The sky darkened into shades of bruised violet. Broken buildings cast long shadows over the streets, eerily quiet after the bloodbath. SeTa walked through the remains, his coat fluttering behind him, steps silent. Zuvanox trotted beside him, glowing runes flickering faintly beneath its shadowy hide. Behind them, Mordain the Broken Vow followed without sound, his armor clinking only when the wind dared speak.
SeTa's gaze was distant.
Two hours left. Two hours to act.
His mind raced not with tactics, but with memories. Home. The one he barely remembered. He wandered down a path of skeletal houses, his eyes snagging on rusted toys, broken swings, a small diary left half-burned on the sidewalk.
> "Mom said the monsters are fake. But they're not. They're in my dreams. They're getting closer."
He closed it gently.
"You're too soft," Zuvanox rumbled.
"I'm too human," SeTa replied, tone flat.
Then a crackle — radios buzzing in static behind nearby walls. Voices.
"Alpha Team, we lost Squad B near the Market Zone. Something... something pulled them underground. We need backup. Repeat, we need—"
Silence.
SeTa's eyes narrowed. He shifted toward the source without hesitation.
---
Market Zone – 10 Minutes Later
The street dipped into a wide plaza, partly collapsed. Craters glowed with residual Rift energy. The moment SeTa stepped into the center, the ground split beneath his feet — but he didn't fall.
> [Void Anchor: Activated]
He hovered above the sudden chasm, scanning the depths. Webs. Dozens of them. Bodies suspended like dolls.
And something moving. Fast.
> [Void Tactic: Reverse Perception]
The world slowed. A blur surged from the dark, legged and slick, teeth gleaming. SeTa spun midair and launched a dagger of pure shadow into its eye.
Screech. The beast writhed, crashing into the rubble.
Mordain leapt in, halberd swinging.
Zuvanox created a suppression field.
It was over in three minutes.
---
SeTa cut down the bodies. Three survivors. Two soldiers and a boy, maybe nine.
He kneeled.
"You okay?"
The boy stared at him. "Y-you're him... you're the Void Walker. The one who fought the metal city..."
SeTa blinked. That hadn't happened yet.
"Rumors move faster than timelines."
He looked to the soldiers. "Take him. Get out. There may be more."
"What about you?" one asked.
SeTa turned away. "I'm not here to be followed."
---
35 Minutes Later – Rooftop Overlooking Lusaka's Government Center
He crouched in silence. Below, the remnants of the GAA's local base blinked with floodlights. Dozens of UN trucks idled. A man stepped out: General Kosa.
SeTa narrowed his eyes.
"You going down there?" Zuvanox asked.
"They'll come up. I gave them a reason."
As if summoned by fate, three agents appeared moments later. Drones flew ahead of them. Mordain stood, his halberd humming with menace.
"State your intent," SeTa called before they could speak.
One agent removed her helmet. It was the woman from the Rift perimeter earlier.
"We're here to thank you... and offer you something."
SeTa didn't reply.
She continued. "You saved hundreds. The Rift is closed. We have a proposal. One that involves resources, clearance, and a promise to support your terms."
He tilted his head. "Terms."
"Yes. Anything within reason. The Global Ascendancy Agency wants to officially recruit you, SeTa."
He stared at the horizon, then said:
"You will provide full material and logistical support to a designated zone. A safe haven. For orphans. Civilians. Those abandoned by your incompetence."
She blinked, then nodded slowly. "That... can be arranged. We'll need coordinates."
SeTa turned away.
"You'll have them when I see results. Not before."
---
Final 20 Minutes – Abandoned Church
The child from earlier sat on a bench. SeTa had returned, silently. He placed a bag of scavenged supplies beside the boy.
"You're not staying, are you?"
"No."
"Will you come back?"
SeTa looked at the crumbling cross above. Then at the System timer blinking in his vision.
> [00:19:44]
"I don't know. But someone will."
The boy's eyes welled up. He nodded anyway.
SeTa stood.
> [System Prompt: Return to Tower? Y/N]
He didn't answer immediately. Just stood there. Listening.
The wind blew through broken glass. Far off, sirens wailed. Fires burned.
He finally pressed Y.
The world shimmered.
Then vanished.