Voices in the Concrete

Kai held his breath as he heard the front door softly close, the sound swallowed by the muffled roar of truck engines crossing the street. The smell of heavy rain was already invading the cubicle, bringing that metallic and old feeling that always preceded storms in Solarius. He looked out the window, watching the sky darken at a hurried pace, thick clouds forming and hiding the last remnants of light. The city seemed to shrink before the coming storm, but inside, Kai's core did the opposite: it pulsed stronger, vibrating with every echo that came from outside.

The first raindrops fell heavy, hammering the concrete and amplifying every noise. It was as if everything had become more alive, and at the same time more dangerous. Kai leaned against the wall of the room, trying to calm his own body, but the core wouldn't obey. Every siren, every muffled horn, even the quick conversations of the neighbors in the hallway, everything seemed to go straight into his chest, speeding up that strange energy even more. He felt a heat spreading across his shoulders, an electricity hard to explain.

Zero, always alert, didn't take long to manifest."Anomalous tuning detected. The core responds to urban frequency. Symptoms: increased perception, risk of overload. I recommend constant monitoring."

Kai was surprised by the coldness of the warning."Are you saying I get stronger when the city goes crazy?"

Zero answered with that machine precision."The deformed core establishes spontaneous resonance with hostile environments. The storm intensifies the energy lines. Rare phenomenon. High absorption potential, but unstable."

Lina entered the room at that moment, bringing with her the muffled sound of coughing and water boiling in the kettle."Did you see how dark it got? Looks like night. Keep an eye out, Kai, I heard the streets are going to flood."

Kai forced a smile, trying to hide the growing anxiety."It's just rain, Lina. It'll pass soon."

But the truth was different. With each thunder, the core beat even harder, and it was as if the shadows in the house stretched, seeking space in every corner. Kai took a deep breath, trying to distract himself, but the feeling was impossible to ignore: the wall's concrete vibrated under his hand, every city noise came distorted, almost musical. Sirens, hurried footsteps, muffled screams, everything mixing into a chaotic chorus.

Lina, distracted, put two mugs on the makeshift table."Drink before it gets cold." She looked out the window, tired eyes. "Hope the power doesn't go out. No one can handle another night without electricity."

Kai tried to drink the tea, but it tasted different, metallic, too strong. The apartment lights flickered twice, and Lina frowned."This again?"

Kai couldn't answer right away. The core seemed to have a life of its own, drawing energy from the environment. He felt his body shudder slightly, as if absorbing a piece of the storm. With each thunder, Solarius's lights flickered outside. For a second, everything around him became sharper. Kai noticed the sound of wires snapping, the smell of ozone, the hum of the street transformer. He could even feel movement in the neighboring apartments, the neighbors walking in the hallway, the click of locking doors.

Zero analyzed in real time."Involuntary absorption started. Risk of localized blackout. Limited control due to core instability. I recommend stopping immediately."

But it was already too late. A flash crossed the window, followed by a sudden blackout. All sounds disappeared, except for the drumming of heavy rain on the roof. Lina was startled, almost dropping her mug."Oh no… I knew it! Everything's out, Kai!"

Kai looked around, heart racing. He felt the energy spinning inside him, more intense than ever. It was as if part of the city had entered him."Sorry, Lina. It must be a transformer problem, nothing serious."

She just shook her head, trying to calm down. Outside, voices quickly appeared, residents complaining in the hallways, children crying in neighboring apartments. Kai closed his eyes for a moment, feeling every sound wash over him like a wave. He knew the blackout wasn't a coincidence. He felt the core cool, as if it released the excess energy all at once.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed outside. The tone of conversations changed. Adult voices, firm, organizing the residents. Someone knocked on the apartment next door, another group climbed the stairs, flashlights cutting through the darkness. Lina looked at her brother, fear stamped on her face."Kai… they're Union resonants, right?"

He nodded, trying to stay calm."They must be investigating. Don't worry, just answer what they ask. If they ask about me, say I went out to look for candles or food."

Lina squeezed his arm tightly."You're leaving now? With the agents out there?"

Kai answered softly, trying not to show his rising panic."I have to avoid questions. They're always suspicious of me. If they keep pressing, just repeat that I'm sick or something like that."

The girl nodded, her eyes full of tears. Kai hugged his sister quickly, whispering."It's going to be okay. I'll be back soon."

As soon as he left the cubicle, the hallway was taken over by shadows. Two green Union resonant agents spoke quietly on the stairs, LED flashlights swaying as they checked names on an electronic clipboard. Kai stood still for a moment, waiting for the right time. Zero whispered quickly."Escape route: right, service stairs down. Suggest partial camouflage. Avoid eye contact."

