Chapter 7: The Others

Aiden's breath was still ragged, but the words Garvey had just said hit him harder than the Hunters ever could. The others. There were more people like Garvey, like him, caught in the web of the System but fighting to break free.

"Others?" Aiden asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Who are they?"

Garvey leaned against a broken pillar, his massive frame radiating calm despite the intensity of the recent fight. His dark eyes gleamed with a mix of caution and certainty, as though every word he spoke was deliberate, meant to carry weight.

"People who've seen through the lies of the System. Some of them were once like you, bound to the Architect's will, doing what the System told them without question. Others…" Garvey paused, his gaze narrowing, "...were never meant to be players. They're anomalies, like that stone you carry. They exist outside the System's control, but their very existence threatens the Architect."

Aiden could feel the pull of those words. Anomalies. Mira's face flashed in his mind—her strange visions, the way she sensed the future without any knowledge of the System. Could she be one of these anomalies?

"Why haven't I met them before?" Aiden asked, his voice quiet. "I spent years in the last timeline. How could I not have known about them?"

Garvey's gaze softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. "Because you weren't looking. The Architect doesn't want people to know the anomalies exist. It hides them, erases their traces, makes it seem like the world follows a set path when, in reality, it's constantly shifting. People like you—those who follow the System's rules—are never meant to see beyond the veil."

Aiden clenched his fists, the weight of the revelation pressing down on him. He had thought that his second chance, his return to the past, would give him the edge. But now it felt like he had been blind the entire time, even in the first timeline. Everything was more complicated than he'd imagined.

"So, where are they?" Aiden asked, stepping forward, his eyes locked on Garvey's. "These anomalies. How do we find them?"

Garvey pushed off the pillar and walked over to Aiden, placing a hand on his shoulder. His grip was strong, almost reassuring.

"We don't. They'll find us. The moment you used the Anomaly Stone, you sent out a signal—whether you meant to or not. The anomalies will sense it. But so will the System."

Aiden's stomach churned. "So the Hunters will keep coming."

Garvey nodded grimly. "Exactly. But you won't be alone next time. There's strength in numbers. The anomalies are scattered, hidden in pockets of the world the System has trouble reaching. It's only a matter of time before they come to us."

Aiden nodded, his determination hardening. He had fought alone for so long, but now, things were different. He wasn't just battling monsters—he was fighting the System itself. And he would need all the help he could get.

Garvey turned, gesturing for Aiden to follow him deeper into the dungeon's labyrinth. "We need to move. This place is compromised now. We'll regroup outside, figure out our next steps."

As they moved through the twisting passages, the silence between them felt like it carried weight, an unspoken understanding that both men were preparing for the next challenge. Aiden couldn't help but admire Garvey's presence—his confidence, the way he commanded respect without needing to prove himself. There was something about Garvey that made Aiden feel like they had a real chance, even against something as omnipotent as the Architect.

"You've been doing this for a while, haven't you?" Aiden asked, breaking the silence.

Garvey glanced over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Longer than you've been alive, Hoshino."

Aiden frowned, confused. "But… how? The System's only been active for—"

"The System's been active far longer than you realize," Garvey interrupted, his voice low. "Your timeline isn't the first one the Architect has reset. There have been others before you. Different worlds, different times. I've been through several."

Aiden's heart skipped a beat. Multiple timelines? Multiple resets? He had always believed that his experience—being sent back to the past—was unique. But now Garvey was telling him that this cycle of resets had been happening for much longer, that Aiden's entire reality was just one thread in a larger, more complex web.

"How many resets?" Aiden asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Garvey's jaw tightened. "Too many to count. But this time…" He glanced at Aiden, something sharp in his gaze. "This time feels different. You're different."

Aiden wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a warning. Either way, it was clear that Garvey saw something in him—something that made this timeline stand out from all the others. But what?

Hours later, they emerged from the dungeon, the cold air of the outside world biting at their skin. Aiden took a deep breath, relieved to be out of the stifling darkness of the dungeon, but his mind was still spinning with everything Garvey had told him. There were others out there—people like him, people fighting against the Architect, resisting the System's control. And soon, they would come for him.

But would they be allies? Or another complication in an already impossible battle?

Garvey stood beside him, scanning the horizon. The sun was low, casting long shadows across the ruins of what had once been a thriving part of the city. Now, it was just another reminder of the Cataclysm that was about to unfold.

