A blinding white light stabbed at Yan Jingyi's eyes, its relentless flicker gnawing at her frayed nerves. Instinctively, she swiped at the beam, but her limbs were leaden, her mind a fog of exhaustion. With a snarl, she snapped, "Enough! Stop waving that thing around!"
"Jingyi, Yan Jingyi, wake up!" A familiar voice cut through the haze.
She clicked her tongue, eyes still shut. Here we go again, she thought, irritation flaring. Trapped in the Virtual Theater for what felt like an eternity, she'd endured countless cycles of deception—each a meticulously crafted illusion designed to ensnare her. Every time, she'd clawed her way to the truth, only to have her memories scrubbed and the cycle reset. Yet some stubborn imprint in her subconscious sharpened her instincts; each revelation came faster. The first illusion held her for two "months" before she unraveled it. The second, a month. The third, two weeks. Now, she awoke in a hospital bed, Ya Ning's voice calling her—same tired script. Couldn't the Nexus concoct something original? And why, this time, did her memories remain intact? Had the Nexus, exasperated by her resistance, simply given up on wiping her mind?
"Quit yelling, I'm alive," Jingyi muttered, rolling over and tugging the blanket to her shoulders. "If you're so keen to play along, fine, but I'm not humoring you. I won't sign your damn agreement."
Let the Nexus trap her forever—she'd rather rot than comply.
"No one's asking you to sign anything," Ya Ning said, his tone urgent. "Wake up, look around. We're back in reality!"
Jingyi's eyes snapped open. Suspicion gnawed at her—another of the Nexus's tricks, perhaps a new script to test her resolve. She glanced toward the voice, her breath catching. Ya Ning stood before her, pale and gaunt, clad in a white hospital gown. Behind him, a medical pod's severed cables dangled. He leaned heavily on an IV pole, one hand clutching a glowing flashlight, his familiar features etched with fatigue and worry.
"…Ya Ning?" she ventured, her voice tentative.
"It's me," he said, licking cracked lips. "We're out of the Unbounded City."
Jingyi scanned the room. Unlike a sterile hospital ward, it resembled a upscale sanatorium—soft lighting, plush furnishings, a veneer of comfort. She bolted upright, questions tumbling out. "You were trapped in the Virtual Theater too? Why? Didn't you sign their agreement? Where's Zhou Wei? And how did we get out?"
"Slow down," Ya Ning said, catching his breath. "We're in a sanatorium on Luodeng Star. I signed the agreement, but they kept me caged in the City anyway. I was released with you. Zhou Wei… if he faced the same, he's likely in the Capital Star for treatment, since he's not here."
"Luodeng Star?" Jingyi's eyes narrowed. "Why here?"
Ya Ning shook his head. "No idea."
Luodeng Star, a key planet in the Federation's frontier, was a stone's throw from their homeworld, Lanslow. "This is a renowned sanatorium," Ya Ning continued, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Their equipment's leagues beyond Lanslow's, but it's not for curing—it's for keeping us alive. They probably thought we'd never wake, sent us here for… what, end-of-life care?"
Jingyi scoffed. "Should I send them a thank-you note?"
"Forget that. Tell me what you went through in the City."
They exchanged accounts, their voices low. Ya Ning fell silent, his brow creasing. "It's odd," he said. "The Nexus wouldn't release us so easily."
"Who cares? We're awake," Jingyi said, reaching for her vital monitors. "As long as we avoid simulators, what can it do?" Ya Ning grabbed her wrist. "Hold on, let me handle it."
"Handle what?"
He tapped the pod's interface. "We shouldn't let anyone know we're awake."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look at the timeline," Ya Ning said. "Since we fell unconscious, it's been a while—not long, but enough. We were moved to Luodeng, and there's no record of Instructor Holman visiting. That's abnormal, isn't it?"
Sanatoriums like this were tightly regulated. Security logged visitors, and pods recorded anyone approaching patients to ensure accountability. Ya Ning had checked his pod's logs—only routine staff checks since his transfer from the Capital Star. No visitors, no Holman. It could be paranoia, but without a wrist computer to contact their instructor, they were blind.
"The Nexus stirred up chaos in the City," Ya Ning said, gripping the cold IV pole. "We were targets, but we're not the only ones caught in this. Jingyi, the world outside might've changed. Beyond the Nexus, there could be people who don't want us awake."
