The cabin did not change as she approached.
In Kai's experience, everything in the simulation was fluid, responsive, eager to please. Buildings shifted their architecture to match your aesthetic preferences. Streets rearranged themselves to optimize your commute. Even people subtly adjusted their personalities to make interactions smoother. The world was a polite servant, constantly asking: Is this what you want? Is this comfortable? Is this real enough for you?
But the cabin was indifferent.
The wood was rough beneath her fingers, genuinely rough, the kind of texture that snagged on skin and demanded attention. The windows glowed with a warm, yellow light that did not flicker or adjust. A curl of smoke rose from the stone chimney, carrying the sharp, clean smell of burning pine. Pine. She had never smelled pine before. The scent was so specific, so uncompromising, that it brought tears to her eyes.
She stood on the threshold, her hand raised to knock, frozen by a terror she could not name. What if he was not there? What if he was there, but he was a monster? What if the video was a lie, a trap designed by Echo to lure her here and delete them both?
The door opened before she could knock.
He stood in the doorway, backlit by the fire, and he was exactly as she remembered. The same bone structure. The same eyes, grey and deep and older than they should be. He was wearing simple clothes—a thick wool sweater, worn trousers—nothing like the sleek fabrics of Layer 7. He looked like he belonged here, in this place of wood and fire and honest textures.
He looked at her for a long moment. Then he smiled, and it was the saddest smile she had ever seen.
"Hello, little sister," he said. "I was starting to think you'd never come."
Kai opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. What do you say to a brother you never knew you had? What do you say to the ghost who has been haunting your reality for decades?
"I don't remember you," she finally whispered.
Orion's smile did not waver. "I know. Come inside. We have a lot to talk about, and not much time."
He stepped aside, and Kai crossed the threshold into the cabin.