Kairo woke to sunlight slicing through his blinds, his body still buzzing from the Obsidian Spire quest and His midnight-black combat suit hung ready, violet etchings dull in the daylight. He felt sharper after last night's dungeon, faster—his 30 stat points split between agility and strength making his movements crisper as he tested Stealth Mode, vanishing for a heartbeat in his room. "Sick," he muttered, a grin tugging his lips.
The scent of Aveline's pancakes drew him downstairs, warm and buttery, mingling with the morning chill. Selena in her sleek combat gear hunched over a plate in the kitchen and Aveline turned from the stove with her hair tied back, slid Kairo a plate, her eyes proud but sharp. "You're glowing, kid." She asked, Kairo smirked, flopped into a chair, fork in hand, coat swishing "Just pumped for camp, Mom." Selena raised an eyebrow, tossing him a napkin. "Don't get cocky, little bro." Kairo caught it and tossed it back with a laugh. "Says the fire queen burning her own toast." Aveline chuckled. "Save it for the instructors, you two". Digging in, Syrup dripped as kairo bit into a pancake, the sweetness grounding him, then Mid-bite—
[HOST: FRACTUREBORN]
[NEXT TRAINING MODULE REQUIRED WITHIN 2 HOURS.]
[PENALTY FOR NON-COMPLIANCE.]
His fork froze, syrup dripping off his fork. Penalty? What the hell? He glanced at Aveline and Selena and dismissed the grid with a thought. "Not now," he muttered under his breath. No way he'd miss his team for some cryptic task. Shoving the last pancake in his mouth, he grabbed his coat, kissed Aveline's cheek, and dodged Selena's playful swat. "Catch you later, fire queen!" he called, bolting out to the C.E.L.E.N. transport which hum filled his ears, mountains rising beyond the window.
By the time he reached the C.E.L.E.N. facility, The gates loomed in the mountains under the gray sky, a fortress of steel and glowing runes. Kairo jogged up, boots crunching gravel, spotting his team by a sleek crawler with their gear gleaming. Tarek, hood up, spun a blade, "Yo, Kairo, you late or just lost in that fancy coat?" Mira's teal vest shimmered, her smirk wide. "Nah he slept in." Lira's jumpsuit glitched, visor flashing. "Yeah bet he trained all night, no sleep" tarek replied, "Y'all done roasting? I'm ready to smoke you in sparring." Tarek laughed, slinging an arm around him. "Big talk, hotshot. Those burgers I ate last night? Pure fuel." The banter eased kairo's nerves, but Mira rolled her eyes, her grin faded, her voice low. "For real, though, Kairo—what's up with you? The trials didn't read your rank or type. Zairen pulled you aside twice, and now i heard you've got a private training pod? That's not normal." The team's eyes locked on him, serious now. Kairo hesitated, but these were his friends, forged in the trials fire. He exhaled, voice dropping. "I don't get it all myself yet. My power's… different. Zairen called it unique, it's like...a system" He tapped his temple, dodging specifics. "It's like I've got a system in my head, extra rules, I'm still figuring it all out." Mira frowned. "System? That's vague as hell." Lira's visors tilted "Sounds like sci-fi nonsense" Orren calm cut through. "You don't have to tell anything, just know you're one of us, Whatever it is, we've got your back." Tarek punched his arm, lighter now. "Just don't go rogue, freak."
They stood in the main hall, a cavernous space of steel and glowing blue runes, the mountain air sharp through open vents. Then an agent with sharp-eyes in a gray uniform, stepped forward, holographic tablet glowing. "Welcome to the training camp, Listen up recruits," she barked. "In four weeks, you'll be forged into weapons. Week one: you're got sparring, Etheron control, team drills. Week two and three: Veilzone sims—dungeons, rifts, beasts. Week four: live Veilruns, mentored. You'll eat, sleep, and bleed here. Any Questions?" Tarek grinned. "Damn why's she in a rush" The agent's glare shut him up. "Move to the sparring arenas. Pair up, show us what you've got."
