The Lower District was still quiet when Kai finished packing. There was not much to take with him. The small backpack beside his bed held a change of clothes, a bottle of water, a flashlight, and the steel pipe that had saved his life more than once.
He looked around the old train car. Only a few days had passed since he had woken up in the morgue. Yet somehow, this place had begun to feel like home.
A gentle knock came from the door. "Come in."
Lira stepped inside. She carried three cloth bags filled with food. "I thought we should eat before we leave."
Kai smiled. "You always think ahead."
She handed him one of the bags. "The kitchen volunteers woke up early. They wanted to make sure we didn't leave hungry."
Kai looked down at the warm bread inside the bag. His chest tightened. "They've already done so much for me."
Lira sat across from him. "They don't see you as a burden. They see someone who risked his life for them."
Kai slowly shook his head. "I couldn't save everyone."
"No one could."
Before the conversation could continue, the door burst open. Mira walked in carrying her enormous backpack. She almost lost her balance before dropping it onto the floor. The train car shook slightly.
Kai stared at the bag. "What exactly did you pack?"
"My important things."
"Does that include half the station?"
Mira smiled proudly. "I packed efficiently."
Lira looked at the bulging backpack. "Please tell me you didn't steal anything."
"I traded." Mira paused for a moment. "Mostly."
Kai laughed. "I think that's the best answer we're going to get."
A few minutes later, the three of them stepped outside. Several residents had already gathered near the tunnel entrance. Word had spread that Kai was leaving.
Rowan stood near the front of the group. Beside him was the elderly woman who had first welcomed Kai with fresh bread. She smiled warmly as Kai approached. "I heard you're leaving."
Kai nodded. "I don't want the Hunters coming back because of me."
The woman placed another small bundle of food into his hands. "Then take this. You'll need your strength."
Kai bowed respectfully. "Thank you. I'll never forget your kindness."
She smiled. "Just make sure you survive long enough to remember it."
Her words made Kai's smile fade slightly. She quickly realized what she had said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
Kai gently shook his head. "It's all right. I know what you meant."
Rowan stepped forward. "The people here wanted to thank you."
Kai looked around. The mechanic from the workshop raised a hand. Several children waved excitedly. Even the guards who had fought beside him nodded in respect.
Rowan placed a firm hand on Kai's shoulder. "You arrived here as a stranger. You leave as one of us."
Kai swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "I wish I could stay."
"So do we." Rowan looked toward the tunnel leading to the surface. "But if you stay, more Hunters will come."
Kai nodded quietly. "I know."
There was a long silence before Kai spoke again. "Yesterday, you said something. You said the Hunters aren't just looking for dangerous Echo users. They're looking for people with potential."
Rowan's expression became serious. "That's right."
Kai frowned. "Why?"
Rowan looked at everyone gathered around them before answering. "Because the Hunters don't simply eliminate Echo users. They capture them."
The crowd became silent. Kai felt a chill run down his spine. "They capture them?"
Rowan nodded. "For years, people have disappeared after encounters with the Hunters. Young. Old. Strong. Weak. The only thing they had in common was that they possessed an Echo."
Kai tightened his grip on the cloth bag in his hands. "What happens after they're captured?"
Rowan slowly shook his head. "Nobody knows. We've searched for answers. We've followed every rumor. But no one who was taken has ever returned."
Kai looked at Lira. "Is that true?"
She nodded. "I've followed too many Fate Threads that simply... ended. They didn't end because the people died. They ended because I could no longer see where they had gone."
Kai lowered his eyes. "So the Hunters are collecting Echo users."
Rowan nodded once. "Yes. And that is what should frighten you the most."
The weight of Rowan's words stayed with Kai. The Hunters were not simply fighting Echo users. They were taking them. And no one knew where they went.
Kai looked toward the tunnel leading to the surface. "If no one has ever come back, then someone must know the truth."
Rowan gave a tired smile. "Perhaps. But if they do, they have kept that secret for a very long time."
Mira adjusted the heavy backpack on her shoulders. "I've heard all kinds of stories. Some people say the Hunters have prisons beneath the city. Others say they hand Echo users over to another organization."
Rowan shook his head. "Rumors can give people hope. They can also lead them to their deaths."
Lira looked at Kai. "Don't chase rumors. Chase facts."
Kai nodded. "So what facts do we have?"
Lira answered without hesitation. "We know Echo users disappear. We know the Hunters take them. We know no one has returned. Everything else is only speculation."
Kai took a slow breath. "Then that's where we'll start. We find the truth."
Rowan looked at him for a long moment. "Be careful. Many people have said those same words. They never came back."
Kai smiled faintly. "I don't plan on disappearing."
A few people laughed softly. The heavy mood eased, if only for a moment.
The elderly woman stepped forward again. She gently straightened Kai's jacket. "You remind me of my son."
Kai looked surprised. "He also believed he could protect everyone." Her smile faded. "He couldn't."
Kai didn't know what to say. Instead, he bowed respectfully. "I'll do my best."
She nodded. "That's all anyone can ask."
The three of them began walking toward the tunnel. The people of the Lower District stood quietly, watching them leave. No one called out. No one tried to stop them. They simply hoped they would return one day.
The climb to the surface was slow. Broken concrete blocked parts of the old railway tunnel, forcing them to climb over piles of twisted steel. When they finally reached the surface, a cool wind swept through the empty streets.
The ruined city stretched as far as Kai could see. Collapsed buildings leaned against one another. Abandoned vehicles rusted where they had been left years ago. Nature had begun reclaiming the roads.
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Mira broke the silence. "So, where exactly are we going?"
Kai laughed. "I was hoping one of you had a plan."
Lira unfolded an old paper map. "There is another shelter west of here. It's much smaller than the Lower District. But it should be safe for a few days."
Kai nodded. "Then we'll head there."
As they started walking, a sharp pain suddenly shot through Kai's head. He stopped. His breathing became uneven.
"Kai?" Lira immediately turned around.
Kai grabbed the side of his head. Inside his mind, two voices spoke at once. "Turn back." "We must keep moving." Reginald. Marcus. Their voices overlapped until Kai could no longer tell which one was speaking.
The pain grew worse. His System flashed before his eyes.
---
[WARNING]
Echo Conflict Detected
Synchronization Unstable
Identity Drift Increasing
Immediate stabilization recommended.
---
The words flickered red before disappearing. Kai stumbled forward. Lira caught his arm before he fell. "Kai!"
Mira rushed over. "What happened?"
Kai slowly lowered his hand. The pain faded as quickly as it had begun. He looked at Lira. "I'm... all right."
She knew he wasn't. "What did you hear?"
Kai hesitated. Then he answered honestly. "Reginald and Marcus. They were arguing."
Neither Lira nor Mira spoke. For the first time, Kai's Echoes were no longer acting like quiet voices in the background. They were beginning to clash with each other. And Kai was trapped between them.
Far behind the trio, hidden on the roof of a ruined apartment building, a Hunter scout watched through a small observation scope. He raised a communicator to his mouth. "The target has left the Lower District."
Adrian's calm voice answered. "Maintain visual contact. Do not engage."
The scout frowned. "Captain... if we know where he's going, why don't we capture him now?"
There was a brief silence. Then Adrian replied, "Because every journey reveals something. The people he trusts. The choices he makes. The limits of his power." He looked toward the distant city through his own binoculars. "And when the time comes, he will lead us to answers he doesn't even know he carries."
The transmission ended. Kai looked back over his shoulder without knowing why. The strange feeling returned. Someone, somewhere, was patiently watching every step he took.