Kaelen, Lyrian, and their team walked into the imposing Core facility, the tall spires casting long shadows across their path. The metallic hum of technomagic buzzed faintly in the air, and the sleek, industrial design of the building reflected the cold efficiency of the Core. Kaelen’s gaze swept over the scene, his nerves on edge as they neared the entrance.


    They were met by a guard, who scanned their identification and waved them through. The tension in Kaelen’s shoulders didn’t ease. He wasn’t part of the Core, not officially, but Lyrian had vouched for him more times than he could count, pulling him into missions that always seemed to escalate into something far bigger than planned. And now, he was about to face Commander Andras again—a man who never quite trusted him, and probably never would.


    They passed through the steel doors and into the main hall, where they were directed to the tactical operations room. This was where the Core’s most critical missions were planned and debriefed—a sleek, militaristic space with holographic maps, digital consoles, and an atmosphere of relentless precision. The room itself was a blend of old-world magic and cutting-edge technology, with walls lined with intricate runes, shimmering faintly as they harmonized with the machinery.


    Commander Andras was already there, waiting. His back was turned to them as he studied a large, holographic display of their target area—an old technomagical depot on the fringes of Core and Aether territory.


    Lyrian gave Kaelen a small nudge as they approached the table. “Look sharp. Andras has been on edge all week.”


    “I’m always sharp,” Kaelen muttered under his breath, though the tension in his jaw betrayed his unease.


    Andras turned, his gaze cool and calculating as it landed on Kaelen. “You’re late,” he said, his tone clipped. “We don’t have time to waste.”


    Kaelen met his eyes but said nothing. He wasn’t about to explain himself. He was here, wasn’t he?


    Andras looked over the rest of the team. “We’ve received intel about an artifact of immense power that’s surfaced at an old Core depot near the Aether border. It’s the kind of power both sides would kill for, and it’s imperative we secure it before Aether catches wind.”


    Jax leaned against the table, his arms crossed. “And what’s the catch? Nothing’s ever this straightforward.”


    Andras didn’t miss a beat. “The catch is that we’re not the only ones who’ve picked up on the artifact’s signal. Aether’s already dispatched their own team to investigate. You’ll need to secure the artifact before they do.”


    Kaelen’s pulse quickened. Aria’s team. It had to be them.


    Lyrian cleared his throat, eyeing Andras carefully. “So, we’re walking into a potential standoff with Aether?”


    Andras nodded. “If it comes to that, yes. But we can’t afford a conflict. The artifact must be retrieved without escalating into a full-blown confrontation.” He glanced at Kaelen, his eyes narrowing slightly. “And you... you’re going to be part of this team. I expect you to follow orders.”


    Kaelen stiffened, the tension between him and Andras palpable. “I’ve always followed orders, Commander. When they made sense.”


    Andras’ gaze sharpened, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned back to the map, his voice steady. “This mission is critical. Aether’s already too close. Get in, secure the artifact, and get out. No deviations, no improvisation.”


    Nyra, standing with her usual no-nonsense stance, chimed in, “And if Aether beats us to it?”


    Andras didn’t hesitate. “They won’t. If we do this right, we’ll be in and out before they even know what hit them.”


    Kaelen exchanged a look with Lyrian. There was something unspoken in the air, something more than just a mission to retrieve an artifact. He could feel Andras’ suspicion, his constant watchful gaze. This wasn’t just about an artifact—it was about keeping him close, monitoring him.


    Lyrian leaned closer to Kaelen, voice low. “Feels like you’re being watched, huh?”


    Kaelen’s jaw tightened. “Feels like I’ve been on trial since day one.”


    Andras interrupted their quiet conversation with a sharp glance. “Gear up. We leave in twenty.”


    Kaelen nodded, the weight of the situation settling in his chest. As they prepared to leave the room, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this mission was only the beginning of something far larger—and far more dangerous—than anyone was letting on.


    The Core team made their way through the labyrinthine halls of the base, their boots echoing against the cold metal floors. Kaelen’s mind churned, processing the tense exchange with Andras. The Commander had always been wary of him, and it wasn’t hard to guess why. Kaelen was an outsider—a rogue asset they’d pulled in only when it suited them. But this mission... it was different. He could feel it, the tension hanging in the air like a storm about to break.


    They entered the vehicle bay, where a sleek transport shuttle was already waiting. Lyrian’s team moved with practiced efficiency, suiting up and double-checking their gear. Kaelen stayed back for a moment, adjusting his long coat, feeling the weight of the weapons hidden within. His thoughts were clouded by what Andras had said—and more importantly, by what he hadn’t said. He wasn’t being brought along just for his skill. No, they were watching him, studying him, waiting for something. Maybe they’ve already seen too much.