The team shuffled to a massive arena, padded floors marked with Etheron grids. Kairo faced Tarek first, their blades clashing in a blur of sparks, Phantom Stride leaving afterimages as Tarek's slashes missed. Mira and Lira traded water knives and wolf summonings nearby, while Orren pinned dummies with gravity pulses. "Not bad, freak!" Tarek panted, dodging Kairo's jab. Kairo smirked, ducking a counter. "Keep up, blade-boy." The sparring was quick, intense, but Kairo's boosted agility made it feel… easy. And Mid-match, a second agent, tall and stone-faced, tapped Kairo's shoulder. "Virel, come with me. Your training's separate." Tarek raised an eyebrow "VIP again?" Kairo sheathed Swiftbane, shrugging "Guess so."
Following the agent through the facility's maze of corridors. Passing open training sections, Kairo's eyes widened. In one room, Etherborn hurled fireballs at moving targets, explosions rocking the air. Another had climbers scaling shifting walls, Etheron ropes snapping. A third showed a team battling holographic Veilspawn, claws and screams filling the space. "Hell yeah," Kairo muttered, pulse racing. This was the real deal—power, chaos, growth. He wanted in.
The agent led him to a sealed door, runes pulsing violet. It hissed open, revealing a sleek, circular chamber, walls lined with obsidian panels and Etheron conduits. In the center stood a woman, dark-skinned, mid-30s, built like a warrior—muscles rippling under a fitted black-and-silver combat suit, her AA-Rank, Tank-Type badge gleaming. Her short hair was braided tight, eyes sharp as she sized Kairo up. "So, you're the special kid, huh?" she said, voice low, a grin tugging at her lips. "I'm Natasha. Nice to meet you, Kairo Virel." Kairo nodded, gripping Swiftbane's hilt. "Uh, likewise, ma'am." Vasha laughed, crossing her arms. "Drop the ma'am, I'm your trainer, been smashing Veilbeasts for a decade. Your powers are a mystery, kid, i was sent by zairen's request. We're gonna figure it out. I'll throw you into combat sims—Every possible scenario and angle, to see what your Etheron's hiding. Kairo grinned, adrenaline kicking in, but his brow furrowed "sounds nice but… how's throwing me into fights supposed to tell us what my Etheron actually is? Shouldn't there be some kind of tech for that?" Natasha's smirk widened, cocky and unbothered "i am the 'tech' kid, as long as I'm watching your moves, i can pull out all your lil secrets" That didn't exactly clarify things, but knowing Zairen had sent her helped settle the unease in Kairo's gut. "Ready to bleed a little?" She asked, tilting her head toward the chamber's center. Panels lit up, humming as holographic runes sparked to life. "Born ready" kairo replied "Good. First sim's loading. Let's see what that dagger can do." Kairo stepped forward into the heart of the chamber. Natasha leaned back, arms crossed, braids swaying slightly as her eyes locked on him. "Alright, Virel, first sim's live," she said, voice low but edged with challenge. "Gamma-class Veilspawn swarm. Don't get cocky" Kairo flashed a grin, adrenaline tingling "Bring it on!" The chamber rumbled, holographic panels igniting as the floor warped into a Veilzone sim—jagged black coral spikes jutting from cracked stone, red runes pulsing like heartbeats on warped walls.
A guttural screech pierced the air. Four Gamma-class Veilspawn scuttled from the shadows, their skeletal frames wrapped in translucent skin, glowing blue veins throbbing beneath. Their claws scraped the coral, eyes like burning coals. Kairo crouched, Swiftbane raised, and dashed forward with Assassin Dash, his body blurring into a violet streak. He weaved between two creatures, slicing one's glowing core with a clean strike. It shrieked, collapsing into static light, shards dissolving. Another lunged, claws swiping at his chest. He rolled sideways, coral dust stinging his eyes, and sprang up, plunging Swiftbane into its neck. The third and fourth attacked together, forcing him to trigger Phantom Stride. Afterimages trailed as he ducked a claw, slashed a leg, and flipped over a coral spike to stab the fourth's core. The sim faded, the chamber's hum returning.
