The training chamber was deep beneath Solara's central node, reinforced by layers of relic alloy, memory-dampening shields, and BITS' endless sarcasm.
Kael stood at the center of the platform, the dormant Echo Core suspended in a magnetic field in front of him.
It pulsed softly now, like a heartbeat in its sleep.
"Any last-minute warnings?" Kael asked, rolling his shoulders.
BITS hovered nearby, flickering with anticipation. "Yes. Don't die."
Kael gave him a look.
"Also," BITS added, "try not to unlock a cursed memory protocol or awaken forgotten war ghosts. I have plans tomorrow."
---
Nyra stood against the far wall, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"I'm just here in case he turns into a memory zombie," she said.
"Not helping," Kael muttered.
He reached toward the Core.
The moment his fingers touched its surface, the air warped.
The chamber fell silent.
And then the world exploded.
---
🌀 Memory Depth Sync Initiated...
Kael wasn't standing in Solara anymore.
He was on a battlefield. Not one he recognized.
Ash fell like snow from a sky torn by relic storms. Armored figures clashed in the distance. Massive constructs hovered in the air—silent watchers made of fractured data and flame.
Kael looked down.
His hands were glowing.
Not just glowing—burning with encoded light.
---
> "This is not a memory you own," a voice said.
Kael spun. A figure stood behind him.
It looked like him—same face, same eyes. But older. Scarred. Cold.
> "This is what you were meant to become."
Kael's double stepped forward. His voice echoed with static.
> "The Spark was not a gift. It was a weapon. And you… you are its sheath."
---
Kael tried to back away—but the memory locked him in place.
Images flashed around him:
He stood in front of rows of relic children, all silent.
He burned a city made of code and screams.
He knelt beside a dying figure with white eyes, whispering, "I failed."
---
"No," Kael growled. "This isn't who I am."
The echo self snarled. > "You will be. Unless you forget. Unless you break the cycle."
Kael reached for his Starkey—but it wasn't there.
He was powerless.
Until…
The Echo Core spoke. A different voice. Sharp. Witty. Familiar.
> "You really think I'd let a hallucinated version of you monologue me to death?"
---
Kael gasped—his body surged with energy.
His real self returned, merging into the vision. His hands ignited.
Blue-white circuitry traced his arms, forming ancient sigils in motion.
> NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: Echo Split
Temporarily create a double from a past version of yourself to act independently for 10 seconds.
The echo-self tried to strike.
Kael struck first.
---
The battlefield shattered.
The memory dissolved.
Kael dropped to his knees in the chamber, panting hard.
The Core floated before him, flickering.
> "You're welcome," it said smugly.
---
BITS hovered in. "Vitals stable. Mental patterns... chaotic. Just another Tuesday."
Nyra crouched beside Kael. "You good?"
He nodded slowly. "I saw… a future version of me. Or maybe a past one. I'm not sure. But he was wrong. I'm not like him."
BITS beeped. "That's what the villain always says."
Kael groaned.
---
They walked out of the chamber together.
Nyra glanced at him. "So what'd you gain?"
Kael held up his hand. An echo image flickered to life—a perfect version of himself from a few moments earlier.
It winked at her.
Nyra blinked. "I am… both impressed and extremely annoyed."
Kael smiled. "Yeah. It's going to be useful."
BITS muttered, "As if one of you wasn't exhausting enough."
---
But Kael wasn't smiling anymore.
That dying figure with white eyes… he knew her.
Not from a memory.
But from a dream.
And something inside whispered: She's still out there.
---
💬 Author's Note — Kazuki Rei
So Kael just unlocked a new power and met himself from a reality-flavored nightmare. Fun!
What would you do with a clone of yourself for 10 seconds?
(Keep it PG. I know how you people think.)
👉 Next up: Nyra hunts for the girl with white eyes.
👉 Or we throw both leads into a mess neither is ready for...
Vote, scream, speculate — you know the drill.
— Kazuki Rei