    Lyrian approached, his usual grin dimmed slightly. "You’re awful quiet for someone about to walk into an Aether showdown," he remarked, his tone teasing but not without concern.


    Kaelen glanced at him, his expression guarded. "Not much to say. You know how Andras is—always got an eye on me. It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last."


    Lyrian shrugged, adjusting the controls on his wrist device. "Can’t blame the guy. You’re like a ticking time bomb most days." He shot Kaelen a look. "But hey, if things get rough, we’ll handle it. Like we always do."


    Kaelen allowed himself a brief smile. "Yeah, until we don’t."


    Jax sauntered over, overhearing the exchange. "If we’re talking bombs, Kaelen’s not the only one we need to watch out for. I’ve seen Nyra cook with technomagic before—one wrong move, and boom."


    Nyra shot Jax a death glare, her arms crossed over her chest. "You ever want me to cook anything for you again, you’ll shut it."This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Jax smirked but said nothing further, content with the jab. Rina, as usual, was silent but alert, her gaze flicking between the various consoles and readings on her wrist-mounted tech.


    As they all boarded the shuttle, Kaelen found a seat near the back, away from the rest. His mind wouldn’t settle. Thoughts swirled, pulling him back to everything that had happened since the abduction. From the moment he was taken, to the escape, and everything that followed—it all weighed on him, memories colliding and overlapping. The strain was beginning to take its toll. A sharp pain flared behind his eyes, a migraine creeping in as the room around him seemed to waver slightly, the edges of his vision blurring. He was still trying to steady himself when Lyrian slid into the seat beside him.


    “You’ve got that look again,” Lyrian muttered. “The ‘I’m going to figure out how to run’ look.”


    Kaelen sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not running. Just... thinking. This mission’s different, Lyrian. And you know it. Andras wouldn’t pull me in unless he wanted something specific.”


    Lyrian gave a nonchalant shrug, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him. “We’ll deal with it when we get there. Whatever this is, we’ll figure it out.”


    The shuttle hummed to life beneath them, lifting off smoothly. The team fell silent as they focused on the mission ahead, the landscape outside becoming a blur of shadows and distant lights as they sped towards their destination.


    When the vehicle finally touched down, Kaelen stepped out, feeling the cold night air sting his skin. His eyes darted around the area, scanning the desolate industrial zone they had landed in. It was a forgotten place, long abandoned by Core after their experiments in technomagic had ended. Rusted towers loomed overhead, casting long, twisted shadows across the cracked concrete below. An uneasy silence hung in the air—too quiet for a location like this.


    Commander Andras was the first to speak, his voice sharp and low. "Stay alert. This place has seen its share of dangerous experiments. If anything’s left, we need to be prepared." His eyes scanned the distant forest line, the only thing separating this forgotten depot from Aether’s borders.


    Kaelen followed his gaze and caught a glimpse of the treeline, dark and looming, a natural barrier to the unknown. He didn’t like the feeling of this place. The air itself felt heavy, as though it carried the weight of countless secrets.


    Lyrian stepped beside Kaelen, his tone casual but alert. "Looks like they picked a charming spot for us. You’d think Core would clean up their own messes instead of sending us."


    Kaelen’s lips twitched in a faint smile, though his tension remained. "It’s Core. When have they ever cleaned up after themselves?"


    Jax and Rina disembarked behind them, both scanning the area with a mixture of wariness and curiosity. Nyra was already at Andras’s side, her eyes sweeping over the depot, always calculating.


    The depot itself was a maze of dilapidated structures—old labs, storage units, and platforms for experimental machinery that had long been shut down. But the main building stood in the center, larger and more ominous than the rest, its entrance blocked by a massive rusted gate. Faded symbols of Core’s insignia were barely visible on the walls, a reminder of what this place had once been.


    Andras motioned for the team to gather near the shuttle. His voice carried authority, calm but sharp. "We’re here to secure this location. Core picked up an unusual energy signature from this area. I don’t care how old or rusted this place is—if there’s something dangerous left behind, we deal with it."


    Kaelen couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this mission than Andras was letting on. But for now, they had to play their roles. Andras was the commanding officer, and they were here to follow orders.


    As the group approached the gate, Lyrian''s eyes narrowed at the faint glow emanating from inside the depot. "You seeing that?"


    "Yeah," Jax muttered, gripping his weapon tighter. "That doesn’t look good."


