"That's not how you do it,"
Lyra's voice said. Calm and firm. No frustration. Just certainty.
She stood with arms crossed, her training clothes marked with faint burns—proof of long days and longer nights.
Her dark hair was pulled back, but loose strands framed her face, softening the intensity in her deep brown eyes. She didn't look angry. Just focused.
Ash clenched his fists. Fire danced at his fingertips, shaky and thin. It wouldn't listen. It never did. He stared at his hands, willing them to respond.
"Like this?"
The flame cracked, then vanished.
She didn't speak.
He tried again. The fire sparked, then flickered out. His fingers curled tighter. His shoulders locked. His chest tightened.
"Kael keeps getting stronger, but I'm still stuck like this."
His voice cracked.
The fire answered him—wild, broken, mirroring the pressure inside. It sparked again, then died in silence.
Before the weight could drag him down, she stepped in. Her arms wrapped around him—not soft, not hesitant. Solid. Steady.
"You'll get there,"
She said into his ear. Her hand moved through his damp hair, brushing the frustration away.
"Kael's different. Even Maxwell is still figuring things out. But you…"
She leaned back, tilted his chin up. His eyes met hers.
"You're also part the son of Flame, you may be strong now but give it time you will get there.."
His breathing eased. He wiped his face with his sleeve, but doubt still sat behind his eyes.
She smiled. Not the kind that fades fast. The kind that knew.
"Plus You have something no one else does."
He frowned.
"What?"
She grinned wider.
"Me, of course."
He blinked.
She turned, reached behind her, and brought out a sword. The blade caught the light, clear and sharp. It shimmered like a path.
"I'm going to train you with this."
She held it out.
"A fire user with a sword? You won't just surpass Kael. You'll surpass your father."
He stared at it. The moment stretched. Then his hand moved.
His fingers wrapped around the hilt.
It felt right.
The fire sparked again. Brighter. Firmer.
He tightened his grip. A grin broke through.
"Yeah! Let's do it!"
————
"Ash?"
The voice pulled at him. Faint at first. Then closer.
"Ash!"
He blinked. The memory slipped away, fading like mist.
His hands curled a little. Heat lingered where the fire had once danced.
"Ash!" Max again, clearer this time.
He breathed out. Turned his head a little.
"Mm?"
The room came back. The TV's light moved across the walls. Shadows shifted. Their father's voice filled the space, rough and full of worry.
"Ash, are you okay?"
His fingers twitched. He opened his mouth, but the words sat too heavy to move. Then came a breath—quiet, careful.
"Yeah… I just…"
He looked down.
"I was thinking about Mom."
Silence followed.
Thick. Still. Unspoken things hanging in the air like smoke that wouldn't rise.
Across the room, Kael shifted. His arms crossed. His jaw set tight.
"Why do you have to ruin the mood, Ash?"
Ash flinched. The words hit, not hard, but sharp. Like sparks against skin. He lowered his gaze. The memory of warmth faded, replaced by the cold edge of Kael's voice.
"That's enough, Kael."
Their father didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. The weight in his tone made Kael's shoulders lock.
Kael scoffed under his breath, then stayed quiet.
The silence returned. Thicker and Heavier.
Their father's voice broke through again. Softer this time, like he was carrying something breakable.
"I know it's hard. Your mother… she gave us everything she had. She wanted us to be strong. To take care of each other."
Ash's throat tightened. He swallowed, but it didn't help.
"She always knew how to make me feel better."
His father looked at him, something gentle in his eyes.
"She loved you. All of you. And that love doesn't just vanish. It stays. In you. In your choices. In your strength."
Ash's hands tensed, then loosened. His chest eased a little. Air moved in, slow and steady.
On the couch, Max sat still. His voice came low, quiet.
"Mom always made the impossible seem possible."
Ash looked down. His lips twitched. Not quite a smile, but close.
"Yeah… she did."
Their father nodded. His eyes didn't move.
