The first glimpse of Velhym Station was through a blanket of fog, thick as sorrow, that curled around the jagged remains of a mountain range long since crumbled by time. The ruins, towering and ancient, seemed less like a station and more like the dying bones of a forgotten civilization.
Kael stood at the forefront of the group, staring at the broken skyline that cut against the gray, distant sun. The station was massive, even in its state of decay. Its spires reached upward like twisted trees, and what remained of its once-grand facade was now a smattering of broken concrete, rusted metal, and shattered glass. A place of research, a haven of knowledge, now reduced to a haunted relic of the past.
"Can't believe people used to live here," Lira muttered, her voice breaking the eerie silence as she adjusted her goggles. "This is nothing like the Guild halls."
Kael shifted his weight, feeling the weight of his mission press against his chest. "The past isn't always what we think it was. We have to find what they left behind."
"You mean the Core," Aren said, eyeing him from the side. "I still don't get why you're so sure the station will have any answers."
"It's not just about the Core," Kael replied, his voice steady but his mind far away. "The station might hold talent schematics, instructions on how abilities were developed before the collapse. There's something we don't know about what's inside me. I need to understand how to use it."
Drex, who had been silent until now, cracked his knuckles and spat to the side. "You're right about that. The Core isn't just a key to power; it's a ticking bomb. You have to learn to control it."
They set off toward the station, navigating the ruined landscape carefully. The path was treacherous, a labyrinth of fractured stone and twisted metal that threatened to give way with every step. But the station's looming presence kept them moving forward, its silent watchful gaze pulling them in.
---
By the time they reached the outer perimeter of the station, the fog had thickened, curling around their legs like a ghostly hand, guiding them toward the entrance. The massive doors were half-buried in debris, and what once may have been a bustling complex was now a silent void.
The air was colder here. The temperature dropped significantly the closer they got to the center of the station, as though the ruins themselves exhaled an ancient chill.
"I'll scout ahead," Lira said, already tapping her wrist communicator to activate her stealth mode. "I'll report if I see any anomalies."
"Stay in contact," Kael called after her, though he knew she would be well out of range within minutes.
The rest of the group moved forward. Kael's steps felt heavier as they passed under the shattered archway of the station, into its main hall. The inside was cavernous, a series of towering pillars that supported an immense domed ceiling, most of which had collapsed long ago. Dust and debris covered the floor, and ancient equipment lay abandoned in various stages of disrepair.
"So, this is it," Drex said, his voice a low rumble. "This is where it all began."
Aren glanced at the broken machinery scattered across the floor. "Hard to believe this place used to be a hub for talent research. Looks more like a mausoleum."
"That's what time does," Kael said softly. "It erodes. Even the greatest legacies fall."
He stepped forward, examining a control panel half-buried in the rubble. It was old, its screen cracked and faded, but something about it called to him. His fingers brushed against the panel, and as if on cue, a flicker of light appeared on the screen. Then another. And another.
The interface activated, a low hum filling the air. Kael stepped back, his heart racing.
"What the hell?" Drex muttered. "How did you—"
"I didn't do anything," Kael replied, staring at the screen as symbols began to scroll. "It's reacting to me."
A faint chime echoed through the station.
"You didn't touch anything?" Aren asked suspiciously.
"I swear," Kael said. "I think it's linked to the Core inside me."
The screen suddenly cleared, and a map of the station appeared, along with a flashing red dot. "What's that?" Lira's voice crackled in their earpieces.
"Not sure. But we need to find out." Kael pointed toward the flashing dot. "That's where we're headed."
---
They followed the map through the station's winding halls, past rooms filled with half-destroyed data banks and laboratories, all long abandoned. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the air became. Strange whistling sounds echoed from the shadows, but there was no sign of any other life.
As they approached the location marked on the map, Kael felt a pulse from the Core again. It was subtle at first, like a whisper in his mind. But the closer they got to the designated area, the stronger it became, until his whole body was thrumming with energy.
"There it is," Kael said, pointing to a large, metallic door. The walls around it were cracked, as though something massive had been thrown against them in the past.
Drex slammed his shoulder into the door, and it creaked open with a groan of ancient machinery. Inside, the room was dark, save for the faint glow of emergency lights lining the walls. In the center of the room stood a pedestal, and on it, a sealed container.
The Core inside Kael began to thrum violently.
Kael reached out, instinctively knowing that this was what he had come for.
"Kael, wait—" Lira's voice rang in his ear, but it was too late. Kael's hand touched the container, and the entire room seemed to shudder.
For a moment, the air itself seemed to crack, as if reality itself had been torn open.
Then, a voice echoed through Kael's mind.
You are the Key.
---
He pulled back, startled. His head spun, and the Core pulsed fiercely within him, like a heartbeat syncing with his own. He staggered, gripping the pedestal for support.
"You okay?" Drex asked, his tone tense.
Kael nodded, breathing heavily. "Yeah. But something's… wrong."
A soft hiss filled the air, and the container on the pedestal began to open. Inside was a crystalline object, pulsing with energy. It looked like a piece of broken sky, swirling with a storm Kael couldn't comprehend.
"This is it," Kael whispered, the realization dawning on him. "This is what they were researching. This is what powers the legacy."
---
Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them. Kael looked up just in time to see a massive shadow blot out the emergency lights. A dark figure stood in the doorway, flanked by several others.
"You shouldn't have come here," the figure said, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes glowed faintly, the same storm-like energy Kael had felt in the Core.
Lira swore. "Who the hell are these guys?"
The figure stepped forward. "We are the Storm's Chosen."
---