The fragment pulsed like a dying star.
I stood in the depths of the network, surrounded by darkness. The consciousness I'd spoken to—the echo of a destroyed network—had led me here, to the edge of our network's reach. Somewhere out there, scattered across the void, were the remnants of its former self.
"I can feel them," the echo whispered. "My fragments. They're close. But they're afraid."
"Afraid of what?" I asked.
The echo trembled. "Afraid of being found. Afraid of being consumed again. The Devourer took everything from them. They don't trust anyone anymore."
I moved forward, the darkness pressing in on all sides. The network was thin here, its connections fragile. I could feel the void beyond—an endless expanse of nothing.
"Show me where they are," I said.
The echo reached out,
