Chapter 3: The One Who Woke
The glass splintered outward in a slow, deliberate explosion of shards. The sound—high and crystalline—echoed through the vault like the chime of a long-forgotten bell. Shu stepped back instinctively, blades raised, eyes narrowed. Whatever—or whoever—had just awakened was no ordinary relic of the Sky Order.
The figure stepped out of the pod with the grace of a shadow sliding through mist. Tall, robed in flowing dark fabrics that shimmered with faint circuitry, it looked human—but moved like something that hadn't walked in centuries.
Its eyes glowed faintly gold, not like light, but like memory made visible.
"I see," the figure said, its voice smooth and ageless. "You carry the Key."
Shu didn't lower his blades. "Who are you?"
The figure ignored the question. It looked around the chamber, noting the empty air, the flickering lights, the silence of the other pods. "How long have I slept?"
Shu tightened his grip. "Centuries, maybe. This world isn't the one you left behind."
That made the figure pause. Its gaze shifted back to him, and this time there was a flicker—of sorrow, perhaps. Or anger.
Then it spoke again. "They called me Kael, First Sentinel of the Sky Vault. I swore an oath to protect the Key… and all who bore it."
Shu blinked, caught off guard.
"You're saying you're a Guardian?"
"No," Kael said quietly. "I'm saying I was human—once. The Sky Order chose some of us to ascend. This," he gestured to himself, "is what remains of that."
Sera's voice crackled through Shu's earpiece. "Shu. That name—Kael—it's in the Lost Order archives. He was real. A commander. Vanished after the Eclipse Wars."
"I thought those were myths."
"So did I."
Kael turned toward the rows of dormant pods. "And now I am the only one awake. That means the world is bleeding again."
Shu hesitated, then lowered his blades—slightly. "The world is worse than bleeding. Empires are rising again. Machines have no masters. And the skies are still locked."
"The Sky Key can change that," Kael said, stepping forward. "But it requires two things: a bearer… and a purpose."
Shu stared at him. "I've got a purpose."
Kael studied him, almost gently. "You carry pain in your chest, boy. But vengeance is not the same as purpose."
"I'm not after revenge."
"No?" Kael looked to the Key still hovering at Shu's side. "Then tell me why the Key responded to you—and not to the armies who've tried to claim it for centuries."
Shu didn't answer.
He didn't know.
Not truly.
A part of him believed he was still chasing ghosts—his fallen sister, the ruin of his order, the fragments of something that once meant hope.
Before he could respond, the vault began to tremble.
A low-frequency hum vibrated through the floor. Lights dimmed, then flickered red. One of the other stasis pods sparked violently before collapsing inward. The sound of collapsing systems echoed like thunder through the chamber.
"Someone triggered the failsafe," Kael muttered, voice suddenly sharp. "This place is collapsing."
Sera's voice returned, frantic. "Shu, there's a seismic shift under the vault—like something's tunneling toward you. Fast."
Kael turned sharply. "They've found the tomb. We need to leave—now."
Shu nodded. He ran toward the corridor they came through, Kael following effortlessly despite his massive frame. Behind them, the chamber fell apart—walls cracking, pillars crumbling, and several more pods exploding under pressure.
"What's coming?" Shu shouted over the chaos.
Kael's voice was grim. "Something we thought we buried long ago. A Devourer-class Warform. They were designed to erase Sky Tech before it could fall into enemy hands."
"They built a self-destructing monster?"
"They built a cleaner," Kael corrected. "Not meant for humans. Meant for everything."
They reached the pedestal room. As they passed, Shu snatched the Sky Key from its floating rest. It dimmed once more, pulsing faintly in his grip.
The golem's remains still lay in ruins.
The sound behind them grew louder—like grinding metal, or giant gears churning beneath the earth.
Then the walls exploded.
From the debris, a massive, snake-like machine slithered into view. It had no eyes—just a segmented metal body and a splitting mouth lined with rotating blades. Its skin rippled with dark energy, and it let out a shriek so high-pitched Shu's ears rang.
"Run!" Kael shouted, pushing Shu forward.
The two sprinted out through the ruins, the construct smashing through walls behind them. Shu vaulted over debris, ducking falling stone, while Kael moved like a shadow, clearing wreckage with bursts of inhuman speed.
They reached the outer threshold of the temple—where sunlight still touched the upper ridges.
The moment Shu stepped through the archway, the Sky Key flared.
A surge of energy erupted behind them.
The temple caved in completely, burying the Warform in a storm of stone and light.
Silence.
Just the wind.
Shu dropped to his knees, panting hard. His hands trembled—but he was alive.
Kael stood beside him, still watching the ruins.
"That won't stop it forever," he said.
Shu nodded, still catching his breath. "Then we better move before it wakes up again."
Kael turned to him. "There are more vaults. More keys. And more weapons like that one. You'll need help."
"I already have help," Shu replied, tapping his earpiece.
Sera's voice came through, light but edged with tension. "I heard all of that, by the way. And yes, I'll be giving you both a long lecture later."
Kael offered a rare, small smile.
Then he turned to the mountain pass beyond. The clouds had begun to clear, revealing the vast world stretching ahead—valleys of ash, forests glowing with bio-luminescence, ruins hidden in ancient fog.
"The sky remembers," Kael said softly.
And they walked on.