Natasha nodding slightly. "I'm impressed kid, but you're leaning hard on speed. It's too predictable." Kairo panted, wiping sweat from his brow, coat sticking to his back. "Felt pretty good to me." She smirked, tapping the console. "Let's up the stakes. Delta-class, one target. Show me you can adapt." The chamber shuddered again, the sim reforming into a darker Veilzone—moss-slick stone, air thick with Etheron haze, shadows twisting unnaturally then a low growl rumbled, and a Delta-class Veilspawn emerged: a hulking, bipedal beast, its hide like cracked obsidian, arms ending in serrated bone blades. Its yellow eyes locked on Kairo, but his grin faltered, grip tightening.,And the beast charged way faster than the Gammas, its bone blade slashing a coral spike in half. He triggered Assassin Dash, barely dodging as the blade grazed his coat, tearing a violet sigil. "Damn!" he grunted, rolling behind a stone pillar. Natasha's voice cut through. "Think, Virel! Speed alone won't save you!" He darted out, using Stealth Mode to vanish, reappearing to slash Skullrend's flank. The blade sparked but barely scratched its hide. The beast roared, spinning, its second blade forcing Kairo to dive, scraping his elbow raw. His heart raced, but something clicked—the final boss he faced in the codex training was much stronger than this Delta, "i got this" he whispered, baited a swing, ducked, and used Phantom Stride confusing the beast with afterimages then used stealth and assassin dash disappearing from Skullrend's sight— even from Natasha's, targeting a glowing joint in its shoulder, he jumped with glowing dark-red eyes and almost a scary determined expression. Swiftbane hit deep, drawing black ichor. The beast staggered, and Kairo pressed, weaving through slashes, landing precise cuts until It fell, shattering into static.
Kairo stood, chest heaving, a grin breaking through. "That… was way easier than I expected." Natasha raised an eyebrow, hiding worry behind a smile after witnessing his red gaze. She stepped closer, "Easier? You're scratched up, kid. But yeah, you're growing fast. Too fast. Zairen wasn't kidding about you." Kairo's pride swelled—one Codex dungeon, and he was already handling Delta-class. The next sim started, two more Delta's were charging and as kairo was getting ready for the fight. the Codex's neon-blue grid flared suddenly:
[⚠ WARNING: CODIFIED DIRECTIVE EXPIRED]
[MODULE OBJECTIVE: INCOMPLETE]
[PENALTY INITIALIZING]
His eyes widened "wait—what?" Natasha frowned, reaching for him. "Kairo, what's wrong?" The air cracked, reality cracked—colors bled into blinding whites, sounds warped into a high-pitched whine. Natasha's shout—"Virel!"—dissolved as the chamber vanished.
Kairo slammed onto white sand, breath knocked out. He scrambled up, boots sinking, a moonscape desert stretched under a pale glow.. The sky churned with thick gray mist, and massive shapes loomed within—beasts the size of buildings, some scuttling on insectoid legs, others gliding on bone-tipped wings trailing ash. A Codex timer burned into his vision:
[PENALTY ZONE ENGAGED]
[SURVIVAL REQUIRED]
[DURATION: 04:00:00.]
[LOCAL TIME: 240 MINUTES = 4 MINUTES REALTIME.]
A bone-rattling roar shook the ground. A segmented creature, its hide like molten iron, red eyes glowing, snapped its gaze to him, mandibles clicking. "Oh hell no," Kairo gasped, sprinting across the sand and sand dragging his boots. He darted behind a rock spire, heart hammering, using Assassin Dash to weave through a maze of boulders as a bone-winged beast dove, its talons raking the ground where he'd stood. Sand stung his face as he slipped into Stealth Mode, crouching in a pile of skeletal remains, their edges sharp against his palms. The beast screeched, circling above, and Kairo crawled through a shallow acidic pool, its green fumes burning his throat, to dodge a stomping, six-legged monstrosity. His coat was singed, boots slick, but he pushed on, climbing a jagged ledge. Spotting a lumbering beast with a broad, spined back, he leaped gripping its bony protrusions as it trudged and its heat searing his hands. A worm-dragon lunged from the mist, jaws wide, and Kairo jumped off, rolling into a sand dune to evade its bite, Phantom Stride blurring his escape. Hours bled together in the Penalty Zone's warped time, Kairo's muscles screaming, lungs raw. He used every trick—Assassin Dash to skirt a claw swipe, Swiftbane to sever a smaller beast's tendril, Stealth Mode to hide in a rock crevice as a winged horror passed. The timer ticked: [03:22:47.] Near a cliff's edge, a triple-headed abomination—each maw lined with needle-teeth—cornered him, its bulk blocking escape. Kairo's breath hitched, no cover left. It charged, heads snapping. He triggered Phantom Stride, body straining, and twisted at the last second, a tooth grazing his neck, blood trickling.
