CHAPTER 27: THE FLASH OF STEEL
The morning in the Underground City did not begin with sunlight… but with the accustomed silence of a siren. Those who lived here knew—at any moment, the Architect could strike.
A large portion of the cave had been transformed into a training ground. An arena made of iron pillars, broken robot parts, and metallic debris. This is where Aryan stood, his metal rod gripped tightly in his palm. Captain Zero stood before him, speaking in a grave tone.
"Aryan, your Shunya Energy is powerful. But if you don't learn to control it… it will destroy you before it destroys your enemies."
Aryan remained silent. Suddenly—a sharp sound came from the other side of the arena.
CLACK.
A youth leaped over the iron railing into the center. His hair was as white as snow, and his eyes held a cold, confident spark. He drew two small Vibro-Swords from his back. The blades began to shimmer with a light vibration. He smirked.
"So… this is the 'Awakener'?" He looked Aryan up and down. "To me, he just looks like a scared kid… who got lucky with a dangerous toy."
A light laughter echoed through the crowd. Captain Zero spoke in a calm voice. "Aryan, this is Kael. The fastest warrior of the Resistance." He looked at both of them. "And from today… he is your partner… and your rival."
Kael didn't even wait for a response. He moved like lightning. WHOOSH! His blades sliced through the air toward Aryan. Aryan barely had time to raise his rod.
CLANG!
A fierce collision of metal occurred. The vibration of Kael's Vibro-Sword left Aryan's hands numb. "Energy alone won't work, 'Messiah'!" Kael shouted. "If your reflexes are slow, you won't last a second in war!"
Aryan's anger flared. Black Shunya Energy began to glow in his eyes. He swung his rod with a heavy strike. But—Kael flipped through the air, and the attack hit nothing but empty space.
"Too slow!" Kael came from behind and struck with the hilt of his sword.
THUD!
Aryan fell to the ground. The crowd went silent. Some whispered, "Is this the Awakener…?" Aryan clenched his fist against the ground. He stood up slowly and took a deep breath. This time, he didn't let the energy explode outward. Instead… he pulled it deep within his body. A faint glow appeared on his tattoo.
[SYSTEM ALERT: INTERNAL ENERGY SYNC INITIATED]
Aryan spoke in a cold voice. "Again."
Kael smirked. "Now this will be fun."
For the next ten minutes… the entire arena echoed only with the clashing of metal.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Now Aryan's strikes were faster than before. Every move carried a faint ripple of energy. Kael was also fighting with full strength now. But there was a strange smile on his face—as if he wasn't trying to defeat Aryan… but to forge him.
Finally, both stopped. Both were breathing heavily. Kael looked at Aryan's hand—the S-01 tattoo. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you know what this means?"
Aryan remained silent. Kael spoke softly. "Old records say… S-01 wasn't alone. There was an S-02 as well."
Aryan understood immediately. "Iris…"
Kael nodded. "You two were created together. For a protocol." He said quietly— "Dual Protocol. If you two cannot link your powers… the Architect will finish you in a single strike."
For the first time, Aryan realized how deeply his and Iris's fates were intertwined.
Suddenly… a siren blared throughout the city. WOOOOOOO! The screen turned red.
[WARNING: MOVEMENT DETECTED IN THE VEINS]
[PURGE SENTINELS APPROACHING]
Captain Zero's voice boomed across the city— "Training is over! All fighters to your stations!"
Chaos spread through the crowd. Kael spun his swords and sheathed them on his back. Then he looked at Aryan. "It seems…" he smiled faintly, "today is your real test, Awakener."
Aryan gripped his metal rod tightly. Dust began to fall from the cave ceiling. Somewhere in the distance… the sound of heavy metallic footsteps echoed.
THOOM… THOOM… THOOM…
The Architect's army had arrived. And this time—they hadn't come just to scare them.