had locked onto their figures—they’d been flagged.

“Damn it…” Li Chuan cursed, about to spring into action when a familiar voice sounded from behind.

“You two?”

Li Chuan froze, his body stiffening. Slowly, he turned around to see Zhao Yan standing a few meters away, his expression unreadable.

“So, it’s really you.” Zhao Yan’s voice was low, with a subtle coldness beneath the surface.

Suna’s eyes remained calm as she quickly said, “Adapt.”

Zhao Yan had been their colleague once, but now, Li Chuan’s memories were a disjointed mess. He couldn’t tell if Zhao Yan was a friend or foe. Zhao Yan walked toward them, a faint smile playing on his lips.

His eyes scanned them before he spoke quietly. “Come with me.”

Suna realized they had no choice but to gamble. “We need access to the core chamber.”

Without another word, they followed Zhao Yan quickly through the hallway. They stopped in front of an unremarkable door. Zhao Yan pulled out an electronic key and whispered, “The higher-ups in the Bureau are split. Not everyone supports them. This is your chance. There’s a passage—unused. It'll take you close to the core chamber. The security system doesn’t cover it. But…”

He paused, his voice darkening. “There are malfunctioning experiments down there. Once you’re inside, you’ll need to move fast.”

“How dangerous?” Suna asked calmly.

“Certain areas are filled with cryogenic gas. A few seconds of exposure will freeze anything. And the magnetic bridge at the end—it’s unstable. Even a slight tremor could trigger the defense systems.”

Zhao Yan handed them two thin membranes. “Biosensor camouflage. Stick them to your skin. They’ll fool the Bureau’s scanners.”

Li Chuan took the membrane, his expression serious. He could feel the weight of the situation.

“The Bureau made me believe we were protecting the world,” Zhao Yan said with a bitter smile, his voice low. “But all they were doing was protecting their own power. Sacrificing everyone who trusted them. Including me.”

He paused, his gaze turning distant. “I lost the most important person in my life here.”

Li Chuan frowned. “Then why are you still here?”

Zhao Yan’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “I thought serving the Bureau could fill the void. But I was wrong. They’ll just keep destroying more lives.” He shook his head, his resolve hardening. “Maybe helping you is my only way to make things right.”

Li Chuan and Suna pushed open the door, stepping into a cold, dark corridor. As they moved forward, a low hum resonated from deep within, as if some distant machine had begun to awaken. Time felt like it was running out.

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Suna’s fingers instinctively brushed against her weapon.

“This still doesn’t feel right,” she whispered, her voice edged with caution.

At the end of the hall, a figure of liquid metal shimmered, reflecting cold, sharp light.

“Again?” Suna muttered, raising her gun and firing. The bullets struck the metal surface, but it absorbed the impact like a bottomless abyss, leaving no trace.

Li Chuan’s heart raced, a sense of helplessness creeping over him. “We need stronger weapons,” he muttered, despair tinging his words.

Suna’s response was firm. “We will.”

The remolder sneered. “You think my existence is just for destruction?”

Suna didn’t reply, her sharp gaze steady, her finger lightly resting on the trigger.

She fired again. The bullets rippled across the remolder’s surface like droplets in a pond, a faint ripple spreading.

Realizing the bullets were useless, Suna quickly stepped back, adjusting her stance, her eyes scanning their surroundings for weaknesses. She glanced at Li Chuan. “We need a new plan.”

The remolder trembled slightly, its body reforming. “Destruction? If that were my goal, you would already be dust.” It looked at Suna, almost dispassionately. “Your weapons can only slow me down. They can’t hurt me.”

“I am no longer the Bureau’s tool… no longer just a weapon.” Its voice grew quieter, more thoughtful. “I’m searching for something—trying to understand why I exist.”

Li Chuan and Suna exchanged a tense glance.

“Your power is just one piece of the puzzle,” the remolder continued, its tone distant. “Suna, your awakening hasn’t reached its full potential. And Li Chuan…”

It turned its gaze toward him, as if peering into his soul. “Your memories hold the key to changing everything. You two are destined to surpass ordinary humans.”

