Chapter 23 – Echoes of Power

Xyphora, Volaris System, Sector 7-42D

Unknown Location – Lord D'Karr's Fortress, 

Rei drifted between consciousness and darkness.

The world around him flickered, his mind a fractured mess of memories that didn't feel like his own.

Flashes of celestial energy.A faint voice calling his name.An unfamiliar symbol etched in golden light.

His breath hitched as his eyes snapped open.

He was still in D'Karr's fortress.

Still trapped.

Still at the mercy of a madman.

The energy surges from before had settled, but his body felt heavier, as if something deep within him had stirred but not fully awakened.

He clenched his jaw.

What was that?

That vision—was it a memory? A dream? Something else?

Before he could process it, a low, mechanical voice echoed through the dimly lit chamber.

"Welcome back."

Rei's gaze snapped forward.

Lord D'Karr stood at the edge of the reinforced observation deck, his red cybernetic eye gleaming with cold amusement.

"Tell me," D'Karr said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Did you see something interesting?"

Rei's breath slowed.

He refused to answer.

D'Karr chuckled. "I see. You still don't understand it yourself, do you?"

He took a step closer, the air thick with his overpowering presence.

"It doesn't matter," the warlord continued. "Because soon, you will."

Rei's fists clenched.

He didn't know what D'Karr was after.

But he was starting to realize—this wasn't just about experimenting on him.

D'Karr was looking for something.

Something Rei himself hadn't even begun to grasp.

And that made this even more dangerous.

– Inside the Fortress –

Seyra moved like a shadow through the dimly lit corridors of D'Karr's fortress.

Her spear was already slick with oil and metal dust, remnants of the guards she had taken out along the way.

She wasn't here to fight a war.

She was here for one thing.

To find Rei.

And if she had to cut through half of this fortress to do it—so be it.

A sudden movement caught her eye.

Two heavily armored cyborg guards stood at the next corridor, their weapons raised, scanning the area with precision sensors.

Smart. But not smart enough.

Seyra moved.

Before either of them could react, she closed the distance, her spear slicing through the first guard's exposed joints.

The second guard tried to turn, but she was faster.

A sharp plasma strike to the back of the neck—and he was down.

She exhaled, wiping her weapon clean.

No alarms. Good.

She glanced at the fortress layout she had memorized.

Rei was close.

She could feel it.

-Earth –

Elayna Kaelson stepped out of the black sedan, the cool night air brushing against her skin.

Before her stood a sleek, unassuming commercial building, no different from the countless others in the city.

To anyone else, it was nothing special.

But Elayna knew better.

This was no ordinary place.

This was a branch facility of the Intergalactic Magic and Ether Control Association—IMECA.

One of the most powerful organizations in the universe.

Unlike empires and factions, IMECA had no interest in territorial expansion, war, or politics.

Its only mission?

To find, nurture, and protect those who could wield the forces of magic and ether.

Because while mages and ether wielders weren't as rare as Celestial Masters or the exceptionally few Starborn, they were still scarce.

And those with the talent to become Archmages or Etherlords?

Even rarer.

Elayna entered the building, passing through a series of high-level security scans.

A soft, synthetic voice greeted her.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome, Miss Kaelson."

The holographic interface shifted, revealing a hidden elevator.

As the doors slid shut behind her, she exhaled slowly.

Eleven years…

Her fingers clenched into fists.

It had been eleven years since everything changed.

Since he disappeared.

And now, for the first time in over a decade—

Something had shifted.

Something was happening.

She just didn't know what yet.

--Lord D'Karr's Fortress – 

D'Karr took another slow step forward.

"You still don't understand what you are, do you?"

Rei scowled. "I know exactly who I am."

D'Karr smiled, almost pityingly.

"No," he murmured. "You don't."

He reached toward a control panel, pressing a sequence of commands.

Immediately, the chamber around them shifted.

The walls morphed, expanding into a vast, open space, the ceiling rising into a towering dome of reinforced steel.

A training ground.

Rei tensed.

This isn't good.

D'Karr tilted his head. "Let's test something."

A series of combat drones emerged from the shadows, their glowing red optics locked onto Rei.

D'Karr's voice was calm, expectant.

"Let's see what your instincts do this time."

The drones attacked.

Rei barely had time to react.

He moved, dodging the first strike—but his limbs felt heavy. The energy inside him was still unstable, still out of sync.

A second drone lashed out, its plasma blade cutting close.

Rei ducked, but not fast enough.

The blade grazed his shoulder, sending a burning shock of pain through his body.

Damn it…

The energy inside him wanted to react.

But he wasn't in control.

And that made him just as much of a danger to himself as the enemy.

D'Karr watched, expression unreadable.

But deep down—

He was thrilled.

Because for the first time in years, he had found something worth studying.

And he had no intention of letting it go.