[New Intramuros – The Echo Chamber]
The air in the Echo Chamber crackled with tension. Sam's Vein, still unstable after his battle with the Chain Monks and the awakening of his Echoform: Mind Split, hummed beneath his skin. It was an odd sensation, feeling two versions of himself pulling in opposite directions. One part of him felt like a leader—a hero forged in the fire of his ancestors. The other, however, felt like a stranger—someone dark, cold, and distant.
"Sam, focus," Rael said, his voice sharp. He was standing just outside the ring of glyphs that formed the ritual space in the center of the room. Valencia was beside him, her stance defensive, but her eyes held a trace of concern.
"I'm trying," Sam replied through gritted teeth. He clenched his fists, trying to ground himself. The flashing images, the noise inside his head—it was becoming unbearable.
"What exactly did you see in that vision?" Rael pressed, his voice lowering. He was trying to keep calm, but the unease was evident in his tone.
"I saw... everything," Sam muttered, his mind flashing back to the fractured vision inside Rizal's mind—Lapu-Lapu's erasure from history, Bonifacio's fall, his own twisted future. "I saw the past being rewritten. And I saw a future where I… I'm not me anymore. Not even close."
Valencia's eyes softened, her hand gently resting on Sam's shoulder. "You're not alone in this. We'll figure this out together."
Sam met her gaze, her warmth fighting against the chill gnawing at his thoughts. But something dark stirred within him, making him feel disconnected from the people standing closest to him. His vision blurred again as a shard of the chaotic second self rose within him.
The Echoform—his other consciousness—was pushing against him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it at bay.
[A Distant Dimension – Court of Logos]
In the heart of the Court of Logos, the Nullified General knelt in the shadows, the ground beneath him warped by the Rift's manipulation. The Director of Rift Strategy paced before him, her face hidden beneath a veil of anti-light. Her voice was a calm whisper, but the command in it was undeniable.
"Sam's fractured state is a danger," she murmured, her fingers tracing the distortions in the air like a painter sketching the lines of fate. "But it's also an opportunity."
The Nullified General's hollow eyes glowed, his presence like an echo of his former self. "He's strong. Too strong for us to ignore."
The Director turned, her eyes glowing with cold intent. "The key to our success lies in how Sam will respond to his inner conflict. If he embraces the Echoform, he will lose control—and we will shape him into the weapon we need."
She raised her hand, the Rift swirling around them, shifting, folding into new layers of reality. "We must accelerate the process. Send the Chain Monks again—this time, they will break the barrier within him. Make sure the future Sam becomes the one we need."
The Nullified General stood, his movements slow, deliberate. "It will be done."
[New Intramuros – Outside the Vein Archives]
Rael's voice cut through the air again, sharper this time. "Sam, you're losing yourself. Fight it!"
Sam's breath came in short bursts. He felt himself teetering on the edge, one foot in the present, the other slipping into the chaos of the Echoform. But there was a pull—an instinct to break free of the distortion that threatened to consume him.
"I don't know if I can," Sam admitted, his voice strained, betraying the depth of his internal battle. The two versions of him were clashing in his mind, and he could feel them tearing at him.
"I need to understand why they're doing this," Sam said, his voice shaky but determined. "I need to know what the Court of Logos wants with me."
Valencia stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "We'll find out. Together."
Sam closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying to steady his breathing. His Vein surged again—Echoform—but he couldn't let it take him. Not yet. He wasn't ready to lose himself.
[Court of Logos – Outer Chamber]
The Chain Monks assembled in silence, their movements fluid and synchronized, like an eerie choir of bodies moving as one. Each monk was draped in dark robes, their faces concealed, but the energy around them hummed with the Rift's influence.
The Director of Rift Strategy stood before them, her eyes glinting with malice. She raised a hand.
"Sam's fractured state is our key. Now, we use the Chain Monks to sever the tether to his true self. We will push him further into the chaos. Once we control him, the Rift will be ours to manipulate completely."
The Chain Monks nodded, their chains rattling ominously in the stillness. They knew their purpose—to hunt, to silence, and to break.
[Back in New Intramuros – A Moment of Clarity]
Sam finally steadied himself, feeling the pull of his Echoform begin to ebb. For a moment, his mind was clear—free of the distortion. He looked up at Rael and Valencia, their concerned faces offering him the strength he needed.
"I'm ready," Sam said, his voice no longer uncertain. "Let's go after them. We'll find the Court of Logos and stop whatever they're doing to the timeline. They want to rewrite everything? We rewrite it first."
Rael nodded, the faintest hint of approval in his gaze. "Let's finish this."
[Court of Logos – The Nexus]
The Rift Nexus surged with energy as the Chain Monks moved in, their chains sparking with dark power as they honed in on Sam's fluctuating presence. The Director's cold smile spread across her face.
"The threads are already in motion," she whispered. "Now, we sever the past."
But as the Chain Monks prepared to strike, a strange energy began to pulse—faint at first, then building. Sam's Vein was awakening again, his Echoform fighting back with force. The pull of his dual self wasn't just a weakness—it was a strength.