Suna pulled the trigger again without hesitation, aiming for the remolder’s joints. But the liquid metal reformed instantly, as though it had never been damaged.

Li Chuan’s expression tightened. “Why do you have consciousness?”

The remolder’s body quivered slightly, as if lost in thought. “I’ve evolved beyond machines. But my evolution is incomplete. The one who merged with me gave me awareness… and also cursed me with eternal conflict.”

“Merged?” Suna asked, her voice cold.

The remolder’s blue light flickered over her, a complex emotion in its gaze. “She gave me a name—Noah. She said I was her ark, the vessel that would carry her beyond human limitations. The Awakened believe the future belongs to them. And I…”

Its voice softened with pain. “I am her legacy, her tool.”

Li Chuan’s pulse quickened. “Noah… What did the Awakened mean to you?”

Noah’s blue light dimmed, as if lost in memory. “She was the first to merge with me. She turned me from mere machine into something with thought, but also burdened me with her desires, her regrets.”

Noah’s voice grew quieter, filled with conflict and struggle. “I was supposed to be the final stage of evolution, but I feel incomplete… I understand power, but not emotion. Her emotions linger in me, distorting my mind.”

Li Chuan smiled faintly, his voice low. “You don’t want evolution. You want answers.”

Noah was silent for a moment, the blue light flickering.

“I don’t know.” His voice was hoarse. “Evolution made me stronger, but it didn’t give me answers.”

He paused, as if contemplating.

“The Awakened gave me thought, but they also trapped me. Power… is just another chain.”

Noah’s voice deepened. “I am still incomplete.”

The liquid metal form shifted closer to Suna, the blue light in Noah’s eyes growing brighter.

“Maybe you’re the answer,” Noah said, his voice low, tinged with a strange softness and desire.

“If we merge, your awakening will surpass its limits. But it’s not just about power. Together, we’ll understand the true meaning of existence, transcending both humanity and machine.”

He paused, the blue light shimmering in his eyes. “This isn’t destruction. It’s rebirth. Together, we’ll find the answers. We’ll find our future.”

Suna’s hand trembled slightly, inner conflict written across her face. Noah’s offer felt like an irresistible temptation… or a path to destruction. She craved power but feared losing herself.

“Is this… really the only way?” she whispered, her voice filled with doubt.

Li Chuan took a deep breath, sensing the subtle rhythm of space around him. Closing his eyes, he felt as though the world was under his control.

“Space… isn’t still,” he murmured. As he stepped forward, space rippled slightly, causing Noah’s movements to halt, the energy blade shifting away from Suna.

Li Chuan felt the space tremble under his control. Power didn’t come from an outburst; it came from understanding.

He realized that maybe Noah was right. Maybe there was something beyond destruction—a true transcendence.

Noah shuddered, blue light flickering in surprise. “Spatial control… You’ve awakened this power.”

Li Chuan didn’t respond, his focus still on the ripples in space. He knew he hadn’t fully mastered it yet, but this was the first step. He was beginning to understand how to resonate with space, how to influence its flow.

Noah said, “Fighting won’t solve the mystery of my existence. I’m starting to see that the Awakened’s path isn’t the only future.”

Noah’s form disappeared, leaving only a faint echo in the air.

Li Chuan’s heart pounded, his hands slick with sweat. “I… I actually did it.”

Suna slowly stood, her expression conflicted, but her voice gentle.

“You saved me, Li Chuan.”

Li Chuan nodded, about to respond, but Suna spoke again.

“Your power is strong, but do you know how dangerous it is?”

Li Chuan frowned. “What do you mean? We had no other choice.”

“This power has a cost,” Suna said softly, her voice carrying a warning. “Every time you use it, you’re risking everything. You need to control it, or… it’ll control you.”

Li Chuan was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice. “You don’t trust me?”

Suna shook her head slightly, her eyes firm.

“I trust you. But you have to learn to control it. We can’t afford to lose.”

They exchanged a long glance, the tension in the air slowly giving way to understanding.