Joe crunched down on one of Brian’s healing pellets as he bolted through the zone interchange. TJ sprinted ahead like his life depended on it, slamming the elevator button like a button-mashing gamer in a platform fighter game. “What’s taking the damn thing so long?”

  The elevator doors opened and they rushed in.

  Joe zoned out the corny elevator music, his mind spiraling through worst-case scenarios of Ryan’s injuries. The elevator doors finally slid open, and a blast of cool air hit him as they stepped out onto the fourth floor. The sound of tiny footsteps echoed down the winding corridors, where lightning streaks crackled along the walls.

  Dawn led the way, testing the ground with caution. With every step, the floor lit up beneath her boots like something straight out of an ‘80s music video. The walls, meanwhile, looked like a weird mashup of biology diagrams and alien tech, giving the whole place a surreal vibe. Rose trailed behind, eyes wide, clearly not a fan of the setting.

  By the time Joe joined them, Dawn had crouched low, and Rose was already hovering over her, hand on her shoulder.

  “You alright?” Rose asked, pulling out a pellet from her tin. “This’ll help with the mana sickness.”

  Dawn waved her off, slowly standing. “Thanks, but I’ve got my own. Should’ve taken one in the elevator, but figured I’d tough it out. You keep yours.” She popped one of her own pellets into her mouth, grimacing like she’d just chewed on a wet sock. “Still awful, though.”

  “Definitely an acquired taste.” Rose slipped her tin back into her pack. She spun her staff with a practiced flick, spraying a cooling mist into the air to fend off the heat that seemed to cling to them like a heavy blanket.

  Joe eyed the walls. They looked like they were made of brain cells, crackling with electrical sparks shooting between the synapses. “Freaky. But at least the walls aren’t trying to eat us. Yet.”

  Opening the alliance chat, he fired off a quick message.

  Joe: Not sure what the theme is on this floor, but whatever you do, don’t touch the walls—unless you’re into electrocution.

  He glanced at his boots, hoping they were rubber-soled. Just in case.

  TJ: Great. Another floor, another chance to get zapped. Guess we should expect the unexpected.

  Dawn: The only constant is change.

  Rose: Should we head to the common room?

  Joe: Good place to start, but don’t expect the Time Hacker to be sitting there with a welcome banner and snacks.

  TJ: How do we even begin to find him? Nothing here looks familiar. Can’t afford to get lost, either.

  Dawn: I’ll check my map.

  They kept walking, but Dawn suddenly slowed, her eyes darting around like she was seeing something they couldn’t. “That’s… interesting.”

  Joe shot her a sideways glance. “What did you find?”

  Dawn’s expression was focused, almost trance-like, as she scanned the area. “I’ve got map-enhanced vision now. I can see hidden rooms.” She stopped dead in her tracks, gripping Joe’s arm with a tight squeeze. “That’s not all. There are different colored dots on my map.”

  Joe frowned, glancing between her and the chat. “And?”

  TJ: Spit it out already!

  Rose gave TJ a look, wagging a finger at him. “Give her a sec, will you? She’s obviously spotted something big.”

  Dawn’s eyes widened. “We’re not alone. We’re not the first ascenders on this floor.”

  Joe’s stomach dropped.

  “Wait, what?” TJ slowed to a stop. “Where? How do you know? Who is it?”

  Dawn took a breath. “Most dots are just low-level creatures infesting the tower, but there’s one that’s blinking in and out. I caught it for a second. QRL 22. Silver Ranked ascender.”

  Joe’s brow furrowed. “The Time Hacker?”

  Dawn shrugged, still in deep thought. “Could be. I don’t know for sure.”

  Joe let out a short laugh. “Blinking in and out like a glitchy NPC. Great.” The mighty Time Hacker, just another dude messing with the system like a wizard hiding behind a curtain. The guy could probably set his QRL to anything he wanted, just to mess with them.

  TJ: We should check out where he last popped up. Maybe he’ll come back.

  Joe: Or maybe we’re wasting time. I’ve got a feeling we’ll only find him if he wants us to.

  Dawn quickened her pace. “He’s looking to connect with every ascender, but he’s not gonna give away his location that easily. Once this floor fills up, he’ll move on.”

  Joe swallowed hard. It wouldn’t be long before other ascenders caught up.

  Joe: Maybe if he felt threatened, he’d come out of hiding.

  The blue flame flared up in his chest, radiating smug heat. “Finally, a useful thought.”

