The underground halls stretched endlessly beneath Sector Seven.
Cold crimson light pulsed softly across the curved metallic walls while Ayan and Aelira continued descending deeper into the structure, their footsteps echoing quietly through the massive underground corridor.
But Ayan's attention remained locked on the chambers surrounding them.
Rows upon rows of black glass containers lined both sides of the descending passageway, extending farther than he could fully see into the dim crimson haze ahead. Inside each chamber floated motionless human bodies suspended in dark liquid while thin crimson lines pulsed beneath pale skin like artificial veins.
Some looked completely human.
Others—
Had changed.
One body had metallic structures fused directly into its spine, black mechanical growths protruding unnaturally through flesh along its back. Another subject's arms had fully transformed into elongated black appendages similar to the corrupted humanoids above.
And some—
Were barely recognizable anymore.
Ayan's chest tightened painfully.
"…These are all failed subjects."
Aelira remained silent briefly before answering.
"…Not all."
Ayan immediately looked toward her.
"…What?"
Her crimson eyes stayed fixed ahead as they continued walking.
"…Some were placed into suspended synchronization intentionally."
Ayan frowned sharply.
"…You mean they volunteered for this?"
A faint silence followed.
Then—
"…Some did."
That answer unsettled him more than he expected.
Because seeing these chambers now—
The fear.
The suffering.
The unnatural transformations—
It all looked horrifying.
But if people willingly entered this place…
Then what exactly had they been promised?
The whispers surrounding the underground halls grew slightly louder as they descended further.
Not random sounds.
Voices.
Ayan realized that clearly now.
Fragments of consciousness drifting weakly from the chambers themselves.
"…Cold…"
"…Incomplete…"
"…Continue synchronization…"
"…Help…"
His grip tightened around the sword instantly.
Because mixed between the mechanical phrases—
Human voices still remained.
Some of these people were conscious.
Ayan stopped walking suddenly.
His eyes locked onto one chamber nearby.
Inside floated a young woman no older than twenty with crimson lines spreading beneath her neck and face. Unlike the others, her eyes were slightly open beneath the dark liquid surrounding her.
And slowly—
She turned toward him.
Ayan froze.
The woman's lips moved weakly inside the chamber.
"…Run…"
The word barely formed.
Then crimson light surged violently through the chamber.
The woman's body convulsed unnaturally before her eyes rolled upward and the whispering stopped completely.
Ayan's expression hardened immediately.
"…They're still aware."
Aelira closed her eyes briefly.
"…Some retain consciousness longer than others."
The answer filled him with disgust.
Not toward her.
Toward this entire place.
This wasn't evolution.
It was imprisonment.
The underground halls vibrated softly again beneath their feet.
Deep below—
Something massive continued moving.
Watching.
Waiting for them to descend further.
Ayan forced himself to continue walking again, though his thoughts remained heavier now than before.
Because until this moment—
The network had still felt distant somehow.
Abstract.
A system.
An intelligence.
But these chambers made everything real.
People suffered here.
Real people.
The corridor widened gradually as they descended deeper into Sector Seven until eventually the passage opened into an enormous underground chamber.
Ayan slowed immediately.
"…What is this…"
The room was gigantic.
Hundreds of meters wide with towering black pillars stretching upward into darkness above while enormous crimson cables spread throughout the chamber like roots of some artificial tree.
And connected to those cables—
More chambers.
Thousands of them.
Entire rows suspended vertically across the massive underground space while crimson liquid flowed slowly through transparent tubes connecting directly into the subjects floating inside.
Some chambers were empty.
Others broken.
But many—
Still active.
The whispers layered together endlessly throughout the chamber, creating a constant background noise that sounded disturbingly close to breathing.
Ayan felt cold settle through his chest.
"…This place is huge."
Aelira's voice remained quiet beside him.
"…Sector Seven was one of the primary synchronization facilities."
Primary.
Meaning there were others.
That realization alone nearly made him stop walking again.
Then suddenly—
Movement.
Ayan's instincts sharpened instantly.
Several figures emerged slowly from between the massive black pillars surrounding the chamber ahead.
Human-shaped.
But unlike the corrupted humanoids above—
These looked stable.
Complete.
Three individuals stepped fully into the crimson light.
A woman with short silver-black hair and glowing crimson eyes wearing dark fitted armor lined with metallic structures across her arms.
A tall man whose entire left side had partially fused with black mechanical growths extending beneath translucent skin.
And behind them—
A young boy no older than fifteen.
Completely human in appearance aside from the glowing crimson eyes.
Ayan's chest tightened slightly.
Because that somehow felt worst of all.
The silver-black haired woman studied him quietly.
"…So this is the new anomaly."
Her voice sounded calm.
Perfectly normal.
Not distorted like the humanoids above.
The young boy tilted his head slightly while observing Ayan curiously.
"…Synchronization resonance is higher than expected."
The tall man's mechanical arm shifted faintly.
"…Primary Source was correct."
Ayan slowly tightened his grip around the sword.
"…You're all connected to the network."
The woman smiled faintly.
"…Of course."
No hesitation.
No shame.
Like she genuinely couldn't imagine another answer.
The young boy stepped forward slightly.
"…You should feel honored."
Ayan's expression darkened instantly.
"…That's not happening."
The silver-black haired woman looked toward Aelira next.
"…And yet you brought him here anyway."
Aelira's crimson eyes remained cold.
"…He chose to descend himself."
The woman's smile faded slightly.
"…Just like before."
Silence followed immediately.
Ayan noticed it again.
The tension whenever the previous anomaly was mentioned.
The tall man's gaze shifted toward Ayan carefully.
"…You inherited the fragment."
Ayan's heartbeat slowed slightly.
"…How do all of you know about that?"
The young boy answered calmly.
"…Because the network remembers everything."
The crimson cables throughout the chamber pulsed brighter suddenly.
Then—
The whispers stopped.
Complete silence filled the underground structure instantly.
Every synchronized individual immediately lowered their heads slightly.
Respect.
Fear.
Reverence.
Ayan felt the pressure rise again.
Far heavier now than before.
The silver-black haired woman stepped aside slowly.
"…Primary Source wishes to meet you personally."
The massive chamber trembled softly.
Then somewhere deep beyond the endless rows of chambers—
A door began opening.