"If only phones still worked," James grumbled. "Life would be so much easier."

Isaac nodded even as a sigh left his lips. This was it. The supplies were gathered. Farewells were said. Now, all that was left was to transform and leave Los Angeles behind. He definitely hadn't expected his first visit to the City of Angels to be so short, but time was running out.

"We will figure something out," he reassured his friend. "That or the Interface will give us something. Bet it's only a matter of time."

"Hope you're right, man," James said, quickly glancing at his sister and uncle, who were waiting by the entrance to their house, and then back to him. "Thanks again. Seriously. I owe you."

Isaac smiled lightly. "No, you don't. I was just helping a friend."

"Friend, huh?" James grinned. "C'mere, then!"

Isaac could have done something, could have stepped out of the way as the older man pulled him into a one-armed hug. But he didn't. His smile just widened as he returned the embrace. This right here was the proof. The proof of a friendship forged in fire, in blood, in survival.

"Tell the others I will miss 'em," James said as they separated. "Oh, and uh… if you could also pass this to Ari…"

Isaac glanced at the folded piece of paper in the other man's hand and quirked an eyebrow. In a rare, out-of-character moment, James colored a little and scowled.

"What? I'm a romantic at heart."

Isaac snorted even as he took the paper—letter?—and put it inside his Storage Brand. "Sure you are."

James' scowl deepened. "Just give it to her." He paused before adding, "Please?"

Chuckling again, Isaac gave him another nod. "Consider it done." He looked around the ruined backyard and then at the morning sun above his head. He exhaled heavily. "It's time for me."

"See you again soon?" James offered, half-smiling now.

"See you again soon," Isaac confirmed, his Legacy already burning beneath his skin. "Stay safe but don't laze around too much. We have a war to win."

The smile slipped off James' face. "Don't I know it. Gotta make sure the girls are strong enough to survive what's coming."

Isaac tipped his head. "Good luck then."

"You too, boss. You too."

With nothing left to say, Isaac let his Legacy take over, transforming his body into the large Alpha Bloodraven. He ignored the quiet gasp from the two young girls in the back and spread his four wings wide.

See you soon… friend.

He leapt with all the power available within his body, following it with a repeated flap of his long wings. He climbed higher and higher, refusing to look back at the four humans below. Even if his visit didn't last long, the short period of normalcy was more enjoyable than he had thought it would be. Still, it was time to return to the wilds and continue doing what he did best.

Fighting and killing.

Isaac chuckled in his head. He could finally test just how fast he could go in this new form of his.

This… isn't what I expected.

That was the first thought that registered in Isaac's head when the village he and his team had taken over appeared in his sight. He had only been gone for, what, two days? In that time, nothing should have changed. Not in a place housing barely a dozen people, most of whom were barely holding it together.

And yet, unless he had unknowingly taken some strong hallucinogen drugs, the view before him wasn't lying.

A Safe Zone? he wondered.

Just like with Sacramento and LA, a dome-shaped barrier now surrounded the village and some of the lands beyond. That said, it wasn't blue or green, but golden, hence his confusion.

His first thought was that something must have happened to Marie, Elaine, or the rescued Hosts. But that didn't track. Not with the number of strangers he could already see moving around the place.

Just what the hell happened here?

Sure, on the way here, he had already passed a few groups that had managed to reach the Faded Plains, but he still couldn't help but feel a little bit surprised. There had to be at least a few dozen survivors inside the village. He recognized none of them, so they couldn't be the people his team had rescued.

I am so confused…

Desperate for answers, Isaac landed a safe distance away from the barrier and decided to walk the rest of the way. With how flashy his new Legacy form looked, he didn't want to announce his presence to all those strangers. He had to find Marie or Elaine first and find out what was going on.

And so, he walked and walked until he neared one of the open gates of the village. A group of well-armed Hosts stood nearby, but aside from shooting him a quick glance, they didn't react at all to his presence. Isaac shrugged and continued onward, finally slipping through the golden barrier. Instantly, a notification appeared before him.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Welcome, Host, to Silent Oasis. Viral connection with the local Support Nexus established. Data Exchange in progress… Done! You may now enjoy the full benefits of the Nexus.

So it is a Safe Zone… but how? And what's with the name?

Passing through the open gate, Isaac summoned the Nexus' status from its menu.

Owner: Elaine Blake | Status: Online (Friendly) | Strength: Tier I

Elaine?! Isaac stumbled, his eyes widening. How? When? Wh—No. He shook his head. Find her first. Then ask questions.

With that thought in mind, he dismissed the status window and continued into the village, noting just how different the place looked. The debris from their fight? Gone. Scattered weapons? Gone. The place looked… cleaner. Almost organized.

Obviously, Marie and Elaine had been busy when he was gone. That or—and this thought made him stop—the Support Nexus cleaned up the place for them.

