VEILBREAKERS!
EPISODE 17 – "Echoes in the Dark"
The bunker was dead silent except for the faint hum of screens. Rain lashed against the steel plating above, the storm outside drowning the city in neon chaos. Kael sat cross-legged on the floor, sweat dripping down his jaw. His shirt clung to his skin as he exhaled slowly, his fists trembling—not from exhaustion, but control.
A flicker of pressure surged through the room. Dominion Will—uncontrolled, raw. The air warped, metal groaned, screens flickered.
"Kael—" Jett's voice cut through as he slammed his fist into the control panel, stabilizing the power surge. "You're gonna fry the whole bunker!"
Kael opened his eyes slowly, the sharp amber glow fading from his irises."I wasn't trying to use it," he muttered. His voice was calm, but his fists clenched hard enough to whiten his knuckles.
Jett shook his head, leaning against the desk. "That thing… you need to lock it down. You can't just… leak it out like that. If someone picks up on that signature—"
"They won't." Kael stood, grabbing his jacket. The scars on his forearms caught the dim light, remnants of battles that never truly healed. "What's the update?"
Jett hesitated, then tapped the console. A holographic map expanded in the air. A glowing red marker pulsed deep inside the corporate district."Black Nova's got a vault shipment tonight. Same people who've been tracking us since the warehouse incident. If they move that cargo, we lose leverage."
Kael's gaze hardened. "So we hit them first."
Jett grinned, adjusting the pistol on his thigh. "You read my mind."
Three hours later.
The city bled color as night fell—holo-ads and neon cutting through the rain. Kael adjusted his hood, scanning the convoy of black armored trucks rolling through the flooded streets below. Drone escorts buzzed overhead like vultures.
"Same formation as before," Jett whispered into comms, crouched on a rooftop opposite him. "Four lead units, two tails, drones on overwatch. They're running a Titan-Class security protocol. Someone's afraid."
Kael smirked. "They should be."
He leapt.
The wind howled past him as his boots smashed against the roof of the lead truck. Metal dented like foil. Guards inside shouted, the convoy screeching as panic rippled through.
Jett's voice crackled: "You just love being loud, huh?"
Kael tore the hatch open with bare hands, yanking a guard out into the storm. Gunfire erupted. Bullets sliced through the rain—DING—They ricocheted off Kael's forearms. A shimmer of black energy coiled around his skin—Kinetic Veil activating subconsciously.
Kael didn't even notice. He was too busy dismantling the squad in brutal silence. One by one, they fell—throats crushed, guns broken in half like plastic.
The last guard stammered, backing against the cargo crate. "Wh-who the hell are you?!"
Kael's voice was cold, flat. "The last face you'll see tonight."
The fight ended in seconds. The crate cracked open—and Kael froze.
Inside wasn't tech. It wasn't weapons. It was a sealed pod, pulsing with faint red light. Inside floated something human-shaped… but wrong.
"What the hell is this?" Jett landed beside him, panting.
Kael stared at the silhouette inside the pod—skin pale, veins black like ink. Its face was obscured, but its frame was familiar. Too familiar.
"Looks like…" Jett trailed off, eyes widening. "Kael. That thing looks like—"
The pod suddenly beeped.[Transfer Protocol Activated.][Clone integrity at 98%.]
Kael's blood ran cold. He grabbed Jett by the collar and yanked him back as the pod hissed open.
The figure inside stepped out, dripping with black fluid. Its head lifted slowly—and Kael's breath hitched.
It was Ran's face.
TO BE CONTINUED…(Next Episode: "Glass Shadows")