Herta's Space Station Incident

Alarms blared throughout the Herta Space Station, the red emergency lights blinking red against the steel walls. The Anti-Matter Legion had invaded, turning the station into a battlefield. However, in one particular corridor, the battle had already ended.

In another room, many members of the Anti-Matter Legion were seen on the ground severed limbs littered the floor, bodies split apart in a brutal display of skill and precision. A single figure stood among the carnage, the sharp sound of a blade sliding into its sheath breaking the heavy silence.

"That makes forty-four," Blake murmured, her golden eyes scanning the remains of the enemy. "And it looks like that's the last of them—for now."

She exhaled softly, glancing over her shoulder. The doors she had entered through had sealed shut, no doubt a security measure triggered by the ongoing invasion. That left only one path forward. With a quiet sigh, she stepped toward the only functional door, her footsteps muffled against the metallic floor.

As she moved, another peculiar sight greeted her. More of the Anti-Matter Legion lay strewn across the ground, but these were different—riddled with bullet holes. She crouched, inspecting the nearest corpse, but before she could reach out, the body began to disintegrate into a miniature black hole.

"Fresh wounds. Someone else is here." Blake narrowed her eyes, unease settling in. "This place was supposed to be cleared out before I arrived."She had many concerns, but she knew she had to keep moving until she reached the base zone.

Lan had instructed her to come here for a reason, though the Aeon never fully explained why. Their communication had mostly occurred during times when Blake encountered some of the Abominations of Aeon of Abundance...Or where Acheron was

...It wasn't worth the headache. There were already enough nightmares haunting her...

Finally, she reached the Base Zone. It was as empty as it should be. Blake approached the reception desk, hoping to hack into the system with her old scroll, but before she could pull it out—

Click.

A gun cocked behind her.

"Well, well... who do we have here? " A playful voice rang out, its owner clearly amused. "You weren't in the script~"

"We should just get rid of her. She's already seen too much." A second voice, younger and indifferent, chimed in.

"Oh, now this is interesting." The first woman—Kafka, has a glimmer of intrigue in her violet eyes. "An emanator? And here I thought this little mission would be dull."

"If she is, she's not exactly impressive,"

Silver Wolf remarked, arms crossed as she assessed Blake like she was nothing more than an NPC in her game.

Blake's cat ears twitched, irritation flashing in her gaze. These two were infamous—IPC's most wanted criminals. Stellaron Hunters. And now she was caught up with them...great.

"Maybe... or maybe not." Kafka chuckled, amusement in her tone. "I think she could be useful."

"Fine. Whatever. This is above my pay grade anyway." Silver Wolf shrugged, clearly indifferent.

Blake exhaled sharply. This was already turning into a headache. Still, they were heading in the same direction. For now, following them was the easiest path forward.

"Listen now. Come along now. We don't want to lose you," Kafka cooed, her voice smooth yet carrying an odd weight that made Blake's head hurt a bit.

Blake shook her head and sighed, realizing there was no reason not to follow them since they were headed to her destination. So, Blake followed from behind.

"The central area of the space station is just up ahead. You'll find a lot of Legion Voidrangers waiting for us there." Silver Wolf informed as she glanced at Kafka and Blake.

"Understood." Blake kept her response brief, while Kafka hummed in amusement.

The three of them quickly passed by the Legion Voidrangers, who posed no challenge to them. As they approached a door, Kafka said something that caused them to halt in front of it.

"Hold it." she said. "Someone, or something, is up ahead." Kafka said as she felt something was hiding.

True to her words, four enemies appeared around them.

"Looks like we're the ones getting ambushed." Silver Wolf mused.

"But they're the ones being besieged," Kafka smirked just before she could draw her sword, prompting Blake to speak up.

Blake exhaled, stepping forward. "I'll handle it."

Silver Wolf raised a brow. "Oh? And how exactly?"

