The First Major Decision

The room was heavy with silence, the weight of Nathan's earlier encounter lingering like a storm cloud. Jenkins paced, his usually composed demeanor replaced by visible tension. Nathan sat on the edge of the desk, the Fragment lying inert beside him, its faint glow extinguished.

"What was that thing? Nathan finally asked, his voice breaking the uneasy quiet.

they're not your allies."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair, frustration mounting. "You're saying I'm not just fighting the Helix Order? I've got to deal with... whatever that was too?"

"Exactly," Jenkins said, his tone grim. "The Fragments are like beacons. Every time you use one, you risk drawing attention—from both this world and others. Watch out, you will be eaten by what you cannot grasp.

Nathan looked at the Fragment, its cool surface looked harmless in the low light. He'd thought of it as a tool, something he could wield to protect himself and maybe even make his life better. However, now, it all seemed like a spring trap a time bomb that is sitting on the timer.

What am I supposed to do? Nathan queried, voice rising. "Run and hide? Pretend none of this is happening?"

Learn to become master of it and cope with what's next, or let it consume you" (Walker et al.

Nathan leaned back, closing his eyes. His mind raced with images of the shadowy entity, the Helix Order's relentless pursuit, and the whispering voices that haunted him. He wanted to believe he could walk away from it all, return to a normal life. But deep down, he knew that wasn't an option anymore.

Later that night, Nathan found himself standing on the rooftop of Jenkins' safe house. The city stretched out before him, a sea of flickering lights and distant sounds. He held onto the Fragment firmly, its surface cold against his palm.

He considered his past, the life of days spent in the background, unnoticed, daydreaming of a better life. That irony wasn't lost to him; he had wanted importance and now he had it, but at a price he hadn't foreseen.

"Why me?" he muttered to the night. "Why did this thing choose me?"

The wrong question, an voice said after him.

Nathan whipped around to find Jenkins standing in the doorway with arms crossed. "The question isn't why it chose you," Jenkins continued. "It's what you're going to do about it."

Nathan sighed, his grip on the Fragment tightening. "I don't even know where to start."

Jenkins stepped closer, his expression softening. "You start by accepting that this is your reality now. The quicker one is discharged so one can act the better one will be able to act (i.e., perform) as a consequence. As well, control is necessary if you are to survive.

Nathan nodded slowly. "Okay. I'm in. However, if I'm doing this, then it will be under my own conditions. No more half-truths. If there's something I need to know, you tell me. Deal?"

Jenkins smiled faintly. "Deal."

The following morning, Jenkins started to train Nathan for what lay ahead. He outlined the basics of the Fragment's power—its connection to Nathan's emotions, its potential to bend reality, and the dangers of overusing it. But the lesson wasn't purely theoretical. Jenkins also pushed Nathan into practical exercises, forcing him to confront his fear of losing control.

Nathan struggled at first. Every attempt to swallow the Fragment power module also led to the apprehension of the figure by the memory (i.e., voice) that tormented him. On the other hand, thanks to the usage of Jenkins he has been able to achieve some progress, to focus his intention and to monitor his paracontrolled agoraphobia.

While on the job belt, Nathan felt an urge for hope. The power was still overwhelming, still dangerous, but it was no longer entirely foreign. He experienced the peripheries of control, an unstable balance he was required to maintain.

At nightfall, Nathan was no longer tired, but determined. He stood in the center of the training room, the Fragment glowing faintly in his hand. "What's next?" he asked, his voice steady.

Jenkins studied him for a moment before replying. "Next, we go on the offensive. The Helix Order will not be on its own, and neither will the other attraction forces toward the Fragment. It's time to stop reacting and start taking control of the narrative.

he wasn't going to back down.