Chapter 1 The Pulse’s Shadow

Chapter 1: The Pulse's Shadow

The Scarred Lands weren't silent—silence implied stillness. Here, the world was alive with sound, though none of it was human. The guttural roars of Degenerates echoed through jagged canyons, mingling with the distant hum of scavenger drones. Beneath the blood-red skies, Kael Veyron moved like a shadow, silent and swift.

The air was thick with ash, clinging to his skin and filling his lungs with every breath. The Evolution Pulse had left this place barren, a wasteland stripped of all but the most twisted forms of life. Ruins of what were once thriving cities jutted out of the cracked earth like broken teeth, their skeletal remains a grim reminder of what humanity had lost.

Kael ducked into a crumbling structure, its walls pocked with holes from past skirmishes. The faint smell of decay lingered, a scent he'd grown used to over the years. This building might have been a convenience store once, but now it was little more than a shelter for scavengers—or worse.

He crouched low behind a rusted counter, his rifle pressed against his chest. He'd seen them just moments before: a pack of Degenerates prowling the streets outside.

Degenerates were humanity's worst nightmare made flesh. Once human, they had been twisted by the Pulse into something unrecognizable. Their bodies were grotesque, with limbs too long and spines that jutted out at impossible angles. Gray, mottled skin clung to their frames, and their sunken eyes glowed faintly in the dim light.

Kael peered through a shattered window, counting the twisted forms. "Four," he muttered under his breath. "Three hunters, one brute."

Hunters were the fastest of their kind, their elongated limbs allowing them to move with terrifying speed. The brute, on the other hand, was slower but far more dangerous. Its massive frame could smash through walls with ease, and it took more than a single shot to bring one down.

Kael tightened his grip on the rifle. He had three bullets. Enough to take out the hunters if his aim was perfect. But the brute? That was a different story.

Sweat beaded on his brow as he weighed his options. Firing would draw attention—more than he could handle. But staying put wasn't an option either. The Degenerates were closing in, their guttural snarls growing louder.

Kael moved carefully, each step measured and deliberate. The room was a maze of collapsed shelves and broken glass, and one wrong move could spell his end. He stepped over a fallen beam, his boots barely brushing the ground.

A faint creak cut through the air.

Kael froze. His eyes darted to the corner of the room, where a rusted shelving unit tilted precariously.

"Stay," he whispered, as if the words could hold it in place.

The shelf collapsed with a deafening crash, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air. Kael's heart sank as the noise reverberated through the ruins.

Outside, the Degenerates froze. Their heads snapped toward the sound, their glowing eyes locking onto the building.

"Damn it," Kael hissed, slinging his rifle into position.

The first hunter lunged, its elongated limbs propelling it forward with terrifying speed. Kael fired, the shot echoing in the confined space. The creature's head snapped back, and it crumpled to the ground.

He didn't have time to celebrate. The second hunter was on him in seconds, its claws slashing through the air. Kael ducked, the swipe missing him by inches, and swung his rifle like a club. The stock connected with the creature's jaw, sending it staggering back.

The brute roared, its massive frame crashing through the front wall. Kael's mind raced as he scrambled for cover. He couldn't take them all on—not here.

A flash of light filled the room, followed by a piercing hum.

Kael blinked, his vision swimming as the lead hunter disintegrated mid-lunge. Its ash-like remains scattered across the floor, leaving only a faint glow in its wake.

He turned toward the source of the attack, his stomach sinking.

An Ascendant.

The woman stepped into the ruined store, her black armor gleaming faintly in the dim light. Her plasma rifle hummed softly, the barrel still glowing from the shot.

Kael's breath hitched. He recognized her immediately. Rhea Astralis.

Her name had become a legend among the Neutrals, though not for reasons anyone celebrated. Rhea was an elite Ascendant soldier, infamous for her brutal efficiency. Neutral settlements often spoke of her in hushed tones, her name synonymous with death and destruction.

"Well," she said, her voice smooth but laced with amusement. "What do we have here? A scavenger playing soldier?"

Kael glared at her, his grip tightening on his rifle. "I didn't ask for your help."

"No," Rhea replied, smirking. "But you needed it."

Her electric blue eyes scanned the room, taking in the chaos with a detached air. She seemed unfazed by the Degenerates, as if they were nothing more than an inconvenience.

"What do you want?" Kael demanded, keeping his rifle at the ready.

Rhea tilted her head, studying him like a puzzle. "You're not just any Neutral, are you? You're immune to the Pulse."

Kael's heart skipped a beat. Few people knew about his immunity, and he'd worked hard to keep it that way. How did she know?

Before he could respond, the ground trembled beneath their feet. A low rumble echoed through the Scarred Lands, growing louder with each passing second.

Both Kael and Rhea turned toward the sound.

On the horizon, a massive shadow loomed against the blood-red sky. The Degenerate horde moved as one, a writhing mass of grotesque limbs and gnashing teeth. Their guttural cries blended into a deafening roar, drowning out all other sounds.

"We'll finish this conversation later," Rhea said, her smirk replaced by a grim expression. "Right now, we need to move."

Kael hesitated. He hated Ascendants—hated everything they stood for. But the horde was closing in fast, and dying here wasn't an option.

"Fine," he said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "But don't think this means I trust you."

"Trust me?" Rhea shot him a glance as she led the way out of the store. "I'd worry more about keeping up."

The two of them sprinted into the wasteland, the sound of the approaching horde drowning out everything else.

End of Chapter 1