Chapter 6: The War Table
Kairo's arms still trembled from the fight.
Not from fear.
From the feeling.
That moment—the moment he reached into the Gravor and erased its energy—had changed something in him. Like touching the edge of a blade hidden in his own soul.
> What else am I capable of?
He didn't know.
But he was starting to want to.
---
The Auric Fang's war room was circular and lit by a hanging sphere of crystalized lightning. Holograms of floating islands projected from the center table—sky routes, faction territories, airship patrols, and beast zones all flickering in motion.
The walls were decorated with worn weapons, broken banners, and old medals of fallen Skyblade captains.
Kairo stood at the edge, arms crossed, feeling like an outsider among warriors.
Rhea leaned against a post nearby. The white-haired man with the mechanical arm—Darek—was sharpening his weapon silently. Others filtered in: a tall woman with glowing tattoos across her face, a blind engineer with sound-sensitive goggles, and an ancient man they simply called "Monk."
Then Captain Zephyr entered.
Every voice stopped.
---
> "Let's begin," Zephyr said.
A nod from Monk. The war table flared to life, highlighting the floating archipelagos of the world.
---
☁️ The Current World Map (Revealed to Kairo)
Isle of Dominion: Home to the ruling Archclan Syndicates, elite families that control most Kaigen technology and resources. Ruthless. United only by profit.
The Crimson Choir: A floating cult-city of cursed blood magic users. Their rituals corrupt Kaigen into monstrous mutations.
Hollow Labyrinth: A forbidden cluster of broken islands. Home to Kaigen researchers gone mad—some say they worship the beasts now.
The Skyblade Belt: Scattered islands that remain free. Small cities and rebel ports connected by rogue airships like Auric Fang.
---
> "Three days ago," Zephyr said, pointing to the Dominion region, "the Archclans issued a Code Red Bounty."
A new hologram rose from the table.
Kairo's face.
Eyes silver. Chest marked with the black lotus.
Beneath it: 500,000 Skar bounty.
Dead or alive.
> "Every hunter, mercenary, and syndicate agent is going to come for you now, Voidspawn."
Kairo stared at it, numb.
> "Why?"
> "Because they fear what you are," Monk said, his voice brittle but steady. "Null Kaigen isn't power. It's disruption. It threatens the balance they've spent centuries controlling."
Zephyr stepped forward.
> "But it also makes you dangerous to us. If you lose control again… you could erase more than a beast. You could wipe out an entire island."
> "So," Rhea said, folding her arms, "are you one of us? Or are you a walking bomb waiting to go off?"
---
Kairo didn't answer right away.
He looked at the war map. The chaos. The factions. The corruption. The ruins of his own past.
And he clenched his fists.
> "I'm not a soldier. I'm not a symbol."
> "But I'm done running."
He looked at Zephyr.
> "I'll fight. I'll learn to control this. I'll help you tear them down."
Zephyr's one good eye glinted.
> "Good."
He placed a cracked badge on the table.
The symbol of the Skyblades: two wings crossed over a shattered crown.
> "Then welcome aboard, Kairo of the Lotus Mark."
---
✦ End of Chapter 6 ✦
> Next Chapter: "Ashcloud Ambush" — The Auric Fang heads toward a supply run on the neutral island of Valin Hollow. But halfway through the mist, they're intercepted by bounty hunters riding cursed wyrms... and one of them knows Kairo from before.