An Uninvited Encounter

[Nayra – Neutral Territory of Eterna, Hidden Conference Room]

The building was tucked behind an old comms tower, hidden from public view.Only those with the highest level of diplomatic clearance could pass through the Core signal perimeter without being tracked.

The underground conference room contained just one round table and six chairs, each bearing the holographic emblem of a major faction:Eterna, Valdheim, Thalros, Selvas, Orwyn, and Astrelis—though not all were physically present.

Nayra sat in the Eterna seat, wearing her official uniform with a strategist badge pinned over her chest. Her eyes scanned the room.

To her right, the Valdheim delegation stood stiff—too stiff, even for a military faction.Across the table, Thalros's representative wore luxurious trade robes, his smile always feeling like a dagger coated in sugar.Selvas attended via projection, their presence voiced through a cold, legalistic AI.Orwyn? Of course not. Only a glowing symbol occupied their chair—silence that spoke louder than any accusation.Astrelis... still hadn't pinged the system.

"Four out of six. And not a single one is here to actually solve anything," Nayra thought.

A staff member opened the meeting:"Primary agenda: the investigation of an unidentified signal that triggered a military response, and the increasing infiltration of illegal technology into academy zones and faction borders."

Valdheim was the first to speak."We demand full transparency from Eterna. Colosia's activation should've been under strict control. Instead, it was triggered… by a cadet."

Thalros followed with syrupy venom."And not just any cadet. One with an unclear past, ties to the underworld, and—according to our internal reports—connections to hybrid Core designs."

All eyes turned to Nayra.She remained perfectly still.

[Nayra – Fractured Diplomatic Table]Nayra folded her hands neatly. Her face was calm, but her gaze sharp—like glass: clean, reflective, and dangerous to touch.

"Eterna does not deny that Colosia's activation involved a cadet," she said softly. "But we will not allow this narrative to be spun into a one-sided negligence case."

Valdheim snapped, "He used a military system! Unauthorized! That's an Aether Protocol breach!"

"If he hadn't acted," Nayra turned to them, "Eterna's eastern zone would be a Core crater right now."

Thalros interjected with a smirk."We're not concerned about who pushed the button. We care about who built the button in the first place. And according to fresh data from Selvas... Colosia's stabilizer design came from the same hand: Deren Arkwright."

The projector displayed an old blueprint—marked:D.A. – Draft Experimental (Eidolon Leak Path Variant)

Whispers filled the room.

Selvas's AI voice spoke without emotion:"Arkwright is no longer classified as a standard variable. He is now listed as a top-tier strategic observation target within the black market network."

Nayra glanced at the screen, then calmly replied:"So... are you all planning to chase a boy who never even wanted to be part of our system? Or are you simply afraid—because he can't be controlled?"

Silence fell.

And then, it was broken—A security agent entered and leaned in to whisper something into Nayra's ear.

Her expression changed—just slightly. A flicker of fatigue… and surprise."...Repeat that."

The agent whispered again, more clearly:"Someone's approaching the outer perimeter. No clearance. Says he's... looking for spare parts for an experimental fan."Name: Deren Arkwright.

[Deren – Outside the Diplomatic Building]

Deren stood at the steel-pillar gate, face blank, eyes half-asleep.In his hand: a small box filled with wires, fuses, and a dusty cooling module he'd just bought from a back-alley tech stall.

"…I'm just passing through."

Two guards stared at him like they'd seen an alien.One tapped his comm:"Confirmation: Subject Arkwright. Location: Tier-One diplomatic perimeter. Unarmed. Holding... a cooling fan."

Deren glanced up at the sky."This world's playing a game called 'How do we drag him into international politics this time,' isn't it?"

[Nayra – Back Inside]

"…He's outside?" Valdheim repeated, torn between disbelief and rage.

"No clearance. No invitation. And on the very day we're discussing him?" Thalros added, smile starting to twitch.

