Kael stood frozen, staring at the man he thought he'd never see again.
Ryen Stroud. His older brother. Alive Changed.
Lightning flashed behind him, casting long shadows through the broken warship. His armor shimmered with the same glow as the cores—only twisted, darker.
Kael swallowed hard. "You disappeared. I thought you died with Dad."
Ryen's voice was sharp. "He did die. But not for nothing. I learned the truth… and saw what happens when power goes unchecked."
Kael stepped between Ryen and the third core. "We're trying to protect it. To stop it from falling into the wrong hands."
"And who decides who the 'wrong hands' are?" Ryen snapped. "You? The Council? That city in the clouds that never came back?"
Lira stood silently, watching.
"You're letting your pain speak," Kael said. "You don't have to fight me."
Ryen's eyes narrowed. "But I will. Because I've seen what comes if all four cores are united. The sky changes… the world shifts. And not everyone survives."
Kael's grip tightened. "Then I'll change it for the better."
The storm above rumbled like thunder answering a challenge.
Suddenly, Ryen charged—and Kael moved to block him. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed: one powered by light, the other by storm.
Lira dodged falling debris, grabbing the green core just before it tumbled into a pit.
Kael and Ryen fought hard—fists, blasts, dodges—brother against brother. Old anger met new purpose.
In one final push, Kael activated the second core's blast—a flash of wind knocked Ryen back, sending him sliding across the wet floor.
He vanished into the mist.
Kael ran to Lira, panting. "You got it?"
She nodded, holding the green core. "Three down."
As they left the Skygrave, Kael looked back once—knowing Ryen wasn't finished. Not yet.