The wind atop the cliff carried a new scent—metallic, acrid, and laced with ozone. It was faint, but Aiden recognized it immediately. Energy disturbance. Nexus-kind. And it was growing stronger.
Brant squinted toward the distant mountains, his expression tight. "That pulse earlier—wasn't natural. You saw it too, right?"
Kaela nodded, her staff now pulsing in quiet resonance. "It came from somewhere beyond the Crescent Range. That region's uncharted. Too unstable for most expeditions."
Aiden's interface pinged again.
[Alert: Dimensional Surge Detected – Coordinates Approximate]
[Signature: Partial Nexus Imprint – Class: Unknown]
He stared at the data streaming across his HUD. This wasn't just residual energy from the Nexus awakening. This was something—or someone—trying to tap into the same frequency he now carried.
"They're mimicking the Core," Aiden muttered.
Kaela's eyes narrowed. "Or the Core is reaching out. Remember what we felt down there. The voices. The fragments."
Brant turned to them, visibly annoyed. "You two keep talking in riddles. Just tell me—do we need to go smash something or not?"
"Soon," Aiden said. "But not blindly. We need information first."
They headed back toward their temporary base in the valley below—what had once been a fractured outpost, now stabilized by Aiden's passive influence over the lingering field distortions. The environment bent around him now, ever so slightly; machinery that had corroded for decades flickered back to life in his presence. Screens lit up. Consoles responded. The Nexus' echo lived through him.
Inside the base's command chamber, Aiden reached the main terminal and interfaced with the reawakened systems.
[Subsystem Sync: Warden Class]
[Data Uplink Established – Pulling Regional Records]
A 3D map of the continent shimmered into focus, centered on the Crescent Range. Points of interference danced in red, marking three key anomaly sites.
Sunder Valley: A long-abandoned mining site. Arcane residue had recently spiked.Ivory Spire Ruins: A collapsed pre-Aetheric research station.Shadowgrove Basin: A deep crater where energy signatures vanished completely.
Kaela traced the points with her finger. "The Ivory Spire was researching dimensional breaches long before the Nexus was discovered. Their work was classified… then buried."
Brant chuckled dryly. "And now the past is clawing back up."
Before Aiden could respond, a new window blinked on the screen.
[Incoming Message – Encrypted Authority Channel]
[Voice Only – High Clearance]
He hesitated, then opened the channel.
A familiar voice crackled through—Commander Veska, the silver-armored woman from earlier.
"Warden Kael. You're authorized for Level-Five Contingency Briefing. We have intel we didn't share earlier."
Static flared, then cleared.
"You're not the first to bond with a Core."
Aiden stiffened. "What?"
"There was another. Seventeen years ago. Nexus Event classified as Red Eclipse. The bonded subject vanished. Until now."
Kaela's expression darkened. "You think they're the one behind the new surge?"
"We don't know. But their last known location aligns with your Crescent Range spike. Be warned—if they survived, they aren't human anymore. Not in the ways that matter."
The transmission cut out.
Brant let out a long breath. "So… a predecessor gone rogue. Classic."
Aiden said nothing for a long moment, staring at the map. The Ivory Spire's coordinates blinked slowly—steady, pulsing, like a heartbeat.
[New Quest: Echo of the First Warden]
Objective: Investigate anomaly site. Engage or contain bonded entity. Priority: Critical.]
He looked at his companions. "We head out at first light. Gear up. I want scouting drones in the air and the transport recharged."
Kaela tilted her head. "You think they'll be waiting?"
"No," Aiden said. "I think they've already seen us coming."
Six Hours Later – En Route to Ivory Spire
The hover transport buzzed quietly as it skimmed over the terrain. The lands surrounding the Crescent Range were wild—twisting fields of bluegrass, ruptured rock slabs from ancient tectonic battles, and the occasional shimmer of leyline fractures.
As they passed through a broken ravine, a sudden static interference washed over the transport's systems.
[Warning: Signal Disruption – Active Jammer Detected]
"Brant, evasive pattern—" Aiden began.
Too late.
From above, a black projectile streaked downward—piercing the craft's shielding in a burst of purple flame. The impact spun the vehicle midair before it crashed into the ravine wall, throwing them all forward.
Sparks rained. Metal shrieked. Then silence.
Aiden crawled free from the shattered cockpit, vision blurry, but System already rebooting.
[Vital Signs Stable – Damage Contained]
[Caution: Unknown Entity Approaching]
Kaela pulled herself from the debris, her staff now glowing with defensive wards.
Brant kicked aside a twisted door. "That wasn't random. Someone knew our route."
Then they heard it.
Footsteps.
Deliberate. Calm.
From the dust walked a figure clad in dark armor unlike anything Aiden had seen—part Nexus tech, part biological synthesis. The face was obscured by a helm etched in ancient glyphs, but Aiden could feel it… the same energy he had absorbed in the Core.
The figure stopped ten meters away.
"You finally came," the voice echoed, modulated and smooth. "I've waited a long time for the next Warden."
Aiden rose, System surging to the surface.
"Who are you?"
The figure tilted their head. "I am what remains of the first. I am Nullmark."
And then he moved.