Kai followed the command without hesitation. He leaned against the wall, sliding along the damp concrete. Every step was a challenge, feeling the core vibrating, a heavy energy wanting to escape again. In the street, the chaos was greater. Sirens blared two blocks away, drones hovered between buildings, throwing beams of light over flooded cars. Neighbors crowded the windows, watching the agents' movements.

Kai turned the corner, hands in his pockets, trying to look like just another hurried resident. On the other side of the street, a woman complained loudly, pointing at fallen wires. One of the agents noticed the movement and shouted."You there! Wait!"

Kai's heart raced. He quickened his pace, blending into the group of residents heading to the street. Zero whispered:"Don't look back. Head to the abandoned warehouse on the south corner. Maximum camouflage recommended."

Kai could barely breathe. At every corner, urban sounds hit his chest, echoing along with the core. Sirens, car alarms, even the rustle of plastic underfoot. The storm thickened, fat drops pounding the roofs. The shadows on the street stretched, blending with the puddles. He felt, again, that wave of energy expanding from his body. It was involuntary. For a second, the whole block seemed to plunge into total darkness, even the drones went out for a moment.

Zero analyzed."Excess absorption caused interference in electrical systems. Maximum alert: Union hunters nearby. Suggest immediate retreat."

Kai ran into an alley, body pressed to the wall. He looked back, saw the flashlight beams dancing in the rain, agents talking among themselves, discussing causes for the blackout. One raised an energy sensor, pointing at the buildings."Here! Anomalous level detected!"

Panic rose. Kai knew he was leaving traces, but he couldn't stop. He went deeper into the alley, eyes adjusting to the dark. The shadows seemed to grow, as if offering to hide him. Zero spoke, now in command tone."Use the shadows for full camouflage. Maximum tuning allowed for ten minutes. After that, risk of loss of control."

Kai focused, trying to merge with the wall, feeling his body slowly disappear, hands becoming translucent, legs dissolving into shadow. It was frightening and liberating at the same time. At the back of the alley, an iron gate gave access to an abandoned building. Kai jumped the low wall, landing on a floor of gravel and rotten wood pieces. For a moment, the sound of rain was replaced by the oppressive silence of the empty building.

He took a deep breath, leaning against a broken pillar. The city sounds, now muffled, seemed to come from another world. Zero kept alert."Agents approaching. Stay still. Elevated heart rate. Control your breathing."

Kai closed his eyes, trying to slow his heart. He heard the voices of the Union hunters getting closer, footsteps echoing between the wet concrete and debris. One spoke loudly."Careful, there might be someone hiding!"

The fear of being discovered was real, but there was something even stranger in the air. With each word from the agents, the shadows around Kai reacted, vibrating in sync with the core. He felt a force building in his chest, and then, for a moment, everything felt strange. He saw a dark silhouette in the opposite corner of the warehouse, moving in an impossible way, as if floating. It had no face, just a black hole, a void that sucked in all the light. Kai didn't know if it was real ou another hallucination caused by the fusion with Zero.

He wanted to scream, but his voice got stuck in his throat. He felt his legs fail, almost falling to his knees. Zero spoke, urgent."Hallucination? Risk of hostile entity: undetermined. Do not interfere. Remain still."

Kai squeezed his eyes shut, trying to distinguish reality from illusion, but the vision of the creature devouring a human form was imprinted on his retina. The smell of rust and blood invaded his nose, mixed with wet concrete. When he opened his eyes again, only the emptiness of the warehouse remained.

The agents' voices echoed through the building."Here! Recent footprints. Search everywhere."

Zero whispered, almost gentle."Full camouflage activated. Don't move. Breathe slowly."

Kai obeyed. The tension was unbearable. He stayed still, feeling his heart pound loudly, every muscle vibrating, the shadows almost swallowing him. He heard everything: boots stomping, radios crackling, rain hitting the broken tiles. For a moment, he thought he was going to faint.

Time seemed to stretch. One of the resonants passed so close that Kai could smell the wet uniform. But, protected by the shadows and the symbiosis with Zero, the agents didn't notice his presence. When they finally moved away, Kai let out his breath slowly. Zero whispered, satisfied."Survival guaranteed. Immediate risk eliminated. Remain still until further command."

Kai stayed there, curled up, listening to the city pulsing outside, the core beating strong, the voices echoing in the concrete spinning in his head. For the first time, he understood that this connection was not just a burden, it was also a chance to keep fighting, even when everything seemed lost.