The battlefield of Zyphoros was covered in cold wind and dense smog. There was a strange metallic smell in the air, as if the traces of old battles were still lingering in the air. Broken metallic structures were scattered everywhere. Some were half buried in the ground, while others looked as if a powerful blast had shattered them and thrown them far away. In many places on the ground, melted metal had hardened, and whenever lightning flashed, it reflected faintly from its surface. Far away in the sky, the clouds were heavy, and occasionally lightning would flash, illuminating the entire battlefield for a brief second before everything returned once again to darkness and smog.
Rana stood there.
His hand was still resting on the gadget he had tried to activate a few moments earlier. The screen still displayed the same blinking words — Generate Weapon. The faint blue light from the screen reflected softly on his face.
But Rana's attention was not on the gadget.
The Leader's words were echoing again and again in his mind.
"Zaneath is within you."
Rana slowly exhaled. His breathing was still slightly heavy. He looked around. The battlefield of Zyphoros appeared completely deserted. There was no movement, no sound. Only the soft echo of the wind and the faint clinking of distant metal fragments.
Yet he still felt as if someone was watching him.
As if something was hidden behind the smog.
Rana tightened his grip on the gadget. The blinking words on the screen were beginning to irritate him. For a moment he considered pressing the button.
But then he stopped his hand.
Many questions were racing through his mind.
What did the Leader's words actually mean?
How could Zaneath possibly be inside him?
And if there truly was some power within him, then why had it never awakened until now?
Rana was still thinking about this when he suddenly felt a strange vibration in the air.
At first the vibration was extremely faint, so faint that if Rana had not been alert, he might have ignored it completely.
But slowly the vibration began to grow stronger.
Rana immediately became alert.
He adjusted his stance and focused carefully toward the smog.
Something was moving within the fog.
First a vague shadow.
Then another.
And gradually more.
Rana's eyes narrowed.
"Who's there?" he shouted loudly.
His voice echoed through the smog and the metal ruins before returning to him.
But there was no response.
For a few seconds there was only silence.
Then a sharp metallic click was heard.
In the very next moment, red targeting beams locked onto Rana's chest and head.
Rana instantly understood that the situation was about to turn dangerous.
Cutting through the smog, seven armored figures emerged.
Their suits were made of dark alloy that absorbed the dull light around them. Their helmets were completely plain — no symbols, no insignia. It was as if someone had intentionally erased their identity.
Their movements were perfectly coordinated.
Each soldier maintained an exact distance from the others.
One of the soldiers stepped forward. His voice sounded mechanical and cold through the helmet speaker.
"Target confirmed."
Another soldier spoke.
"Capture Rana."
Rana slightly adjusted his position.
Without wasting even a second, a soldier fired.
A blue plasma bolt tore through the air directly toward Rana.
Rana instantly jumped to the side.
The beam struck a metallic structure behind him and exploded.
Fragments of metal flew into the air and sparks burst as they struck the ground.
Rana quickly got back to his feet and changed his movement.
Two soldiers sprinted toward him.
Their speed was faster than that of any normal human.
The first soldier jumped forward and attacked him with an energy blade.
At the last moment Rana grabbed his wrist.
The impact was strong. Both of them froze for a brief second.
Rana quickly twisted the soldier's arm.
A cracking sound came from the metal joint.
But the soldier immediately punched toward Rana's face with his other hand.
Rana moved his head aside.
The punch struck his shoulder.
The force pushed Rana one step backward.
At that same moment another soldier attacked from behind.
Rana delivered a low kick. The impact was so powerful that a sharp wave of pain shot through his own leg.
The joint jammed for a moment and the soldier dropped to his knees.
Rana struck his helmet with an elbow.
The impact landed.
But the soldier still stood up.
As if he could not feel pain at all.
Rana was confused for a moment.
"Why are they fighting like machines…"
Suddenly another energy shot fired from behind.
The beam passed beside him and exploded against the ground.
The shockwave threw him sideways.
Rana hit the ground and for a moment his breathing nearly stopped.
A burning pain spread across his chest.
He tried to stand up immediately.
But the soldiers had already changed their positions.
Now four soldiers had formed a circle around him.
One soldier raised a shoulder cannon.
Rana tried to dodge.
But the blast exploded too close.
The shockwave struck directly against his chest.
Rana fell to the ground again.
His breathing became heavy.
His body was exhausted.
His vision was beginning to blur.
The soldiers slowly began to approach him.
One soldier aimed his weapon directly at his head.
"Target."
Rana struggled to lift himself.
He looked toward the gadget.
The same words were still blinking on the screen.
Generate Weapon
He stretched his hand forward.
But his finger could not reach the button.