Jingyi's breath hitched, memories of the City's illusions flashing through her mind. She nodded. "If Zhou Wei's in the same boat, he might be awake too."
Ya Ning pinched the bridge of his nose. "We need to get out of here, secure ourselves." Unarmed, they'd need defenses. "Let's scout the terrain, check guard schedules."
Jingyi, barefoot, climbed from the pod, staggering briefly before steadying herself. Ya Ning, barely able to stand, stared. "I get that people's constitutions vary, but this gap's ridiculous."
She frowned at his frailty. "What happened to you? Just lying in a pod shouldn't leave you like this. It's like mental overdraw. Too many sim-battles in the Theater?"
Ya Ning's face tightened, memories of relentless virtual combat flooding back—a grueling gauntlet that left him drained. Compared to him, Jingyi seemed to have breezed through a vacation.
"My mental strength's recovering," he said, exhaling. "But we can't hide our awakening long. We need to escape before they notice. If it comes to it, you go alone." He trusted her combat prowess.
"Pretend I didn't hear that," Jingyi said, stretching. Her body felt like a dormant machine humming back to life.
"We don't even have shoes," Ya Ning pointed out. "You can't drag a liability like me out."
"Worth a shot," she replied.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor. They exchanged a glance, diving back into their pods, pulling blankets over themselves, feigning sleep.
The metal door slid open. A doctor and a blue-uniformed orderly entered. "These are the two cadets from the Capital Star?" the doctor asked. "Such a shame—S-grade mentalists."
"From Central Military Academy, no less," the orderly said. "Fragile psyches, though. The joint exercise broke them—suicidal tendencies."
Suicidal? Jingyi and Ya Ning fumed silently. If they were "broken," the entire Federation team might as well give up. Who'd believe such nonsense?
The doctor, tablet in hand, approached Jingyi's pod, leaning to check the control panel near her chest. Her eyes flicked open. The doctor froze, shock crossing his face. "You—" he began, but Jingyi's arm snapped up, locking his throat and yanking him into the pod.
The orderly, steps away, gaped, retreating toward his communicator's alarm button. A clang rang out—he crumpled, the device skidding across the floor. Behind him, Ya Ning, wielding the IV pole, exhaled in relief. His strength was sapped, but his precision held.
Jingyi stripped the doctor's coat and shoes, Ya Ning taking the orderly's uniform. They hoisted the unconscious pair into the pods—military training ensured non-lethal takedowns; they'd wake in hours.
Jingyi donned the doctor's badge, glancing at Ya Ning in the blue uniform. "Think Zhou Wei's here?"
"Check the doctor's tablet," Ya Ning said. "It's linked to the sanatorium's system."
Using the doctor's palm to unlock it, Jingyi scanned the records, shaking her head. "No trace of him."
"Then he's in the Capital Star," Ya Ning said. "With Zhou Ying watching, he's safe."
They slipped into the silent corridor. "The sanatorium's walled tight, exits guarded," Ya Ning whispered, peering out a window. "We need a staff office—public wrist computers."
Staff offices often had unsecured, networked computers—limited, but enough for intel. Jingyi raised an eyebrow. "Can you hack the security system?"
"I'm a mech pilot, not a comms tech," Ya Ning muttered.
They crept into an empty office, activating a public wrist computer. Headlines flashed across the starnet: the joint exercise had ended in tragedy, with casualties on both sides, responsibility still under investigation. The Federation president was gravely ill, the vice president poised to assume duties. Amid leadership upheaval, General Ning Hongxue proposed amending the Military Security Act, allowing the military to operate independently under the Military Procuratorate's oversight, bypassing political constraints. The proposal faced fierce opposition.
Ya Ning's brow furrowed. "The Federation's fracturing," he said. "The president's sudden illness is suspicious—he's young, trusted Ning Hongxue. The vice president's from a low-profile clan with little power. The clans are rallying a new leader to block Ning's agenda, showing they're divided. That's good—the Federation isn't fully under the Nexus's thumb."
Whoever these clans were, their resistance was humanity's last bastion against the Nexus. "Holman's probably swamped," Ya Ning added. "His background might've landed him under surveillance. I'll register a burner account, try reaching Zhou Ying and Zhou Wei…"
A piercing alarm cut him off, its cadence signaling an escaped patient. Ya Ning hit send, the screen flashing Message Delivered. "Let's move."