  Rose: And what about the Lich? If he catches on, we’re screwed.

  Joe: That’s why we’re heading to the common room, acting like everything’s fine. Maybe Poppy can keep the Lich distracted.

  A message flashed in the chat.

  Gaia: Ryan’s stable for now. No time for details. Some factions are already at the exit. The common room’s going to be packed.

  Joe bit the inside of his cheek, his mind racing.

  Joe: Alright, so we’re gonna have company. We need a way to draw out the Time Hacker without attracting attention.

  They walked in tense silence until Dawn nudged Joe. “Map’s lighting up like a Christmas tree. Something’s weird about these ascender movements though. They’re all bypassing the common rooms and heading straight out onto the floor.”

  Arriving at the entrance to the Orange Zone common room, Dawn pushed open the door. “Take a look and see for yourself.”

  TJ slipped past them, scanning the room. “Where the hell is everybody?”

  Joe stepped inside, eyes sweeping the area. It was eerily deserted. Ascenders usually crowded the common rooms to rest, heal up, and strategize. But now? It was like a ghost town.

  “Given the carnage on the last floor, I know there had to be a few factions respawn here.”

  TJ turned in a slow circle, locking onto the food and drink station. Its gleaming surface crackled with lightning sparks, like it had undergone a serious upgrade. “Not complaining there’s no queue for something to eat, but this is weird.”

  “Wonder if it’s this quiet in the green and red zones?” Joe glanced back toward the elevators.

  Dawn frowned. “Common rooms are safe zones, so I’ve got no information on ascenders inside those areas.”

  Everyone stood still, tension hanging in the air.

  The blue flame stirred inside Joe. “There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

  Joe gestured for them to follow. In a few minutes they stood there staring at the graying, less vibrant walls, with weaker rippling pulses. Walking past the empty chairs, broken glass and paper cups crunched beneath their boots.

  Joe picked up one of the leaflets scattered on the long table. “Andras’ propganda.”

  “This place is a shithole.” TJ kicked an empty bottle, it clinked across the concrete floor before crashing into a gray wall, pieces of glass shattering. His eyes darted from one section to the next. “Where’s the vending machine and food cart?”

  Rose shrugged. “Looks like it’s only tap water for these folk.” She pointed to a faucet, a tower of paper cups lining the sink looked like it was about to topple.

  Dawn crouched and picked up a bottle and thin boxed packet. She tilted the glass, light catching a white liquid slowly dripping along the inside. “This isn’t from the drink machine—they don’t have one.” Her thumb grazed the black label of the packet and shuffled a thinly rolled paper out of the top. “Eternity Stick.”

  “Save them for Brian. He and Grizzle can see what’s inside the residue once they’re in their alchemy lab.” Joe crossed his arms. “Based on the propaganda littered everywhere, my bet is that Andras has something to do with them.”

  TJ groaned, popping another mana pellet into his mouth.

  Joe sent a quick message to the alliance chat, giving the Blanche Brigade a heads up.

  Joe: We’re in the Red Zone. It’s pretty quiet here too. Poppy, where’s that cute little fedora?

  Poppy danced across the screen, sporting her fedora and sunglasses. “What is it Joe?”

  Joe: I’m starting to worry. Are you the eyes and ears for the Lich, or is it something else?

  Poppy: I speak to Lich Master, but don’t see all things everywhere.

  Joe twisted the cord of his hoodie, glancing around the Red Zone.

  Joe: There’s been all these rumors about the Lich having a phylactery. I hope he’s keeping it safe.

  Poppy: Safe, safe. Yes, must be kept safe. No need worry.

  Joe: Ah, but Poppy, I am. Ryan has a confessional skill and he’s concerned ascenders are working together to hunt down the Lich’s phylactery. I only thought I should let you know…just in case.

  Poppy adjusted her fedora, her tail swishing back and forth in erratic motions.

  Poppy: Be right back. Lich is resting, but very busy too.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Poppy’s avatar glided off the screen. In its place a notification blinked.

  [Notification: Alliance Chat. POKE_Master wants to send you a message. Accept: Yes/No?]

  “Did you see that?” Joe’s gaze drifted to his faction, Rose’s eyes widened while Dawn’s brows furrowed.Dawn narrowed her eyes at the notification. “Who the hell is POKE_Master, and why are they gate-crashing our alliance chat?”

  TJ smirked. “Hit yes, and we’ll find out.”

