The river carried them far from the bridge.
Kai and Maya drifted through the dark water, half hidden by shadows and broken debris. Every muscle in Kai's body screamed in pain, but he forced himself to keep swimming until the city noises faded into the distance.
Finally, they reached a muddy bank beneath a collapsed road.
Kai pulled Maya up first, then dragged himself out, coughing violently.
For a long moment, they just lay there, staring at the ruined sky.
"We… really escaped," Maya whispered.
Kai shook his head slowly.
"Not escaped. Delayed."
He looked at her.
Above her head… still nothing.
The System had lost its grip on her.
But he could see something else now.
THREAT LEVEL: RISING
Not for Maya.
For him.
Somewhere in the world, Hunters were being given new missions.
New rewards.
New reasons to find him.
Maya sat up, wiping water from her face.
"Kai… you never told me how you knew everything. About the monsters. About the assassin. About Rex."
Kai hesitated.
"I see things," he said. "Things the System doesn't want anyone to see."
"What things?"
He looked at her.
"Futures."
Her eyes widened.
"You saw me die."
Kai didn't deny it.
Maya swallowed. "How?"
"I don't know," he said. "The System made me something else. An Observer."
He looked at his hands.
"I can see people's levels… their secrets… how they're going to die."
Maya was quiet.
Then she reached out and took his hand.
"And you used that to save me."
"Yes."
She squeezed his fingers.
"Then I don't care how scary it sounds."
Kai felt something warm in his chest.
For the first time since the apocalypse began… he didn't feel completely alone.
But the System was already preparing its next move.
And this time…
It wouldn't miss.
The night around them was quiet in a way that felt unnatural.
No monsters.No screams.Just the distant hum of a city slowly dying.
Kai helped Maya to her feet, and together they moved toward the broken road above them. He kept scanning the world with his strange sight, watching glowing text float over everything.
Animals had levels now.Rats. Dogs. Birds.
Even the darkness felt like it was being watched.
THREAT LEVEL: HIGH
Kai's heart tightened.
"We can't stay here," he said. "Hunters will sweep this area soon."
"Where do we go?" Maya asked.
Kai looked north.
Far beyond the ruined city, something strange glowed.
SAFE ZONE: PLAYER CITY – ARK ONE
"A city?" Maya whispered.
"A fortress," Kai said. "Run by the strongest Players. The System loves it."
"So it's dangerous."
"Yes."
She smiled weakly. "Then that's where we should go."
Kai laughed quietly. "Yeah… probably."
They climbed up the broken road, using rubble and twisted metal as steps. At the top, Kai suddenly froze.
Someone was standing there.
A tall woman in a black coat, her hair silver, her eyes sharp.
Above her head:
NAME: SERAPHINE VALELEVEL: 35CLASS: FATE WEAVERSTATUS: HUNTER – ELITEFATE: UNKNOWN
Kai's blood ran cold.
She wasn't just hunting him.
She was like him.
She smiled.
"So," she said softly, "you're the boy who broke the System."
Seraphine Vale stood calmly at the top of the broken road, as if she had been waiting there for hours. The wind blew through her silver hair, and her black coat barely moved, like it was untouched by the chaos around her.
Kai stared at the glowing text above her head.
FATE: UNKNOWN
That alone terrified him more than her level.
Everyone else had a future.
Even monsters.
She didn't.
"You're not like the others," Kai said slowly.
Seraphine's lips curved into a faint smile. "And neither are you."
Maya stepped closer to Kai. "Who is she?"
"Someone the System actually fears," Kai whispered.
Seraphine tilted her head slightly. "Oh? Is that how you see me?"
Kai didn't answer.
She took one step forward.
"Relax. If I wanted you dead, you would already be gone. I'm not here for the bounty."
"Then why are you here?" Maya asked.
Seraphine's eyes flicked to her.
"Because you're fateless," she said. "And he is an Observer."
Kai's breath caught.
"You know what I am."
"I know what you will become," Seraphine replied. "If you survive."
She extended a hand.
"Come with me. To Ark One."
Kai tensed. "Why would we trust you?"
Seraphine smiled slightly.
"Because the System is about to declare you both a global threat."
Above Kai's vision, a new message appeared.
[PRIORITY UPDATE: OBSERVER KAI RYDER][THREAT LEVEL: WORLD-CLASS]
Maya's hand tightened around his.
Seraphine's eyes glowed faintly.
"Welcome to the real game," she said.
And far away, inside the core of the System…
Kai's name was being marked in red.