Chapter 18 – Taken

 Ruined City Outskirts – Xyphora (Volaris System, Sector 7-42D)

The crater still smoked from the explosion.

Jagged pieces of metal debris lay scattered, remnants of what had once been a squad of Killer Bots, now nothing more than molten wreckage. The ground itself was warped and cracked, pulsing faintly with the last remnants of unfathomable energy.

And at the very center—Rei lay motionless.

His body was still, his breath faint, his fingers barely twitching as remnants of the celestial surge flickered off his skin before vanishing into the air.

Completely unconscious.

Completely vulnerable.

The sound of heavy metallic footsteps echoed across the ruined streets.

A shadow loomed over the crater's edge.

Then another.

And another.

A squad of Cyborg Enforcers, sleek and battle-worn, descended into the crater, surrounding Rei's unmoving form.

One of them knelt, scanning his vitals.

The result flashed across its red-optic display:

STATUS: UNCONSCIOUS. ENERGY SIGNATURE – ANOMALOUS.SUBJECT DESIGNATION: UNKNOWN.

The Enforcer's head twitched slightly before turning to face the tallest figure standing at the crater's edge.

A towering cyborg, clad in blackened armor, stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His metallic jaw twisted into something resembling amusement, the faint glow of his cybernetic eyes pulsing as he studied the unconscious boy.

Unlike his mechanical subordinates, this figure still bore traces of his former humanity—but what remained had long since been replaced, enhanced, and reshaped into something unnatural.

Lord D'Karr.

Cyborg warlord. Tyrant of the Xyphoran Wastes.

And a ruthless innovator, obsessed with power, experimentation, and the pursuit of breaking biological limitations.

His mechanical fingers flexed, a soft hum escaping his metal-clad throat.

This was unexpected.

The energy signature radiating from this unconscious boy was unlike anything he had encountered before.

Not cybernetic.Not artificial.Something else.

Something ancient.

Something raw.

A soft, metallic chuckle rattled in D'Karr's throat as he took a step forward.

"Take him."

The Enforcers responded instantly, lifting Rei's unconscious body with calculated precision.

D'Karr turned away, his long, metallic coat swaying behind him as he began walking toward the awaiting transport skiff.

A low rumble echoed through the ruins as the engines roared to life.

Without another word, the Cyborg retrieval squad departed, leaving behind only destruction in their wake.

The smoldering crater.The remnants of shattered Killer Bots.And the empty silence of a battlefield—now missing its key player.

--Scavenger Base – 

The Scavenger skiff roared through the night, engines whining from overuse as it finally approached the underground base's hidden entrance.

Seyra was silent the entire ride back.

Garek, sitting across from her, shot her a glance. "Alright. Spill it."

Seyra didn't respond.

She was still gripping the handle of her spear tighter than necessary.

Garek sighed. "You're brooding. You only brood when something's bothering you."

She exhaled sharply. "I don't brood."

"You do when you think something's wrong," Garek pointed out.

Seyra didn't argue.

Because he wasn't wrong.

The feeling had been gnawing at her ever since they left the battle with the Enforcer. A sense of unease.

As if something was missing.

Something important.

The skiff finally landed, and as the Scavengers offloaded the rescued team members, Seyra jumped out without another word.

She had to check something.

--Scavenger Clan Headquarters – Underground Base Entrance--

Seyra strode toward the main security station, her expression unreadable.

The two guards at the entrance snapped to attention. "Val'kir."

She didn't waste time. "Where's Rei?"

The guards exchanged a look. "Uh… in the barracks?"

Seyra's eyes narrowed. "You're sure?"

"Pretty sure," Drex muttered. "He hasn't left—"

The words died in his throat.

Because when he checked the barracks monitor, the room was empty.

Seyra's stomach dropped.

She turned on her heel and started running.

-Ruined City Outskirts – 

The moment Seyra reached the ruins, she knew something was wrong.

The air was thick with the scent of scorched metal and something she couldn't quite place.

Then she saw it.

The crater.

She came to an abrupt stop at its edge, her emerald eyes widening.

What the hell happened here?

The entire area looked like it had been hit by a warship strike. The ground was torn apart, the sand glassed over, the remains of Killer Bots scattered like shattered bones.

And yet—

There was no sign of Rei.

A slow, sinking realization crept into her chest.

He was here.

He fought here.

And now he's gone.

Seyra clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white.

She forced herself to breathe. Forced herself to think.

There were signs of movement.

'Tracks.

Not Rei's.

Something else.

Her gaze sharpened.

Someone took him.'

And she was going to get him back.