  Rose looked skeptical. “What if it’s Andras or one of his cronies? We should ignore it and focus on finding the Time Hacker.”

  Joe shook his head. “I think POKE_Master is the Time Hacker.”

  Dawn shot him a curious glance. “And how do you know that?”

  Joe tugged on the cords of his hoodie, thinking back. “POKE is an old-school programming function from computers like the C64 and Spectrum. My dad used to play around with it. It was used to cheat, modify game mechanics, change graphics—basically, hack the system.”

  TJ shrugged. “No idea what any of that means, but if you say it’s the Time Hacker, that’s good enough for me.”

  Dawn crossed her arms. “So, assuming you’re right, do we give him access to our chat?”

  “He’s being polite.” Joe shrugged. “If he wanted in, I bet he could crack our alliance chat without asking.”

  Rose’s gaze flicked between them. “So, we all agree? Do we hit yes?”

  Joe glanced at the others. Rose gave a confident nod, and Dawn gestured for him to continue. All eyes turned to TJ.

  TJ: What’re you waiting for? Hit yes already!

  Joe took a breath and selected ‘yes’ to accept the incoming message.

  POKE_Master: Meet me in the Red Zone.

  TJ burst out laughing. “We’re already here, genius.”

  Joe winced. “No, that’s not what he means.” He scratched his head, pulling harder on the hoodie strings. “He wants to use us to send a message to the other ascenders.”

  Rose rolled her eyes. “Well, that was a little underwhelming. I was expecting some deep, mysterious ‘multiverse secrets’ revelation.”

  Joe’s thoughts briefly flicked to Poppy’s assurances that the Lich was busy and distracted. He didn’t want to take any chances, though.

  Joe: POKE_Master, we know you’re the Time Hacker. No need for games. From one hacker to another, you may be the master of this system, but every system runs on hardware, and hardware can be shut down.

  TJ: If that’s true, why hasn’t the Lich done it already?

  Joe frowned. “This tower isn’t just a machine. It’s alive. Shutting it down is a last resort. But if the Time Hacker keeps sending broadcasts to the masses, the Lich might be forced to risk damaging the tower’s central nervous system to block him.”

  Joe’s pulse quickened as he waited for the Time Hacker’s reply.

  Joe: We can help you avoid that. You need a backup plan before the Lich makes his move. Interested in hearing more?

  POKE_Master: I’m curious what you think you could possibly know that I don’t.

  Curiosity killed the cat. Joe resisted the urge to grin.

  Joe: This tower is powered by a convergence of Quantum Threads, and some of those threads are invisible to the system.

  POKE_Master: How do you know about that?

  Gaia chimed in.

  Gaia: All-knowing ex-goddess here. My Quantum Sense lets me see what others can’t.

  TJ: Yeah, she’s an ex-goddess but I’ve seen her do her thing. It’s legit.

  Grizzle: We’ve also read all the manuals in the alchemy and crafting room about the tower’s origins.

  Joe pressed on.

  Joe: Now, think about it—if the tower is ever under threat, whether from inside or outside, where’s the central nervous system that detects the danger and shuts everything down?

  Suddenly, Poppy’s cheerful avatar waved across Joe’s vision.

  Joe cleared his throat. “Hey Poppy, glad you’re back. Everything okay?”

  “Yip-yip, Joe!”

  Joe smiled. Poppy’s cheerful energy was hard to ignore. “Hey, Poppy. After our last chat about the Lich and threats to the tower, it got me thinking. If the tower itself gets attacked, from inside or outside… what happens?”

  Poppy bobbed her head, tail swishing. “If CNS—central nervous system—attacked? Tower goes... boom-boom! Shut down, deep sleep mode. Lockdown! Only life support stays! No system, no access! Only Poppy and Lich get through! We protect! Grrr!” She mimed a kaiju roar, small claws raised menacingly.

  Joe chuckled at her antics, but the gravity of it settled. “Right. Makes sense. Every surface in this tower is alive, so it easily senses threats. No escaping that.”

  Switching back to the alliance chat, Joe sent a message.

  Joe: Let’s make a deal, Time Hacker. You help us save a friend who’s been wronged by the system, and we’ll help you keep access to the system in the event of a shut-down.

  POKE_Master: I do not need your help. I’m no charity. I provide the spark for you to free yourselves. I invited you to the Red Zone to amplify my efforts. If the Titan Slayers support me, others will follow.

