The Aegis Prime, a sleek, silent shadow against the pre-dawn sky, soared across the Korean coastline. Inside, Zyx sat still, surrounded by the hum of engineered perfection. The Pacific below shimmered like liquid steel, the horizon endless. His destination: the Philippines. The land where Luis, his final Host, died screaming against the stars. His final stand. Their final war.
The irony sank deep. Once a god untouched by mortal weakness, Zyx now flew in armor just to keep himself from crumbling. Inside his chest, his fragile human heart beat with rhythm and weight, every thump a reminder: he was not what he once was. And yet, in this twilight, Luis still lingered. His laugh. His stubbornness. His dream of someday owning a bakery and feeding stray cats. Impossible things.
The beach where Zyx landed was desolate. The waves rose and broke with heavy rhythm, carving old memories into the sand. He stepped out of the Aegis, metal feet sinking slightly into the shore. The armor towered beside him, unmoving, silent.
Was this the cost of safety?
He'd left Jihye and Min-jun behind, tucked a guardian into their lives like a secret prayer. The decision had felt right. Necessary. But as the sea breeze tugged at his clothes and his thoughts, something inside him ached. The loneliness. The endless running.
A voice broke the silence.
"So, it was you. I had a feeling."
Zyx turned. A hundred meters away, framed by the rising sun, stood Jhin Won.
Of course.
He walked slowly across the sand, hands at his sides, his presence as calm as it was inevitable. His eyes, dark as obsidian, never left Zyx.
"You knew," Zyx said, voice low.
"Not fully," Jhin Won replied. "Just a disturbance. A hum, like a god trying not to exist. My god recognized your name. Zyx. The God of Misfortune."
Zyx didn't answer. The silence between them stretched, pulled taut by divine tension.
He needed a lie.
"You're mistaken," he finally said. "I'm not Zyx. My name is Kaelen. My god is Eidolon, the Shroud Weaver. A minor deity. Hidden paths. Shadows. Cloaks the divine from the divine."
A beat of quiet.
Jhin Won nodded, almost believing. "Then Eidolon is a powerful patron. That mech isn't something ordinary Hosts summon. What level are you, Kaelen?"
Zyx hesitated.
"Level 45," he said smoothly.
Jhin Won raised an eyebrow, the barest smirk at the corner of his mouth. "A spar, then? Friendly. Just to see."
Zyx's thoughts raced. He couldn't refuse. Not without suspicion. And maybe... a little of Luis still wanted to test his strength.
"Agreed."
A mental command activated the Aegis Prime. A warm pulse rippled through the cockpit.
Engage. Ten percent power. Make it look real. Do not kill.
The air cracked. Jhin Won was suddenly gone from sight.
"Shadow Slip."
He reappeared mid-strike, daggers flashing. The Aegis Prime caught the edge of the assault, plating groaning under the sudden pressure. Zyx flinched as the cockpit trembled. Another blink.
"Shadow Formations."
Dozens of Jhin Wons burst into the world, shadows wearing skin. They danced around the Aegis Prime like a storm of knives, their blades testing every seam.
Too fast, Zyx thought. Too many.
He gritted his teeth. "Aegis, thirty percent. Now."
The Prime shifted, blue energy surging through its limbs. Sparks flew as it struck, dispersing clones like smoke. The dance turned brutal. Every dodge barely enough. Every parry a gamble.
Jhin Won circled. "Death Spiral."
He vanished again. Then reappeared above, his real self lunging with blinding precision. His clones surrounded the mech in a perfect ring, stabbing in sequence. The Aegis Prime staggered, its knee buckling under the final strike.
Zyx winced. The suit vibrated with simulated pain.
"Aegis! Fifty percent! End it!"
Power surged.
The Prime lunged, faster now, its fist catching Jhin Won mid-slip. The air fractured with sound. Jhin flew, crashing into the sand in a spray of salt and grit.
He lay there, breathing hard.
Then he laughed.
"Good fight," he wheezed, sitting up. "I didn't expect you to hit that hard."
The Aegis Prime offered a hand. Jhin took it.
Zyx said nothing.
Jhin brushed off the sand. His voice was calm again. "You're strong, Kaelen. My country could use you. That kind of power? It could tip the scales."
Zyx shook his head. "I can't. Not yet. There are things I must do."
Jhin Won nodded slowly. "I'll respect that. Just... don't die. I'd like to fight you again."
Zyx raised an eyebrow inside the suit. "How did you follow me?"
"A shadow echo," Jhin said simply. "I left a fragment on your shoulder when I shook your hand. When you disappeared, I swapped places."
Zyx chuckled softly. "Clever."
Before the moment ended, the Aegis Prime's hand opened. In its palm lay a dagger — curved, beautiful, etched with energy.
Jhin took it, brow furrowing. "This... it's not ordinary."
"It's yours," Zyx said. "To protect your people."
Jhin nodded, his gaze heavy. "Then we'll meet again, Kaelen."
"We will."
And with that, the Aegis Prime rose like a shadow cut loose from the ground, vanishing into the sky.
Jhin watched him go, dagger in hand, the surf whispering at his feet, already tasting the next storm.