The simulation chamber felt alive with a soft buzz, neon lights casting a cool glow that made Kairo's grin shine brighter. He slouched against a wall, trial suit still clingy, buzzing with relief—the Mental Trials were done, and he was pumped for the results. A deep hum kicked in, blue runes glowing on the walls like a victory signal. And a smooth voice echoed from hidden speakers: "Proceed to the auditorium for final evaluation." Kairo's heart did a happy flip, and he high-fived Tarek. "Time to shine, y'all!" Mira smirked, leading the way. "Let's see those Etherborn badges." Tarek hopped up, fake-punching Kairo's arm. "I'm getting top score, freak." Lira snorted. "Dream on, blade-boy." Lira chuckled, trailing behind, her steps light for once. They bounced through a shiny corridor, kairo's mind raced—points, rankings, being official Etherborn. They'd survived hell—orphans, labs, lost parents—and now it was payoff time. "Bet we all passed," he said, voice bright. Lira winked. "Duh, we're awesome." Orren glanced back, grinning. "Stay sharp, team." Their chatter echoed, full of hope, the trials' pain just a quiet sting in the background. The corridor opened to a huge auditorium, black marble gleaming, silver lights twinkling like stars. A stage glowed up front—this was it. They plopped into the front row, ready for Zairen's big reveal. He swept onto the stage, and the auditorium went hush, his silver cloak catching the spotlight like liquid moonlight. One red eye gleaming, made Kairo sit up, hyped for the news. Zairen's vibe was all power, like he held their futures in his hands, but today he seemed almost proud, like they'd earned his nod. The team leaned in, "Congratulations, you've triumphed," Zairen said, voice rich and clear, filling the room. "The Proving Grounds tested your brains and muscles, The Mental Trials tested your hearts and souls, and you've proven your strength." He paced, cloak flowing, hands raised like a preacher. "Your points are counted. Today, you claim your place as Etherborn…or don't Zairen's eye swept over them, his voice booming. "You are the future of C.E.L.E.N., forged in pain, ready to rise." The spotlight flared, and Orren clapped, the team joining in, their cheers bouncing off the marble. This was their moment—no more tests, just victory. Zairen raised a hand, screens flickering behind him, numbers starting to form—scores, names, their fates. Then—BAM. The stage exploded into static, Zairen's voice twisting into a scream: "Not… over…" The floor cracked, marble melting into black goo, seats bursting into flames. The ceiling tore open, a blood-red sky swirling above. Kairo lurched back, heart slamming, as the team jumped up, yelling. "What the actual fuck?!" Tarek roared, blades out. Lira's shields sparked, Orren's gravity hummed, Mira's fists glowed. Zairen's form dissolved, his laugh a knife: "Face yourselves." Reality shattered, and they landed in a warped Proving Ground—cliffs jutted at impossible angles, rivers of black fire snaked through the dirt, and the sky churned with crimson storms. five figures stood ahead, cloaked in shadows, their faces hidden but… familiar. Kairo's stomach dropped. "This is bad," he muttered, etheron tugging at loose rocks, ready to throw. Mira stepped forward, her voice steady but tight. "Zairen set us up. It was never over, This is the final test." Her fists glowed brighter, water energy crackling, Tarek spat, blades spinning. "Great, more mind games. I'm slicing first, asking later." Lira's shields flared, her eyes scanning. "Those things… they're us, aren't they?" Orren nodded, gravity warping the air around him. "He said we'd face who we could become. Our worst selves. Well, this is it" Kairo's throat went dry. The figures moved closer, and their faces cleared—twisted versions of the team, "Well, shit," lira whispered. The