"That blade you carry—it was hers. She fought with it. Lived with it. She trusted it. And now it's yours. That strength? That love? It didn't end with her."
Something lit inside Ash's chest. A spark that didn't fade this time. His fingers curled around the edge of his shirt, holding on to something that couldn't be seen.
'She gave me this strength. I have to carry it right. For her.'
"Thanks, Dad."
His voice came clear now.
No shake. No cracks.
The silence that followed didn't press down anymore. It sat with them. Still and Steady.
It felt warm.
It felt like her.
And Ash knew—he wasn't alone. Not really.
The cave cracked with a sharp ring—metal on stone. The sound shot down the walls, splitting the silence. Even the soft hum from the screen flinched under it.
Kael's hand twitched.
His eyes snapped to the monitor.
"What was that?"
The screen buzzed. Then Selene's voice cut through, tight like wire.
"Sir, headquarters is requesting immediate contact."
Their father let out a breath through his nose. Slow. Measured.
"Alright… one moment, boys."
The screen blinked out.
Darkness filled the cave again. His image vanished, but the faint V stayed behind—glowing, pulsing against the Metal wall.
No one spoke.
From deep in the tunnels came the drip of water—steady, distant. Each drop felt louder than the last.
Ash's fingers found the hilt at his side. His grip closed.
The silence stretched.
Max leaned back, arms behind his head. The flicker in his mouth wasn't quite a grin.
"Feels like we're getting another mission."
Kael rolled his shoulders, every movement tight.
"Finally. My body was getting stiff."
He flexed his hands. They moved like they missed violence.
Max didn't even lift his head.
"You cracked three bots this morning. That wasn't enough?"
Kael shrugged without looking at him.
"The bots are too slow. Not real threats. Doesn't count."
He turned toward Max, fire burning low in his eyes.
"You should upgrade them."
Before Max could answer, the screen flashed again.
Light rushed back in, cold and bright. Their father's face filled the frame—but the weight in his eyes said more than words. It was barely seen because of the statics. But they knew Something had shifted.
He looked like he hadn't blinked in minutes.
"This is it,"
he said. His voice hadn't changed, but it carried something heavier now—like the edge of steel.
"You're getting your second mission."
Kael's grin spread. His eyes lit up with something sharp. His foot tapped against the metal floor, fast and eager.
"about time."
Max leaned forward. His body stilled, all focus now.
"What's the situation?"
A pause. One breath long.
"An asteroid. It's Massive and it's Headed your way."
Kael's grin twitched.
"It's not going to hit, is it?"
Max's lift up his arm. An holographic screen appeared. His eyes stayed on the screen. The gears in his head already turning.
"No… but it's huge. Bigger than anything we've tracked before."
'Huh… how is that a problem?' Ash thought.
He watched his father's scilolet. The silence in his pause felt heavier than any answer. His gut coiled, tight.
"Then why does it matter?"
His father's next breath was slower. The lines on his face pulled deeper.
"You didn't let me finish."
The screen shifted.
A grainy feed sputtered to life. Not just a rock. This thing was a giant—its jagged form crawling across the black. Craters carved into its surface ran for miles, like deep wounds. The faint shimmer of stars outlined its hulking shape, but barely. It looked wrong.
Ash stared, chest tight.
'What the hell is this… this isn't just big. It's huge.'
No one said a word. The cave felt smaller.
The pale light from the screen brushed across their faces as their father's voice returned.
"We need to investigate this asteroid. Its movement is… unnatural. If it alters course, it could threaten the moon, or worse."
Kael didn't blink. His eyes stayed fixed on the image. The asteroid moved slow, rolling through space. Its surface caught bits of light, but nothing stayed long. Shadows crawled over it, hiding whatever was buried inside. Dust spiraled around its edges, drifting off into the black.
His fingers twitched.
"So we're stopping it?"
Ash leaned forward, brows furrowed.
