In the morning, Ian and his squad were sent off to their mission sight an overgrown forest planet with a hole at the surface level
Ian opens the passageway they walk down a spiraling staircase Ice King, a STF member, grumbles, with his usual regal arrogance,
"Does every ruin in this galaxy require a pilgrimage just to reach the front door? My knees were forged for snow, not stairs."
Dreadwake 15th Great, smirking behind his mask, "Relax, old man. Back in your day, this was probably considered cardio."
Blade 9th Great, leaning casually on his katana, voice smooth and dry,
"You two are gonna argue about retirement homes the whole way down, or can we focus on the ancient demonic seal buried under our boots?"
Ian, already halfway down the stairwell. "Enough chatter. Stay sharp. These ruins were sealed for a reason."
They walk to this ancient marble elevator shaped like a circle with pillars around it. Ice King steps on a stone pressure plate, and the whole platform lowers.
They step into the vast underground city, carved into a massive cave. Crystals jut from the walls, glowing with a soft, blue light that dances across marble streets, towering pillars, and ancient colonnades.
The city hums faintly, not with electricity—but something older.
Ice King in his deep, ancient tone, examining a glowing crystal,
"Hmm… no wires, no circuits. This city's heartbeat is sorcery—old, powerful sorcery."
Blade glancing around, smirking, "You say that like you watched them build it. Remind me again—how old are you?"
Ice King chuckling, "Old enough to know this place remembers things even you can't imagine."
As Ian and his team enter the city, the shimmering crystal lights reflecting off their armor, a local officer steps forward, eyeing them with suspicion.
Officer "You folks don't look like you're from around here."
Ian firm and direct "We're not. I need you to—"
Ice King cutting in with a raised hand and a grin, "—Show us where your seal-maker lives. Preferably before I freeze for another 2,000 years, again."
Officer, uneasy, "May I ask... why?"
Ian, stone-faced: "No."
The officer swallows his curiosity and nods reluctantly, turning on his heel.
Officer: "Very well. Follow me."
They're led through winding marble streets and under crystal-lit colonnades, until a towering structure comes into view.
A glowing glass sphere crowns the top, pulsing like a heartbeat.
The tower looms above the city—ancient, untouched, and humming with hidden power. They enter through the emerald marble, tall double doors.
A man in his 30s is sitting at his desk reading something while overlooking the city. Deadwake explains how he needs them to split the mending of a seal.
The man at the desk says I can, but first, I need you guys to do something for me.
Blade growns, saying " we don't have time to help with your witchcraft"
The man responds with " do you want this seal undone"
Ian tells Blade to shut up and be quiet.
Ian- "What do you need us to do?"
The Man says, "This city is built by Giants, but I heard that one of them wants to destroy the city, claiming the giant had no compensation for their action, and grows tired of helping us.
Ice King with a dry smirk "Well… maybe you should've just paid the giant."
Before the man can respond, Blade steps forward, arms crossed, voice sharp.
Blade: "What's your name, anyway?"
The man sighs, brushing dust from his cloak.
"Ezir. I used to be a sealwright for the council… before they abandoned reason."
Ezir continued, bitterly, "Our government refused to pay the giants out of nothing but greed."
Deadwake, raising an eyebrow, "So why not toss them a few gold bricks from your own pocket?"
Ian quietly, but firmly, "They don't want money. They want freedom—from a curse."
Blade looked between them. "How would you even know someone cursed them?"
Ian: "Because if they wanted to leave, they could. There's nothing holding them back physically. But something's binding them to this place… something ancient. Something deliberate.
Ian asks Ezir, "Where can we find these giants?"
Ezir- " I do not know the government sealed them away."
Ian and his squad leave. They walk around the city asking locals about the giants all the answers they got were I don't know or I can't say. Ice King thought something felt off about this place and the people.
Ice King furrowed his brow, leaning closer to Ian as they stood by a crystal-lit alley.
Ice King lowered his voice, "You don't think it's odd? Giants bound in chains—and the whole city acting like it's normal?"
Ian- "I've had my suspicions that Ezir is bonding the giants, but why, I don't know."
Ian and Ice King go out and find the leader. They go to the council hall, a vast, circular structure crowned with towering marble pillars that loomed like silent guardians.
