The sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows over the shattered remnants of the old world. Behind him, the sharp cries of the Dominion's hunters echoed through the desolate wasteland. He had little time.
Aetherial Force crackled around him, his body reacting on instinct. His pulse thrummed in sync with the raw energy coursing through his veins—uncontrolled, unstable, but powerful. The Void Nexus flickered erratically, tendrils of darkness weaving through his limbs, yearning to be unleashed. He clenched his fists, forcing the chaotic energy to settle. Now was not the time to lose himself.
Ahead, Iria and Rai were already at the extraction point, crouched behind a rusted transport vehicle. Iria's crimson scarf fluttered as she waved him over, her piercing red eyes scanning their surroundings. Rai, leaning against the truck with his cybernetic arm humming with latent energy, grinned despite the dire situation.
"You took your time, Voidborn," Rai quipped, his electric-blue dreadlocks sparking slightly as his Aetherial Force flared.
"Had some company," Kael muttered, sliding to a stop beside them. His eyes flicked toward the distant ridge where Dominion Enforcers advanced, their imposing forms silhouetted against the twilight sky.
Iria's expression darkened. "We don't have long. Tessa's waiting with the transport, but they've set up suppression fields along the main exit routes."
Kael flexed his fingers, his mind already working through their options. "Then we make a new exit."
Rai cracked his knuckles. "That's more like it."
The three moved as one, their synchronization a testament to their shared survival. Kael led the charge, his Void Nexus pulsing beneath his skin. As they neared the barricade, Iria vanished into the ether, her Aetherial Phantom ability allowing her to phase through obstacles. Rai followed, his body flickering with streaks of lightning as he surged forward.
Kael drew in a slow breath and released his control. The moment his restraints faltered, Void Aether erupted from him in a cascading wave of darkness, warping the very air around him. He stepped forward, and the world seemed to fracture—space bending to his will as he bypassed the barricade in a flicker of distorted reality.
On the other side, chaos ensued. The Dominion soldiers, caught off guard by their sudden appearance, scrambled to react. Iria was already cutting through their ranks with deadly precision, her blade a phantom streak in the dim light. Rai sent arcs of electricity surging through their enemies, his attacks precise and devastating.
Kael's focus was singular. The transport was just beyond the fray, its engines roaring to life as Tessa beckoned them in. He raised a hand, Void Aether coiling like serpents around his arm. With a sweeping motion, the energy lashed out, carving a rift through the battlefield. The ground cracked, an unnatural void swallowing the Dominion forces in its wake.
Tessa's voice crackled over their comms. "Move it! We're out of time!"
Kael didn't need to be told twice. He leaped onto the transport, Rai and Iria right behind him. The vehicle lurched forward, kicking up dust as it sped away from the war-torn ruins. As the Dominion's forces regrouped in the distance, Kael's mind lingered on the battle's aftermath.
The fight was far from over. If anything, the hunt had only just begun.
Whispers of the Aetherium
The city of Eronis was unlike anything Kael had ever seen. Towering spires of metal and glass reached for the heavens, their surfaces reflecting the endless energy streams that coursed through the air. The Dominion's capital was a blend of breathtaking beauty and suffocating control, where even the air hummed with the presence of Aetherial Force regulators. The streets were lined with surveillance drones, their mechanical eyes ever-watchful, and armed sentries patrolled the intersections, ensuring that order was absolute.
Kael pulled his hood lower, following behind Iria and Rai as they weaved through the crowded market district. The trio had spent days evading Dominion patrols, using old resistance hideouts and underground tunnels to move unnoticed. They had finally reached the heart of the Dominion's power, and their next step would determine everything.
Iria's voice came through the communicator embedded in his collar. "We're close. The informant should be in the lower sector."
Kael glanced at Rai, who had his cybernetic arm hidden beneath a thick coat. The electric hum of his Aetherial Force was barely suppressed, and Kael could feel the tension in the air. Rai was never one for stealth.
"If this is a trap—" Rai started, but Iria cut him off.
"It won't be. If the Forgotten One truly left us a message, we need to hear it."
They moved deeper into the market district, navigating through the throngs of merchants and Dominion enforcers. Aetherial Force signatures pulsed from various individuals—some strong, others faint—but Kael's Void Nexus kept his presence unpredictable. It was the one advantage he had over the Dominion's trackers.
Their destination was a small apothecary nestled between two towering structures. The sign above was faded, barely legible, but the symbol etched into the wood was unmistakable—the insignia of the old world, before the Ethereal Shift. They entered cautiously, and the scent of herbal mixtures and burning incense filled Kael's senses.
A hooded figure stood behind the counter, grinding a collection of herbs into powder. When they spoke, their voice was soft, almost lost in the flickering candlelight.
"You're late."
Kael stiffened. The voice was neither male nor female, an eerie distortion that sent chills down his spine. The figure turned slightly, revealing a mask with shifting patterns, as if the very fabric of reality distorted around it.
Cipher.
Iria's hand hovered over her weapon, but the informant raised a single finger. "No need for hostility. I've been expecting you."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "You knew we were coming?"
Cipher tilted their head. "I know many things. I know of the Dominion's plans. I know of the Forgotten One. And I know of you, Voidborn."
The title sent a jolt through Kael. It was the same name the whispers in the Aetherium called him. He clenched his fists. "Then you know why we're here."
Cipher reached beneath their robes, pulling out a small, glowing artifact—a fragment of an ancient Aetherial Gate, its surface etched with symbols older than any Dominion record. "This contains knowledge lost to the ages. A warning, and a prophecy."
Kael felt the pull of the artifact immediately. The Void Nexus within him reacted, tendrils of unseen energy stretching toward it. As his fingers brushed against the surface, a flood of visions overtook him.
A ruined world. A sky torn asunder. A voice calling his name.
Kael gasped, stumbling back as Rai caught him. His vision swam, but the message was clear. The Dominion was not the true enemy.
Something far worse was coming.