"Shit, I'm dead."
The Codex chiming:
[DODGED IMPOSSIBLE ATTACK IN PENALTY ZONE]
[HIDDEN STAT UNLOCKED: SPARK]
{+1 STAT POINT PER CLOSE-CALL DODGE}
He immediately felt a shift in his body. senses sharpened, movements fluid, but hidden stat or not, Kairo's level was nowhere near high enough to beat these monsters. "If just one point made me feel this different… this stat must be insane," he thought, "god—am i really about to do this" The triple-headed beast pressed closer, joined by the worm-dragon and a scuttling, blade-legged horror. Kairo ran—but not away. He angled just close enough, baiting the strike. The beast roared, unleashing a jet of white fire straight at him. Kairo didn't flinch. He waited—eyes locked, heart still—as if he'd accepted death. Then, at the final instant, he triggered Assassin Dash, Etheron flickering on fumes. The flame missed by a breath.
[+1 SPARK PT]
Kairo grinned, a rush blooming through him. His limbs felt weightless, like air. "Shit… it worked," he whispered, smirking. "Alright, Mr. Monsters. I'm either dying here, or walking out stronger than I ever imagined. Hit me with everything you've got" His smile twisted—almost devilish. His eyes glowed, a deep, seething red. And he moved. He danced through death—every dodge tighter, every reaction faster. He used every skill, every last drop of Etheron, flirting with annihilation.
[+1 SPARK POINT]
[+1 SPARK POINT]
[+1 SPARK POINT]
[+1 SPARK POINT]
[+1 SPARK POINT]
[+1 SPARK POINT]
The monsters converged—teeth, blades, coiling tails, and white fire closing in to end him. Kairo sprinted with what breath he had left, threading the space between certain death.
[03:59:59… 04:00:00]
[PENALTY COMPLETE]
A blinding pulse exploded across the desert sim. Light swallowed his vision. Kairo crashed onto the chamber floor—gasping, limbs trembling, blood dripping from his neck and a fresh gash tearing down his leg. Natasha dropped to his side, eyes wide, her voice sharp with worry. "Kairo, what the hell was that? You vanished—like the air ate you!" He coughed, sand gritting his teeth, wincing as he sat up. "Bad… timeout," he rasped, Swiftbane clattering beside him. The Codex chimed:
[PENALTY CLEARED]
[REWARDS AVAILABLE.]
A comm crackled, Zairen's voice cool and measured. "He survived. Good. One step forward, Virel. Rest now—we'll debrief later." Natasha's jaw clenched, glancing at the comm, then back at Kairo, helping him stand, her grip steady but gentle. "Rest? Kid, you look like you ran through a Veilstorm. Talk—what happened?" Kairo managed a shaky grin, Just a rough detour, Natasha. I'm still here." She shook her head, worry softening her edge. "You're a damn puzzle. Clean up and let's talk" Kairo nodded, and followed two agents to the infirmary.
Once he was out of earshot, Zairen turned to Natasha, his expression unreadable. "You got anything?" Natasha exhaled through her nose, eyes narrowing. "I got plenty. The moment he vanished, I felt Etheron bleeding from his core—reacting to the environment like it was… linked to reality itself. He didn't just disappear. His core sent him into a dimensional rift." Zairen let out a slow breath, the tension settling in his shoulders. "So it's worse than I thought"
"We need him to open up," Natasha muttered. "I won't be able to map out the full picture just by watching. My ability has limits." Zairen nodded once, already turning away. "Then we find a way to get him talking, good work." The two walked off in silence. A short while later, after the medics patched him up, Kairo was escorted by agents through the towering halls—straight to Zairen Kael's office.