He didn't come through the streets.
He came through space.
The air over Dockside folded once—subtle, wrong—and a man stepped out as if reality had briefly agreed to ignore itself.
Alpha felt him instantly.
[Third-Path Resonance: External — Hostile]
Nyx stiffened beside him. "He's not Registry."
"No," Alpha said. "He's worse."
The man looked ordinary. Late twenties. Clean clothes. Calm smile.
But his presence felt damaged—like a structure holding together after being bent too far.
"So this is Dockside," the man said, hands in his pockets. "Smaller than I imagined."
Rex cursed quietly. "No alarms. No lead time."
The man's eyes flicked to Nyx.
Then widened slightly.
"Oh," he murmured. "You survived."
Nyx's jaw tightened. "You know him?"
The man laughed softly. "No. But I know the path she almost died on."
Alpha stepped forward, placing himself between them.
"State your purpose."
The man tilted his head. "Purpose?" He smiled. "Curiosity."
[Name Detected: Kade Morr — Status: Fractured Third Path]
Kade's gaze settled on Alpha.
"You didn't bind," Kade said. "Didn't submit. Didn't collapse."
His smile faded.
"I did all three."
The air shuddered.
Space warped again—uncontrolled this time.
[Technique: Broken Phase Leap — Unstable]
Kade vanished.
Alpha moved before thought.
Shadow Sense flared, catching the distortion, predicting where reality would fail next.
He stepped sideways.
Kade reappeared mid-strike—and missed.
The backlash snapped Kade's arm at an impossible angle.
Kade screamed—then laughed.
"See?" he gasped. "It hurts because it works."
Nyx raised her hand, Phase Tolerance activating.
Kade froze.
Stared.
"You're not rejecting order," he whispered. "You're… slipping past it."
Envy bled into his voice.
"I broke myself forcing power," Kade said. "You two let it breathe."
Alpha spoke calmly. "Leave."
Kade's eyes burned. "I can't."
Space folded again.
This time violently.
Alpha didn't strike.
He anchored.
Guardian Anchor activated.
Reality stiffened around Dockside.
Kade slammed into invisible resistance and dropped to his knees, coughing blood.
[Guardian Anchor: Zone Enforcement — Active]
Nyx stepped forward, voice steady. "You don't have to keep breaking yourself."
Kade looked up at her—tears mixed with blood.
"I already did," he whispered.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Registry drones—not close, but watching.
Alpha looked down at Kade.
"You chose shortcuts," Alpha said. "I chose responsibility."
Kade laughed weakly. "Then don't let them take me."
Alpha paused.
Then nodded.
"Rex," Alpha said. "Get him inside."
The drones hovered closer.
[Third-Path Conflict: PUBLICLY OBSERVED]
The war for the future had officially begun