The factory was plunged into dusty semi-darkness.
Rusty metal beams, shattered windows, an old warning sign creaking in the wind.
Nothing about the place looked like a refuge.
And yet… Kaël walked in without hesitation.
Daniella stopped just past the door, still trembling, her breath uneven.
— So this is your "HQ"?
— Not mine, he replied without turning around.
— Ours.
She frowned.
— Ours… meaning who?
Kaël pressed his hand against an old electrical panel ripped from the wall.
The shadow around him tightened, slid along his fingers… then seeped into the circuits like living smoke.
A dull click echoed.
The neon lights flickered on, one by one.
The factory transformed.
Under the harsh light appeared mattresses, a large metal table covered in maps, packed bags, strange devices engraved with ancient symbols.
A base.
A real refuge.
Daniella's eyes widened.
— Wow… what is all this?
Kaël didn't answer right away.
He walked over to a small device embedded in the wall, nearly invisible.
— Void code. Sanctuary access authorized.
A deep mechanical sound filled the room.
A section of the wall slid open slowly, revealing a hidden entrance.
Beyond it stretched an ancient corridor, its walls carved with luminous and dark symbols intertwined.
A chill ran down Daniella's spine.
— Wait… what is this place?
They moved forward.
With every step, the air changed—calmer, heavier—like the outside world no longer existed.
The corridor opened into a massive circular chamber.
Its walls were covered in ancient inscriptions, carved long before modern times.
Light and shadow danced together across the stone.
Daniella stopped in her tracks.
— Is this… a sanctuary?
Kaël nodded.
— One of the last ones built by the Luminæ.
— Built for what?
— To survive.
He placed his palm against a golden symbol. It pulsed softly.
— Here, Hélios can't enter.
— They can't see us, track us, or detect anything.
— Even with their technology?
— Especially not with their technology.
Daniella swallowed hard.
— So… they can't take me here?
— No. Not here.
For the first time since the chase, a bit of the tension left her chest.
— Then… am I really like you?
Kaël turned toward her.
— You're not "like me."
He paused.
— You're a Lymen.
— And what does that actually mean? Because so far all I know is that I almost fried a streetlamp—and maybe half the block.
A brief smile crossed his face… then vanished.
— Lymen carry the original Light. A rare energy. Pure.
He gestured toward the glowing symbols.
— Void-bearers like me carry absolute Darkness.
His shadow moved behind him, alive.
— When a Lymen and a Void are close… their powers react.
— And how does that end?
— Either they balance each other… or they destroy everything.
Daniella stepped back.
— Great. So I'm a walking bomb.
— Not yet, he said calmly.
She stared at him.
— Why are you helping me, Kaël? Honestly.
He remained silent for a few seconds.
— Because Hélios has already detected you.
— But here, they can't do anything.
— True. But the moment you step outside… they'll be waiting.
Her face went pale.
— They really wiped out people like us?
— Entire families. Children.
His jaw tightened.
— Everything that could fulfill the prophecy.
— The prophecy… the one about a generation powerful enough to change the world?
Kaël met her gaze.
— Or destroy it.
He opened a metal locker and took out a small translucent device.
— Sit down. I need to measure your energy.
— Let me guess—more bad news?
— Probably.
She sat anyway.
Kaël placed the slate in front of her, his hands hovering above hers.
— Breathe.
She obeyed.
A gentle warmth spread through her fingers.
Then a golden light ignited.
Not violent.
Not chaotic.
Calm. Vast.
The slate lit up completely.
Kaël stepped back.
— That's impossible…
— WHAT now?!
He looked at her seriously.
— Alpha-level at minimum.
He hesitated.
— But the signal is unstable… it resembles Omega.
— I have no idea what that means.
— Omega means unique.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Then a female voice called out from behind them:
— Kaël? Everything okay?
A young woman entered the chamber.
Coal-black hair. Sharp eyes.
A controlled red flame circled her hand.
— Oh… a newcomer?
Kaël took a deep breath.
— Pyra… this is Daniella.
He paused.
— The Lymen from the prophecy.
Pyra froze.
Daniella's legs nearly gave out.
— No… That's not possible…
Pyra whispered, grave and steady:
— If she's here… then the generation is complete.
Kaël closed his eyes briefly.
— Yes.
— And what does that mean? Daniella asked, her voice cracked.
Pyra looked straight at her.
— It means the world won't stay the same for long.
The sanctuary vibrated slightly.
Not an attack.
An answer.
Something ancient had awakened.