The gates of Elysion Prime rise like walls of black crystal, their golden runes pulsing softly.
Three figures stand before them — Nyra Shadeveil, her cloak of shadow drifting like smoke; Rauk Storm-Born, tall and broad-shouldered, amber eyes sharp; and Isha Silentwind, half-spirit, half-solid, her form flickering in quiet rhythm.
Beyond the gate lies the unknown.
Rauk glances sideways. "Orders?"
Nyra's voice is calm. "No noise, no light. Observe and report. No fights unless necessary."
Isha's whisper follows. "Understood."
[Mission Start: First Contact / Reconnaissance]
[Zone: Nythora – Outer Boundary]
[Objective: Gather Visual, Mana and Environmental Data]
The gate parts with a sound like distant thunder.
Cold air rushes in as the dome opens a narrow passage.
For a moment, they simply look.
Twin suns — one gold, one red — hang over a cracked plain wrapped in silver mist.
Black plants rise from the ash-soft ground, faint blue veins glowing under their bark.
Rauk steps forward, boots sinking slightly. "Air's thin. Feels drained."
Nyra scans the haze. "Mana purity's low. but stable."
[Environmental Reading: Mana Density 30 % Pure]
[Radiation: None Detected]
[Air Quality: Safe for Extended Exposure]
Isha kneels, touching the soil. Silver ripples spread beneath her hand. "Old energy. Faded, but alive."
They move in formation — Nyra ahead, Isha scouting, Rauk covering rear.
The wind hums through far mountains like a voice half asleep.
Nyra lifts a hand. A shadow stirs through the fog — four-legged, light-footed.
Isha blurs behind a ridge. "Target sighted," she sends through the link. "Scanning."
[Scanning Entity…]
[Threat Level: Low]
[Power Level: 50 / Unknown Behavioral Patterns]
A spirit-deer appears, its body half-transparent, eyes glowing blue. It drinks from a mirror-bright puddle.
"Spirit beast," Rauk murmurs.
"Half-spirit, half-living," Nyra replies. "Adapted to thin mana."
The creature freezes, then melts into the mist.
[Observation Logged: Native Lifeform Type – Passive]
[Behavior: Non-hostile / Evasive]
"Move on," Nyra says. "The Emperor wants a full report."
They cross the plain. Flowers of dim silver bloom underfoot.
[Recon Progress: 26 %]
[Environmental Stability: Moderate]
[Detected Residual Energy: Ancient Structure 1.3 km Ahead]
"Structure ahead," Rauk notes.
"Or a trap," Nyra answers.
The mist thickens. The ground trembles. Pebbles leap as vibrations rise.
[Seismic Fluctuation Detected]
[Threat Level: Low]
[Power Level: 150 / Hostile Signatures Unknown]
Rauk's claws extend with a faint metallic scrape. "Something's coming up."
The earth splits open. A black-scaled worm bursts out, runes glowing red across its long body. Its mouth opens wide, crystal teeth grinding in a low rumble.
Nyra doesn't move. "Low power reading. Handle it."
Rauk grins. "Already on it."
He vanishes in a blur. A thunderous crack shakes the air as his clawed fist meets the creature's head. The impact splits the skull and sends waves of dark mist rippling across the plain.
Dust settles. The monster's body collapses, melting into black steam.
[Hostile Entity Neutralized]
[Threat Level: Low]
[Power Level: 150 / Eliminated in 1.8 Seconds]
Rauk brushes off dark residue. "If that's this world's welcome, I'm disappointed."
Nyra sheathes her dagger. "Even weak lands can hide clever predators."
Isha scans the ashes, eyes glowing silver. "No core. Barely a creature. Just leftover energy given shape."
Nyra nods. "Move out. The silence here feels wrong."
[Data Logged – Local Species: Abyssal Wormling]
[Behavioral Pattern: Reactive / Territorial / Non-intelligent]
[Threat Cleared – Recon Progress 39 %]
They leave the fading dust behind and head toward the broken towers rising through the silver fog.
Above them, the twin suns sink lower, their colors blending into a red glow that floods the horizon.
[Recon Progress: 42 %]
[Signal Transmission: Stable]
Far away, within the shining dome of Elysion Prime, Kael Draven stands on his balcony, watching that same red light spread across the alien sky — unaware that his scouts have just set foot upon the ruins that once belonged to the ancient Empire of Nythor.