Teddy and the Echo Gate

Teddy never meant to find a Gate. Noise just had a way of following him.

Even in the human world—small, scrappy, always tapping on bottle caps and trash can lids—every sound he made echoed a little too long. Like the world wasn’t just listening… but responding.

A rhythm cat in a place that hadn’t learned his beat yet.

One night behind an abandoned warehouse, frustration got the best of him and he kicked a metal drum hard enough to send a deep boom rolling across the empty lot.

But instead of fading, the echo grew louder.

It doubled. Then doubled again. Layer upon layer folding back on itself in impossible ways.

Teddy froze as the vibrations curved into a spiraling shape of violet light.

The Echo Gate.

Every movement he made sent ripples across its surface— tiny pulses of sound turned visible.

Teddy swallowed. Then grinned.

“Okay… that’s actually kinda awesome.”

The Gate Opens in Sound

The Echo Gate didn’t pull him in; it mirrored him. It answered the noise inside him—the restless rhythm he had carried all his life.

Teddy stepped forward, guided by instinct. Not curiosity. Not bravery. Just the need to hear the next beat.

Crossing through wrapped him in vibrating light. His body stretched into its Nexus form—upright, balanced, eyes glowing faintly with reflected resonance.

For the first time, the noise made sense.

The Echo Chamber

Teddy emerged in a cavern of shimmering stone, every surface echoing subtle tones.

A flick of his tail sent ripples through the air. A tap of his claw made the entire room hum.

The Nexus wasn’t silent. It was listening.

And it liked his beat.

The Echoes of Others

As Teddy explored, he sensed faint rhythms not his own:

• A calm pulse like a monk in meditation.
• A storm-heart vibrating with electric tension.
• A wandering hum stretching toward distant light.
• And a voice tuned to awaken the world itself.

He wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

The Cat Born of Noise

Teddy wasn’t chosen because he was quiet or wise or steady.

He was chosen because he made noise. Honest noise. Noise the Nexus needed to hear.

He tapped the floor again. The chamber lit up in violet rings.

“Alright, Echo Gate…”

“Let’s see where this goes.”