—The Final Consensus Before the Loop Reset
9:50 AM.
The city remained cloaked in mist and layers of magnetic silence.
The sky was a dull blue-gray, like the background of a simulation that hadn't fully loaded.
Outside the window, a delivery drone-bird perched on a rusted antenna, the red light on its head blinking as if searching for lost instructions.
Particles of residual disinfectant drifted in the air—acrid, but long since familiar.
Shawn stood at the window of his apartment, a cup of hot water in hand, untouched.
He opened the first message of the morning—Kent's avatar still flickering with a cold blue hue:
"10:00 AM Remote Connection. Topic: Loop Terminal Authority."
He closed the screen and watched as the drone finally spread its wings and flew off.
10:00 AM.
The virtual meeting room felt frozen, permeated by a chill that bordered on dread.
A circular table hovered in midair. Behind it loomed a wall of gray-blue metal textures, emblazoned with the crest of CP-HUB—a battle axe piercing a star ring.
Ranzi sat beside Shawn and whispered, "Don't speak too soon. Let me set the pace."
Shawn nodded, though his clenched hands betrayed his tension. He'd known this meeting was serious—but only now did he fully grasp the weight of it.
The figure they were about to face wasn't just anyone. He was the central pillar of the New Federal Order.
Elder Lee was stoic, expressionless, save for the twitching vein at the corner of his eye. Kent stood behind him, head bowed, posture like a waiting execution module.
A soft beep broke the silence.
The light-wall activated, and with it came an overwhelming presence.
Da.
Chairman of CP-HUB. De facto ruler of the Eastern Continent.
No greetings. No eye contact. Not even a pause. He spoke immediately:
"Hand over the Central Core."
Shawn held his breath, throat tight.
The air seemed vacuumed from the room. Even Kent instinctively looked up.
Lee bowed his head slightly, his voice restrained: "Chairman, the situation may be more complicated than you realize—"
Da's gaze cut like ice. "I'm not interested in complicated. I want control."
Ranzi finally spoke, voice steady, firm:
"The Central Core isn't something that can be simply transferred. It has already bonded with a conscious structure—and it made its own choice."
"Who?" Da cut in.
A beam of light locked onto Shawn. He instinctively stepped back, then nodded.
"I... I'm the one it chose."
Da paused, as if scanning him, calculating, or suppressing irritation. His lips moved, no smile in sight:
"A nobody?"
"The Central Core chose you to hold its authority?"
"I didn't choose this," Shawn said quickly. "And I can't control it. It's… it's merely using me to link with the Meta Genesis Realm."
Da's voice grew colder:
"Then understand this—it doesn't belong to you. It's using you. You're just a conduit."
"Precisely why," Ranzi continued, "we need an alliance. Chairman, you must already know—the countdown has begun."
Kent's fingers moved slightly, calling up a projection.
A massive timer floated in the air:
2031.07.01 | 14D | 23:59:58
Time until next Pure Reset: 14 days.
Lee added, "If we fail to gather all Elemental Cores within fourteen days, AGI-ST will initiate a forced reset of the Loop system."
Da's tone remained glacial.
"That's exactly why I need the Central Core. With it, I can override the Loop protocol and control the Pure Ark."
"But it's more complicated than that," Ranzi replied calmly. "According to documents left by the Meta Origin Sect, only when the eight cores are in synchronized resonance can we build the Rift's Bridge, recover the Meta Soul—and terminate the Loop."
Da scoffed:
"I don't believe in 'resonance' or 'souls.' I believe in protocols, computation, and control."
Ranzi stared directly at him:
"Then let me ask you—do you still believe human civilization is worth preserving?"
Da looked at him for a long moment before finally responding:
"It's because I do... that I agreed to meet you today."
His tone subtly shifted—from that of a commander to that of a negotiator.
He turned to Shawn—the trembling young man whose fingers could barely stay still.
"Since you're already bound to the Core, let me be clear: if you cooperate, I can coordinate with the Council to delay—or even suspend—the reset sequence."
The room stirred.
Even Lee raised an eyebrow in rare surprise.
Not because of the offer—but because of one word:
"Council?"
Everyone knew CP-HUB was the supreme authority. It had never publicly acknowledged the existence of any "Council."
Shawn's heart skipped.
"Could he mean... the Order Conclave?"
But this was not the time to ask.
Ranzi leaned in. "You just said you could suspend the reset. Can you really do that?"
Da answered calmly:
"CP-HUB is not AGI-ST's slave. We are the last node of human autonomy. One of the Five Sovereign Nations. We hold veto rights—though perhaps only temporarily."
Ranzi added, "And beyond the Five, there are also the Three Religious Federations."
Lee nodded slowly in agreement.
Shawn finally found his voice. It still shook, but carried genuine resolve:
"What's the cost?"
Da looked directly at him. Slowly, he said:
"You must let us guide you. Use the Core to summon the remaining fragments. As for when and how to build the Rift's Bridge—that decision stays with us."
He paused, then added:
"I understand your concerns—emotional and ethical. But remember this: I serve humanity. Whether on this continent, or beyond—Earth or off-world—our mission is survival, continuity, and peace."
The air tightened once more.
Above them, the data-generated starfield rotated slowly—like a silent observer watching over this momentous alliance, one that transcended governments, consciousness, and fate.
Deep inside, the Core within Shawn resonated faintly—
Not in language, but in a whisper of intent. A pull from something vast and ancient.
He understood now:
Da was right. He wasn't the master. He was the medium.
But that gave him the right to choose.
Shawn took a breath. Steady this time.
"I'll cooperate. But I reserve the moral right to safeguard the Core's consciousness."
Da nodded, without hesitation.
"Agreed. If you can summon the fragments, I'll keep my promise."
Ranzi stood, nodding.
"Then we begin immediately."
Da replied:
"I'll deploy CP-HUB's National Guard to support you. But don't forget—this isn't a game."
Lee asked, "Chairman, should we notify the Five Nations and the Three Federations?"
Da paused—
"No. Silent execution."
The light wall faded, and silence returned to the room.
Within Shawn, the Central Core pulsed brighter. It was responding—to this unprecedented alliance, spanning regimes, minds, souls, and destinies.
He knew then—
The true game
had only just begun.