Klaus's office was wrecked. Shattered glass, sparking machines, papers scattered everywhere. Klaus sat slumped behind his cracked desk, breathing heavily.
"You DONT UNDERSTAND!!!!!!" he muttered, not even looking at them. "The First Artifact is real. And it's waking up."
"Not like this," Lena snapped, still holding her pistol steady. "You tortured people. You killed."
Klaus finally met their eyes. "The world doesn't care about morality when extinction is at the door."
Kaelan stepped forward. "I DO!!!."
He didn't kill Klaus. That wasn't the goal. Instead, he and Lena pulled every bit of data—on Project Grit, on the Prototype, on everything Klaus had done.
"People deserve the truth," Kaelan said as he uploaded the files to the public network.
When they left the ruined academy, the sunrise hit their faces for the first time. Rustbucket stood behind them, its new, sleeker form glowing under the morning light.
"Where do we even go now?" Lena asked.
Kaelan stared at the horizon. "We find the truth about the First Artifact. But on our own terms."
He clutched Yena's broken chip in his hand. "And we'll find a way to fix this."
As they walked away, Kaelan felt something strange—like Yena's presence was still with them. Maybe in Rustbucket, maybe in him.
They were fugitives now. But for the first time, they were free. And they had a purpose greater than just survival.
Then—
"WAIT! KAELAN, LENA! YOU CAN'T LEAVE!"
They spun around to see the source of the voice. A woman. Not just anyone—Dr. Aris, one of the Foundation's senior staff. Her rank wasn't as high as Klaus's, but her determination radiated stronger than his authority ever did.
Kaelan and Lena (stunned):
"Dr. Aris…?"
Kaelan, fists clenched, asked why she was stopping them.
Dr. Aris:
"Are you really happy being fugitives, running blind into danger? Have you thought about what happens when history forgets you, and the world suffers because of your choices later?"
Kaelan and Lena:
"What are you saying, Dr. Aris…?"
Before she could answer, armed mechs and Foundation soldiers surrounded them, weapons drawn.
Kaelan and Lena (furious):
"What is this? Did you stall us just to HAND US OVER????!!!!!?"
Rustbucket growled to life, Kaelan and Lena ready to fight. The soldiers tightened their stance, ready to fire.
But Dr. Aris raised her hand and kept talking.
"Kaelan. The First Artifact is real, and you can't stop it with just Rustbucket and raw willpower. Your plan—it's naive. The First Artifact isn't just some enemy you can punch through. It's something far beyond that. That's why instead of running off aimlessly, we should rebuild the academy. Train, prepare, sharpen everyone's skills through missions, tournaments, anything we can—so when the day comes, humanity actually stands a chance. And you'll be the core of it."
Kaelan froze. Lena too. They hated everything the Foundation had done. But her words hit something deep.
Kaelan started, "But—"
Aris cut him off.
"I know what you've been through. The discrimination. The missions that were never really yours to choose. The isolation. "You've never really had the chance to talk with the other pilots, right? It wasn't them keeping you away… it was just the way things were set up."
Her voice softened.
"That ends now. Under me, the Foundation won't be the same. We'll make Aethelgard Academy into something better—something that truly prepares us for what's coming."
Lena looked at Kaelan and, before he could argue, she stopped him.
"She's right, Kaelan and i know what type person Dr.aris are,There's still so much we don't understand. So much we need to learn. And this isn't just about us—it's about Rustbucket, Yena, and the world. Maybe… maybe we should give them one more chance."
Kaelan fell silent, staring at his hands, then back at Aris.
Dr. Aris, seeing his hesitation, smiled faintly. "Take your time. I'll wait for your answer."
But instead of waiting, Kaelan stepped forward. He clenched his fist and held it out toward her.
"…Alright. Maybe you're right. I don't fully get it yet, but something in me says you're pointing in the right direction."
Aris smiled warmly, pressing her fist against his. A silent pact.
EPILOGUE: A NEW DAWN
Far away, in a barren desert, the earth trembled. A colossal figure stirred beneath the sands. Its body etched with glowing spiral patterns, pulsing faintly in the dark.
It had heard something. Something familiar.
Kaelan's journey was only beginning.
And the world would never be the same again.