    Andras stepped forward, scanning the entrance with his wrist device. "Looks like the energy readings are concentrated inside. Whatever''s in there, it''s powerful."


    Kaelen’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of his blade, his mind running through possible scenarios. "So what are we dealing with, exactly? Another one of Core''s abandoned experiments?"


    Andras didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his eyes locked on the building. "We’ll find out soon enough. Move in, stay sharp."


    With a nod from Andras, the team started toward the entrance.


    As the team approached the massive rusted gate, a tension thickened in the air. Kaelen felt it like a tightening coil in his chest. Andras stood ahead, wrist device scanning the environment for any residual technomagic signatures. The faint hum of energy still clung to the old depot, a reminder of the dangerous experiments once conducted here.


    Lyrian moved closer to Kaelen, his voice low but teasing, “Ready for another stroll through Core’s twisted playground?”


    Kaelen smirked but didn’t let the unease slip from his eyes. “Seems like the kind of place they’d forget on purpose.”


    Ahead, Andras held up a hand, signaling for the group to halt. He approached the gate, cautiously scanning it before glancing back. “Rina, get this open. No unnecessary noise.”


    Rina nodded, stepping forward with a focused expression. She knelt by the old security panel, her nimble fingers dancing across the outdated wires. Within moments, the faint clink of metal grinding against metal echoed through the silence as the gate slowly creaked open.


    “Nicely done,” Andras muttered. He signaled the group forward.


    Kaelen’s eyes narrowed as he stepped inside the depot. The smell of rust and decayed machinery filled the air, mingling with something else—something almost metallic, like blood. His instincts screamed at him, warning of something more lurking beneath the surface.


    Jax tapped his weapon with a smirk. “Anyone else feeling nostalgic for places that don’t reek of death?”


    Nyra gave him a sidelong glance, unamused. “Stay focused. This isn’t a joke.”


    The depot opened into a large courtyard-like area, littered with old crates and broken-down vehicles. High above, the remnants of a control tower loomed, casting dark shadows over the debris. The faint glow Lyrian had noticed earlier grew stronger as they approached the center of the building.


    “That energy reading is getting stronger,” Lyrian muttered, his voice now devoid of humor. “Whatever’s in there, it’s not small.”


    Andras paused, motioning the team into position. “Eyes up, everyone. We’re going in slow.”


    Kaelen’s hand remained on his blade as he scanned the area. There was something about this place that made him uneasy, more than just the usual abandoned Core installations. Something was waiting for them, something hidden just out of sight.


    The faint hum of energy became a soft thrum in the air, vibrating through the walls around them. They reached a large metal door at the back of the courtyard, its edges glowing faintly with an eerie blue light.


    Andras moved to the door, glancing back at the team. “Stay sharp. We have no idea what we’re about to walk into.”


    Rina approached the door, her tools in hand, ready to bypass the security. But before she could make a move, the door slowly creaked open on its own, as if it had been waiting for them.


    “That''s... not ominous at all,” Jax muttered, his weapon now fully at the ready.


    Kaelen felt a chill crawl up his spine as the door opened wider, revealing a dark hallway beyond. The glow of technomagic energy was stronger now, pulsating through the walls like a heartbeat. He could hear the faint crackle of electricity in the distance.


    Lyrian glanced at him, his grin from earlier now gone, replaced with a wary frown. “You feel that?”


    Kaelen nodded, his jaw clenched. “Yeah. This isn’t right.”


    As they stepped inside, Kaelen’s instincts flared. Something was wrong—very wrong. He could feel it, a subtle shift in the air, a tension that wrapped itself around them like an invisible noose. The shadows seemed to cling to the walls, shifting unnaturally, almost as if they were alive.


    Andras moved forward, his steps measured. “Let’s keep this clean. In and out. We find the source of the energy, secure it, and leave.”


    But as they ventured deeper into the corridor, Kaelen’s unease grew. His heart pounded louder, matching the strange rhythm of the energy pulsing through the walls. His hand twitched over the hilt of his blade, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.


    Suddenly, Lyrian’s device beeped sharply. He frowned, glancing down at the screen. “Wait… we’ve got movement.”


    Kaelen’s pulse quickened. “What kind of movement?”


    “Multiple signals, closing in fast,” Lyrian replied, his voice edged with urgency. “This isn’t just residual energy. We’re not alone.”


    Before anyone could react, a loud crash echoed from behind them, followed by the screech of metal against metal. The team spun around, weapons at the ready, eyes scanning the shadows for the source of the sound.


    Kaelen’s heart skipped a beat.


    Aria.