Blake didn't answer. Instead, she unsheathed Moonshadow. Purple electricity crackled along the blade as she vanished from sight, reappearing in front of the enemy. In a single stroke, she decapitated the first Voidranger.

Kafka smiled, drawing her pistols. With a graceful spin, she unleashed a barrage of bullets. The Voidrangers scrambled to escape, but Silver Wolf acted quickly, embedding a data bug in their systems to lock them down.

Blake followed up, detaching Gamble Shroud from below where Moonshadow was scabbard and tossing it at the remaining two enemies. The ribbon coiled around their legs, pulling it and taking them down on the floor restricting their movement.

Kafka lifted a finger, strings glinting as they coiled around her bullets. With a flick of her wrist, the projectiles reversed, piercing through the Voidrangers before they could react. As the bodies fell, the bullets embedded themselves into the ground, forming a spider emblem.

Blake exhaled, sheathing Moonshadow and Gambol Shroud as the fight ended. She flexed her fingers, frowning. The numbness was back. She tried to move them, but her hands barely responded.

"I didn't need your help," she muttered, frustration creeping in.

"I know." Kafka smiled. "But isn't it more fun this way? Right, Silver Wolf?"

"Eh." Silver Wolf shrugged. "Not my problem."

After all, this was above her pay grade. She noticed the emanator struggling with her hands and understood that she wouldn't be able to use the sword for a while.

Blake sighed. She was done with this.

"Let's just move."

Her thoughts were interrupted as Silver Wolf and Kafka began to speak about what to do in the Monitoring Room.

As Kafka and Silver Wolf took the lead, Blake lingered for a moment, flexing her fingers, trying to regain some feeling, even if only for a moment. The numbness had been an issue ever since she'd had help to forge Moonshadow, from a part of the body of the Kami Spurned Sister of Mortality. Using its full power came at a cost. Using the sword to its full potential was a rare occurrence; the only time she had done so was during her fight with Acheron. In that encounter, Acheron was stronger, and Blake felt weak. If anything, she was lucky to have survived.

All she remembered was the end of their battle...Acheron's sword pierced through her chest, narrowly missing her heart, before she plunged into a black river.Blake shook her head. No time for that. She had to keep moving.

For now, the only way out was forward.

Blake crossed her arms, her golden eyes flicking between Kafka and Silver Wolf.

"Listen, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm only following because you asked me to. So far, I don't sense either of you doing anything reckless… yet."

But Blake, was still watching them both with suspicion, her gut instinct urged her to follow along and not jeopardize their plan. It felt as if someone were in her head, telling her to listen to instructions.

Kafka smiled, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Then I suppose all we can do is keep each other company… for a while."

Silver Wolf sighed, fingers tapping idly on her device. As much as she trusted Kafka's instincts, this whole situation was off-script, and she didn't like that one bit.

As they entered the monitoring room, Blake looked around and saw that the place had many monitors and other equipment.

Blake looked around at the advanced technology in the spaceship, realizing that even her Scroll would struggle to gather any information in this unfamiliar environment. She had attempted to repair her Scroll on other planets, but people consistently told her the same thing: "It's good technology, but it won't last for years to come." Despite their warnings, Blake couldn't shake the feeling that if she discarded it, she would lose something important to her, and she didn't want that to happen again.

"Again? ...Wait... When did I start feeling attached to my Scroll?" Blake thought, surprised. This was the first time in a while that she felt a connection to it.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Silver Wolf and Kafka began to speak about what to do in the Monitoring Room.

"Not a single soul here." Kafka said as she looked around the monitoring room. "Impressive evacuation work. Did Herta organize it herself?"

"According to the access history, she hasn't logged in here for over six months. The evacuation was directed by the acting lead researcher — a girl named Asta." Silver Wolf explained while looking at the logs she hacked into.

"Doesn't ring a bell. Oh right, Elio said we wouldn't run into Herta. It seems she really isn't here. Where's the stellaron?" Kafka said looking around the monitoring room.

