Rain blurred the city into streaks of light.
Citadel J stood like a wounded titan beneath the storm — steel towers breathing smoke, neon veins flickering across the skyline. The hum of energy grids echoed through the mist, mingling with the faraway wail of sirens. Down in the lower sectors, two silhouettes moved against the torrent.
Raiden walked first. Stormrend hung across his back, its edge humming faintly whenever rain touched it. His armor, still scorched from the Hollow Veins, reflected shards of pale light. Behind him, Alya kept pace in silence, hood drawn low, her cloak fluttering with each gust.
Neither spoke until the hub's gates loomed ahead — massive, shielded slabs of alloy crowned with blue sigils. The guards recognized Raiden and stepped aside without question.
Inside, the air changed. Warm, filtered, humming with the constant rhythm of machinery and voices. Holo-panels cast faint light on the walls, data streams flowing like rivers of code. Here, survivors traded in secrets and blood; here, power had a price.
Alya exhaled softly.
"Feels different coming back alive."
Raiden gave a half-smile. "Barely."
They passed the counter for returning operatives. A bored attendant scanned Raiden's ID chip; the console flickered, then pulsed gold.
> [ Hub Mission Record Verified ]
Status: Complete – "Under-District Investigation"
Rewards Allocated: 8,000 Credits | Supply Voucher | Weapon Enhancement Token ×1 | Medium-Grade Potion Set**
Raiden accepted the vouchers silently. "Add one to her name," he said, nodding toward Alya.
The attendant blinked. "She's not registered."
"She was part of it," Raiden replied flatly.
After a pause, the attendant shrugged and keyed it in. Alya's gaze flickered toward him — grateful, but unreadable.
---
They reached a quieter wing of the hub, where the walls curved into resting quarters. Alya headed to the med-bay; Raiden remained behind, lowering himself onto a bench near the observation window. The city stretched below — an ocean of lights beneath a lid of thunderclouds.
His reflection stared back: eyes sharper than before, irises faintly tinged with gold under the dim light. He flexed his hand — lightning arced briefly between his knuckles, smoother, purer than before.
Then, the familiar tone resonated in his head.
---
[ Skills
• Lightning Slash (Lv. 2)
• Flow Step (Lv. 3 – Proficiency 72%)
• Adrenal Surge (Passive)
• Stormrend Resonance (Synchronization 42%)
• NEW: Lightning Cascade (Skill Scroll – Unlearned)
Passive Effects:
• Elemental Affinity [Lightning + Phoenix Flame: Stable Resonance Achieved]
• Physical Regeneration +10%
• Energy Recovery Rate +8%
---
Raiden let out a quiet sigh. "Still stable…"
He assigned no points yet — waiting, as always, for a reason.
Outside, thunder rolled — deep and close, rattling the window.
Alya's reflection appeared behind him in the glass.
"You're spacing out again," she said, voice soft but curious.
"You keep muttering numbers lately. System stats or something?"
Raiden blinked — caught off guard — and straightened immediately.
"Just… calculations," he said smoothly, brushing her question aside.
A pause, then a faint smirk. "Old habit."
Alya tilted her head, unconvinced but unwilling to pry.
"Well, whatever those calculations are, try not to burn out your brain."
Raiden gave a faint laugh. "Noted."
---
Hours later, the hub dimmed for cycle-night. Raiden sat awake beneath the hum of dim lights, the sealed shard from the Hollow Veins resting beside him. Even contained, it pulsed faintly — like a sleeping heart.
The system flickered again.
> [ Quest Update: "Echoes of the Black Sun" – Final Phase ]
Objective: Trace signal origin to Sector Delta / Facility N-12
Status: Active
Recommended Level: 12+
Warning: Residual Corruption Detected in User Link
Raiden's jaw tightened. "Residual corruption…"
Then — static. A whisper.
Soft. Faint. Familiar.
> —Raiden… the storm remembers…—
The hub vanished in an instant. He stood in a dead land of fire and ash. A black sun hung low, dripping embers into a horizon of ruin. Something vast beat its wings beyond the smoke.
Then it was gone.
He gasped, one hand gripping the bench, eyes wide.
"Not now…"
Alya stirred in her cot nearby. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he lied, forcing his breathing steady. "System glitch."
"System?" she repeated, half-asleep. "What sys—"
"Nothing," Raiden interrupted quickly. "Forget it. Go back to sleep."
She mumbled something indistinct and turned away. He watched her for a moment before facing the window again, the faint gold light flickering in his eyes.
---
> [ Sub-Quest Initialized: "Corruption Residuals" ]
Tracking Signal: Active
Estimated Source Distance: 32.4 km – South Sector Delta
The screen dimmed, the voice gone.
Outside, the storm rumbled louder, as if answering.
Somewhere deep in the network of his system, code shifted — something ancient stirring beneath the digital calm.
> [ Hidden Subroutine Reactivation … 19% … 23% … ]
The storm wasn't over.
It was only beginning.
---