The Obsidian Wing groaned as it pierced the lower cloud layer, the sleek black hull vibrating with a frequency that set Jin's teeth on edge. Outside, the world of Sector 4 had vanished, replaced by a turbulent sea of grey vapor and the occasional flash of static discharge from the city's atmospheric stabilizers.
Inside the cramped hold, the air was recycled and tasted of copper. Kaelith had engaged the silent-run mode, which meant the heating was low and the lights were dimmed to a dull crimson.
"We're in the 'Blind Spot' now," Kaelith's voice echoed over the ship's intercom. "The sensors of the Lower-Tier can't track us through the ionization of the smog-belt. We have seventy-two hours of flying through the 'Grey' before we hit the pressure-gates of the Cloud-Cities. My advice? Sleep. Or eat. But don't touch the controls."
Jin sat on a pile of cargo crates, his back against the vibrating bulkhead. He felt a strange, rhythmic tugging in his chest. It wasn't pain, but a tether—a faint silver-and-gold thread that only his Runic Eyes could see. It stretched from his heart to Seraphina, who sat opposite him, her eyes closed, her breathing finally deep and even.
"I can feel you thinking," Seraphina said, her voice barely a whisper in the dark. She didn't open her eyes, but a small smile touched her lips. "The bond... it's like a second heartbeat. Every time your pulse spikes, I feel a spark in my own core."
"It was the only way to stabilize the backflow," Jin said, looking at his ivory hand. The golden lines etched into the skin were pulsing softly. "I didn't realize it would be this... intrusive."
"It's not intrusive," she countered, opening her eyes. The clear blue was now shot through with permanent golden flecks, a mirror of his own. "It's the first time in my life I haven't felt alone. In the Cloud-Palace, we were taught that power is a solitary mountain. But this... this is like a conversation."
Mei was curled up on a nearby bunk, her eyes fixed on a small holographic projection of the ship's surroundings. She was the most stable of the three, her Star-Seed integration moving into a "Quiet Phase" where her body was slowly building muscle mass to match her new neural speed.
"Kaelith's story about the 'Great Reset'... do you think it's true?" Mei asked, looking toward the cockpit.
Earlier, the pilot had explained the reality of the year 2300 that the corporate propaganda suppressed. The "Game," Aether-Sync, wasn't just an escape. After the Great Reset of 2250—a global digital and environmental collapse—the corporations discovered a "Frequency" that allowed human consciousness to bridge into a higher dimension.
"She said the Cloud-Cities are the only places left where they still use the 'Old Tech' mixed with Runic findings," Jin mused, his mind piecing together the mystery. "The corporations are using the Lower-Tiers as a biological battery, harvesting the 'Soul-Data' of players to fuel the immortality of the Aurum-Class in the sky."
The realism of the world-building was a cold realization. The world wasn't just divided by wealth, but by the very essence of existence. The "Interlopers" like Jin were unintended variables—humanity's natural evolution fighting back against corporate stagnation.
"My father... he knew," Mei whispered, her voice trembling. "That message the Architect sent wasn't just a riddle. The 'Second Rune in the Sky' isn't a game item. It's a coordinate in the real world. A place where the bridge between dimensions is thin enough to walk through without a pod."
The long flight continued, a slow-burn of rising tension and quiet revelations. Jin spent the hours studying his own body. He realized the ivory skin on his arm wasn't a scar; it was a "Runic Vessel." By burning his bloodline, he had transformed his physical flesh into a medium that could hold higher-dimensional energy without the need for a neural-link.
He was becoming a living Sync-Pod.
As the second day bled into the third, the ship's vibration changed. The dull roar of the smog-belt was replaced by a high-pitched whistle.
"Wake up, stowaways," Kaelith's voice came through, sounding genuinely tense. "We're approaching the Nimbus Barrier. It's the border patrol for the Cloud-Cities. And I've got a problem. A big one."
Jin stood up, his white-haired temple catching the crimson light. "What is it?"
"The barrier doesn't just scan for IDs anymore. It scans for 'Soul-Purity.' And right now, the three of you are lighting up my sensors like a localized sun. If we cross that line, every orbital rail-gun from here to the stratosphere will lock onto us."
Jin looked at Seraphina. He felt her determination through the bond. He looked at Mei, whose violet eyes were already searching for a digital backdoor.
The mystery of their origin was about to meet the ultimate gatekeeper.