GHOSTS OF THE PAST

Skybound Odyssey – Chapter 12: Ghosts of the Past

The narrow streets of Skygrave buzzed with tension as Razor and his gang closed in around Ryo and Lyra.

The air was thick with the scent of oil, smoke, and something colder—betrayal.

Ryo didn't flinch. He stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "You still mad about that old ship, Razor?"

The metal-jawed giant chuckled. "Mad? Nah. I'm thrilled—because today, I'm getting paid and revenge."

Around them, scavengers, black marketeers, and sky pirates paused to watch, sensing a fight. In Skygrave, blood was just another form of currency.

Lyra edged closer to Ryo. "You sure about this?" she whispered. "There's a lot of them."

Ryo smirked without looking at her. "Yeah. But there's only one me."

With a roar, Razor lunged, swinging a mechanical fist the size of a barrel.

BOOM!

Ryo dodged at the last second, the punch smashing a hole clean through a wall. He retaliated, lightning gathering around his fists as he slammed an uppercut into Razor's gut.

Sparks and metal clanged together. Razor staggered, but grinned through the pain.

"Still got a good punch, brat. But you're rusty."

He whirled around, grabbing Ryo and throwing him through a stack of crates.

Lyra drew her twin daggers, slicing through two of Razor's thugs who charged at her. "Could use a little help here!"

Ryo groaned and climbed from the wreckage, wiping blood from his lip.

Across the square, Razor stomped forward, arms sparking as hidden cannons emerged from his shoulders.

"This time," Razor growled, "you're not getting away."

But Ryo was already moving, faster than the eye could follow.

A golden flash—then CRACK!

Lightning speared from Ryo's hands, striking Razor dead center.

The big man roared, his metal frame overheating, joints sparking and popping.

Ryo darted around him, moving too quickly for the cannons to lock on. He delivered a brutal combo of blows—jabs to the legs, a hook to the jaw, and a final lightning-charged punch to the chest.

BOOM!

Razor crashed backward into a pile of scrap metal, groaning. His mechanical limbs twitched and sparked uselessly.

The crowd, which had gathered to watch, fell silent.

Ryo dusted off his jacket and stepped over Razor, meeting the stunned gazes around him.

"Anyone else?" he asked, crackling with leftover energy.

Nobody moved.

Lyra ran up, panting. "That… was insane."

Ryo grinned. "Nah. Just another day."

But even as he smiled, something gnawed at him.

Selena's words echoed in his mind:

"You're not supposed to exist."

What had she meant?

Why did the Empire care so much?

And what was hiding in his past that even he didn't know yet?

He clenched his fists.

Skygrave had given them a breather—but if they were going to survive, they needed answers.

And somewhere, deep beneath the chaos of Skygrave, those answers were waiting.