Selvas AI:"Statistical probability of this being coincidence: 0.000014%.Recommendation: Detain subject. Evaluate intent and risk of data breach."

Nayra remained seated, fingers still folded.She looked at each representative, then said softly:"Or... we let him in."

Immediate reactions:"This is a secure room!""We're discussing him!""That's like inviting a spark into a reactor!"

Nayra raised her hand. Silence returned.

"If you're all so afraid of one boy... then I want to see for myself whether what you fear is real—Or just the shadow of your own mistakes."

She pressed a button under her seat."Let him in."

[Deren – Enters the High-Level Diplomatic Room, Holding a Fan]

Deren stepped inside the grand chamber—lined with faction banners glowing against the wall.Six high-ranking officials—all faces from the newsfeeds—now stared… at him.

"…I got lost."That was all he said.

He was still holding the spare fan box.His hoodie was wrinkled. His hair half-damp from a rushed shower.

Thalros snapped, "Do you realize where you are, Arkwright?"

Deren looked around."…Conference room. That happens to be next to a workshop that sells cheap wiring."

Nayra smiled slightly. "He's not lying."

Valdheim nearly exploded. "This is not funny!"

Deren raised a brow. "I'm not laughing.""You're all panicking… over me buying a fan?"

Silence.

Outside the room, Ryn had just arrived—along with Clarice, who had been discreetly dispatched.Ryn covered his face with a hand."This'll go down in history—Deren walking into the planet's highest diplomatic meeting… because of a broken cooling fan."

[Clarice – Monitoring From the Shadows]

Clarice watched through a hidden drone, patched into the building's security grid.She saw Deren sitting among global power players like a student who'd entered the wrong room during national exams.

"…You were never part of the plan.And yet… you always end up at the center.Even when you don't try."

She typed a command:[Activate Silent Surveillance Unit. No interference… unless someone touches him.]

[Nayra – At the Eye of the Political Storm]

All eyes turned back to Nayra.But she didn't look at anyone.

She looked at Deren.

A cadet in a worn hoodie, holding spare parts, sitting in the middle of planetary leaders.

He wasn't a threat.Not a politician. Not a soldier.

And yet, they all knew...He was the gravitational core pulling every dangerous variable into orbit.

"Arkwright," the Thalros delegate finally said, voice measured, "If you're truly not part of an underground syndicate, and not the cause of the signal incidents… perhaps it's time you explain—Why do all dangerous technologies seem to orbit you?"

Deren stared back.Long and flat.

Then replied:"Because I don't have a marketing department to sell my failed ideas to normal people.But the underworld?They've got… weird taste."

Silence.

A Valdheim officer opened his mouth to protest, but Nayra cut in."Enough.If everyone's done blaming this boy…Let's return to the actual goal: forming a united stance on the signal and threat we still don't understand."

"And Arkwright?" she turned to him."You may leave. Just… try not to wander into our next meeting."

Deren stood. "I won't be back. Trust me."

Then he paused, looked at them all, and said—somehow, a little serious:"You're all busy pointing fingers.But the signal you're afraid of…Hasn't even pointed back yet."

He walked out.Silence returned.

[Clarice – As Deren Leaves the Building]

Clarice appeared from a side corridor just as Deren exited, sipping cold coffee from a nearby vending machine.

"So, you just walked into the planet's top diplomatic chamber… in a hoodie. With a broken fan."

Deren looked exhausted."Clarice… if someone invites me to an interplanetary negotiation tomorrow…Please. Turn off my alarm before 7 AM."

Clarice chuckled.

🌀 End of Chapter – Planetary Server, United Faction Central System

Deep inside the most secure server of the United Factions' Central Assembly, an unknown signal slipped through.No sound. No trace.

And yet, it reached the core.

A message appeared—in a language no system could recognize:"CONTACT RECOGNIZED. OBSERVER #ZTH MARKING SUBJECT: DEREN ARKWRIGHT"

The data locked itself.Unopenable.Undeletable.