shadows spoke as one: "You can't escape what you are." Mira glanced at the team, their eyes wide but fierce. "We do this together," she said, voice like steel. "No one breaks." They nodded, Etheron flaring, and the shadows charged, the ground exploding in a storm of power and hate. Kairo dove left, blue etheron hurling a boulder at Shadow Kairo. His red aura felt like his own heart turned rotten, summoning a snarling skeleton knight that roared like a jet engine. "You're a control freak!" the tyrant sneered, slate-gray eyes glinting, more skeleton hands clawing from the dirt. Kairo's gut twisted—his fear of becoming a monster who summons and controls twisted monsters hit like a truck. "What kind of fucked up shit is this, never seen this type of etheron" he yelled, "I'm not you!" blasting a wave of etheron, the skeleton exploding into shards, but the shadow just laughed, chains slicing the air. Nearby, Mira was a blur, water swirling around her, forming razor-sharp knives that spun like a tornado, slamming into Shadow Mira's spiked armor, but her twisted water crushed the ground with a bone-rattling boom and waves surged like a tsunami shielding her. "You'll murder them with your ruling!" Shadow Mira taunted. "I lead, not enslave!" Mira's real self roared, her knives morphing into a glowing water ram, massive and thundering, smashing through Shadow Mira's shield with a crash that sent cliffs collapsing in a spray of obsidian dust, the black fire rivers surging higher. Tarek's blades spun like twin comets clashing with Shadow Tarek's bloodied swords in a shower of sparks that lit the crimson sky like a fireworks show gone wild. "You're just a lonely thug!" the shadow grinned, slashing a chaotic arc that split a boulder clean in half, the halves crashing like thunder. Tarek skidded back, boots grinding "Mental shit is over, bitch! Ain't falling for your bullshit. I've got a family now!" he shouted, blades glowing brighter, carving a crescent of dark-blue light that sent the shadow reeling. Meanwhile, Lira's formed a shield sparking like a broken arcade, gray Etheron buzzing, blocking Shadow Lira's flickering claws with a smirk cutting deeper than her strikes. "You're a fake, lab rat!" Shadow Lira hissed, glitching through Lira's defenses, blood welling. Lira's snapped, "I'm real enough!" Her shield surged into a gray storm, jagged spikes shooting out, pinning the shadow, who flickered out and reappeared, cackling like a glitchy demon. And Orren's gravity fields hummed with a low rumble that warped the air, countering Shadow Orren's crushing waves that pulverized a cliff into gravel, the dust choking the air. "You're a murderer, a failure!" the destroyer said, eyes dead as stone, his gravity tearing the ground apart. Orren shouted "I'm more than that!" His field tightened, a precise pulse that hurled Shadow Orren skyward, the impact booming like a cannon, shaking the Proving Ground's jagged peaks, black fire flaring in response. Tarek parried Shadow Lira's claws, shouting, "Lira, hit harder, damn it!" while Orren yanked Kairo from Shadow Mira's water field with a gravity pull, the water splashing like a broken dam. "Stay sharp!" Mira barked, her voice cutting through the chaos. but the shadows were relentless and the team was barely holding tight, their backs pressed together as the shadows circled. "We're losing!" Kairo shouted, dodging a chain that screamed past, shattering a rock. "They know us too well!" He added, Tarek yelled "No shit, they're literally us!" Orren, clutching his chest he gasped, "Guys, I got an idea. We… switch." The words hit like a spark in the dark. Kairo's eyes widened—it was genius. They couldn't outfight their own shadows, but they knew each other's moves, flaws, fears like the back of their hands. "Let's do it! Go!" Mira roared, and the team scrambled.
