310 Only one way


    Hector pulled the metal shutters of his store upward, the familiar screeching sound breaking the early morning stillness of the wastnd.


    A gust of dry wind swept past him, carrying with it a fineyer of dust that had settled over everything during the night. As the light spilled into the cluttered space, Hector''s robotic eye flickered faintly, adjusting to the brightness with a soft hum.


    "Another day," he muttered to himself, stepping inside.


    ARIA, his robotic assistant, moved silently into the room after him, her sleek, body sliding against the floor of the dirty store. It had been a while since they both checked inside the store. Her central eye blinked softly with a warm blue hue as she scanned the room.


    "Room secure," ARIA announced in her calm, modted voice. "No unauthorized ess detected during your absence."


    "Not that anyone would bother," Hector replied dryly, waving a hand dismissively. "The wastnd isn''t exactly a haven for thieves looking to target people like me—not when everyone''s just trying to survive. Most of my stuff is barely useful to others since they can''t even operate it."


    He paused, his gaze falling upon an object tucked into the corner. A cart—Zafron''s cart—stood there, its once polished metal now dulled and coated with a thickyer of dust. Hector''s brows furrowed, and he approached it, running a calloused hand over the surface.


    "There you are. It''s been sitting here for days now," he murmured, brushing away the dust in a single breath.


    The fine particles swirled in the air, glittering momentarily in the shaft of light streaming through the doorway. The cart, meticulously repaired and sturdy, gleamed faintly in response. But Hector''s attention was not on the craftsmanship—it was on therge crystal embedded at its center.


    The crystal, meant to power the cart, remained inert. Hector crouched beside it, pulling a multi-tool from the battered bag slung across his shoulder. With careful precision, he loosened the mps holding the crystal in ce and lifted it free. The crystal was heavy and cool to the touch, its surface smooth but marred with faint, irregr lines that seemed to pulse faintly under the light.


    "These lines... they make it even more powerful than the others," Hector whispered, turning the crystal in his hands. "They help modify the energy generated and suspended within."


    He squinted, his robotic eye zooming in on the intricate patterns within. "This isn''t like any other crystal in the wastnd."


    ARIA moved even closer, her central eye projecting a faint holographic disy that analyzed the crystal. "Composition: unique. Energy capacity: immense but dormant. Activation method: unknown."


    "Yeah, no kidding," Hector muttered, his lips twisting into a wry smile. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair, the strands falling back into ce haphazardly. "If only this thing could just light up, it''d be my ticket out of this hellhole."


    "Probability of mechanical activation is less than 5% without the correct method," ARIA stated matter-of-factly.


    Hector sighed, resting the crystal on his knee. "You don''t think I know that?" he shot back, though his tonecked venom. "I''ve already tried some things— literally every trick in the book. Nothing works."


    "Have you considered—"


    "Not the dangerous ones," Hector interrupted firmly, his tone brooking no argument. He pointed a finger at ARIA as if reprimanding her. "I''m not about to blow this thing up trying to activate it. I need this crystal intact."


    Hector leaned back, staring at the faintly glowing lines inside the crystal. "The only real option is Raxus''s staff," he said, his voice quiet. "Zafron said he''d find it, but…" He trailed off, the words hanging in the air.


    "But there has been nomunication from Zafron," ARIA finished for him.


    Hector''s jaw tightened. "Yeah," he muttered. "It''s not like him to go silent for this long. Haven''t seen him at the Fighting Pit since hisst match against Steele. I don''t know what''s wrong. I''ve been patient, but…"


    "You are growing impatient," ARIA observed.


    Hector chuckled mirthlessly. "You don''t miss a thing, do you?" He stood, cradling the crystal in both hands. "If Zafron''s out there chasing the staff, I''ve got to do my part here. Sitting around won''t get us out of this wastnd."


    As he turned the crystal over in his hands, deep in thought, a sudden, sharp beeping sound echoed from the main chamber. Hector froze, his head snapping toward the source of the noise.


    ''What is happening?'' he wondered.


    "ARIA," he said, his voice clipped. "What''s going on?"


