Kaelen staggered to his feet, blinking against the twin suns. The air here shimmered like molten glass, heavy with heat yet strangely breathable. The ground beneath him pulsed faintly, as if the planet itself had a heartbeat.
"Ceyra? Rhyss?" His comm only hissed static. No familiar voices. No allies.
He checked his phaseblade—it was cracked, barely functional. His chest armor bore a long, charred slash from the Harbinger's strike. He was alive, but barely.
A shadow flickered across the sky. He looked up—too late.
Something struck from behind, slamming him to the ground. He rolled, grabbing for his weapon, and came face-to-face with a creature unlike anything he had ever seen: tall, insectoid, but with eyes that burned with intelligence. Its carapace was iridescent, reflecting the crimson sun, and a long, bladed tail hovered inches from his throat.
It spoke—not in words, but directly into his mind.
"Offworlder. You bring the Seed's scent. Why?"
Kaelen's breath caught. "The Seed? I don't—"
The creature hissed and pressed its tail closer.
"Lie again, and you die."
A second figure emerged from the haze—humanoid, cloaked, face hidden behind a mask of silver. It raised a hand, and the insectoid warrior instantly lowered its weapon.
"Enough, Veyrix," the cloaked figure said in a melodic, inhuman voice. "If this one survived the Collapse, he may be what we've been waiting for."
Kaelen stared at them. "Who are you?"
The masked figure tilted its head. "We are the Shardborn—keepers of what remains when gods destroy their toys. And you, stranger, have just stepped into a war older than your stars."
Before Kaelen could reply, the ground beneath them shifted. A low rumble built to a deafening roar. Out on the horizon, spires of crystal began to rise—dozens of them—each crowned by a swirling vortex of black energy.
The cloaked figure turned toward the sight.
"Too soon," they whispered. "The Harbinger's hounds have found Nexus Prime."
Kaelen gripped his blade and squared his shoulders.
"Then show me where to fight."
The masked figure chuckled softly. "Good. You may survive after all."