  Joe’s jaw clenched as he read the message, frustration rising. Before he could respond, Dawn leaned in, whispering, “We need to show this guy we’re not his meat puppets. I’ve got the location of the CNS on this floor. Let’s go hit it.”

  Joe nodded. “It’s time to bring him around to our way of thinking.”

  Dawn made a hand signal to TJ and Rose and led them out of the Red Zone common room.

  The corridor stretched ahead, twisting into blind corners. The walls, a tangled mess of neuron-like cells, pulsed with a slick, organic sheen. Electrical impulses darted along the surface, lighting up in erratic bursts, like lightning trapped under skin. The hum under Joe's feet vibrated with every step, as if the tower itself was reacting to their presence. Small shapes scurried in and out of the shadows, making Joe wonder if they were the shoe-stealing critters he’d heard rumors about or something way worse.

  Dawn led the way, her steps confident but deliberate. Joe quickened his pace to match hers, watching as she flicked between her map and the twisting, living architecture around them. The walls seemed to close in as they went deeper, almost like the cells forming the walls were reaching out but recoiling the second Joe looked at them.

  Overhead, clusters of dendritic cells hung low like a creepy canopy, twitching with each pulse of electricity, casting long, flickering shadows that danced like mischievous sprites.

  The air had this metallic, ozone smell to it—like the kind of electric charge right before a lightning strike. Hairs rose on the nape of Joe’s neck.

  TJ groaned from the back, sounding as irritated as a kid on a long car ride. “Are we nearly there yet? Wherever ‘there’ is?”

  Dawn didn’t answer right away, her focus still locked on her map. “Yeah, we’re close.”

  A notification flashed in Joe’s vision, and the alliance chat popped up:

  Dawn: Put your thinking caps on. We need to trigger the tower’s defense mechanisms without getting fried.

  TJ: Want me to punch a hole in the wall?

  Dawn gave him a flat look. “Seriously?”

  TJ shrugged, cracking his knuckles. “What? Sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution.”

  Rose ran her fingers along the wall and then yanked them back with a wince, flicking her hand. “Not sure brute force is gonna work, TJ. I think we’re more likely to get electrocuted.”

  Joe chuckled. “Yeah, that’s a one-way ticket to fried Ascender. There’s enough juice in these walls to fry us up like bacon. We need to think this through. Elemental skills could trigger a defense response, but which one?”

  Dawn’s hands lit up with a fiery glow. “How about fire?”

  Joe shuddered at the thought. “Not unless you want to end up as crispy critters. We’ll just trigger an aggressive response and get ourselves killed.”

  He thought about that movie with the rapidly evolving alien life forms. The army had napalmed them, and they just got bigger. Should’ve listened to the scientists.

  “What about water?” Rose suggested.

  “Or earth?” TJ cracked his knuckles. The guy was always eager to hit something.

  Joe had a feeling that all of those would trigger some Kaiju-sized immune response, but he knew someone who’d know for sure. “Hey, Poppy,” he called out. “What happens if someone tries to burn a hole in the tower walls or water-damage the screens?”

  Poppy’s 8-bit avatar blinked into his vision, her tail swishing with excitement. “Hmm… primary defense trigger! Titan Phagocytes activated. They ooze through walls, gobble naughty attackers, and go slurp, slurp! Attackers go bye-bye forever.” She grinned, showing sharp little teeth.

  “No respawn?” Joe winced.

  “No respawn. Only respawn on floors. Inside tower center? Nope! Phagocyte gobble. Poop out remains at tower base! No come back.”

  “What if Poppy triggered the system to shut down?”

  “No Lich get mad. Disassemble Poppy!”

  “We won’t let that happen Poppy,” Joe said in a calming voice.

  “No disassemble, Poppy.”

  Dawn’s fiery hands immediately dimmed. Joe grimaced. They needed a plan that didn’t involve getting eaten and…digested.

  Joe’s mind flashed back to biology class. Vaccines worked by triggering an immune response without actually giving you the disease. Maybe they needed to give the tower a little nudge—a disturbance that would wake up the defenses without getting swallowed by them.

  “So… fire’s out. Water’s out. And earth would probably feel like the tower was getting crushed. But what about wind?”

  TJ and Dawn both had wind affinities. That could work.

  Joe leaned forward, eyes scanning the walls as they pulsed and breathed. “Poppy, what happens if we just cause a wind disturbance?”

