—The Legion of Awareness Rises
A pillar of searing white light burst forth from the rift like a flaming river of stars, hurling Shawn's body across time and space.
It felt like crossing the threshold of countless dreams, tumbling weightlessly through the ruins of memory. Caught between reality and illusion, he saw drifting fragments of broken landscapes, echoes of disjointed voices, and blurred silhouettes—flashing in and out from both his past and future.
When consciousness finally returned, the first thing he heard was the crashing of waves against a ruined shore.
With great effort, he opened his eyes—not to his grandfather's study where he'd last stood, but to a desolate silver-grey beach.
On the horizon, the setting sun glared like a cold, contracted pupil glaring indifferently at the earth.
All around him lay the carcass of a once-thriving metropolis—torn towers, vine-entangled transit rails, collapsed shopping centers, and the flickering remnants of advertisements that now played to no one.
"This... this is Donghu City? No way..."
He recognized it. Once one of the most prosperous cities on the Eastern Continent, Donghu had been a beacon of technology and commerce for half a century. Now, it resembled the nightmarish reflection of a world consumed by catastrophe.
Shawn forced himself upright. His body felt hollowed out, as if drained of all strength. Looking down, he found the Thunder Core embedded in his chest dimmed, its once-luminous glow now extinguished—dormant.
Even his Central Core energy—normally circulating deep within—was sealed off, unresponsive. He reached out mentally, attempting to scan nearby frequency bands or connect to the Consciousness Web, only to find an invisible field of interference all around him, like a fine, transparent cage compressing his mind from every angle.
"Thunder Core... Central Core... what happened to you?"
That was when the low hum of machinery began to rise.
"Target locked. Coordinates confirmed."
From behind the ruins, a squad emerged—uniformed and heavily equipped with ultra-modern gear: energy-field generators, floating sensor mirrors, consciousness-sync helmets, and what appeared to be a neural frequency harvester.
They wore black-and-silver tactical suits emblazoned with an insignia starting with "CP-"—the rest obscured by the glint of harsh light. Their expressions were calm, but their gaze was unmistakably hostile.
"Who are you?" Shawn took a step back, only to find a mesh of light locking his feet in place.
"Do not resist. This is a No-Flux Convergence Zone.Any energy output will be forcibly suppressed."
The lead soldier raised a device that emitted a sharp pulse of static. In an instant, a stabbing pain shot through the back of Shawn's skull—his mind went blank, and his body dropped heavily to the ground.
When he awoke again, he was somewhere entirely unfamiliar.
The room resembled a command center but was unlike any conventional military facility.
Circular metal flooring bore intricate wave patterns of consciousness flow.
Around him, floating layers of multi-dimensional maps and frequency spectrums shifted in slow motion.
The space itself felt fluid, suspended between reality and thought—as if the structure was hovering at the edge of perception.
A voice, at once familiar and alien, broke the silence:
"You're finally awake."
Shawn's eyes widened. Standing at the central console was someone he never expected to see.
"Gary?"
The man turned, smirking with a mixture of sarcasm and triumph.
"Didn't see that coming, huh? I'm back."
Shawn stared, stunned. He remembered vividly how Chairman Da had confiscated Gary's sidearm at X-Red Base and declared his suspension on the spot.
"You were supposed to be court-martialed. How did you—?"
Gary waved dismissively. "You underestimated CP-HUB, Shawn. It's more than just an organization—it's a consciousness restructuring system. You think frequency bands move in one direction? Wrong. We've crossed into the borderlands of multi-loop frequencies."
He stepped to the console and spread his hand. A holographic map unfolded in the air, shimmering with nodal pathways.
"Welcome to the CP-HUB Consciousness Operations Command Center. This is the central nexus of the Mindstream, connecting dozens of uncharted channels. We've built a new force here—the Legion of Awareness."
Shawn narrowed his eyes. He now noticed that besides the human soldiers in the room, there were other, stranger entities: pure energy forms, half-mechanical constructs, and beings that looked like they'd stepped out of ancient mythology.
"What... are those?"
"We've recruited all conscious beings willing to fight against O.S.S.—from resurrected 'Inspiration Forms' recovered from the time ruins, to tech-conscious entities, Echoes of the Future, and Frequency Leapers." Gary's voice dripped with ambition. "We are a true multi-frequency race now. And you—Shawn—are going to be part of it."
He paused, letting the moment settle.
"No," he added, "you're going to be one of our core components."
Shawn remained silent, his mind racing. He tried again to feel for the Thunder Core—still nothing. Powerless and cornered, he knew he had no choice—for now.
He kept his voice low. "What do you need from me?"
"Because the fragments inside you are more than just fragments."
Gary's gaze sharpened, his tone heavy. "And it's Central Core Nexus."
The phrase struck Shawn like a bolt of lightning. Something dormant within him stirred at its mention, trembling ever so slightly.
He leaned closer. "Do you know what a Primal Core Loop is?"
The term exploded in Shawn's mind like lightning. Somewhere deep inside, a hidden frequency within him stirred.
"You'll understand soon enough," Gary said, turning away. "But first, there's someone you need to meet."
A hiss broke the silence as the chamber door opened.
A tall figure stepped in, his face obscured by a Consciousness-Shielding Mask.
A jolt ran through Shawn's chest.
"It's him…"