No way, right?

Yet as he passed more and more of the primitive buildings, those also seemed to be in a better condition than he remembered them to be. Cleaner walls. Repaired roofs. Doors with working hinges. The changes were subtle, but he really doubted the two women had enough time or resources for these renovations. No, something didn't add up here.

Where was the chief's house…

For a brief moment, Isaac considered just transforming or asking one of the Hosts for directions, but just then, he saw it.

The Support Nexus.

Back in Sacramento and LA, he never had a chance to see one up close. But now, here it was, standing right before him. A massive black obelisk, its surface etched with countless intersecting lines that glowed with a faint golden light. Isaac stepped closer, the Symphony stirring in his veins as it detected a sudden weight pressing down on his shoulder.

No… not weight—energy.

It poured from the Nexus like a waterfall, flooding the air with its power. But unlike the vile presence found in Quarantine Sites, this one didn't feel hostile. No, it was like… a warning. One telling him not to come any closer.

Interesting… Makes you wonder what would happen if I were to touch—

"Isaac?" A familiar voice cut into his thoughts.

He spun around, a smile tugging at his lips at the sight of one of his teammates. "Marie. Good to see you."

For the second time this day, he was pulled into a short hug.

"We didn't expect you back so soon," Marie said after stepping back. "What happened?"

Isaac raised an eyebrow, gesturing toward the Nexus. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Later." She waved him off. "First, tell me if you found James' family. Or wait. Not here. Follow me."

Marie didn't even give him a chance to protest before she was off, walking toward one of the nearby houses. It was quite tiny, no larger than a car garage. It had a door, though.

Once inside, the woman closed the door and turned to him. "Okay, talk now. Is James okay?"

Ah, so that's what this is about. Isaac stifled a chuckle before quickly explaining what he and James had found in Los Angeles. Thankfully, the story didn't take too long.

"At least he still has his sisters," Marie muttered once he finished. "I wish I could have been there for him…"

"He's fine. Or at least he will be. You know James," Isaac tried to reassure her. He also summoned the letter from his Storage Brand. "He asked me to give this to you."

Marie furrowed her brow as she took the small piece of paper and unfolded it. Silence stretched between them as she read it, line after line. By the time she finished, a soft, gentle smile graced her face.

"This fool," she mumbled under her breath.

Isaac cleared his throat. "Just so we're clear. I'm not playing a courier between you two."

Marie laughed. "You won't have to. No worries." She pocketed the letter. "So, I guess you have questions."

Yes, I do! Isaac yelled in his mind while nodding outside. "Just a few." She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, more than a few."

"Figured as much. Let's sit down. This might take a bit."

She gestured to one of the two hay-beds against the wall. A quick look around also told him that this little shack was probably where Marie and Elaine slept. The few scattered clothes, some supplies, and weapons lying in the far-off corner pretty much confirmed that. Honestly, while it wasn't much, it was quite cozy.

Still, as he took a seat on the bed, his focus was only on the woman before him. "What's going on here? A Nexus?"

Marie let out a long sigh, leaning her back against the wall. "It's all Elaine. The night after you two left, Prosperity gave her an item to summon a Nexus here. Said she earned a reward. And well… we would be stupid not to use it."

Isaac frowned. "But is it safe? Sure, the Interface recognizes it as a Safe Zone, but it looks and feels—"

"Different?" Marie cut in, getting a nod in return. "That's because it is. For starters, it doesn't stop monsters from entering, just strongly discourages them from attacking us. It also isn't all-powerful like the one in Sacramento."

"Tier I," Isaac muttered. "Any idea what that means?"

She shook her head. "Only that it can be destroyed—if something's strong enough. Monsters… and other species."

"Huh?"

Marie grimaced. "It's something Elaine and I realized after she read out everything the Interface gave her about this place. We don't think its purpose was ever to stop monsters from coming after us."

Isaac blinked before the realization hit him like a freight train.

Virus Wars.

After all, according to the last transmission, the wars were all about civilizations fighting against each other. So, having alien Hosts attacking them on Earth wasn't out of the question. Hell, it was pretty much expected. He just had no idea how it would all work. How did you pit two different planets against each other without placing them on a shared battlefield?

A portal? Bridge between words?

It could be anything.

"Isaac?" Marie's soft voice once more pulled him out of his head. "You okay?"

He sighed. "Sorry. Just… just thinking." He looked up at her. "So to confirm. This Safe Zone won't stop a monster, but it will stop… alien Hosts?"

Marie hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "Weird, isn't it? In the Interface's words, it will shield us from all Hosts that aren't humans of Earth."

"Guess at least we can sleep peacefully…"

Marie only hummed in reply, allowing silence to once more claim the building. Isaac only broke it when he remembered one very important fact.

"Wait… where's Elaine?"

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