[OPENING SCENE — NIGHT, SKYVAULT CITY, STORM RIDGE SECTOR]
SkyVault's atmosphere hums with static. In the Storm Ridge sector, lightning dances across the sky like a restless spirit. A civilian transport hovers shakily above the skyline, when suddenly a ripple distorts the air — like space folding over itself.
Civilian Pilot (panicked):
"What the hell was that?! Some kind of pulse—"
The vehicle shudders violently. Echoes of ancient voices reverberate. Then… silence.
[SCENE — VAN HQ, OPERATIONS ROOM]
Alarms blare. Echo-7 displays flickering scans of the Storm Ridge anomaly. Irion stands beside him, eyes wide.
Echo-7:
"Unstable Rift energy. A pulse not caused by Nullborn. Something else… awakening."
Yuna (serious):
"This one felt... older. Wiser. Like it watched us back."
Aurix:
"We investigate. Form Alpha Squad. Nightsaber, you're with them. It's time to see what you can really do."
Crimsa (Nightsaber):
"Gladly."
[SCENE — STORM RIDGE SECTOR, MOMENTS LATER]
The team arrives via hover transport. Buildings flicker as though in and out of phase. An entire block appears frozen in time, mid-motion — cars stopped in the air, water hanging like glass.
Jax (in awe):
"This is like... being inside a paused memory."
Tari (scanning):
"There's a center point. A tear in the skyline — that's where the energy pulses are coming from."
The team advances cautiously. Nightsaber scouts ahead, silently weaving between shadows. Irion feels the tremble in the air, and instinctively touches the broken rift shard in his belt.
[SCENE — INSIDE THE ANOMALY CORE]
They enter a twisted corridor where time flows differently — seconds stretch, footsteps echo in multiple directions.
Irion (whispering):
"This place isn't just damaged… it's sentient."
Suddenly, the structure pulses again — and from the distortion, emerge guardians of the anomaly: glass-bodied serpents formed of prism-light and cracked time.
Kael:
"Hostiles! Formation Delta!"
A dazzling battle erupts. Jax's sound-waves fracture glass serpents, Tari snipes their weak spots, and Nightsaber maneuvers through time-lagged shadows, slashing cleanly.
Yuna (focused):
"Keep them away from Irion! He's reacting again!"
Irion falls to one knee, eyes glowing, hands trembling — the shard activates, resonating with the anomaly. A new memory invades him — an image of SkyVault floating… and a voice:
Unknown Voice (echoing in his mind):
"You are not the Rift. But the Rift knows you."
Suddenly, he's thrown back. Crimsa catches him before he hits the wall.
Crimsa:
"You alright?"
Irion (stunned):
"That thing... It's looking for something. Or someone."
[SCENE — POST BATTLE, EXITING THE ZONE]
The anomaly begins to stabilize. The team regroups. Irion holds the now-dim shard.
Kael:
"That wasn't Nullborn. But it's connected."
Aurix (over comms):
"Return to base. We'll need full debrief. Good work, Nightsaber."
Crimsa:
"Just getting started."
[SCENE — VAN HQ, NIGHTFALL]
Later, the team gathers on the rooftop. SkyVault's night sky has returned to normal, the city glittering like stars below.
Jax (chewing snack):
"Alright, so… who votes this anomaly was actually a ghost trying to flirt with Irion?"
Tari (deadpan):
"You think everything flirts with Irion."
Irion (smirking):
"Everything does flirt with me."
Yuna (soft smile):
"You handled yourself well, Nightsaber."
Crimsa (nodding):
"You're not bad yourselves."
Echo-7 flickers a 3D scan of the event.
Echo-7:
"The data suggests... this wasn't a Rift-born effect. It was a warning."
Kael stares out at the horizon.
Kael:
"Then we'd better listen. Because whatever's coming next… just sent its first message."
[TO BE CONTINUED...]