"Elio's script doesn't mention the Stellaron's exact location," Silver Wolf said, her tone flat. "Which means, in the future he foresaw..."

Kafka picked up where she left off, a thoughtful lilt in her voice. "...We find the Stellaron in a non-physical way?"

Blake tilted her head slightly. "So, this Elio person and their script can supposedly see the future, but I wasn't included in it. That piques my curiosity about why. Still, I suppose dwelling on that won't help. What really matters now is figuring out why they're after the Stellaron."

Silver Wolf looked around. "This space station is packed with weird and extraordinary objects. I wouldn't be surprised if something here makes that happen."

Blake nodded slightly. "Herta hoards a lot of things. Since she's a Genius Society member, she keeps anything she finds interesting. And the moment she loses interest? It gets left here to collect dust."

Silver Wolf's hands paused mid-air over her device. "Huh. You sound like you know her pretty well. How?"

Kafka turned to Blake, curiosity sparking in her violet eyes. Herta wasn't exactly the social type. For another emanator to claim familiarity with her? Now that was intriguing.

Blake, however, just sighed. "...I met her before. I just forgot."

Kafka let out a soft chuckle, clearly amused, while Silver Wolf just gave her a flat, unimpressed look. "Seriously? You forgot?"

Blake shrugged. It wasn't like she could change that.

She had forgotten that she met Herta before just that she forgot what she looked like since her memories are a bit fuzzy and scrambled but Herta indeed looked beautiful. 

"Well, well…" Kafka mused, closing her eyes. "Hiding something extraordinary with something extraordinary… That's pretty Herta." She opened her eyes and turned to Silver Wolf. "I assume you know what to do? I mean, you've been studying that catalog for quite a while."

 "I've got all the clues we need. The only piece missing is a simple trick. you both would need to help me investigate the terminal in this room, our item might be inside." Silver Wolf explained.

Kafka smiled. "Then the stage is yours~"

Blake adjusted her gloves. "I'll do what I can."

Without another word, the three moved forward looking around the room.

Kafka casually strolled over to the left terminal, while Blake made her way to the right. As Blake pulled out her scroll, her eyes flicked to the surveillance screens. No sign of the Stellaron. Figures. If it had been displayed so conveniently, it would have been an obvious trap—especially considering it was Herta they were dealing with.

With a sigh, Blake reached for a nearby cord, connecting it to her old scroll. If the Stellaron wasn't showing up, she might as well download the surveillance feed. Tracking the Anti-Matter Legion's movements could prove useful if she needed to navigate the station further.

Kafka's voice broke the silence. "Huh? I can't see the memory storage for this terminal…"

Silver Wolf barely spared her a glance, too focused on her own work. "This is the monitoring room. They must have wiped the records and made a run for it. Classic."

Blake frowned slightly. "Nothing on my end, either. If the Stellaron was here, it would've been a trap waiting to spring on us."

Silver Wolf nodded. "That's true. Herta doesn't display her collections....*sigh* Make your way over here then, there's no point in trying to search like this."

Blake unplugged her scroll, tucking it away as she and Kafka walked over to Silver Wolf, who was waiting in front of a cluster of monitors.

Kafka looked toward Silver Wolf. "So, got a master plan? I'm all ears."

Blake looked at Silver Wolf while leaning on a console "Same."

Silver Wolf cracked her knuckles. "It's a matter of hacking the surveillance system directly."

"Aha, I see." Kafka's smirk widened. "Herta's collections aren't in the main system, so anything unaffected should be our target."

Blake nodded. "That… makes sense. This is our best shot."

As if on cue, all the monitors in the room flickered, then flashed with Silver Wolf's signature logo—every single screen except one.

Silver Wolf tilted her head, a smug smile of satisfaction. "Simple, crude, but effective. Look I found it."

Blake glanced at Silver Wolf, mildly impressed. That fast? She had heard about Silver Wolf's hacking abilities, but seeing it firsthand was a different experience altogether. The sheer speed of her work made most others look like amateurs. Noticing Blake's astonishment, Silver Wolf smirked—only for it to falter when Blake's ears twitched in response.

