The city of Lumora, its iridescent spires shattered and shrouded in ash, was quiet now, save for the distant crackle of flames licking the air. The LochNess Clan had left their mark—and the survivors could only gather their strength amidst the ruins.
Kael crouched on a jagged outcrop, staring at the distant horizon. His cybernetic arm twitched as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade. “Lumora deserved better,” he muttered, his voice heavy with regret.
Lyra paced behind him, her coat flaring in the wind. “Deserved better? Maybe. Got wiped out? Definitely. Wraith isn’t just destroying cities—he’s erasing entire worlds. If we don’t move fast, we’re next.”
Kael looked over his shoulder, his expression steely. “We’ll move. But first, I need to know: are you in this for Lumora or for yourself?”
Lyra smirked, leaning against a charred column. “A little of both, soldier-boy. Don’t start playing moral cop with me—if you’re breathing, you’ve got debts to settle. Mine just happen to involve taking down Wraith and his little toy army.”
Auri interrupted, her gentle voice cutting through the tension like a balm. “No more infighting. The Aetherion is our only chance to stop Wraith’s madness. If the stories are true… we could rebuild everything.”
Niko snorted from his perch atop a crumpled cargo pod. He was fiddling with a rusted plasma coil, his hands covered in grease. “Right. ‘The power of the high gods.’ Let me guess—it comes with a cosmic price tag, doesn’t it?”
Auri shot him a warning glare, but Kael nodded. “It does. Aetherion’s no myth—it’s dangerous. But if we don’t try, we’re handing Wraith the galaxy on a silver platter.”
Lyra rolled her eyes and gestured to the wreckage around them. “Dangerous is walking through a city that smells like burnt steel and despair. Let’s stop talking and start moving.”
A Journey Through the Unknown
The jungle moon of Voraxis was alive. Trees taller than starships stretched into the sky, their bioluminescent leaves glowing like constellations. The humid air hummed with the sounds of unseen creatures—and the Dreadbeast wasn’t far off.
“I don’t like this place,” Niko muttered, holding up a scanner. The device beeped erratically, picking up movement all around them. “How do you fight something you can’t even see?”
“You don’t wait for it to find you,” Lyra said, drawing her twin blades. “You strike first.”
Suddenly, a guttural growl echoed through the trees, sending chills down their spines. Kael’s grip tightened around his blade as he stepped forward, his cybernetic eye scanning the foliage. “It’s here.”
From the shadows, the Dreadbeast leapt—a massive, chameleonic predator with shimmering skin that reflected the jungle’s glow. Kael dove to the side as the creature’s razor-like claws slashed through the air. Lyra let out a battle cry, lunging at the beast with unmatched agility.
As the fight raged, Auri knelt behind a fallen tree, her hands glowing as she focused her empathic energy. “I can feel its pain… its fear. It’s been hunted before.” She reached out, sending waves of calm toward the beast. The creature hesitated, its movements faltering as Auri’s influence took hold.
Kael seized the opportunity. “Now!” He struck a critical blow, forcing the beast to retreat into the depths of the jungle.
A Clash at the Core Sanctum
In the heart of the Wailing Nebula, the Core Sanctum gleamed like a jewel suspended in fire—a fortress amidst the chaos of collapsing stars. The crew stood in awe before the Aetherion, its presence overwhelming.
“So this is it,” Niko whispered, his voice tinged with awe. “Looks… smaller than I thought it’d be.”
“Size doesn’t matter when it comes to power,” Lyra quipped, though her voice lacked its usual confidence.
Before they could approach, Wraith Oryn’s voice boomed from above. “You’ve made it far, but this ends here. The Aetherion belongs to me.” His shadowed form descended, surrounded by LochNess soldiers.
Kael stepped forward, defiant. “You destroyed our city, scattered our people—and you think we’ll let you have this? Over my dead body.”
Wraith chuckled darkly. “If that’s what it takes.”
The battle erupted, a chaotic clash of light, sound, and fury. Kael gripped the Aetherion, its power surging through him—but he faltered, the overwhelming energy consuming his thoughts. Visions flashed before his eyes: Lumora reborn, but at the cost of losing himself.
Auri’s voice broke through his haze. “Kael! Don’t let it take you—you don’t have to bear this alone!”
Kael gritted his teeth, his voice trembling. “I’ll share it. Together, we’ll stop him.” He channeled the Aetherion’s energy into the crew, their combined strength creating an unstoppable force that sent Wraith and his soldiers into retreat.
As the sanctum crumbled around them, the crew escaped, their bond forged anew. The Aetherion’s power was theirs to protect—and their journey was far from over.
KaiDEN 