Its walls pulsed faintly with arcane symbols. Inside, the marble floor shimmered under their boots.
A grand statue stood in the center of Ezir, arms outstretched as if casting a spell, his face stoic.
Councilor voice sternly, "You need to leave. Sorcery has no place here anymore. What you're doing... will unravel things best left alone."
As he spoke, his words began to distort. His tongue shimmered with unnatural light—runes glowing along the surface like a cursed brand. Then, without warning, his head exploded in a flash of light and blood, echoing through the marble chamber.
Ian and Ice King froze. Ian looked at Blade and the rest of the squad. They didn't wait. Ian and the squad sprinted through the crystal-lit streets, the eerie silence of the city replaced by urgency.
When they reached Ezir's tower, Ian didn't knock—he kicked the doors open with force. Ezir stood at the top of the spiral stairs, arms folded, calm as ever.
Ezir, smirking, "So… the truth finally reached you."
Before he could say more, Blade shot forward like a bolt of lightning. But Ezir raised his hand and twisted his fingers—and the room responded. The walls spun like clockwork gears, the floor inverting.
Gravity shifted violently. The team was thrown like rag dolls across the chamber. Blade and Ian managed to brace themselves mid-air, landing in a crouch. Ice King and Dreadwake weren't so lucky—they slammed into a crystal column, groaning.
Ian pulled his katana in a flash and dashed at Ezir, his blade gleaming—only for it to shimmer, then melt into a stream of harmless bubbles in his hands.
Ian, staggering back, eyes narrowed, "What the—?"
Before he could react, he lunged again—but passed straight through Ezir like smoke.
Ice King rising, eyes glowing, "Enough games."
He raised both arms and summoned an arctic surge—frost spread across the walls and floor in a flash-freeze. The room became a frozen chamber of jagged ice.
Dreadwake grinning, "Let me show you how pirates play on ice!" He dropped to the frost and slid at full speed, slamming shoulder-first into Ezir's legs. The sorcerer lost balance and crashed down.
Ice King sprinted up behind, grabbed the arcane tome from Ezir's belt, and with a shout in an ancient tongue, released the binding spell.
A wind howled as invisible energy cracked through the room. Ezir screaming, voice warped "You idiot! Do you even know what you've done?! That spell wasn't just a prison—it was a lock. Break it… and the entire city collapses!"
Cracks ran along the floor, and the statue of Ezir in the council chamber outside began to fracture.
Ian to Ice King, "What did he mean it was a lock?!"
Ice King grimly "I think we're about to find out."
The marble walls cracked open like eggshells. From within the fractures, the giants emerged—hulking, rune-covered beings of stone and flesh, their eyes glowing with sorcery long suppressed. The ground shook with every step.
Ian was already speaking into his comm.
Ian, calm but firm, "Evac all civilians. I want the transports landing now."
He turned to his team. "Ice King—create a path out. Get the people to safety. Blade, with me!"
Blade dryly "Why is it always me?"
Ian smirking, "Because you're fast, and I don't trust you alone."
With a blur of motion, Blade zipped ahead, climbing the giants with blinding speed, katana flashing like lightning as he carved through limbs and joints.
Ian leapt into the fray, a storm of precision slashes and tactical movement—each strike dropped a titan.
Meanwhile, Ice King raised his hands to the ceiling. "Let's open the roof, shall we?"
Crystals shattered. An arctic gust surged upward, opening a glowing exit tunnel through the collapsing dome. Civilians poured through as Ice King held up falling debris with massive walls of ice.
Dreadwake slid along the frozen floor, dual pistols crackling with energy, unloading round after round into another giant's chest. Hours later, the battle was over.
Galactic Empire troops flooded in to help rebuild, offering supplies and comfort to shaken citizens. Back at STF HQ, in the warm glow of the common room… Blade collapsed onto a couch, kicking his boots up.
Blade: "Ice King… how did you know how to undo that seal?"
Ice King sipping tea, unfazed, "Well, 2,000 years ago, they taught that in school. Basic spellwork, really."
Blade choking on laughter "Wait—you're actually 2,000 years old? I thought that was just your brand."