Cyber Chronicles 2: Prime Voyage

Chapter 31: Present

"So, you're implying that the statue has been giving off weird auras lately?" Lincoln sought further clarification.

Ketsukii considered his response carefully. "That would be putting it too simply," he replied. "In the past, whenever I visited this place, the only information I gathered from the statue was the presence of the Titan King, Obsune. However, now I'm detecting disturbances," he explained.

Lincoln persisted, his curiosity growing. "But what kind of disturbances?"

Ketsukii grappled with the description. "It's almost as if it's attempting something..."

"Maybe it can sense what's happening?" Lincoln proposed.

Ketsukii shook his head. "Oh no, Obsune must already know what's happening. But now, I'm starting to think he's trying to get involved."

"How would he do that?" Lincoln asked, intrigued by the possibility.

"Through a vessel," Ketsukii replied, his gaze fixed on the statue.

Lincoln looked up at the statue, his mind racing. "I have a chance then," he said, determination in his voice.

Ketsukii's response was measured. "A chance? Maybe. But I doubt it'll be any easier than it was before."

"I know," Lincoln acknowledged. "But how do I even reach him?"

The man looked at the statue, clearly seeing something that Lincoln didn't. "Through here," Ketsukii said, pointing at the statue.

Lincoln leaned in, studying the statue closely, trying to decipher Ketsukii's cryptic message. "I don't understand," he admitted, frustration creeping into his voice.

Ketsukii remained resolute. "Well, this is the only possible place. Unless you know somewhere else."

Lincoln shook his head. "But how?" he asked, searching for answers.

The man shrugged, and Lincoln sighed, realizing that unraveling this mystery would be no easy task.

He pulled out ModCytron and stared at it. "What's that?" Ketsukii asked, his voice laced with curiosity and a touch of unease.

"Something I've had with me for many years," Lincoln replied and turned to face Ketsukii.

The man's face contorted in fear and shock. "What the hell are you holding?" Ketsukii asked, his voice quivering with anxiety. Lincoln didn't reply, maintaining his intense eye contact.

"Why would you have something like that...?" Ketsukii continued, his words careful and hesitant.

"Like what?" Lincoln inquired, his tone steady despite the mounting tension.

"I don't know..." Ketsukii replied, struggling to find the right words. "The only time I couldn't get information from something was when..." He trailed off, overwhelmed by fear, before gathering himself. "What are you holding?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Lincoln hoped that ModCytron would erase the man's memory, but it became clear that it wouldn't happen.

"Is that a prime shard?" Ketsukii asked, catching Lincoln off guard. "Is that what you're detecting?" Lincoln pressed.

"I'm not detecting anything, that's the problem!" Ketsukii exclaimed in confusion, his fear and curiosity mingling in a stormy mix of emotions.

"It's not," Lincoln reassured Ketsukii, taken aback by the man's sudden distress. It was clear that there was more to this man than met the eye, and Lincoln couldn't help but wonder about the source of his trauma.

"Then what is it?" Ketsukii pressed, his voice laced with skepticism.

"ModCytron," Lincoln answered in a soft tone, a hint of sadness in his voice.