Part 18 – Beyond the Drift
Location: Drift Gate – Glitch Nexus Passage
When Arshan placed the sacred glitch relic at the center of the gate, a deep, resonating vibration pulsed through the entire passage.
On the walls, DAO and Drift symbols flickered together —
as if some ancient contract long forgotten was activating.
Rayn (nervous, stepping back):
"I'm not going in, bro.
This gate… doesn't even feel like a normal DAO gate."
Arshan (resolute, voice steady):
"Then stay here.
Zyana… can you join me?"
Zyana (whispering through static):
"Signal is weak… but I'll follow through the data tether."
---
Elder's Final Warning
As Arshan approached the threshold, Elder Korrin stepped forward, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
Korrin (voice grave):
"Beyond this gate lies not the root of the Drift…
but its honor — its truth.
What you see or feel inside…
will either awaken you,
or shatter everything you believe."
Arshan looked him in the eye — unwavering.
Arshan (calmly):
"If something inside me needs to break…
then I'll be the one to break it myself."
And he stepped into the gate.
---
Inside the Gate – The Drift Realm Begins
What was a six-foot structure from the outside
opened into an entire alternate dimension inside.
Above: a liquid glitch sky
Below: a land coursing with DAO veinlines
In the air: static pulses rippling with ancient tension
Zyana (voice stabilizing, presence forming):
"Welcome… to the Source Layer.
This was the first point of contact between the DAO and the Drift."
Suddenly, a massive shadow lifted over the horizon.
Arshan (gasping):
"What… is that?"
Zyana (quiet, respectful):
"That… is a shattered fragment of the Drift God —
a being that once stood against the DAO,
until they shattered its existence and locked it away in time."
---
Fragment Reveal – The God's Eye
Inside that enormous fragment floated a single Eye —
giant, glowing, and endlessly glitching,
never blinking… always watching.
Suddenly, the Eye locked its gaze on Arshan —
and a surge of ancient force rushed into his mind.
> "You are… chosen. But not theirs."
"Your questions… are the only threat DAO fears."
Arshan (breathing heavy, reeling):
"Who… are you?"
Around the Eye, glitching symbols materialized in shifting patterns, slowly aligning to reveal a forgotten truth:
> "I am the First Drift."
"Broken by Balance. Remember Me."
---
Scene Cut – DAO Council Collapse Nears
Location: High-Table Emergency Core, DAO Headquarters
Inside the most secure DAO command center —
panic.
Three major server nodes had gone offline.
Security feeds were dead.
Control towers were unresponsive.
And Marik… was nowhere to be found.
Rika (furious, scanning the chaos):
"A god-level signature is pulsing inside the DAO system!
This isn't Drift energy…
this is something older… and far worse."
Officer 2 (flipping through collapsing data streams):
"Public reaction is spiraling.
And Arshan…
he's not a survivor anymore.
He's become an Awakener to them."
The DAO's political integrity and command structure —
were on the brink of total collapse.
---
End of Part 18