(Ryze's POV)
The morning in the Void wasn't really a morning — just a lighter shade of gray.
The kind that told you another endless cycle had started.
I woke up to the sound of the wind scraping against the house and the faint hum of static in the air. Blaze was already gone. His sword wasn't by the wall, and the comms board showed faint trace signals — his energy signature moving east.
He didn't even wake us.
I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, staring at the empty space he'd left behind. SK stood by the doorway, already in her armor, her scythe glinting faintly in the half-light.
"Where's Blaze?" I asked.
She didn't turn. "Sir Blaze went ahead to check the perimeter. He said not to follow."
Of course she'd know first.
I forced a small laugh. "He's trusting you with the orders now?"
Her eyes flicked toward me, sharp. "I'm simply respecting the chain of command."
"Chain of command? We're not in the Empire anymore."
"Maybe you're not."
The way she said it — calm, cold — cut deeper than I expected.
I stepped closer, crossing my arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She adjusted her grip on her scythe but didn't raise it. "You act like you're his equal. But you're not, Ryze. You're Resistance. He's Empire. You don't understand him the way we do."
I laughed, sharp and bitter. "Oh yeah? Because you 'respect' him more? Is that it?"
SK's expression didn't change. "Respect isn't just words. It's knowing when to follow."
That hit harder than any bullet.
The air between us crackled with tension. For a moment, I actually thought she'd swing that blade — and part of me almost wanted her to.
But before either of us could move—
CRACK.
The sound came from outside — glass and metal breaking in unison. Then another.
A cold pulse rippled through the ground beneath our feet.
I froze. SK's eyes shifted instantly, her soldier instincts kicking in.
"They're here," she said.
Before I could ask, the first Shard smashed through the front wall — glitching, twisting, its form half-human, half-static.
Then came more.
Five.
Ten.
Dozens.
The Void's pale light flickered as the swarm surrounded the house.
SK didn't wait for orders. She swung her scythe in a clean arc, slicing through two at once. The air rippled with energy.
I rolled over the table, pulled my rifle from the counter, and fired — each shot burning holes through shimmering bodies of fragmented data.
But for every one we took down, two more appeared.
"Where the hell are they coming from!?" I shouted.
"Doesn't matter!" SK yelled back. "We hold this line!"
For once, I didn't argue.
We fought side by side, but even then, we weren't together.
Our rhythm was off — she moved too fast, I aimed too wide. Her style was precise, mine reactive. When I shot to cover her flank, she'd already shifted. When she spun to guard mine, I'd already taken the shot.
It was chaos.
A wall of light burst through the window, throwing me to the floor. SK landed beside me, breathing hard.
I could taste iron — the metallic tang of the air mixed with static.
Then, everything went still.
The shards froze mid-motion, twitching violently before shattering into digital dust.
A low hum filled the silence, followed by heavy, metallic footsteps.
Through the haze stepped a figure — tall, armored, exuding pressure that made the air itself hum.
A knight of data and steel, its armor cracked but radiant, eyes glowing faint blue through the visor.
SK took a step forward. "You're not a Shard…"
The figure tilted its head, studying her. Then, in a flash of motion too fast to track—
WHAM.
The armored hand slammed into SK's chestplate, sending her flying through a broken wall.
"SK!" I screamed, firing shot after shot at the entity — but the bullets dispersed mid-air, dissolving against the shimmer of its armor.
It turned toward me, the sound of metal grinding softly as it moved.
"Come on then!" I shouted, pulling the trigger until the rifle overheated, sparks bursting from the chamber. "You want me?!"
The figure didn't answer — it just appeared before me.
I barely saw the motion before its arm swung —
A flash, a pulse — and I was thrown across the room.
Pain bloomed through my ribs. I tried to move, but the entity was already there, one massive hand pinning me against the wall.
"Let… go!" I gasped, kicking, struggling, clawing at the armor.
It didn't budge.
SK burst back through the debris, her armor cracked, scythe glowing red-hot.
"Get away from her!"
She lunged — her blade connecting with the figure's side — but the weapon stopped, caught between the armored giant's hands.
Then, with frightening ease, it twisted, disarming her and slamming her down beside me.
We were both trapped now, pinned by a force that felt more like gravity than strength.
The figure raised its hand — energy forming along its gauntlet, a blade of light humming to life.
It was aiming for SK.
"No—!"
I grabbed the nearest shard of metal and swung wildly, the piece clanging uselessly against the armor. "You're not taking her!"
The figure paused.
For a heartbeat, everything was still.
Then —
A sound.
Soft. Low. Familiar.
A chuckle.
My breath caught in my throat.
The blade of light dimmed. The armored figure slowly lowered its weapon, releasing pressure from its gauntlets. I felt my body drop to the ground.
SK gasped beside me, eyes wide, as the figure reached for its helmet.
A faint hiss filled the room — and then the faceplate lifted.
Blue eyes. A grin. A tired but unmistakably amused expression.
"Blaze…?" I whispered.
He gave a short, sheepish laugh. "Well, that could've gone smoother."
SK stared, eyes wide. "Sir… Blaze?"
"Yeah, it's me," he said, rubbing the back of his neck like he'd just finished a warm-up. "Nice reflexes, by the way. You both nearly took my head off."
I was too stunned to move. My heart was still racing from the fight, and my mind couldn't process what I was seeing.
"Wha—what was that!?" I shouted, half shaking, half furious. "You nearly killed us!"
"Correction," Blaze said, raising a finger. "I almost scared you to death. Big difference."
SK frowned. "Sir, what was the meaning of this?"
He sighed, sitting down amid the rubble, his armor still humming faintly.
"You two can't fight together to save your lives," he said simply. "So I decided to give you a reason to."
"You pretended to be an enemy just to—"
"To make sure you'd protect each other," Blaze finished, looking at me with a calm smile. "And you did."
I blinked, words stuck in my throat. SK's expression softened, the edges of her usual composure cracking slightly.
For a long moment, none of us spoke.
The only sound was the low hum of the storm outside and the faint static of dissipating Shards.
Finally, Blaze stood, offering a hand to each of us.
"Come on," he said softly. "No more fighting. We've got enough enemies out there already."
I hesitated, then took his hand. SK did the same.
The warmth in his grip was steady — grounding.
As he helped us both to our feet, Blaze chuckled quietly. "Besides, it's not every day I get to test two of my best fighters."
I met SK's eyes for a brief second — tired, wary, but… something had shifted.
Not friendship. Not yet. But the start of something that might become one.
Blaze dusted off his armor, looking out toward the storm.
"Good. You both did better than I thought."
I exhaled slowly, my hands still trembling from the adrenaline.
SK looked down. "Sir… permission to speak freely?"
"Always," Blaze said.
She frowned slightly. "Next time, warn us before the 'training.'"
He grinned. "Where's the fun in that?"
Despite everything — the fear, the chaos — I laughed. SK did too, barely.
For the first time, it didn't sound forced.