Bridging Two Worlds

Aiden woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside his window. For a moment, he forgot where he was. The simple room with its minimalist decor was a far cry from his cluttered bedroom back in Eastbrook. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he remembered the message from Jake the night before.

He glanced at his phone on the bedside table. A small pang of guilt hit him. Jake was his best friend, and he'd been practically ghosting him since all this started.

"Time to face the music," he muttered.

He picked up the phone and typed out a message.

> Aiden: Hey man, sorry I've been MIA. Things have been... complicated. Wanna meet up?

Almost instantly, the typing dots appeared.

> Jake: Dude! Thought you fell off the face of the earth. Sure, how about Gino's at noon?

Aiden smiled. Some things never changed.

> Aiden: See you then.

He got dressed, opting for his regular clothes instead of the Assembly's attire. As he headed out, he bumped into Maya in the hallway.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, eyeing his jeans and hoodie.

"Yeah, meeting up with a friend from back home."

She raised an eyebrow. "Ah, venturing back into the 'real world,' huh?"

He chuckled. "Something like that. Thought it'd be good to catch up."

"Just be careful," she said, her tone turning serious. "Remember, the Nulls can appear anywhere."

"I'll keep an eye out," he assured her. "Besides, I could use a break from all the training."

She nodded. "Alright. Just don't forget everything we've taught you. And if anything feels off, get out of there."

"Got it, Mom," he teased.

She punched his arm lightly. "Shut up. Stay safe."

Stepping into Eastbrook felt oddly surreal. The familiar streets, the storefronts, the people going about their day—it all seemed so... normal. It was hard to believe that just a few miles away, there was an entire underground world where reality itself could be bent and shaped.

He made his way to Gino's Pizza, the bell above the door jingling as he entered. The aroma of baking dough and melted cheese filled the air. Jake was already there, lounging in a booth and scrolling through his phone.

"Aiden!" Jake exclaimed, standing up to give him a quick bro-hug. "Good to see you, man!"

"You too," Aiden replied, sliding into the booth opposite him.

"So what's been up? You just dropped off the map."

Aiden hesitated. "It's... complicated. Family stuff."

Jake nodded sympathetically. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, getting better now."

They ordered a pizza and caught up on the usual—school gossip, new video games, plans for the summer. For a while, Aiden felt like things were back to normal.

But then Jake leaned forward, a curious look in his eyes. "So, there's been some weird stuff going on around town."

Aiden's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"Glitches or something. Like, people are reporting strange things—objects disappearing and reappearing, electronics going haywire. Even saw a video online of a stop sign bending like it was made of rubber."

Aiden swallowed hard. Could the Nulls be here?

"That does sound weird," he managed to say.

"You haven't noticed anything?"

He shrugged. "I've been kinda out of the loop."

Jake gave him a scrutinizing look. "You sure everything's okay? You seem... different."

Aiden forced a laugh. "Just got a lot on my mind."

Before Jake could press further, the waitress brought their pizza. Aiden used the momentary distraction to collect himself.

They ate in relative silence, the easy chatter from earlier replaced by an awkward tension. Aiden knew he was being distant, but he couldn't risk dragging Jake into his new world.

After they finished, they stepped outside into the afternoon sun.

"Wanna go hang out at the park?" Jake suggested.

Aiden checked the time. He needed to get back soon, but he didn't want to brush off his friend again.

"Sure, but just for a bit."

They walked down Main Street, the sidewalk dotted with familiar faces. Aiden felt a strange disconnect, like he was watching everything from a distance.

At the park, they sat on the swings, the rusty chains creaking softly.

"Remember when we used to come here after school?" Jake mused.

"Yeah," Aiden smiled. "Feels like a lifetime ago."

Jake kicked at the dirt. "Look, man, I don't know what's going on with you, but you can talk to me."

Aiden sighed. "I want to, but it's not that simple."

"Why not? We're best friends."

"I know, and I appreciate that. But there's some stuff I have to handle on my own right now."

Jake looked hurt but nodded. "Alright. Just know I'm here for you."

"Thanks," Aiden said quietly.

Just then, he felt a subtle ripple in the air. His senses, honed by his training, picked up on something off.

He stood up abruptly. "Hey, I gotta go."

