Chapter 24 – The Unseen Observer
– Xyphora Volaris System, Sector 7-42D–
– Lord D'Karr's Fortress – Combat Arena,
Rei gritted his teeth, his breath ragged as he barely dodged another strike.
The combat drones moved with ruthless precision, their plasma blades slicing through the air with deadly efficiency.
His body was still sluggish, his limbs heavy, like something inside him was out of sync.
I need to move faster.
The energy within him flickered, unstable—just beyond his grasp.
He had felt it before, in that moment of desperation against the Killer Bots. A surge of power so vast, it had ripped the battlefield apart.
But now?
Nothing.
D'Karr's voice echoed from above.
"You're hesitating."
Rei barely deflected a drone's strike, the force of the impact sending a jolt through his arms.
D'Karr's mechanical eye gleamed with amusement.
"You don't trust your own power."
Rei ignored him, focusing on the fight.
The drones adjusted their attack patterns, moving faster.
Rei tried to dodge—
Too late.
A plasma blade sliced across his side, sending a sharp burst of pain through his ribs.
He staggered, biting back a curse.
D'Karr chuckled. "You won't last much longer like this."
Damn it…!
The energy inside him wanted to surface—he could feel it. But something was blocking it.
Or maybe…
I'm blocking it.
–Outside –
Seyra slowed her steps, her instincts screaming a warning.
She was close.
Too close.
She could feel Rei's presence somewhere inside—but there was something else.
Something standing in her way.
A low mechanical growl echoed through the corridor ahead.
Then—a shadow moved.
Seyra's grip on her spear tightened.
A figure stepped forward, towering, clad in blackened metal, its glowing red visor burning like a predator eyeing its prey.
A Reaper-class Cyborg.
Stronger than Killer Bots. More brutal than Enforcers.
And worst of all? Smart.
The Reaper raised its weapon—an energy-forged blade, crackling with raw power.
Seyra smirked.
Finally, a challenge.
The Reaper charged.
Seyra met it head-on.
–High Orbit –
A cloaked spaceship drifted silently through the debris-choked skies above Xyphora.
Inside, the mysterious Star Council agent stood before a holo-display, watching.
The energy signature he had been tracking had led him here.
To Rei.
And now, for the first time, he could see it for himself.
The boy was struggling—still unaware of what he was.
The agent exhaled slowly.
A soft pulse flickered beneath his fingertips, and an instant later—
He vanished.
–Lord D'Karr's Fortress –
The air shimmered faintly, almost imperceptibly.
And then—he was there.
A figure stood near the edge of the observation deck, his presence so perfectly concealed, it was as if he did not exist.
No sound. No energy signature.
Nothing.
Even the automated security systems failed to register his presence.
He was invisible.
Watching.
Waiting.
His sharp eyes studied Rei, noting every movement, every moment of hesitation.
He's close.
The power was there, just beneath the surface.
But it wasn't responding.
Not yet.
The agent's gaze flickered toward D'Karr.
The cyborg warlord was so engrossed in his experiment that he hadn't noticed the invisible presence standing just meters away.
A faint smirk played at the agent's lips.
Interesting.
His fingers twitched, ready to intervene—
But then, something else caught his attention.
A presence.
Not his.
Not D'Karr's.
Someone else.
His gaze shifted toward the far side of the corridor, just beyond the sealed entrance.
Seyra.
She had made it this far—and she was about to break in.
Let's see how this plays out.
For now, he would remain unseen.
Because the real test was about to begin.
The Reaper's blade swung down.
Seyra twisted, the whirl of her spear deflecting the strike just enough for her to slide beneath its reach.
She struck upward—
A sharp crack as her blade met the cyborg's exposed joint.
The Reaper staggered.
Not enough.
Its arm retracted, shifting into a plasma cannon.
Seyra's eyes narrowed.
Oh, hell no.
The Reaper fired—
Seyra lunged forward, dodging the blast by mere inches.
Before the cyborg could recalibrate—
She drove her spear straight through its chest.
A sharp burst of energy crackled through the corridor as the Reaper collapsed, sparks flying from its ruptured core.
Seyra exhaled.
That took too long.
She didn't waste another second.
With a powerful kick, she forced open the chamber door.
And finally—
She saw him.
Rei barely had time to react as the chamber doors burst open.
A figure rushed inside, weapon drawn, emerald eyes burning with determination.
Seyra.
For the first time since his capture—hope surged inside him.
D'Karr turned sharply, finally realizing his mistake.
"You—"
Seyra didn't give him time to speak.
She moved, fast—a blur of motion charging straight for him.
But before she could reach him—
D'Karr pressed a command on his wrist.
Immediately, the combat drones redirected toward her.
Seyra gritted her teeth.
"Damn it—!"
Rei's heart pounded.
She was outnumbered.
She was fighting alone.
And something inside him—something deep, something ancient—reacted.
The power surged.
The invisible presence near the observation deck smirked.
There it is.
For the first time, the crystal star inside Rei awakened on its own.
And everything changed.