Chapter 22-23

Chapter 22: The Mind Unraveled

Wenyan had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like days, or years, or perhaps only a few minutes. Time had lost all meaning. All he could focus on was the gnawing feeling of the Nexus pressing in from all sides, suffocating him, eroding his thoughts.

The voices were everywhere. They spoke to him in riddles, in fragmented whispers. They told him things he didn't want to hear, things he couldn't understand. He tried to hold on to something, anything, but it was as if his mind was being torn apart.

The markings on his body had now become a part of him, not just something on his skin, but something embedded deep within his being. They were his thoughts, his memories, his very essence. He could feel them growing, shifting, changing him.

He had once thought the Nexus was just a mystery, an unknown force that could be understood, deciphered. But now he knew the truth—it wasn't something that could be controlled or explained. It was alive, and it was hungry.

"You are not alone," the voice of Mei whispered in his ear, though her form was nowhere to be seen. "You are one of us now."

The words should have comforted him, but they didn't. They terrified him. He had never felt more alone, more helpless, than he did now. The Nexus had claimed him. It was too late.

The air around him seemed to thicken, and his vision blurred. He could hear the faint echoes of Heng's voice, calling his name. But the sound was distant, fading, as if it belonged to someone else, somewhere else.

Wenyan reached out, desperate to hold onto something. His mind was unraveling, his thoughts slipping through his fingers like sand. He was losing himself.

"Let go," the voice said again, softer this time, almost coaxing. "Let go, and you'll understand."

But Wenyan didn't want to understand. He wanted to fight. He wanted to escape. But it was too late. The Nexus had him.

Chapter 23: The Choice

Wenyan's body felt numb. His mind, too, was fogged, like a haze of smoke that refused to clear. The world around him twisted and flickered, warping into something unrecognizable. He was no longer sure if he was in the Nexus or if the Nexus was inside him. It didn't matter. He was trapped.

He had been warned. They had all been warned. The Nexus wasn't something to understand—it was something to surrender to. And now, as the voices continued their ceaseless chorus, Wenyan realized that he had been fighting a battle he couldn't win.

The markings on his body had become more than just symbols—they were his thoughts, his identity. He could feel them pulsating beneath his skin, merging with his very essence.

"You've already made your choice," Mei's voice said, cold and final. "There's no turning back now."

But Wenyan didn't want to surrender. He couldn't. Not after everything he had been through, not after everything he had lost. He had come so far, faced so much. There had to be another way.

A figure appeared before him, flickering in and out of existence. It was Professor Wei, or at least the image of him. His face was gaunt, his eyes hollow, like a shell of the man he had once been.

"You're not alone, Wenyan," Wei's voice was calm, soothing. "I never left. I've always been here, part of it. You are too."

The truth hit Wenyan like a blow. The Nexus had always been with them, a silent presence lurking in the background. And now, he was part of it. He had become part of the very thing he had been fighting against.

"Can I resist?" Wenyan asked, his voice shaking.

Wei's expression softened. "You can try. But it won't be easy. Resistance comes at a cost."

Wenyan's heart pounded. The darkness closed in, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't give in. Not yet. He still had a choice to make.