"We'll rest here for a while," Garvey said, setting down his pack. "But don't get too comfortable. The System won't let us hide for long."

Aiden nodded, though he was far from comfortable. His thoughts kept returning to Mira. If the System was already sending Hunters after him, what about her? She was an anomaly, too, and if the System saw her as a threat…

"I need to check on someone," Aiden said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Garvey raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Mira Akiyama," Aiden replied, his voice tense. "She's been having visions—about the future. She doesn't know about the System, but I think she's connected to all of this somehow. If the System goes after her…"

Garvey's expression darkened, his gaze sharp. "If she's an anomaly, the System won't just go after her. It'll try to erase her."

Aiden's chest tightened. The thought of losing Mira again—after everything he had gone through—was unbearable. He couldn't let that happen.

"I need to find her," Aiden said, already turning to leave. "I need to make sure she's safe."

Garvey watched him for a moment, then nodded. "We'll go together. If the System's already targeting her, you'll need more than your dagger to protect her."

Aiden was about to protest, but then he stopped himself. Garvey was right. He couldn't do this alone, and despite his initial wariness, he trusted Garvey. The man had experience—he had faced the System before, survived it. Aiden wasn't foolish enough to think he could take on the Architect's forces by himself.

"Thanks," Aiden said quietly, grateful for the backup.

Garvey nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Let's move, then. The longer we wait, the more danger she's in."

They set off together, moving swiftly through the abandoned streets. The city was quiet, almost too quiet, as if it were holding its breath for the chaos that was about to unfold. The Cataclysm hadn't yet begun, but Aiden knew it was only a matter of days before the first portal opened and the monsters poured through.

As they moved, Aiden's thoughts turned to the anomalies again. Garvey had said they would come to him, but he wondered how many there were. What kind of people they would be. What powers they would have. He had to believe that, with their help, he could finally do what he had failed to do in the last timeline: stop the Cataclysm and save the world.

They reached the outskirts of the city by dusk, the sky painted with deep oranges and reds. Aiden's anxiety grew with each step. Mira lived in a small apartment near the university, and the closer they got, the more Aiden's chest tightened with fear. If the System had already found her, if the Hunters were—

"There," Garvey said, pointing ahead.

Aiden followed his gaze and saw it—a faint shimmer in the air, barely visible but unmistakable to anyone who knew what to look for. A System distortion. The Hunters were nearby.

Aiden's blood ran cold. "They're here."

Without another word, he sprinted toward the apartment, his heart pounding in his chest. The air around him seemed to thrum with energy, and as he rounded the corner to Mira's building, he saw it—a Hunter.

The creature stood at the entrance to the building, its featureless mask gleaming in the fading light. It hadn't noticed him yet, but it was only a matter of time. Aiden's pulse raced. He needed to act quickly. Mira was inside, and if the Hunter reached her before he did…

"Garvey!" Aiden hissed.

Garvey was right behind him, his sword already drawn. "I'll handle the Hunter. You get to her."

Aiden didn't argue. He darted past Garvey as the older man stepped forward to engage the Hunter, his massive sword cleaving through the air with deadly precision. Aiden's focus was singular—he had to get to Mira. He had to keep her safe.

He reached the door to the apartment building and threw it open, rushing up the stairs two at a time. His breath came in short, sharp bursts as he reached Mira's door and pounded on it.

"Mira! Open up!"

There was a moment of silence, and then the door creaked open. Mira stood in the doorway, her face pale and her eyes wide with confusion and fear.

"Aiden?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What's going on?"

Aiden didn't waste time explaining. He grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, slamming the door shut behind him.

"We need to leave," Aiden said urgently. "Now. You're not safe here."

Mira's eyes were wide, her breathing uneven. "What do you mean? What's happening?"

Aiden met her gaze, his voice low but firm. "The visions you've been having—they're real. Something's coming for you. We need to go. Now."

Mira looked at him, bewildered, but there was something in his tone, in the urgency of his words, that made her nod. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but she trusted him.

"Okay," she whispered, grabbing her bag.

As they turned to leave, a sharp, bone-chilling sound reverberated through the apartment—like glass shattering, but deeper, more otherworldly.

Aiden's heart sank. He knew that sound.

The Hunters had found them.