REDN

Set 500 years into the future, Zero tells the story of one of the most enigmatic and lethal operatives in a world where humanity has expanded far beyond Earth’s confines. First introduced in Hai-XAI Chronicles: Blacklight - Book 1, Zero’s journey begins as a mercenary for a ruthless crime syndicate, living a life defined by precision, secrecy, and cold-blooded efficiency. Known for his ability to disappear into the shadows, he has lived as a ghost, constantly operating on the fringes of society. But now, in an era where interplanetary politics and advanced technologies shape every aspect of life, his past is catching up with him.
Zero’s path is one of survival, transformation, and self-discovery. With his AI companion, Eclipse, guiding him through perilous missions, Zero is a ghost on the battlefield—moving unseen, striking with lethal efficiency. But as the stakes of his missions rise, he is forced to confront the shadows of his past, realizing that his skills, once used for personal gain, now have a larger role to play in a war for humanity's future.
His journey leads him to Team Blacklight—a covert group under Major Nathan Vale, tasked with protecting humanity’s interests in a galaxy on the brink of chaos. With his unmatched expertise in stealth and assassination, Zero becomes a vital member of the team, taking on high-risk operations that will alter the fate of the galaxy. But as he integrates into Blacklight, Zero is torn between remaining a weapon of the shadows and embracing his new role in a fight for something far greater than survival.
Zero is set in a future where humanity’s reach has extended across the stars, but old threats—both human and alien—still linger. It’s an action-packed, high-stakes thriller that delves deep into the past of a man who has lived in the shadows for too long. The story explores themes of redemption, loyalty, and the choice between running from one’s past or stepping into a new identity.
As Zero’s journey unfolds, he must decide whether he will remain the ghost in the shadows or become something more—a key player in the evolving war for humanity’s future. In a universe where technology, AI, and humanity collide, Zero’s story will set the stage for the epic struggles to come in the Hai-XAI Chronicles.

ZERO: Blood and Honor

The recruitment office stinks of sweat, cheap stimulants, and desperation. A room full of people looking for a way out. Some from debt. Some from enemies. Most with nowhere else to go.

I step inside, blending just enough, but I know I'm being watched. The syndicates own half the local forces. If they recognize me, I won't make it out.

A bored officer sits behind the desk, barely looking up as I slide my ID across.

He snorts. "Aren't we all? Prior experience?"

He scans my ID. A flicker of recognition. His eyes dart toward the corner of the room—toward a man in black, half-shrouded in the dim light. A syndicate lapdog.

"Sorry, kid." He slides my ID back. Smirking. "Your application's been denied."

Right. Conflict of interest. That's what they call it when you're marked for death.

I take my ID and walk out without a word.

Outside, the city is a blur of neon and rain. The walls are closing in. If I stay, I'm dead. But there's one last option.

I pull up my holo-link, scrolling through encrypted channels until I find it:

Galactic Vanguard Corps – Offworld Recruitment.

No propaganda. No flashy ads. Just coordinates and a message:

"No past. No questions. Only the mission."

The GVC office is different. No lines. No forms. Just a stark room, a single terminal, and a woman in black watching me like she already knows why I'm here.

I slide my ID onto the counter. "Looking for work."

She doesn't check it. "What's your skillset?"

"Combat. Weapons. Close-quarters."

A nod. "No papers. No bullshit. If you survive the trials, you're in."

Good. Paperwork never proved anything.

First comes endurance. We run until our bodies break, push through gravity drills until the weak collapse. Sweat. Blood. The air thick with exertion and pain. Then, Zero-G combat—fighting in a void, learning to kill without solid ground beneath our feet. Every mistake is punished. Every hesitation exploited.

Some quit. Some don't get the chance.

Then come the High-G simulations. The spin chambers ramp up, pulling five, six, seven times normal gravity. My bones feel like they'll shatter. My lungs can barely expand. Recruits black out. Med teams drag them away. I grit my teeth and hold on. Pain is nothing new.

But the real test comes later—the Symbiotic Integration Exam.

"Step forward," the tech officer commands. Electrodes hum as the neural interface boots up.

Inside the pod, my pulse hammers. The visor locks down. A voice fills my head, cold and mechanical.

"Neural sync initializing. Candidate: Zero. AI designation: Eclipse."

Then it shifts—aware. Watching. Testing me as much as I'm testing it.

The contact is violent. Data slams into my mind like a detonator. Static burns my skull. My body seizes. Eclipse isn't just linking—it's digging, breaking down barriers that weren't meant to be crossed.

Can you keep up? The thought isn't mine, but it feels like it is.

Pain flares through my head as Eclipse forces synchronization. The weak don't survive this. I push back. My vision fractures—flashes of movement, tactical overlays burning into my retinas. Combat projections, enemy analysis. This isn't just a program.

Darkness pulses. Then—connection.

A presence, no longer invasive but integrated. The voice is smoother now. Precise.

I step out of the pod, my body sharper, faster. Like my own instincts have been rewritten. I flex my fingers, feeling the lingering charge of the merge.

The tech officer nods. "You passed."

Eclipse lingers at the edge of my mind, a shadow waiting to be called.

The trials aren't over. But I've taken my first step into the Galactic Vanguard Corps.

The Galactic Vanguard Corps