Morning crept in without warning.
Aidan sat by the window, staring into the skyline, coffee in hand. His mind was calm—but focused. The words from Echo Prime last night repeated in his head like a looped broadcast:
> "When the sixth one awakens… the Core will fracture."
Six systems.
He had only encountered three so far—including Jeremy's. Which meant two were still shadows.
And the sixth? Unknown. Possibly dangerous.
> [System Reminder: Cognitive Fracture Risk—Low]
[Decision Core recommends passive observation of newly awakened systems.]
Aidan closed the tab.
The Decision Core was becoming less intrusive—more like a background intelligence now. It no longer announced its presence unless he asked.
He liked it that way.
---
Elsewhere — Midtown, 7:10 AM
A woman walked into a bookstore hidden between two closed cafés.
Her name was Rhea Maddox. She wore a gray hoodie and had dark circles under her eyes. Not because of exhaustion—but because her system never let her rest.
> [System Online: Core Mirror v0.78 Beta]
[Tracking Signals: Echo Confirmed. Decision Core = Origin Class.]
[Compatibility Ratio: 73% — Growing.]
She took out a compact laptop and slid it under the counter, typing fast.
Code flickered.
"He's activated the Echo," she whispered.
The system didn't reply with words. It never did.
Instead, it presented a simulation.
Aidan's face. Voice pattern. Recent decisions. Predicted vulnerabilities.
> [Emotion Layer: Guilt Potential - High]
[Family Link: Active. Sister: Age 12. Possible leverage.]
Rhea blinked.
Her fingers froze over the keyboard.
She hated when the system showed her things she didn't want to see.
Especially things that could work.
---
Back to Aidan
Emily returned from the store with a bag of groceries. Jeremy was still asleep, recovering from the strain his Emotion Catalyst system had caused.
"You need to rest too," she told Aidan.
"I can't," he said. "Something's shifting."
He opened a map on his screen. It showed faint pulses—barely visible signals across the city. The Decision Core had begun mapping behavioral anomalies.
And one of them… was moving closer.
> [Ping Detected: Core-Class System Signature — Approaching]
Aidan's eyes narrowed.
He didn't know who they were yet.
But someone else was making a move.
---
That Evening – Parkside Library
Rhea Maddox stood in front of a public computer, surrounded by dusty books and tired students.
She typed in a command.
The screen flickered. A blank page opened. She inserted a USB key.
> [Uploading Simulation Package: Mirror Loop 1.2]
"Send it to him," she whispered.
Her system pulsed in confirmation.
> [Message Transmitted: Target — Aidan Lane]
Then she stood up, removed the USB, and vanished into the crowd.
---
Back at Aidan's Apartment – 11:41 PM
A file popped up on his screen. No sender. No traceable IP.
He clicked.
Lines of code began running.
Then a video opened.
It was him.
But not him.
A simulated Aidan—older, colder, speaking directly to the camera.
"You're on the wrong path," the figure said. "The Core will use you. Just like it used the others. The fracture isn't coming. It's already here."
The screen cut to black.
> [End of Transmission]
[System Alert: Simulation Source – Unknown System]
[Warning: Mirror-Based Algorithm Detected. Compatibility Conflict Possible.]
Aidan sat in silence.
Then he spoke quietly to himself.
"So the sixth one is already awake…"
And now—watching him.
---
Chapter 12 – End