Kai spent the next two days in his apartment, trying to process what had happened in the Glasslands.
The fight with the Razorback alpha kept replaying in his mind. He wasn't bothered by the violence, he'd seen plenty of that in three years as a Hunter.
What bothered him was the aftermath: the spreading glass and the destabilisation. Just one fight caused fifty yards of dimensional corruption.
And he hadn't even used the Balance Protocol.
On the second night, alone in his room while Mira slept, Kai pulled up his Status screen.
[RECKONER SYSTEM - SSS CLASS]
[User: Kai Arren]
[Shard Rank: A (Apex)]
[True Rank: SSS (Mythic) - LOCKED]
[Balance Points (BP): 1,789]
Kai blinked. That was up from 1,247. He'd gained 542 points from killing the Razorback alpha. A C-rank Echo was worth significant points, apparently.
But then his eyes caught the next line, and his blood went cold.
[Current Debts: 9 years lifespan]
[Remaining Lifespan: 38 years (Age: 24)]
Nine years.
It had been eight years before the Glasslands mission. Now it was nine.
"One fight," Kai whispered to the dark room. "One C-rank Echo cost me a year."
He pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the black Shard pulse beneath his skin. It felt the same as always… cold, alien, and alive. His body felt fine. Strong, even. No weakness, no sickness. If someone had told him he'd lost nine years of his life, he wouldn't have believed them.
But the System didn't lie, did it?
Kai lay back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. The numbers were scary. He was twenty-four years old. At this rate, if he kept fighting at this level, he'd be dead before forty.
Every mission, every Echo, every use of his power was shaving time off his life.
And he couldn't stop; the Guild expected him to fight, and Mira depended on his salary.
This was his job now.
"What the hell did I accept?" Kai muttered.
Sleep didn't come easy that night.
—
The next morning, Kai made a decision. He needed to understand what this Shard actually was. Normal Shards didn't work like this; they gave power without asking for anything in return. Something was wrong with his, and if he was going to survive, he needed answers.
The Colony Archives were located in the Inner Ring, a massive building that served as a library and a historical archive.
It housed records from before the Shattering: the dimensional disaster that ruined the old world and created the Wilds. Most of the information was broken and corrupted by time and dimensional instability, but it was the best resource they had.
Kai showed his A-rank Resonance Card at the entrance, and the security guard waved him through without question.
High-rank Hunters had access to restricted sections most civilians couldn't enter.
The main hall was huge, lined with rows of real hardcopy books and digital terminals. A few researchers were working quietly at the tables, and the air smelled like old paper and dust.
Kai approached the front desk, where an elderly woman with grey hair and thick glasses looked up from her terminal.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"I'm looking for information about Shards," Kai said. "Specifically, unusual ones. Ones that might have... costs."
The librarian's expression shifted slightly. "Costs? Most Shards don't have costs. They're crystallised dimensional energy. Once integrated, they grant abilities without 'costs'."
"I know. But are there exceptions?"
She studied him for a moment, then nodded. "There are legends. Pre-Shattering artifacts. Some records mention 'Cursed Relics'... objects or entities that demanded prices for their power."
She typed something into her terminal. "Section Seven, Historical Anomalies. Third floor, restricted access. Your rank should get you in."
"Thank you."
Kai climbed the stairs to the third floor, passing through another security checkpoint. The restricted section was smaller and dimly lit, with older books protected behind glass cases. He found Section Seven and began searching.
Most of the books were incomplete, with some pages gone or impossible to read. But after looking for an hour, Kai finally found something.
A leather-bound journal, pre-Shattering, written by someone named Dr. Helena Vixern. The entries were dated decades before the dimensional collapse.
"We've discovered artefacts in the excavation site. Not of human origin. They respond to consciousness, offering power in exchange for... something. The test subjects report increased abilities, but also strange symptoms. Memory loss. Accelerated aging. Reality distortion around them."
Kai's hands tightened on the book.
"Dr. Chen thinks these artifacts are like physical trades. They balance out deals; you give power, you make a payment. We've sealed them in containment. They're too dangerous for study."