They fled the office, rounding a corner—only to face a phalanx of armed guards, riot shields forming an impenetrable wall. Jingyi glanced back; more guards, rifles drawn, charged up the stairs.
"Now what?" she hissed. "Mental attack, grab their weapons, fight back?"
Attacking with mental force was a felony in the Federation, but unarmed, they couldn't brawl hand-to-hand.
"I envy Aresians' avatars," Ya Ning sighed. "They wouldn't need to get their hands dirty."
Glass windows shattered in unison, shards glinting as a shockwave roared through, toppling two front-line guards. Their shields clattered, a cacophony of thuds echoing as they slammed into walls.
Jingyi and Ya Ning froze. Outside, a ship's thrusters hummed, its side door open. A figure in black sat at the controls. "What are you waiting for? Jump!" a young voice snapped, tinged with impatience.
They exchanged a look, then leapt onto the windowsill and vaulted into the ship.
The spacecraft streaked away from the sanatorium. Lacking heavy weaponry, the facility couldn't pursue. They'd escaped, narrowly.
Jingyi and Ya Ning, tense, entered the cockpit. "I know you," Jingyi said, studying the black-clad pilot. "From the elite team match. You're… Greiz?"
"Kaixin Greiz," the少年 grunted, irritation clear.
"You're Imperial," Ya Ning said, surprised. "How'd you get here?" He suspected Bai Sha's hand, but a Greiz was unexpected.
Kaixin engaged autopilot, swiveling to face them. "This wasn't my mess, but half the Imperial team's down, so I got dragged into saving you," he said, neck stiff with indignation. "Plans on plans, preparations galore, and I'm the one risking my hide. Shameless—Bai Sha Ronin, keep your hands off my avatar!"
Jingyi and Ya Ning blinked, turning to see a dim corner of the cockpit. A massive silver wolf lounged there, its snowy mane glinting faintly. Ignoring Kaixin's outburst, it flicked its tail, curling it around a silver-haired girl brushing its fur. The wolf nuzzled her hand, purring softly.
"No need to gripe," Bai Sha said, stroking the wolf's head. "We're in this together. And what's with the attitude? Your avatar seems to enjoy my grooming."
Kaixin's face reddened, his voice cracking. "It's not about liking it! It's my avatar!"
Jingyi stifled a laugh, the tension easing. Ya Ning, leaning against a console, studied Bai Sha. "You orchestrated this?"
"Had to," Bai Sha said, her tone matter-of-fact. "The Nexus let you go—part of a deal. But you're not safe yet. The Federation's a mess, and the sanatorium wasn't just a hospice. It was a cage."
"What deal?" Jingyi asked, eyes narrowing.
Bai Sha met her gaze. "I'm negotiating with the Nexus. It wants my cooperation—Resonance, my past life's clearance, things I can't explain now. In exchange, I got you two out. But there's a catch."
"Always is," Ya Ning said dryly.
"The virus hitting the Imperial team—it's Aresian-targeted, no cure in our hands," Bai Sha said. "The Nexus claims the antidote's with Salmer Greiz."
"Salmer Greiz?" Jingyi echoed. "The missing patriarch?"
"Alive, apparently," Bai Sha said. "He crafted the virus and its cure, but it cost him. He's a rogue now, and the Nexus used him. We need to find him."
Kaixin snorted. "And I'm stuck playing chauffeur because of your schemes."
"You're here because you chose to be," Bai Sha shot back. "Your clan's got skin in this game too."
Ya Ning rubbed his temples. "So, we hunt Greiz. Where do we start?"
"The Nexus gave me coordinates," Bai Sha said, pulling up a holographic map. "A fringe system, uncharted. Greiz is hiding there, likely armed. We'll need a plan—and more firepower."
Jingyi cracked her knuckles. "I'm in. Let's end this."
The wolf lifted its head, eyes glinting. Bai Sha smiled faintly. "Good. We move at dawn."
In the Capital Star, Zhou Wei stirred, monitors beeping. Zhou Ying, at his side, typed furiously on a wrist computer. "They're awake," he murmured. "Time to move."
On Youdu Star, Emperor Cecil paced, his advisors silent. Bai Sha's message burned in his mind: I'm alive. Trust me. The Nexus's shadow loomed, but his heir was playing a dangerous game—one that could save or doom them all.