The massive doors groaned as they slid open, revealing a corridor bathed in dim, pulsing blue light. The air inside was stagnant, yet something about it felt… charged, as if the very walls pulsed with hidden energy. Elias took a slow step forward, his gauntlet humming as it scanned the new space. His mind was still reeling from the AI's revelation.
The last Technomancer. Someone who came before him. Someone who failed.
Lira stepped beside him, her daggers still in hand. "You good?"
Elias exhaled. "Not even a little."
Cecilia smirked. "Yeah, well, join the club."
Reinhardt stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders. "Whatever's ahead, let's just punch it and move on."
Ivy shook her head. "I don't think this is something we can punch through."
Marco was still analyzing the AI logs from earlier, his brows furrowed. "The Vault is ancient, but its records aren't just old combat data. It's been… waiting."
Elias frowned. "Waiting for what?"
Marco hesitated. "I don't know. But if someone else was here before you, and they failed, then that means they were trying to do exactly what we're doing right now."
Silence settled over the group.
Varian, who had been quiet, finally spoke. "Then we must see for ourselves."
Elias clenched his fists and stepped forward.
The corridor stretched deep into the Vault, the walls shifting from Vanguard industrial design to something older, more alien. The energy pulses flickered along the ceiling, casting long shadows as they moved forward.
Then they saw it.
The corridor opened into a massive, circular chamber, its ceiling stretching high above into darkness. In the center of the room stood a monolithic obelisk, its surface covered in golden inscriptions, pulsing with an eerie, rhythmic glow.
And at its base—a suit of armor.
It was ancient. War-torn.
And it looked just like Elias's own armor—but older.
Elias froze. His chest tightened. His HUD scanned it automatically, but the readings were scrambled, as if the system itself refused to process what it was seeing.
Lira stepped forward, her voice quiet. "Elias. That's…"
He swallowed. "Yeah. I see it."
The AI core's voice echoed once more, reverberating through the chamber.
"The past has returned."
Elias clenched his jaw. "Tell me who he was."
The obelisk pulsed, and suddenly, the chamber changed.
A projection flared to life, holographic images flickering around them, replaying a memory from centuries ago.
A battlefield—a war-torn city engulfed in flames. Machines clashed against magic-wielding warriors, explosions shaking the sky. And at the center of it all—a man in black and gold armor, fighting against an overwhelming enemy. His movements were precise, calculated. He moved like Elias.
Elias felt his heart pound. Who was this?
The AI spoke. "Designation: Commander Aetheris. The First Technomancer."
Elias's breath caught. The first?
The hologram continued. Aetheris fought desperately, his armor crackling with both magic and technology, shifting between ranged and melee combat. But despite his skill, the enemies overwhelmed him.
The scene shifted—Aetheris stood inside this very Vault, facing the AI core. His armor was damaged, sparking, but his posture was resolute.
He spoke, his voice filled with urgency.
"Project Genesis must not fall into their hands."
The AI responded. "But the war is already lost."
Aetheris clenched his fists. "Then seal it. Hide it until someone comes who can finish what I started."
The AI hesitated. "And if they fail as well?"
Aetheris exhaled. "Then it ends here."
The hologram flickered—showing Aetheris activating the Vault's lockdown, sealing himself inside. His armor deactivated. The recording faded into static.
The chamber went silent.
Lira's voice was barely a whisper. "He locked himself in here… and never left."
Elias felt cold. He took a slow step toward the armor at the base of the obelisk. His fingers hovered over the battle-scarred plating.
Cecilia exhaled. "This guy—he was the original. The first one to try and merge technology with magic."
Varian crossed his arms. "And he failed."
Ivy looked at Elias. "So… what does that make you?"
Elias didn't have an answer.
Then the AI spoke again. "The trial is not over."
The obelisk shuddered, and the ancient armor began to move.
Elias staggered back as the old suit came to life, its power core reigniting with a dim, flickering glow. The limbs twitched, servos engaging for the first time in centuries. The helmet tilted upward, its visor cracked but still functional.
A voice, distorted and hollow, came from within.
"Designation: Aetheris."
Elias's blood went cold.
The old Technomancer was still alive.
Reinhardt's hammer crackled with energy as he stepped forward. "So… do we fight it?"
The AI's voice returned. "A final test remains. To claim the Genesis Vault, you must face the past."
The suit of armor fully activated, its gauntlets surging with energy. It moved fast, closing the distance toward Elias in seconds.
Elias barely dodged the first strike before countering with his own, his gauntlet clashing against Aetheris's with a metallic crack. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the chamber.
It was like fighting a mirror.
Every move Elias made, Aetheris countered perfectly. Every strike, every dodge—it was like he already knew what Elias was going to do.
Lira cursed. "He's matching Elias move for move!"
Ivy loosed an arrow, but Aetheris deflected it mid-air, his armor adapting instantly.
Varian narrowed his eyes. "No. He's not just matching Elias. He's teaching him."
Elias gritted his teeth, thrusters flaring as he dodged another strike. "Then let's see what he has to teach."
Aetheris's visor flickered, as if acknowledging the challenge.
And then he attacked in full force.
The battle for the Genesis Vault had truly begun.