    "essing control center," ARIA replied instantly, her eye glowing as she interfaced with the store''s internal systems.


    After a moment, she spoke again. "The barrier surrounding the wastnd has been breached once again. Large-scale pration detected. Estimated: significant influx of individuals."


    Hector frowned, setting the crystal on a nearby workbench. "What?" He strode toward the main chamber, his robotic eye whirring as it adjusted to scan for additional data. "How many are we talking?"


    "Exact count unavable," ARIA replied. "However, the scale isrger than the previous breach. This influx is unusual."


    Hector''s frown deepened, his fingers drumming against the edge of the workbench. "Damn it," he muttered. "The rate at which prisoners are being dumped here is off the charts. Used to take months between batches, and now we''ve got two breaches in a matter of weeks? Something''s not right."


    "Spection: this activity may serve arger purpose," ARIA offered.


    "Or it''s just more of the Council''s nonsense," Hector said bitterly. He nced at the crystal again, determination flickering in his gaze. "Whatever the case, this works in our favor. More people mean more disturbance to the barrier, and more disturbance weakens it, which means a better chance to get what we need."


    He grabbed the crystal, holding it tightly. "I''m not waiting around for Zafron anymore," he said decisively. "I''ll try everything I can. If it works, great. If not, I''ll wait for him to show up."


    "Your n increases risk but aligns with your objectives," ARIA said.


    "Yeah, yeah," Hector muttered, heading for the door. "Let''s just get moving."


    ******


    The wastnd stretched out like a barren sea, its horizon broken only by jagged cliffs and the asional ruin. Dust storms swirled in the distance, their reddish hues glowing faintly under the dim sunlight or whatever the source of light was.


    At the center of the drop zone, a group of neers milled about, their voices blending into a low hum.


    Xr stood at the edge of the tform, his dark eyes scanning the expanse before him. His features looked even more sharp and chiseled. His expression was one of quiet admiration, his lips quirking into a slight smile.


    "Not bad for a waste bin for criminals," he murmured to himself.


    Behind him, a deep voice rumbled. "Admiring the scenery, huh?"


    Xr turned to see Viper approaching, his massive frame casting a long shadow over the ground. Thunder''s expression was unreadable, but his tone carried a note of impatience.


    "You know this ce isn''t a vacation spot," Thunder said, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "What''s the n now? We''re inside the wastnd. How do we find the bounty—Matilda and her ve?"


    Xr''s smile faded, reced by a thoughtful frown. "We don''t," he said simply, his gaze returning to the horizon.


    Viper raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, ''we don''t''?"


    Xr turned to face him fully, his expression calm but resolute. "We don''t go after them directly," he rified. "As I said earlier, we find Raxus." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Raxus?" Viper repeated, his brow furrowing. "The guy who''s been out here longer than anyone? The one who''s basically a ghost?"


    Xr nodded. "That''s the one."


    Thunder let out a low growl of frustration, rubbing the back of his neck. "And how exactly are we supposed to find him? The wastnd''s huge, and we don''t even know where to start."


    "I trust him," Xr said firmly, his gaze unwavering.


    "Who?" Viper asked, his toneced with skepticism.


    "My friend," Xr replied. "He''s been out here for a while now. If anyone can survive this ce and find Raxus, it''s him."


    Viper stared at Xr for a long moment, his jaw tightening. "You''re putting a lot of faith in someone who''s not even here."


    "I have to," Xr said quietly. His voice softened, and for a brief moment, a flicker of vulnerability crossed his features. "He''s all I''ve got out here."


    Thunder''s expression softened slightly, though his tone remained gruff. "This is fucked up," he said in a low tone. "I think we''d better move fast. The longer we wait, the harder it''ll be to track anyone down."


    Xr nodded, his resolve hardening. "Don''t worry," he said, a faint smile returning to his lips. "We''ll find him. And when we do, we''ll find our target."


    The three men turned their gazes to the wastnd, the vast expanse stretching before them like an uncharted frontier.


    Xr smiled slightly before hitting the road into the depths of the wastnd, ready for whatever is toe.