Kairo dove at Shadow Tarek, blue Etheron blasting the shadow's bloodied blades, knowing Tarek's cocky style left gaps when he swung big. "You're all talk!" Kairo taunted, hurling a volley of rocks that spun like meteors, disrupting the shadow's rhythm, his grin faltering as a rock smashed his shoulder, sparks flying. Tarek charged Shadow Mira, blades slicing through her water shield, exploiting her overconfidence, each cut precise. "Too slow, fake!" he yelled, dodging a guillotine wave, his blades landing true, water spraying like a geyser. And Mira faced Shadow Kairo, her water blasts hammering his twisted summonings, targeting the skeletons before they could fully crawl from his red-black shadow. "You're not him!" she growled, knives spinning into a vortex. Lira tackled Shadow Orren, her glitchy storm scrambling his gravity pulses—a perfect matchup, their powers vibing like distorted mirrors. "Control this, creep!" she spat, her sass masking the pain, spikes pinning his field, gravel exploding, and Orren took Shadow Lira, gravity pinning her glitchy shields, exploiting her rigid control. "You're empty!" he said, crushing her field with a pulse that sent sparks flying, the ground quaking. The shadows screamed, caught off-guard, their taunts twisting into rage: "You'll fail… betray…"
Shadow Tarek's blades slashed through the red-tinted air, a crazy blur of shiny steel and dark-blue glow, cutting the sky like he was in charge. Kairo ran right at him, blue Etheron pumping through him like a wildfire, every step a tug-of-war between pain and pure grit. They smashed into each other—light and shadow bursting in a mess of sparks and a boom that shook the ground, dirt flying everywhere like the Proving Ground couldn't take their fight. Kairo zipped away in a flash, using Assassin Dash making him crazy fast, darting left, then right, like a ghost nobody could catch. A blade missed his neck by a whisker, slicing a big chunk out of a cliff instead, rocks crashing down with a loud rumble. Dust stung Kairo's eyes as he rolled, hands glowing blue, grabbing a beat-up car frame from the rubble—a rusty heap that lit up with Etheron. He chucked it hard, the thing howling through the air like a rocket, glowing bright blue. Shadow Tarek's blades swung up, chopping it into glowing bits with a screech like nails on a chalkboard, sparks popping like firecrackers. Then he rushed forward, a streak of dark-blue light, grinning like he was having the time of his life. Before Kairo could breathe, a kick slammed his ribs, hitting like a truck, sending him smashing into a pile of rocks. Pain exploded in his head, dust choking him, his eyes blurry. Spitting blood, he dragged himself up, Etheron sparking like a bonfire. All around, stuff floated—broken glass, rusty bolts, junk like hubcaps, a twisted pipe, some barbed wire—all glowing blue, shaking like they were ready to blow. Kairo yelled and threw them at Tarek, a wild storm of glowing scraps, the air screaming as they flew. Shadow Tarek spun through it, blades swinging like a pro, knocking away bolts and glass with loud clangs. A couple pieces nicked his arm and cheeks leaving wisps of blood, but he just grinned, totally into it, Kairo jumped high, blasting blue energy bolts from his hands, each one a glowing fireball raining down, scorching the dirt. The shadow dodged with a roll, quick as lightning, and popped up behind Kairo, blades swinging up fast. Kairo spun in the air, then he tried something new—he focused the etheron in his arms, glowing with dark-blue in blade shapes, almost as if his arms turned into swords. Then he slammed it down to block. Sparks flew like a sparkler show, blue and white light everywhere. The hit spun Kairo around, and he landed sliding, knees bent, glowing blade-hands ready. Shadow Tarek came again, blades making an X like he meant business. Kairo ducked, swinging his blade-hand up, scraping Tarek's side, a bit of mist puffing out. They circled, breathing heavy, staring each other down, Kairo's glowing blades shifting, getting longer and curvier, like cool swords. Tarek rushed in, faking a swing one way, then zipping behind Kairo. He turned quick, blocking the sneaky stab, their blades crashing with a loud buzz, blue and white sparks flying like crazy. Kairo grunted, arms aching, and pushed away, flipping over shadow Tarek's head, tossing a glowing tire rim while in the air, its edge sharp yet the shadow ducked slicing the rim in half, but Kairo landed behind him, swinging his blade-hand at Tarek's back. He spun, grabbing Kairo's wrist with his blade's handle, then kneed him hard in the stomach. Kairo gasped, air gone, pain burning. Tarek whirled, blades up to end it. Kairo dropped to the dirt, rolled, and stabbed his blade-hand up, cutting a glowing scratch across Tarek's shoulder, mist trailing. Tarek growled but smirked, then kicked Kairo with both feet, sending him sliding through the dirt, blood dripping, head spinning. Kairo got up shaky, Etheron glowing brighter, hotter, like a blue sun. "I ain't done yet," he said, teeth gritted, blood on his chin. He yelled, zooming forward with Assassin Dash, and their blades smashed together, lighting up the red sky with a huge flash, the ground cracking under them. Everything got faster, wilder—swings, blocks, dodges, quick hits, like they were dancing on a tightrope. Kairo slid under a spinning blade, dirt flying, and popped up, jabbing his blade-hand at Tarek's side, the glow humming loud. Tarek flipped over him, landing soft, and swung down from above, blades like a dark-blue moon. Kairo threw his blade-hands up, crossing them, blocking the hit in mid-air, sparks shooting out like a meteor shower, lighting up the whole place. They stopped for a second, beat-up, clothes torn, Etheron buzzing around them like a storm—then ran at each other, the ground shaking, their fight a huge, loud blast of light and chaos.