Silver Wolf blinked. "Wait… those are real?"

Before she could say anything, Kafka had already moved to the one remaining monitor, her fingers tapping across the interface. A curious glint shone in her violet eyes.

"Huh. What's this?" Kafka asked the moment she looked at the monitor.

Silver Wolf read the data without hesitation. "Item number 211—Blind Spot. A simple light-deflecting field. It allows an object in its field to pass unnoticed, but if a different item ceases to be obvious, the object gets revealed."

Blake raised a brow. "Wow."

Kafka chuckled. "So Herta hides her collections with something this simple?"

Silver Wolf smirked. "The simplest method is the hardest to spot, isn't that our motto?"

Blake blinked. "You guys have a motto?"

She was ignored as Kafka began typing. The atmosphere in the room shifted, and a small portal opened on the right, revealing Silver Wolf standing before it. Kafka and Blake approached Silver Wolf, and Blake was taken aback upon seeing the Stellaron for the first time.

Kafka let out a low whistle. "Strange thing number two..."

Blake's sharp eyes scanned the hologram, ears flicking slightly. "You're not kidding. This is weird."

"The data suggests it's just an ordinary hologram. But it has an added layer..." Silver Wolf's voice slightly wavered at the end.

Blake frowned. "An extra layer? That's not exactly good news, considering how far we've come."

"Let's take a look. Don't worry, this place won't be our grave." Kafka easily reassured.

Blake exhaled and shook her head as Silver Wolf nodded in agreement. Without further hesitation, the trio touched the screen.

—and then everything shifted.

In the blink of an eye, Blake was somewhere else.

A wave of nausea crashed over her, her stomach twisting violently. She staggered, bracing herself against a nearby surface as her vision swam.

"What the hell—"

Her thoughts scrambled, a strange feeling settling in her gut.

"Now I believe Jaune… Motion sickness is real—" She paused, blinking in confusion. "Wait… Who's Jaune?"

The name had slipped out so naturally, yet it felt foreign, like a fragment of a dream she couldn't recall. Her headache pulsed, but before she could dwell on it, Kafka's voice snapped her back to reality.

"You good?"

Blake took a slow breath before flashing a thumbs-up. Not entirely convincing, but Kafka didn't push the issue. Instead, she turned her attention to Silver Wolf, who was already back to work.

"The Stellaron is up ahead, let's hurry." Silver Wolf said, causing Kafka to approach the controller.

"It has its own security system... I guess even for Herta, a Stellaron is no ordinary rarity." Silver Wolf informed while typing on her screen.

Kafka glanced at her. "can you get it?"

Silver Wolf smirked, flexing her fingers. "Of course, even the genius Herta can't compete with me when it comes to hacking."

Blake raised an eyebrow, watching Silver Wolf's confidence in action. "That's gonna come back to bite her. Probably." Then again, who was she to predict karma?"

"Good, then I'll also count on you with the preparation of the receptacle." with that, Kafka left Silver Wolf and grabbed the golden ball of light, the stellaron, before returning.

Meanwhile, Blake exhaled and walked over to a nearby wall, sliding down to rest. The lingering numbness in her hands was fading, so she flexed her fingers, rolling her wrists to make sure she had full control again. She should really get new gloves after this.

Silver Wolf's voice broke the silence. "Receptacle's ready. Your decision."

She slid a data slate across the console toward Kafka, who caught it effortlessly. Two names appeared on the screen, along with full-body images:

Activate Receptacle: Stelle / Activate Receptacle: Caelus

Kafka studied it, her expression unreadable. "Elio said this decision will bring about lots of changes."

Silver Wolf nodded. "He also said it must be you who makes it."

Kafka ignored Silver Wolf's remark, her fingers hovering over the screen for a moment before she made her choice and decided to pick Stelle.