One soldier aimed the final shot.
At that exact moment, a dark blur shot out of the smog with the speed of lightning.
In the next second one soldier was hurled into the air and crashed onto the ground ten meters away.
The remaining soldiers instantly turned.
Standing there was the Raxorian Leader.
His black coat moved slightly in the wind.
His mask glimmered faintly in the lightning.
One soldier fired without hesitation.
The Leader twisted his body at the last moment and the beam scraped across his shoulder armor before passing by.
Another soldier sprinted toward him.
The Leader blocked his punch and delivered a powerful palm strike against the soldier's chest armor.
The impact forced the soldier to slide backward.
A third soldier attacked from the side with an energy blade.
The Leader blocked the blade with his forearm guard.
But the impact was strong.
The blade cut through the armor.
Dark blood began to flow from his side.
Rana watched in shock.
"Leader!"
But the Leader did not stop.
He grabbed the attacker's wrist and flipped him over his shoulder.
As the soldier hit the ground, the Leader kicked his weapon away.
Suddenly another plasma shot came from behind.
The Leader immediately stepped in front of Rana.
The blast struck his back armor.
The impact forced him to drop to his knees.
Yet he was still shielding Rana.
Rana rushed toward him and grabbed him.
"Are you insane? You'll die!"
The Leader breathed heavily.
"Not yet…"
He slowly forced himself to stand again.
The remaining soldiers hesitated for a moment.
The Leader looked directly at them.
His voice was calm.
But there was a clear warning within it.
"Retreat."
For a few seconds there was silence.
Then the soldiers slowly disappeared back into the smog.
The Leader's body was clearly weakening.
He took one step forward.
Then he collapsed onto his knees.
Rana immediately sat beside him.
"You're injured."
The Leader took a slow breath.
"A little."
Rana looked at him.
This time there was no confusion in his eyes.
There was respect.
The Leader spoke quietly.
"Now you understand… this game isn't only between you and me."
Lightning flashed once more in the distant sky.
The battlefield of Zyphoros sank back into darkness.
And Rana understood one thing clearly now.
The war had truly begun.
---
The battlefield of Zyphoros had once again fallen silent. The cold wind was still blowing, and occasionally small fragments of metal made faint sounds among the broken structures. Lightning flashed in the distant sky, illuminating the entire battlefield for a brief moment before darkness returned.
Both Rana and the Leader were now exhausted.
The Leader was kneeling on the ground. His armor was covered with scratches and burn marks, and the wound on his side from the blade was still fresh. His breathing was heavy. Rana was also tired. The pain from the shockwave was still spreading across his chest.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then the Leader slowly said,
"We have to go to the base."
Rana immediately looked at him. There was confusion in his eyes and a trace of stubbornness.
"I'm not going anywhere," Rana replied.
The Leader lifted his head and looked at him with anger.
"Don't be foolish, Rana."
Even though he was weak, his voice remained firm.
"My duty is to protect you. And you cannot stop me from doing that."
Rana tried to say something, but the Leader interrupted him.
"I made a promise to someone to keep you alive," the Leader said quietly but clearly.
Rana fell silent for a moment.
The Leader slowly stood up, trying to maintain his balance. Then he extended his hand toward Rana.
"Come."
Rana looked at him for a few seconds. Then, without saying anything, he stepped forward and supported him.
The two of them slowly began walking away from the battlefield.
The smog grew thicker around them. They passed through the wreckage of destroyed ships and broken machinery as they moved forward. After some time, they reached a hidden entrance within the ruins of Zyphoros.
The entrance was concealed behind a massive metallic gate.
As soon as the Leader activated a hidden panel, the gate slowly began to open.
Beyond the gate was a huge underground base.
Inside, faint blue lights glowed across the walls. Members of various alien species were working at consoles. Some injured soldiers were being treated nearby.
Rana looked around in surprise.
"This place…?" he asked quietly.
The Leader answered directly.
"This is our base."
The two of them entered a quiet room where everything was calm.
The Leader stopped near a wall.
Then he turned to look at Rana.
"Rana… there is something you must know now."
Rana remained silent.
The Leader spoke slowly.
"Zaneath is inside you."
Rana's eyes fixed on him.
The Leader continued.
"Zaneath is in your blood."
Then he pointed toward Rana's chest.
"Zaneath is in your breath."
Rana's heartbeat began to rise.
The Leader's voice grew more serious.
"Rana… Zaneath is in the beating of your heart."
The room fell silent.
Rana was confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked slowly.
The Leader looked into his eyes for several seconds.
Then he spoke the words that could change everything.
"Because Zaneath is not someone else…"
His voice slowed.
"…Zaneath…"