At that time, Tarek's real self tore through the chaos like a streak of dark-blue lightning, his twin blades slicing the smoky red air with wicked arcs, leaving trails of glowing Etheron behind. He zoomed forward and slammed right into Shadow Mira. Her water shield popped up, a shiny wall of liquid that shimmered like glass under the crimson sky, but Tarek wasn't fazed. His blades spun like comets, hitting hard with quick, sharp jabs. The first strike sent ripples across her shield, cracking it like ice. The second punched right through, water spraying everywhere like a busted pipe. Mist blasted outward as Tarek dodged her guillotine waves—big, slicing walls of water—cutting through them like they were nothing, his blades leaving steamy trails as the water fizzled away. "Too slow, fake!" he shouted, ducking under a huge wave, flipping high, then slamming down with a double-blade slash that crossed like an X. Her shield split with a loud snap, and her spiked chestplate shattered, water gushing out like a dam just broke. The shadow flickered, then poofed into blue vapor, gone in a flash, not even landing a hit on him. "Too easy!" Tarek grinned, spinning his blades like a showoff, then froze, eyes sharp. He turned on kairo's side and his eyes widened with shock, "goddamn kairo got all the fun for himself, they're like invincible vs omni-man. what a chaos" but he couldn't join, the others needed him more. Over on Mira's side, she was in the zone, dozens of water knives floating around her like a swarm of glowing bees, each one trailing sparkly mist. She let them fly, a wave of blades shooting forward, cutting through the air. But Shadow Kairo's red-hot Etheron chains whipped out from the other side, glowing like fire. The chains and knives smashed together mid-air, cracking like a thunderstorm, water and energy exploding in flashes. One chain broke through, slashing Mira's shoulder, blood spraying and staining her uniform red. She flinched but didn't back down, pulling water from the ground into a long, swirling whip that snapped back at the shadow, cracking like a bullwhip as it struck. Tarek jumped in, helping mira with his blades twirling diving at Shadow Kairo with a spin. The shadow threw up an arm, his chains twisting into a quick shield, but Tarek's blades hit hard, sending a shockwave that kicked up smoke and sparks, the ground rumbling. Mira ran up beside him, water swirling at her feet like a river. She leapt, shaping the mist into a long, pointy trident, and hurled it, the weapon glowing as it flew straight at Shadow Kairo. Orren, meanwhile, was all in, roaring as he charged and slammed his fist into the ground, making the earth shake. Gravity flipped, yanking Shadow Lira down hard, her glitchy claws scraping the dirt, pinned. She screeched, her energy sparking in wild, messy bursts, then clawed up with a desperate swing. One hit connected, slicing Orren's ribs, blood dripping down his side. He clenched his jaw, pain flashing in his eyes, but kept going, not slowing for a second. At that very moment, Lira rolled into place, throwing up a wall of jagged light to cover Tarek. He vaulted over it, flipping mid-air, landing behind her with his blades switched to a reverse grip, all smooth and cocky. He slashed a clean X into a shadow clone sneaking up on Orren, the fake bursting into smoke with a hiss. Then, in the distance, Shadow Mira pulled herself together again, rising from a puddle, her form shimmering. She summoned a massive wave, a wall of water as wide as the battlefield, roaring toward them. Mira didn't hesitate—she dove forward, hands hitting the dirt, and called up her own wave, a rushing tide of glowing water. The two crashed in the middle, water shooting up in a huge pillar, splitting the red clouds above. For a second, everything stopped, the chaos holding its breath. Then black fire roared across the field, swallowing the fallen shadows, its crackle filling the air like a storm. Etheron sparked from every corner, wild and bright. The team pulled together, forming a loose circle, banged up, cut, and breathing hard—but still standing, still ready. They looked at each other, nodded, and charged back into the fight.