Blake, still seated against the wall, tilted her head while in thought. "Lots of changes, huh…"

Silver Wolf raised a brow. "Wanna give her a new name?"

Kafka shook her head, confirming the selection. With a few deft movements, she compressed the screen into a glowing cube before tossing it to Silver Wolf. The hacker caught it and initiated the final sequence, causing a holographic figure to materialize in front of them.

Blake's ears twitched as she watched the scene unfold, fascinated. I've never seen someone just… create a body out of nothing before. It was impossible—at least, by anything she understood.

"There we go. How much does she remember?" Kafka asked as she approached the sleeping woman, calling forth the stellaron into her palm.

"They'll remember you." Silver Wolf informed while looking at Kafka from the corner of her eye.

Kafka looked pleased as she shoved the stellaron into Stelle's chest, "Time to get up."

Blake's eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"

A few moments passed.

Then…

Stelle's fingers twitched. Her eyes fluttered open.

"...Where am I?"

Kafka's voice was soft yet firm. "A space station, but that's not important."

Stelle blinked, her gaze locking onto Kafka. "...Kafka?"

Blake pushed off the wall and stepped closer, now standing beside Silver Wolf. Watching the exchange only made her more confused. "What the hell is happening?"

"Great, so you remember me." Kafka smiled as Silver Wolf let out a small sound.

Kafka leaned in slightly, "Listen: You're in a daze right now. You don't know who you are, why you're here, or what you're supposed to do next. You think I look familiar, but you're not sure if you should trust me. None of that matters."

Blake winced. That word again—...Listen...

"Listen: From now on, you don't need to think about your past or doubt yourself. You'll face hardships, but you'll also have wonderful experiences. You'll meet companions who treat you like family and embark on surreal adventures with them. At the end of your journey, all the questions that trouble you will be answered. This is the future Elio has foreseen. Do you like it?"

A sharp pain shot through Blake's skull.

She clenched her jaw, gripping her head as Kafka's voice echoed in her mind, reverberating with unnatural force. It wasn't normal—it was compelling her to obey, bending her thoughts in a way that made her stomach churn.

However, she resisted it. Silver Wolf looked at Blake, confused, but then her eyes widened as she understood what Blake was doing; still, she remained silent.

"Where are you going..." Stelle ignored her question and asked her own, her mind still swirling in confusion.

"The next stop, is to pave the way for the future that is written. It's like weaving brocade — you and I can only add one gold thread each time, but eventually, we will make a gorgeous pattern." Kafka ignored her question and continued talking.

Silver Wolf checked the time. "How long do you think you need? According to the script, the Astral Express is arriving soon. We should avoid being seen by them."

Kafka nodded slightly. "I know, Silver Wolf. Just one more minute."

Then, she turned to Blake, her gaze knowing, before shifting to Stelle. Her voice softened like before.

"Listen: Don't worry. Blakey here will stay with you. She'll take care of you and make sure you find the right people. Just go with her—you won't remember any of this, except me. When you have a chance to make a choice, make one that you know you won't regret..."

Blake's ears perked up. "Wait, what?! I didn't agree to—"

Silver Wolf sighed. "Sorry, but you're the only one we can use right now to get Stelle onto the Astral Express. Don't let us down."

Kafka smirked. "Sorry, Blakey~ We're counting on you."

Blake opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get another word out, another sharp pang shot through her head.

The glitching sound returned—like static from a broken TV.

A memory surfaced.

A voice—familiar, yet distant.

"Hey, Blake… You know, I still want to find out what happened to my mother and why she left me. But I'll never let that search control me."

Blake blinked.

And just like that when she looked back to see where they were—Kafka and Silver Wolf were gone.

She let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temples as the remnants of that strange compulsion faded. Then, her eyes fell on Stelle, still unconscious on the floor.

"...Great," she muttered, rolling her shoulders. "Guess I better find a good spot where the Astral Express can find us."

With a resigned huff, she lifted Stelle up and started walking.

"Oh well… Here we go again."