[OPENING SCENE — BENEATH SKYVAULT, ANCIENT CATACOMBS]
A deep hum echoes through a forgotten corridor. Faint glimmers of violet circuitry pulse on obsidian walls. A scout drone floats silently… before glitching and collapsing to the floor.
[SCENE — VAN HQ BRIEFING ROOM]
The team huddles around the shard map projected by Echo-7. The underground zone it highlights pulses with unstable energy.
Aurix:
"Pre-Core catacombs. Not on any city blueprint. Built before the SkyVault protocols existed."
Kael:
"Nullborn's signal led there. That can't be a coincidence."
Yuna (calm):
"The shard reacts to Irion's energy. That means whatever's down there… is linked to the Rift."
Jax (grimacing):
"Let me guess — more monsters, creepy whispers, and things that want to eat us?"
Aurix (interrupting):
"We're not going in short-handed. That's why I called in someone new."
The doors slide open. A woman enters, confident and focused, with a crimson-tinted tactical suit and sleek black gauntlets etched with glowing nodes.
Aurix:
"This is Crimsa. Codename: Nightsaber. She's a specialist in infiltration, silent combat, and precision sabotage. Trained under ghost-level black ops. I trust her. You should too."
[CRIMSA – NIGHTSABER]
Real Name: Crimsa Lorne
Hero Role: Vanguard Infiltration Unit
Power:Shadow Sync – Allows her to meld into shadows and strike unseen, rendering herself invisible in low light and redirecting kinetic energy for devastating counters.
Weapon: Dual monoblades and phase-shift throwing knives.
Personality: Sharp, witty, confident. Keeps secrets. Has a charming but guarded nature.
Weakness: Cannot shadow-sync in bright light. Her power draws from ambient darkness.
Crimsa (smiling):
"Pleasure to meet you all. Heard you've been busy. Hope there's still something left to fight."
Veya (eyeing her):
"I like her coat."
Crimsa (grinning):
"I like your guns."
Kael exchanges a quick look with Yuna. A new presence always stirs tension.
[SCENE — DESCENT INTO THE CORE CHASM]
The team boards an old grav-lift that creaks to life as Echo-7 hacks the systems. The lights flicker as they descend into ancient ruins buried beneath SkyVault.
Echo-7:
"These readings are unstable. We're entering pressure-void zones. Brace yourselves."
Kael steadies himself beside Irion.
Kael:
"Any thoughts?"
Irion (quietly):
"If this place links to the Rift… it could rewrite what we know about the city's foundation."
The lift halts with a mechanical groan. The gates open to darkness… and ruins.
[SCENE — ANCIENT VAULT, BATTLE SITE]
As the team explores, they find murals showing humanoids sacrificing themselves to a rift. Suddenly, a screech echoes. Tech-horrors called Spinal Reavers rise from the floor, stitched with broken tech and memory echoes.
Jax:
"Okay, those are officially nightmare fuel."
Kael:
"Form up! Defensive diamond!"
They fight: Kael's fire lights the room, Yuna restrains with vines, Jax turns music into shockwaves, Echo-7 disables drones. Crimsa (Nightsaber) moves like a phantom, weaving between shadows, striking with elegance and deadly precision.
Tari (noticing):
"She's fast."
Veya (raising an eyebrow):
"And stylish. I'll give her that."
[SCENE — THE INNER CHAMBER]
Spinal Reavers multiply, breaching walls. The team becomes overwhelmed but holds together. They push into the core chamber.
Irion (panting):
"Something's drawing them… from that central node!"
Inside, they discover a glowing Rift pillar pulsing with unstable energy.
Crimsa:
"This is why I came here."
Kael (alarmed):
"What do you mean?"
Crimsa (calming):
"Aurix wanted confirmation. This is not just Rift energy. It's pre-SkyVault tech. We need to log this and return. Fast."
Echo-7:
"Confirmed. I'm getting anomalous signatures... and something else. Something... ancient."
The energy surges. The team retreats carefully as the catacombs rumble.
[SCENE — BACK AT HQ, LATER THAT NIGHT]
The team patches up. Yuna treats Jax's bruises. Crimsa adjusts her gear beside Echo-7, sharing banter. The room feels lighter — even with looming mystery.
Kael:
"She handled herself well."
Veya:
"She's good. But I'm keeping an eye on her."
Aurix (entering):
"She's in. Officially."
Crimsa places her Vanguard badge on the table. It lights up with her codename: "NIGHTSABER."
Crimsa (smirking):
"Guess I'm one of you now. Let's see if I survive it."
The others raise their drinks and snacks from the supply drawer.
Jax:
"To Nightsaber! May she stab the shadows before they stab us!"
Laughter fills the room, but just outside… the wind howls eerily across SkyVault's glass edge.
[POST-CREDIT SCENE — DEEP MONITORING STATION, UNKNOWN NETWORK]
A distant feed watches the team. An unseen observer breathes softly.
Unknown Voice:
"Nightsaber is in place."
Another Voice — Female, faint and smooth:
"Then soon... the second phase will begin."
[TO BE CONTINUED...]