Jake frowned. "Already?"

"Yeah, sorry. I forgot I have to be somewhere."

Before Jake could reply, Aiden was already moving. He walked quickly, glancing around. The colors around him seemed slightly muted, and the sounds of the park faded.

Then he saw it—a distortion at the edge of the playground, like a heatwave but more ominous.

A Null.

"Not here," he whispered anxiously.

He darted behind a cluster of trees, trying to keep the Null in sight while avoiding being seen by others. Focusing, he summoned a small barrier, hoping to contain it.

The Null flickered, its form unstable. It seemed weaker than the ones he'd faced before, but he couldn't be careless.

He extended his hand, weaving threads of code to encase the entity. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he concentrated.

Just as he was about to seal the Null, a child's laughter broke his focus. A little girl ran nearby, chasing a butterfly.

"Not good," he muttered.

The Null shifted direction, drawn toward the energy of the living code around the girl.

Aiden's pulse quickened. He had to act fast.

Mimicking one of Master Lin's techniques, he projected a decoy—an echo of code to divert the Null. The entity hesitated, turning toward the decoy.

Seizing the moment, Aiden reinforced his barrier, enclosing the Null completely. With a final surge of effort, he compressed the barrier, causing the Null to dissipate into harmless fragments.

He exhaled deeply, his knees feeling weak.

"That was too close."

"Aiden?"

He spun around to see Jake staring at him, wide-eyed.

"Jake! What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Jake said slowly. "What was that? And what were you doing with your hands?"

Aiden's mind raced. "I... you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

He looked at his friend, the person who'd been by his side through everything. Maybe it was time.

"Okay, but not here. Let's go somewhere private."

They headed to their old spot by the river, a secluded area they'd discovered years ago.

Sitting on the grassy bank, Aiden took a deep breath. "Remember when you asked if everything was alright?"

Jake nodded.

"Well, the truth is, I found out that our world is... different. There's this underlying code that makes up everything, and I can manipulate it."

Jake blinked. "You're serious."

"Yeah. Those glitches you've seen? They're connected to entities called Nulls. They're like corruptions in the code."

"So that thing back there..."

"Was a Null. I was trying to stop it."

Jake rubbed his temples. "This is... a lot to take in."

"I know. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to drag you into it. It's dangerous."

Jake looked at him intently. "We're best friends. You don't have to handle this alone."

Aiden felt a weight lift off his shoulders. "Thanks, man."

They sat in silence for a moment before Jake grinned. "So, can you like, hack reality?"

Aiden laughed. "Something like that. Still learning."

"This is insane. But kinda cool."

Aiden's phone buzzed—a message from Maya.

> Maya: Everything okay? Sensed a disturbance near your location.

He quickly replied.

> Aiden: Handled a small Null. All good now.

She responded almost immediately.

> Maya: Glad you're okay. Hurry back when you can.

Jake peered over. "Who's that?"

"A friend from the Assembly—the group that's training me."

"Sounds like you've got a whole secret life."

"Pretty much."

"Think they'd train me?" Jake asked half-jokingly.

Aiden considered it. "Maybe. But it's not easy. And it's dangerous."

Jake shrugged. "When have we ever taken the easy road?"

Aiden smiled. "True."

He stood up. "I should get back. But let's hang out again soon. And I'll tell you more."

"Looking forward to it," Jake said, standing up as well. "Stay safe out there."

"You too."

As Aiden made his way back to the Assembly, he felt a mix of relief and apprehension. Opening up to Jake had felt right, but he also knew it could complicate things.

Back at the Assembly, Maya was waiting at the entrance.

"You alright?" she asked, concern in her eyes.

"Yeah, had a bit of an unexpected encounter, but it's taken care of."

She studied him for a moment. "There's something else."

He nodded. "I told my friend about us—about everything."

Maya's eyes widened. "That's a big step."

"I couldn't keep lying to him. And I think he could help."

She sighed softly. "We'll need to tell Master Lin and Kael."

"I understand."

"Come on, let's debrief."

As they walked inside, Aiden realized that his two worlds were no longer separate. The lines had blurred, and he would need to navigate the challenges that came with it.

But he wasn't alone. And for the first time, he felt truly connected—to his friends, to the Assembly, and to the code that bound them all.