  Poppy tilted her head, thinking. “Wind? Hmm... trigger environmental change. Tower investigates. Ooo, mysterious wind, it would say!” Her eyes widened and slowly blinked.

  Joe raised an eyebrow. “Has it happened before?”

  “Nope! Just theory! Fun, right?”

  Joe grinned. “Alright, Dawn. Try using wind on the surface of the wall. Let’s wake the phagocytes up gently. It’s like an antigen vaccine—just enough to trigger a response without getting swallowed whole.”

  Dawn arched a brow but shrugged. “Worth a shot.”

  She raised her hands, and a slow, controlled gust of wind flowed out, circling the surface of the wall. The cells twitched and lit up as she intensified the pressure. Slowly, weird, blobby cells oozed from the walls, sliding down like sluggish slugs. They scouted and probed around their feet, but didn’t attack.

  Joe held his breath, his eyes locked on the strange blobby cells oozing from the walls. He didn’t move until they slid back into the shadows without attacking. “Perfect. Defense system’s awake but not pissed off.”

  “That’s a relief,” Dawn muttered, but her gaze stayed fixed on the cells, watching them like they might change their minds. She wiped her palms on her pants, the tension still visible in the tight set of her shoulders. With a quick glance at Joe, she nodded toward the corridor. “Let’s move before they decide we’re breakfast.”

  They walked further down the narrowing corridor, the walls thickening into clusters of what looked like nerve bundles. The corridor ended at a large, crystalline panel set into the wall.

  Joe placed his hand on the panel—the warm, smooth wall pulsed with energy against his palm. He leaned closer, his breath fogging up the surface. “Poppy, this can’t be the main CNS, right? Feels more like an auxiliary node.”

  “Yip-yip! Very clever, Joe!” Poppy chirped.

  Dawn’s hand slid over the door beside the panel. “It’s locked.”

  Joe cracked his neck. “Doesn’t matter. We don’t need to bust in. We just need to confuse the system long enough to send the Time Hacker a message.”

  Dawn stepped forward and released a gentle breeze toward the panel. The crystalline surface flickered like it couldn’t decide whether to register the wind as a threat or not. The lights pulsed in an erratic wave, and a system notification popped into Joe’s vision:

  [Anomaly detected. All system communications offline until further notice.]

  Joe tested the alliance chat. Nothing. It was completely down.

  He shot Dawn a grin. “Looks like we did it. You’ve got a small window before it wakes up.”

  TJ cracked his knuckles. “So if the Time Hacker tries to send a livestream right now, he’s cut off?”

  “Exactly.” Joe winked.

  Rose leaned on her staff. “Bet he’ll be eager to chat once everything’s back online.”

  TJ crossed his arms. “Where to now?”

  Joe’s gaze swept the corridor. “Back to the common room. Time to wait him out.”

  As they walked, another system notification pinged.

  [Self-diagnostic complete. System access to all ascenders restored.]

  Dawn frowned as they reached the common room. “Surprised the Lich hasn’t chimed in yet.”

  Joe figured the Lich had his hands full finding a new hiding spot for his phylactery. He shot a quick message in the restored chat:

  Joe: Still think you don’t need our help?

  No response.

  TJ snorted. “I bet he’s sulking.”

  The blue flame flickered in Joe’s chest, its voice smug. “Everyone has flaws, except for me, of course. You’ve bruised his ego. Give him time.”

  Joe crossed his arms, his patience wearing thin. “We don’t have time for him to piss around. I’m not indulging his ego.”

  The flame flared. “Ask Poppy to send him this message: The blood of the Titan remembers. What was once your salvation will now be your reckoning.”

  “Didn’t take you for a poet.” Joe raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t I just post that in the chat?”

  “Trust me. He’ll come to you, if Poppy says it.”

  Joe sighed. “Do I have a choice?”

  “No, but that’s beside the point. You’re smart enough to know it's in my own self interest to keep you alive.”

  “Alright, let’s say I do it your way. How do you know it’ll work?”

  The flame flared, heat intensifying in his chest. “It may sound cryptic to you, but the Time Hacker knows what it means, and when he hears Poppy say it, he’ll come to you. I guarantee it.”

  The confidence in the flame’s voice settled Joe’s nerves—only a little. He didn’t entirely trust this strange entity, but so far, it hadn’t steered him wrong.

  Joe exhaled. “Hey Poppy, I need you to deliver a message…”