Chapter 4: The Hunt Begins

The morning sky over Scoria burned red with artificial light—an omen. High above, the Inquisitorial Sigil glowed across the clouds, warping the air like a brand on the heavens.

Aion felt its pressure the moment he stepped out of the Cinders. His skin prickled. Ether itself seemed... heavier.

"The city's locked down," he muttered. "They're looking for me."

---

Across the upper tiers of Scoria, Inquisition squads marched with cold precision—white and gold armor, glowing Ether runes etched into their halberds. They moved door to door, dragging people out into the streets, scanning their cores for abnormalities.

Down in the slums, panic bloomed like wildfire.

Aion ducked into a ruined bakery and watched from the shadows as an old woman was thrown into a prison skiff. Her Ether flared weakly—just a flicker of the Spark Law—but it was enough. The guards didn't care. They were casting a net.

And he was the prize.

---

Aion turned back toward the alleys, but a familiar voice stopped him.

"Vale!"

He spun, eyes narrowing. It was Kael, a street thief and sometime ally, breathless and bloodied.

"They're sweeping the Spine," Kael panted. "Ten of 'em. Drones too. They're not just searching—they're erasing."

Aion's jaw tightened. "Then I can't run anymore."

Kael blinked. "What? Are you insane? You've got no weapon, no—"

Aion raised his hand.

The air around him rippled.

The Ether in the bakery twisted unnaturally, curling away from his palm like it feared being touched.

Kael backed up. "What the hell…?"

"I don't know what I am," Aion said quietly. "But I'm done hiding."

---

Minutes later, a squad of white-armored Inquisitors stalked through the Spine, led by a High Seeker with crystalline Ether lenses strapped over his eyes. Drones buzzed through the air like silver wasps, scanning every corner.

Then they found him.

A boy in a ruined coat, standing alone in a cratered street.

"Target confirmed," the Seeker said. "Level One Anomaly. Terminate."

They raised their halberds—Ether ignited along the blades.

Aion closed his eyes.

And let go.

The ground trembled. Ether shattered like glass in the air. Every halberd flickered out—dead. The drones crashed to the ground, sparks hissing from their cores.

A ripple of Null pulsed from Aion's body.

The Seeker staggered, eyes wide. "Impossible... He's not suppressing the Laws—he's deleting them—"

Aion opened his eyes. "Run."

The squad did not.

They screamed.