Chapter 3: The Skyblades
The world spun.
Clouds tore past Kairo as he plummeted from the sky, the shattered remains of Vareth glowing like dying stars above him. His body burned—ripped from prison into chaos, thrown into a war he didn't understand.
Below him: a floating island, jagged with cliffs and covered in dark, misty forests.
His body hit the trees hard. Branches cracked, leaves burst into ash where they touched his skin, and he finally slammed into the earth with a crash that sent birds fleeing and cursed creatures howling in the distance.
---
Kairo groaned.
Pain. So much pain. But he was alive.
He pushed himself to his knees. His clothes were scorched, chains still clinging to his wrists like broken memories. The lotus mark on his chest was still pulsing, dimmer now, but alive.
> "Where… am I?"
The sky above shimmered violet. The floating island drifted gently in the endless skies, suspended by old Kaigen currents and half-dead technology. He could see ancient ruins in the distance—half-sunken temples, overgrown watchtowers, broken bridges hanging into the clouds.
Then—
Voices.
He turned sharply, staggering to his feet.
---
Through the mist stepped three figures.
Each wore long coats stitched with glowing runes, and weapons that looked forged from monster bones and forgotten metals. Not soldiers. Not bounty hunters.
Skyblades.
Kairo had heard the name, whispered through the walls of Vareth. Rogue warriors. Rebels. Mercenaries who stood against the ruling Archclan Syndicates.
The one in the lead was a girl, maybe a year older than him. She had sharp eyes, a battle-scarred face, and a massive sword strapped to her back—curved, jagged, and humming with heat.
Her voice was cold and direct.
> "You're alive. That's unfortunate."
Kairo blinked. "...Huh?"
> "You fell from the sky. Thought you'd be a corpse. Guess the mark kept you alive."
She pointed to his chest.
Kairo instinctively stepped back. "You know what this is?"
> "I know it's cursed. And anyone with it brings trouble."
The second Skyblade, a tall man with white hair and a mechanical arm, spoke next. "What do you think, Rhea? Kill him or chain him?"
> "Neither," the girl said. "We bring him to the captain. Let him decide."
Before Kairo could argue, the third figure—silent until now—moved behind him faster than he could react.
Pressure exploded in his neck. Darkness surged in his vision.
The last thing he saw was Rhea staring down at him with narrowed eyes.
> "You're not normal. And this world doesn't need another monster."
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✦ End of Chapter 3 ✦
> Next Chapter: "The Rebel Ship – Auric Fang" — Kairo awakens on a rogue airship, caught between rebels who might be his only allies… and a power inside him even he doesn't understand.