"Stopping it how?"
Kael crossed his arms, a half-smile curling on his face.
"Blowing it up, obviously."
'Blowing it up?'
Ash blinked, trying to picture that.
Max turned his head sharply.
"That's the worst plan possible. A blast that size would break it into pieces. Thousands of them. Each one crashing down like bullets through the sky."
Kael scoffed.
"Then what, genius? Let it float past like it owns the place?"
Max didn't flinch. His eyes locked on the console as numbers scrolled by. His hands stayed steady.
"Based on the current path, it's not going to hit anything. So yes, If it were just the asteroid, I'd say leave it alone."
'yeah… I was thinking the same. It's not coming for us. We don't need to mess with it.' Ash thought.
Their father's voice cut in. Firm. Sharpened like a blade.
"That's not the problem."
The screen shifted again. A single blinking dot hovered near the asteroid's edge—small, quiet, out of place.
Max leaned in.
The dot blinked again. Then again.
"A scout ship," their father said.
"From Apex. It's been circling the rock for days. At first, we thought they were just watching. But now…"
Another screen blinked to life. Dozens of red marks lit up—each one tagged, each one moving fast.
"A whole fleet. Warships. Headed straight for it."
Max straightened. His hand hovered near the console but stayed still.
"What are they after?"
"That's what you're going to find out."
Kael cracked his knuckles, his grin wide again. Flames danced behind his eyes.
"Leave it to us, Dad. We'll handle it."
There was a pause. Just a breath.
"Good. Then…"
Another pause.
"Stay safe. All of you."
The screen died. The pulsing V returned, beating slow in the dark.
No one moved.
The silence held tight around them.
Max rubbed at his jaw. His voice came low.
"Why would Apex care about that thing?"
Kael stepped forward, one hand on his hip.
"We'll figure it out when we get there."
Max turned. His eyes moved across them, one by one.
"This is our second mission as Team Vortex."
His gaze lingered on Kael. Just long enough to be noticed.
"No screw-ups."
Kael's arms dropped.
"What? Why are you looking at me?"
Max didn't answer. A smirk tugged at one side of his mouth.
"Alright. Go suit up. We leave in ten."
———
Ash stepped into the side room.
Max stood with his back to him, hunched slightly, eyes fixed on a large board. Strings crossed the surface like veins—red, black, and pale gold. Burned-in photos clung to the edges. Faces. Symbols. Faded temple carvings. A single eye drawn in charcoal.
The corners of a map were pinned beneath knives, blood-red lines circling small cities. Some had been crossed out. Others were marked with a symbol Ash had only seen once—on a body buried deep beneath Varga Street.
He stepped closer.
One of the photos bore his face. Another showed Lyra. A third—
Max shifted.
Ash blinked.
"Max?"
Max twitched. His hand shot up and flipped the board around. On the other side: whiteboard, scattered with equations, route diagrams, and energy readings.
"Ah—Ash. You scared me."
Ash stepped forward.
"What was that?"
Max turned, scratching at his neck.
"Just… places. Marking out the ones we might hit next."
Ash didn't move. His eyes didn't leave Max.
Max shifted again, shoulders stiff.
Ash's gaze narrowed. But then he sighed, letting the tension slide from his jaw.
"You're already geared up, huh? Good. It's been ten minutes. Kael's started questioning your leadership."
Max forced a laugh. It didn't stick.
"Yeah. Yeah—sure. Let's go."
He grabbed Ash by the arm and pulled him toward the door.
Ash turned his head, one last glance at the board before the door clicked shut.
Behind him, Max's voice tried to carry lightness.
"Come on. The longer we stand, the longer we wait."
Ash let out a low breath. The thought stayed with him. Quiet. But heavy.
He followed. Boots hitting the Metal floor.
Both of them moving.
Ash didn't look back—but the symbols stayed in his mind.
That board wasn't about the mission.
It was about something else.
And Max was hiding it.