Meanwhile, Kairo's fight was a total nightmare—fast, brutal, and coming at him like a freight train. Shadow Tarek dropped on him like a hurricane, his twin blades slicing the air so fast they screamed, dark-blue Etheron trailing like smoke. Kairo threw up his blade-hands, glowing blue with Etheron, and met him head-on, sparks popping like a Fourth of July show with every hit. But man, Tarek's swings were heavy, each one shoving Kairo back, his boots sliding across the cracked dirt, his arms shaking like they might give out. Then the cuts started piling up. A slash ripped his shoulder, blood soaking his suit. Another tore his thigh, stinging like hell. A blade grazed his ribs, sharp and hot. His chest burned, his cheek stung—Kairo was a bloody mess, pain screaming through him. He clenched his teeth, let out a yell, and jumped forward, blade-hands swinging wide, nicking Shadow Tarek's arm, a puff of blue mist leaking out. But Tarek spun mid-swing, his blade slicing Kairo's leg, cutting deep into muscle. Blood poured into his boot, and the world tilted, heat and pain blurring his vision. Their sword fight turned into something raw and wild, like a dance of lightning strikes with no rules. Kairo lunged, aiming a straight jab at Tarek's chest. Tarek knocked it aside with a quick block, sparks flying everywhere. Kairo spun left, blocking a slash, then dropped low to dodge. Tarek flipped high, coming down with a spinning slash that smashed the ground, cracking it open and sending a cliff edge tumbling into the fire below, rocks crashing loud. Their duel lit up the battlefield, blue and dark-blue Etheron flashing like lightning bolts. The ground broke apart under them—stones falling, cliffs collapsing, flaming platforms wobbling as they fought across the chaos, leaping from one shaky spot to the next. Kairo shouted and, mid-swing, chucked a glowing car fender, the metal spinning like a deadly frisbee. It forced Tarek to dodge, but he zipped back in a blur, his blades shredding the fender like it was paper. One blade caught Kairo's back, pain burning like someone poured fire on him, and he hit his knees, gasping, dirt in his mouth. "You'll die!" Shadow Tarek roared. Kairo could barely breathe, his Etheron flickering, his blade-hands fading, losing their shape. Blood pooled under him, soaking the dirt, his body felt like lead and his heart thudding slow, Shadow Tarek stepping closer, each move dripping with chaos.
"Shit. Codex, where you at?!" Kairo yelled, his voice rough, breaking with desperation. "I'm getting smoked here! Do something" and it answered. The Codex Grid appeared;
[HOST: FRACTUREBORN]
[AWAKING PHASE OVER.]
[INITIATING CΩDΣX LEVEL-UP PROTOCOL.]
Kairo's eyes went wide, his heart racing like a drum.
[TRIAL REWARDS UNLOCKED:]
[25 STAT POINTS]
[WEAPON GRANTED: RANK-C DAGGER:
'SWIFTBANE' – Skill: Swiftbane Strike – x30% Damage against Assassin-type.]
[SKILL UNLOCKED: PHANTOM STRIDE – x50% Speed Burst + 5 Seconds Afterimages]
A slick dagger appeared in his hand, silver and glowing, buzzing like it was alive. The second he grabbed it, a rush hit him—muscles tightening, Etheron sparking like a live wire, pain fading under a wave of power, like he'd just chugged a gallon of energy drink.
[HOST: FRACTUREBORN]
[ NAME: Kairo Virel || LEVEL: 1
• TYPE: none • TITLE: none
HP: 200/200]
[ • STRENGTH : 15 (+ 5) | • AGILITY: 16 (+5) | • SENSE: 14 (+5) | • VITALITY: 14 (+5) | • INTELLIGENCE: 14 (+5) ]
[REMAINING POINTS: 0]
Kairo shocked, but there was no time for confusion. He stood, shaky but ready.
No—he launched.
With a burst of blue energy, he shot forward, Etheron trailing like a comet's tail. He yanked up debris—glowing rebar, broken glass, chunks of metal panels—tossing them like deadly darts. Holding Swiftbane, he zipped into a streak of light, popping up mid-air above Shadow Tarek. Phantom Stride kicked in. Five ghostly copies of Kairo split out, each moving like a shadow, circling Tarek. The warlord swung hard, blades cutting through the fakes, getting confused. Kairo, the real one, dropped from above. Swiftbane Strike!
His dagger glowed silver, slicing past Tarek's blades, nicking his side, blue mist spraying out. Tarek stumbled as the anti-speed skill threw off his balance, slowing him just enough for Kairo to land the hit. The shadow split in two and crumbled into ash. It was over.