The night was heavy with smoke and electricity, the air crackling as if the city itself was warning of danger. Kael stood atop the tallest ruined tower, his black coat billowing in the wind. His eyes glowed red, scanning the horizon through lenses embedded in his helm. Every movement below, every pulse of Aether, registered in his mind.
"They've taken another fragment," Kael murmured. His voice echoed inside the helmet, distorted but precise. "The boy grows stronger. And the girl… the Shadow Core awakens faster than anticipated."
A holographic map hovered in front of him, flickering with orange and blue lights — traces of Arin and Selene. Kael tapped the interface, sending coordinates to multiple squads across the city. "Find them. Bring both cores to me. No exceptions."
From the shadows, a figure bowed slightly. "Commander Kael, the surface is unstable. The Eclipsed are moving as well. If we proceed recklessly, the boy may escape again."
Kael turned sharply, his presence radiating authority. "Then we proceed with precision. Every fragment they touch leaves a trail. Every step they take can be anticipated. They cannot hide from me. They will not escape. The Infinity Core will be mine."
Far below, Arin and Lira trudged through the ruins of an old research district. The pulse of the newly awakened fragment still thrummed inside Arin's chest. Each heartbeat resonated with Selene's presence, faint but undeniable.
"We're getting closer to the next fragment," Lira said, scanning the area with her wristband scanner. "But Kael's units are already in the district. He's hunting us faster than expected."
Arin's jaw tightened. "Then we can't waste time. Every second counts."
Suddenly, a low mechanical whir filled the streets. Shadows detached from the corners of buildings — black drones, larger and more advanced than any they had seen before. Their lenses glowed crimson, scanning relentlessly.
"He's here," Arin muttered.
"Move!" Lira shouted. They sprinted across broken streets, dodging blasts of plasma energy. Arin raised his hands instinctively, summoning waves of gold-and-black energy to deflect attacks. The drones swarmed, relentless, coordinating with a terrifying intelligence.
One of the drones shot a magnetic net at them. Lira swung her blade, cutting it in half, but Arin felt the strain in his chest — the fragment's energy reacting violently.
"Focus, Arin!" Lira yelled. "You have to control it!"
He took a deep breath, centering himself. The golden and black strands of Aether within him wove together, forming a protective sphere. The drones collided with the barrier and exploded in sparks. For a moment, silence returned.
Then a shadow moved faster than the eye could see — Kael himself, landing on the street ahead. His red lenses flared. "So, the boy and his shadow companion survive again," he said, voice cold and metallic. "I will not fail this time."
Arin felt his pulse quicken. The energy inside him surged, reacting to Kael's presence. "Lira… I feel it," he said. "The Shadow Core inside me… it's warning me. He's stronger than any Warden we've faced."
Lira gritted her teeth. "Then we have to strike first."
Kael's hand raised, and the ground beneath them erupted in black energy spikes. Arin jumped back, sending a shield forward. Sparks collided, sending waves through the street. Lira leapt from a rooftop, swinging her blade, slicing through a line of drones in perfect arcs.
"You cannot win!" Kael shouted. "The cores are destined to obey me!"
"They obey no one!" Arin yelled back. Light and shadow fused in his hands, erupting outward in a wave that threw Kael back several meters. The ground cracked where his power hit.
Kael rose smoothly, almost enjoying the struggle. "Impressive… but insufficient." He reached into the air, pulling fragments of ruined metal around him. The debris spun into a vortex, forming a black tornado aimed at Arin and Lira.
Arin hesitated. The vortex's pull was immense, and the Shadow Core inside him screamed, responding to Kael's power. He felt the dark strands inside him stir, whispering for release, for retaliation.
"Arin! Control it!" Lira yelled.
He focused, letting light and shadow harmonize, instead of fighting them. The energy inside him flared, brighter than ever, and the vortex shattered before it could touch them. Kael stumbled, his expression momentarily shocked.
"You… you cannot," Kael said through gritted teeth. "No child should wield such power."
Arin's hands glowed with combined energy, his mark of light and streaks of black pulsing in unison. "I'm not just a child. I'm the beginning of Infinity!"
Kael's red lenses narrowed. "Then we end this now."
Before the next strike, a pulse of shadow energy streaked across the sky — Selene's presence. The ground trembled, and Kael's attention split for a fraction of a second.
"That's our chance!" Lira shouted. Arin didn't hesitate. He pushed forward, releasing a controlled surge of Aether energy, striking Kael squarely and forcing him back into the ruins.
The commander grunted, recovering quickly. "You may have won this moment, but I will have the Infinity Core… and both of you will kneel!"
Kael vanished into the smoke, leaving Arin and Lira alone amid the wreckage. The drones scattered. Silence returned, but the tension remained thick.
Arin sank to his knees, exhausted. "He's faster, stronger… smarter."
Lira placed a hand on his shoulder. "And so are we. This is only the beginning. Every fragment we claim, every battle we survive, makes you stronger — and prepares you for the inevitable clash with him."
Arin looked up at the darkening sky, knowing she was right. Kael's hunt was far from over. But so long as he had the light and shadow within him, and Selene somewhere out there, he had a chance to defy fate itself.
The city trembled silently around them, aware of the power that had just been unleashed. And somewhere above the clouds, Selene watched, her silver eyes glinting.
The game had truly begun.