The journal ended there, the rest of the pages torn out or destroyed.
Kai set the book down, his mind racing. Bargains. Equalization. That's exactly what his System did… it balanced every equation, every fight, every use of power. And it charged him in lifespan.
"It's a relic," Kai whispered. "A cursed relic."
He pulled his shirt aside, looking at the black Shard embedded in his chest. It pulsed faintly, as if aware he was studying it. Kai reached up, trying to grip the crystalline surface, trying to pull it free.
A deep pain shot through his chest, like he was trying to tear his own ribs out.
The Shard wouldn't budge. It was completely fused to his sternum, so taking it out would probably kill him.
"I can't get it out," Kai said aloud, panic creeping into his voice. "It's stuck. It's part of me now."
"Excuse me?"
Kai spun around.
The elderly librarian stood in the doorway, looking concerned. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah. Sorry. Just... researching." Kai pulled his shirt back into place.
The librarian nodded slowly. "I wanted to mention that we are experiencing power issue. Backup generator failed all of a sudden, which is odd, considering it was just serviced last week. Technicians said it looked drained, like something pulled all the energy out of it."
Kai's stomach dropped. "Drained?"
"Yes. They're investigating, but..." She shrugged. "Anyway, I'll leave you to your research. Just wanted to let you know we might have intermittent power issues."
She left, and Kai stood there, staring at nothing.
The backup generator. Drained. Just like the power grid in his apartment block. Just like the lights in the Guild building.
Everywhere he went, power systems failed.
Because the System was feeding. Constantly. Even when he wasn't fighting, it was pulling tiny amounts of energy from everything around him to maintain the Balance.
"I'm a parasite," Kai whispered. "Just by existing, I'm draining the world."
His comm unit buzzed. Kai pulled it out, reading the message:
GUILD ALERT: Major operation scheduled in 3 days. All A- and B-rank squads mobilizing. Report to HQ for briefing. Mandatory attendance.
Kai stared at the message. Another mission. More fighting. More years shaved off his life.
But he couldn't refuse. This was his job. This was how he kept Mira safe, how he kept them both out of the slums.
He pocketed the comm and headed for the exit.
—
That night, Kai sat with Mira in their apartment, watching the evening news. She was in a good mood; Kai's first Guild paycheck had come through, and for the first time in years, they had enough money to buy real food instead of ration bars.
"I got accepted into that pre-college program," Mira said excitedly. "The one in the Inner Ring. They have spots opening up next year."
"That's great," Kai said, trying to match her enthusiasm.
"It's because of you," Mira continued. "Your salary qualifies me for scholarships. I could actually go to university, Kai. Me. Can you believe it?"
"I believe it. You're smart."
"Not as smart as you. You got us out." She smiled, then her expression grew serious. "Are you okay? You seem... distracted."
"Just tired. The mission was rough."
"Drake still giving you trouble?"
"No, he's backing off. I proved myself." Kai didn't mention the spreading glass, the dimensional collapse, or the year of his life that had vanished.
The news broadcast shifted to a new story, and the anchor's voice caught Kai's attention:
"Mysterious power outages continue to spread through the Outer Ring. Over the past week, entire city blocks have experienced sudden, unexplained power failures. Guild engineers are investigating, but so far, no cause has been identified. Officials are urging residents to report any unusual…"
Kai's comm buzzed again. He looked down at the screen.
Veyra: Report to my office tomorrow, 0800. We need to discuss your performance in the Glasslands. - Administrator Veyra
Kai's jaw tightened.
They knew. Or suspected. Something about the dimensional collapse had flagged his file.
He looked at Mira, who was still watching the news broadcast about the power outages, completely unaware that her brother was the cause.
"I need to get some air," Kai said, standing.
"Want me to come with?"
"No, I'll be fine. Just need to think."
He left the apartment and walked to the roof of their building, staring out at the darkened Outer Ring. Several blocks were completely black, power still not restored.
Kai pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the black Shard pulse.
"What are you?" he whispered. "And what's going to happen when they figure out what I'm doing?"
The Shard didn't answer.
But somewhere in the distance, another streetlight flickered and went out.