"A name is not a gift. It is the first weapon ever given to you."
—Branwyn, to new recruits
+6 Days After Ashen Vault Defense
Stormwatch – Interrogation Hall, Sub-Tower B
The boy sat upright now.
He hadn't spoken for six days. He hadn't flinched, cried, or resisted. But today—he said one word.
Rain.
Ashra was the only one present when he spoke it. She hadn't told anyone yet—not even Jag. Not Rialt. Not Branwyn. She watched the boy as if he were a cursed relic finally beginning to hum.
The light in the room came from a single rune-bulb hanging overhead. The boy's eyes tracked it constantly, like he expected it to blink out.
Ashra leaned against the door. "Why that word?"
The boy didn't answer immediately. Then, finally:
"It's the first thing I remember."
Above – Jag's War Table
Jag reviewed maps with Branwyn and Rialt. The southern smuggler route had been unlocked, but no progress had been made toward tracing the Vultures' deeper network. The tunnels beneath Echo Nine were compromised and dangerous to re-enter without serious reinforcement.
Rialt tapped a symbol on the southeast corner of the map.
"This glyph here. It's not Vulture code. It's old Arxian—a dead city dialect. It translates to 'Order of Rain.'"
Jag blinked. "Say that again."
"Order of Rain."
Branwyn crossed her arms. "Rain..."
Jag turned toward the stairwell. "The boy said that word."
Rialt's head snapped up. "He did?"
Lower Hall – Ashra's Watch
Jag descended into the stone corridor beneath Tower B. The walls were damp. Not with water—but condensation from magic refrigeration units keeping the vault air stable.
Ashra met him at the cell door. "He's speaking now. Somewhat."
Jag looked through the barred slit.
The boy sat cross-legged, his back to the wall, eyes unfocused.
"Rain," Jag said aloud. "What does it mean to you?"
The boy replied without hesitation. "It was my name before they took it."
Ashra's voice was sharp. "You said you didn't remember anything."
"I lied."
[System Notice – Identity Thread: Active]
Subject Alias: Rain
Class Type: Infiltrator-Initiate (Dormant)
Suppressed Memory Fragments: 3 Detected
Possible Origin: Order of Rain – Subfaction of Arxian Lineage
Relation to Vultures: Captured Asset, Not Member
New Objective: Recover Memory Fragment #1
Location: Abandoned Temple in Redglass Hollow
Jag stepped back. "You're not Vulture?"
Rain shook his head slowly. "I was taken. My brothers too. We were trained… punished. But not all of us forgot."
Ashra leaned in. "Then who are the Order of Rain?"
Rain looked up at her, eyes now burning with strange clarity.
"They were watchers. Once. Protectors of ruins, relics, and names. We kept what was lost from being found by those who would twist it."
"And now?" Jag asked.
"They are all gone. Except me."
Later – Strategy Council, Tower A
Branwyn slammed her palm on the table.
"You're telling me there's an ancient order of memory keepers and we've only now heard of them? And they were wiped out by the Vultures?"
Rialt exhaled slowly. "Not just wiped out. Erased. Their language, glyphs, memory codes. All buried."
Ashra folded her arms. "Rain said the Vultures sell names. Not just identities. Histories. The past, fabricated and resold."
Jag spoke coldly. "Then they aren't scavengers. They're forgers. They rewrite the world from underneath."
Nightfall – Training Yard
Jag met Rain again, this time under open sky. The boy's hands were unshackled, though Ashra still watched from a nearby ledge.
Jag handed him a wooden dagger.
"Show me how they trained you."
Rain hesitated, then slid into a low stance.
Footwork. Light. Silent. Steps made without pressure.
Jag recognized it instantly. Assassin footwork—but altered. Defensive, like it was meant to move through ruins or traps, not crowds.
Rain struck once. Jag parried.
Again. Jag caught his wrist.
"You're fast, but not angry. Why?"
Rain shrugged. "Anger is heavy."
Jag released his wrist. "Good answer."
Later That Night – Archive Wing, Sector C
Ashra and Rialt pored through old scrolls taken from Vault ruins.
One fragment caught Rialt's eye. A parchment sealed in tree wax, etched with an unfamiliar glyph resembling a downward storm cloud.
Rialt muttered, "That's not Arxian. It's pre-Arxian. Proto-Ruinic."
Ashra narrowed her eyes. "Can you translate it?"
"Maybe. But I'll need time."
New Ally: Rain (True Name Unlocked – Infiltrator Class Available)
Secret Order Discovered: The Order of Rain
Memory Fragment #1 – Quest Active
Location Revealed: Redglass Hollow
Strategic Map Expansion: Redglass Path Unlocked