Bonds and Breakdowns

Chapter 28: Bonds and Breakdowns

"Do you ever stop to breathe?"The voice cut through the silence like a whisper wrapped in warmth.

Ryo stirred, his body aching. He was lying beneath the shattered remains of a stone wall inside what used to be a safehouse. The battle with Xarion had left the surrounding buildings in ruins. His shadow clones had dissipated, drained, and the Protocol's interface still flickered with static.

He blinked against the sunlight. It wasn't real. A simulated light source projected from an unstable dungeon fragment—an artificial dawn for a world in decay.

Beside him sat Aika, cross-legged, brushing dust off his jacket.

"You're lucky I found you," she said, eyes narrowed. "What the hell was that thing?"

Ryo sat up slowly. "It called itself a Reaper."

"A Reaper?" she echoed. "Like... Kael's stories?"

He didn't answer. Not directly.

Instead, he turned toward the shimmering flicker of a corrupted mana stream in the distance. "It said I was one of the Firstborn. And it recognized my Protocol signature."

Aika's lips parted, but no words came.

Later that night...

They camped inside the old guild outpost near the slum border, deep in the neutral zone. Makeshift generators hummed faintly, casting soft light against cracked walls. Ryo sat alone in the far corner, eyes locked on the Protocol window floating before him.

[System Notice]Memory corruption at 3%.Shadow Core Stabilizing…Reaper Encounter Logged. Data Flagged.New Path Unlocked: "Legacy of the Firstborn"

He didn't know what it meant yet. But the more the system evolved, the more it felt like it was rewriting its own rules—and his.

Footsteps approached.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Aika asked quietly.

"Tell you what?"

She crossed her arms. "That you're falling apart."

His eyes met hers, dark with fatigue.

"You hide it well. But I've seen the signs—tremors, data bleeds, collapsed shadows. Whatever this Shadow Protocol is doing to you, it's not normal anymore."

"I don't have the luxury of being normal," Ryo said. His voice was cold. He didn't mean it to be.

Aika flinched but didn't back down. "You think you're the only one suffering? My brother disappeared two years ago in the same dungeon Kael vanished into. Now you're chasing the same ghosts."

Silence stretched between them.

"I'm not trying to push you," she said, softer now. "I just… I don't want you to break."

Flashback – 2 Years Ago

Ryo stood outside the infirmary. He was barely thirteen. The light inside flickered—half-lit like the truth he'd been avoiding.

Kael's bed was empty.

Only a black envelope remained, marked with his guild emblem: the Obsidian Fang. Inside were five words.

"Protect Ryo. Hide the Protocol."

Back then, Ryo didn't understand what it meant. Now, he was living it.

Back to the present...

"Xarion said something else," Ryo murmured. "He said the Shadow Protocol was never meant for me. That it was meant for someone called the 'Heir of Collapse.'"

Aika frowned. "That doesn't sound very encouraging."

He smirked despite himself. "No, it doesn't."

Just then, the door creaked open. Dr. Mira Voss—a rogue system analyst who'd helped Ryo decode part of the Protocol before—stepped inside. She looked more exhausted than usual, her data tablet glowing with unreadable script.

"You're going to want to see this," she said.

Aika raised a brow. "More corrupted memory fragments?"

"No," Mira said. "Worse."

She tapped the screen. A hologram burst into view—footage from the outer slum sector. It showed a shadow gate opening in broad daylight, spewing low-tier creatures. But that wasn't the issue.

It was who stood in front of the gate, controlling them.

Zereth.

Ryo's stomach dropped.

"That's impossible," he whispered. "I saw him fall into the pit two raids ago."

"He's back," Mira confirmed. "And not just alive—he's using shadow commands."

"Another Protocol user," Aika whispered.

"No," Ryo corrected, standing. "A rogue Protocol. Someone's hijacking it."

Later That Night – Alone

Ryo sat atop the broken roof, watching the corrupted skyline pulse. The Shadow Protocol chimed softly.

[Emotional Sync 80%][Warning: User's mental stability declining]Suggestion: Engage in Memory Stabilization Sequence

He ignored it.

In his hand, he held Kael's old blade—the only thing not yet devoured by shadow. The once-silver edge was now etched with dark veins, humming with unfamiliar energy. He tightened his grip.

"I don't know if I'm strong enough," he muttered.

From behind, Aika's voice came, soft but steady. "Then lean on someone until you are."

He didn't turn around. But he nodded.

Maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to carry this burden alone anymore.

End of Chapter 28