> Location: Ruined Orbit of Haven-X // Forbidden Sanctuary World
Status: Erased from Galactic Records – Protocol Redacted Site
---
The warp jump ended with a shudder.
Kael stumbled as the Seraph Exile broke through the orbital fog of Haven-X. Chunks of debris floated like ghosts—fragments of satellites, broken citadels, drifting bones of a forgotten civilization.
Kael stared out the viewport.
> "This place… it's dead."
Solaris said nothing at first. She slowly removed her visor, her face solemn.
> "No. It was murdered."
> "By who?" Kael asked.
> "By the same people who trained the Obsidian Choir."
She guided the ship past what once must've been a defensive moon, now hollowed out and webbed in cosmic rot.
> "Haven-X was a sanctuary. A rebellion refuge.
This is where your father last stood."
Kael froze.
> "My… father?"
---
[System Update: Ancestral Lineage Match Detected]
> Name: Ralen Veyar
Designation: Protocol Prime (Deceased – Status Unverified)
Notes: Former wielder of Cinder One and Stellar Frame Omega]
---
> "He was a legend before the Order erased him," Solaris said quietly.
"He was the last person to ever defy the Protocol—and survive."
> "Until now."
---
Haven-X Surface – Central Spire Remains
They landed near the crumbled ruins of the central spire. The ground was scorched black, glassed by orbital weapons. Machines stuck out of the ground like rusted bones.
Kael stepped onto the surface. His core pulsed again—like something remembered him here.
> "Why are we here?" he asked.
Solaris handed him a small beacon.
> "Because there's someone still alive beneath these ruins."
Kael frowned.
> "Someone survived all this?"
> "He's not just anyone," Solaris said.
"He fought beside your father.
And he's the only one who knows how to unlock the second Starcode Fragment."
---
Sublevel 12 – Haven-X Vault Access
They climbed through metal carnage and twisted corridors until they reached a sealed door with a single glowing sigil.
Kael touched it.
It opened.
Inside sat a figure—chained, but not by metal. Digital shackles flickered around him, and yet… he looked untouched by time.
He opened his eyes.
Silver. Like liquid mercury.
> "Took you long enough," the man said.
"You look like him."
Kael stepped forward cautiously.
> "You knew my father?"
The man smirked.
> "I trained your father."
> "Who are you?"
> "Name's Valen Kryth.
Codename: The Echo Blade.
I'm what's left of Haven-X."
---
[New Character Introduced: Valen Kryth]
> Designation: Echo Blade // Cybernetic Legend
Status: Imprisoned in Quantum Loop for 17 Years
Skills: Time Fragment Combat, Shadow Duplication, Echo Slash
---
Valen stood, the digital bonds releasing with a wave from Solaris.
> "So," he said, stretching, "you want to survive what's coming?"
Kael nodded.
> "Then let's see if you're worth your father's name."
Without warning, Valen struck.
---
Training Sequence Initiated: Echo Combat Protocol
Kael dodged instinctively, but Valen was fast—blindingly so. Each strike of his blade echoed seconds later, repeating like a time glitch.
> "You're thinking too slow," Valen barked.
"The Choir won't let you think. They'll erase you before thought becomes motion."
Kael summoned Burn Chains, lashing outward with fire.
Valen grinned.
> "Now you're learning."
The duel raged for hours—each blow refining Kael, each loss burning the weakness out of him.
By the end, Kael stood, body bruised, but burning with a new light.
---
[New Skill Unlocked: Echo Dive]
> Allows Kael to momentarily move into a delayed echo of reality, avoiding attacks and reappearing 2 seconds later.
Cooldown: 10 Seconds
---
Valen nodded.
> "You're ready for the next fragment. But you won't find it alone."
He stepped toward the wall and pressed a hidden switch. A cryo-chamber hissed open.
Inside was a girl.
Dark hair. Glowing tattoos on her neck. And a pulse signature unlike any Kael had seen.
> "Meet Aeris Velar.
She's the map to the next Starcode fragment… and the key to unlocking your bloodline."