Chapter 17: The City Unravels
The once-familiar city now felt like an alien landscape. Rift distortions were no longer confined to isolated anomalies; they spread like fractures across the skyline. Buildings shimmered as though caught in a heatwave, shadows stretched unnaturally long, and the faint echoes of lives long past filled the air. Jiang Xia and her team moved cautiously, knowing every step brought them closer to danger—and to Gao.
"This place is falling apart," Qin Chuan muttered, scanning the warped streets with his rifle. "We're running out of time."
Li Wen adjusted his portable scanner, its screen flickering with erratic readings. "The signal's strength is fluctuating. It's like the nodes are feeding off each other. If we don't take out the next one soon, the anomalies will stabilize and spread."
Xu Min pointed ahead to a towering skyscraper bathed in an eerie blue glow. "There. That's the next node."
Jiang Xia tightened her grip on her weapon. "Then let's finish it."
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The Skyscraper Node
The team approached the building's entrance cautiously. What was once a bustling corporate office was now overrun by the anomaly, its glass façade warped and twisted like melted plastic. Rift energy pulsed faintly, distorting the air around it.
"This place is unstable," Li Wen whispered, his eyes scanning the building. "The node's core is likely at the top. But the distortions are going to get worse the closer we get."
"Then we move fast," Jiang Xia said, motioning for the team to follow.
Inside, the lobby was eerily silent. Papers and debris littered the floor, and faint whispers echoed from the upper floors. The team made their way to the elevator shaft, but as expected, the power was out.
"Guess we're taking the stairs," Qin Chuan said with a wry smile.
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Ascending Through Chaos
The climb was grueling. Each floor brought new challenges as the distortions grew stronger. Hallways twisted into impossible shapes, doors led to nowhere, and fragments of time looped endlessly—brief glimpses of office workers frozen in moments of their daily lives.
Jiang Xia paused as she saw a figure standing at the end of a hallway. It was her father again, or at least an echo of him, his face filled with sadness.
"Xia…" his voice echoed faintly. "You have to let go."
"Keep moving," Xu Min said sharply, pulling her away. "It's not real."
Jiang Xia shook off the vision and pressed forward. The others faced their own phantoms—figures from their pasts, distorted by the Rift's energy. By the time they reached the top floor, the team was visibly shaken but resolute.
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The Node's Core
The top floor had been transformed into a swirling nexus of Rift energy. At the center stood the node's core, a pulsating sphere of light surrounded by glowing conduits. The air was thick with tension, and the hum of energy was almost deafening.
"This is it," Li Wen said, setting up his equipment near the core. "If we disrupt this node, the signal will weaken significantly. But this one's more advanced than the last. It's going to fight back."
"Do what you need to do," Jiang Xia said. "We'll hold them off."
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The Fight for the Node
As Li Wen began working on the core, the room was suddenly flooded with light. Alarms blared, and shadowy remnants emerged from the edges of the distortion. These remnants were larger and more aggressive than before, their forms pulsing with unstable energy.
"Here we go again," Qin Chuan muttered, opening fire.
The battle was intense. Jiang Xia and Xu Min fought side by side, their movements precise as they took down the advancing remnants. The air grew heavier with each passing second, and the core's energy pulsed violently, making it harder to breathe.
"Li Wen, how much longer?" Jiang Xia shouted, ducking behind a console as a remnant lunged at her.
"Almost there!" Li Wen yelled, sweat dripping down his face. "But the core's resisting. It's like it doesn't want to be shut down."
The remnants grew more frenzied, their attacks relentless. Jiang Xia's arms ached, but she refused to falter. "We're not losing now," she muttered, firing at another remnant.
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Gao's Warning
As the core began to destabilize, a familiar voice echoed through the room. "You're persistent, I'll give you that," Gao said, his tone calm and mocking. His figure appeared as a holographic projection above the core.
"But you still don't understand," he continued. "The Architects are already listening. Every node you destroy only brings them closer. You're playing right into my hands."
"Shut up, Gao," Jiang Xia snapped, firing at the projection. The bullets passed through harmlessly, and Gao laughed.
"You can't stop evolution," he said. "And you can't stop the Convergence. But by all means, keep trying. It's amusing to watch."
The projection flickered and disappeared, leaving the team more determined than ever.
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The Core Collapses
"Got it!" Li Wen shouted as the core emitted a blinding flash of light. The conduits surrounding it shattered, and the remnants dissolved into nothingness.
The room trembled as the node began to collapse. "We need to move!" Qin Chuan yelled, pulling Jiang Xia toward the exit.
The team sprinted down the stairwell as the building shook violently. Explosions erupted behind them, and debris rained down from above. They burst out onto the street just as the skyscraper collapsed in a massive plume of dust and light.
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A Hollow Victory
The team regrouped a few blocks away, their breaths ragged. The skyscraper was gone, but the signal still persisted.
Li Wen stared at his laptop, his face pale. "The signal's weaker, but it's not gone. We have two more nodes to shut down."
"And Gao's still out there," Xu Min said bitterly. "Still pulling the strings."
Jiang Xia clenched her fists, her jaw tightening. "Then we don't stop. We finish this."
As the team prepared to move to the next target, the air around them shimmered faintly. The distortions weren't gone—they were evolving. Jiang Xia stared at the flickering shadows, determination burning in her eyes.
"The Architects may be listening," she said softly, "but we'll make sure they never arrive."