Slaved by an Alpha, Saved by an Enigma

Chapter 7: Pulse

The corridor beyond the console narrowed into a vein of obsidian, pulsing faintly with Eden's energy signature. Kai stumbled, his body still trembling from the suppression break. Eden caught him without hesitation, his grip firm but gentle, guiding him forward.

Behind them, the console flickered again.

EDEN::CORE> intruder.proximity: 150 meters EDEN::CORE> evasive.protocol: active EDEN::CORE> Kai.vitals: unstable EDEN::CORE> Eden.rut: escalating EDEN::CORE> bond.sync: volatile

"They're moving faster," Eden muttered, his voice a low murmur of concentration. "Whoever they are, they know we're no longer shielded."

Kai's breath hitched. "I feel... everything. Your heartbeat. The air pressure. Even the way the light bends around your skin."

"Your senses have awakened," Eden said, scanning the walls ahead with a predator's focus. "The suppression didn't just block your heat—it muted your entire lineage."

Kai blinked, struggling to keep pace. "Lineage?"

Eden found a nearly invisible panel and pressed his palm against it. The wall hissed open, revealing a tunnel lined with bioluminescent moss and ancient, glowing glyphs. "You're not just an Omega, Kai. You're a descendant of the Obsidian Pulse. The last bloodline capable of syncing with a Core Enigma."

Kai stared at him, the truth landing like a physical blow. "You mean... you?"

Eden nodded once, urging him into the passage. "And that's why they want you. Not for mating. For control, and if they can't control you they want to eliminate you."

They entered the tunnel, the door sealing behind them. The air inside was cooler, charged with latent energy. Kai's skin prickled.

"I don't understand any of this," he muttered, the weight of it all pressing down on him. "Why me?"

"Because you're the only one who can unlock the Eden Protocol."

Kai's heart stuttered. "What is that?"

Eden didn't answer. Not yet.

They moved quickly, Eden's steps precise, Kai's more erratic. The tunnel sloped downward, spiraling into the earth like a serpent's spine. Glyphs lit up as they passed, responding to Kai's presence.

Kai paused at one. "This symbol... it feels familiar."

"It should," Eden said, not breaking stride. "It's your birthmark."

Kai touched the glowing sigil—a spiral of flames wrapped in thorns. It pulsed beneath his fingers, sending a jolt of recognition through his spine.

Suddenly, the tunnel shook.

EDEN::CORE> seismic.activity: localized breach detected
EDEN::CORE> intruder.proximity: 80 meters EDEN::CORE> threat.identity: rogue Alpha | designation: Kane.modified.synthetic.Alpha

Eden's expression darkened. "Kane. He's not just rogue. He's an enhanced Alpha."

Kai's pulse spiked. "Enhanced how?"

"Tech-modified and bonded. Artificial rut induction. He's been hunting bonded pairs for years, trying to replicate what we have."

Kai's voice trembled. "Why?"

"Because he was once meant to be my pair. Before the Core rejected him."

Kai's breath caught. "You were supposed to bond with him?"

"The Core chooses," Eden said, voice flat. "Not us. And it chose you."

They reached a chamber carved from obsidian and crystal. In its center stood a console unlike the one above—this one was alive, pulsing with Eden's energy and Kai's emerging resonance.