Tetsuiya had fainted after exhausting every ounce of energy inside his body. The last thing he remembered was the cold rain pouring endlessly from the ruined skies, the screams of scavengers echoing through Sector 14, and the terrifying crimson light that had burst from his own hands before darkness swallowed him whole.
For a while, there was nothing.
No sound.
No pain.
Only an endless void.
Then slowly, consciousness returned.
The first thing he noticed was the metallic smell lingering in the air. His body felt unbearably heavy, as though every bone inside him had been shattered and stitched back together. A dull ache pulsed through his chest while his head throbbed painfully with every breath.
Tetsuiya forced his eyes open.
Dim yellow emergency lights flickered weakly above him. Rusted pipes stretched across the ceiling like tangled veins, leaking drops of water that echoed throughout the massive chamber. Old warning signs covered the cracked walls, most of them faded beyond recognition. Broken machinery lay scattered everywhere, partially consumed by rust and time.
The entire place looked like an abandoned nuclear reactor forgotten by the world.
Tetsuiya slowly pushed himself upright and realized he was lying on an old worn-out sofa patched together with cloth and wires. His body immediately protested from the movement.
“Damn…” he muttered weakly.
A voice suddenly spoke nearby.
“So, you’re finally awake, kid.”
Tetsuiya instantly turned toward the source of the voice.
A man sat beside a cluttered metal workbench several feet away. Broken drones floated around him while pieces of glowing blue energy moved through the air like invisible hands, dismantling the machines effortlessly. Metal parts separated themselves with precise movements before neatly arranging into piles beside the table.
The stranger looked young, probably somewhere in his late twenties. Messy silver-black hair fell across sharp eyes that carried an unusual calmness to them. He wore a long dark coat with glowing blue patterns running along the sleeves, and despite the relaxed way he sat, there was something dangerous about his presence.
The man lazily glanced toward Tetsuiya.
“The name’s Tsukiguni Ren,” he said casually. “You can just call me Ren.”
One of the drones suddenly exploded into pieces beside him, but Ren didn’t even flinch.
“Now,” he continued, “care to introduce yourself?”
Tetsuiya hesitated for a moment.
“I’m… Tetsuiya Kurogami.”
His voice became quieter afterward.
“I’m an orphan.”
Ren paused.
For the briefest moment, his expression changed.
“Kurogami… huh.”
There was recognition in his eyes.
Tetsuiya noticed it immediately.
“You know my surname?”
Ren looked away and shrugged casually.
“Maybe,” he replied vaguely. “Maybe not.”
The answer only confused Tetsuiya further, but before he could ask again, Ren stood up and stretched lazily.
“Well, kid,” he said, “one thing’s certain. You’ve got a dangerous power sleeping inside you.”
Tetsuiya blinked.
“What?”
Ren pointed directly at him.
“That thing you did back there wasn’t normal. A Nether came into direct contact with you, yet instead of mutating or dying, your body adapted to Eclipse energy itself.”
Tetsuiya stared blankly.
“You’re saying I have powers?”
Ren laughed softly.
“Not just powers. Your ability is Matter Manipulation.”
The words sounded unreal to him.
“Matter… manipulation?”
“You can reshape matter itself,” Ren explained. “Metal, objects, structures… maybe even living tissue someday if your synchronization rate increases enough.”
Tetsuiya instinctively looked at his hands.
They still trembled slightly.
Ren’s tone suddenly became more serious.
“But abilities like yours come with risks. If you fail to control the Eclipse energy inside your body, it’ll destroy you from the inside out.”
Tetsuiya remembered the overwhelming sensation from earlier. That strange energy flowing through his body when he thought he was about to die.
The memory sent chills down his spine.
He looked back toward Ren.
“When you saved me,” Tetsuiya asked carefully, “you were holding some glowing sword. Was that your ability too?”
Ren smirked slightly.
“Yep. Energy Manipulation.”
Blue light instantly gathered around his fingertips before forming a tiny spinning blade. The blade floated above his palm for a few seconds before dissolving into particles.
“I can manipulate raw energy itself,” Ren explained casually. “Electricity, heat, force, photons… pretty useful in fights.”
Tetsuiya stared at him in amazement.
Until now, abilities had only existed in stories told by scavengers around campfires.
Yet here he was, watching someone casually bend energy itself.
Ren walked toward a massive cracked monitor hanging from the wall and activated it. The screen flickered repeatedly before finally displaying static-filled images of destroyed cities and monstrous creatures.
“Before training starts,” Ren said quietly, “you need to understand the kind of world you’re living in.”
The screen changed again.
Images of scientists, laboratories, and massive reactors appeared.
“Decades ago,” Ren began, “humanity discovered Eclipse Cells during experiments involving dimensional fusion technology. Scientists believed Eclipse Cells could solve the global energy crisis.”
The images suddenly shifted into footage of explosions and ruined cities.
“They were wrong.”
Tetsuiya listened silently.
“The experiments destabilized reality itself,” Ren continued. “Dimensional barriers collapsed. Creatures from another plane began entering our world.”
“Nethers,” Tetsuiya whispered.
Ren nodded.
“Entire nations disappeared within months. Governments collapsed. Humanity nearly went extinct before the remaining world powers united to form the Dominion.”
The word Dominion carried obvious disgust in Ren’s voice.
“They claim they protect humanity,” he continued coldly, “but they’re also responsible for many of the failed Eclipse experiments.”
The monitor displayed several horrifying creatures.
“There are five known types of Nethers.”
The first image showed shadowy creatures crawling across ruined buildings.
“Wraiths,” Ren explained. “The weakest class. Individually they’re manageable, but in swarms they become deadly.”
The screen shifted again.
Distorted humanoid creatures appeared next.
“Hux. Humans who failed to synchronize with Eclipse Cells mutate into them.”
Tetsuiya felt uneasy looking at them.
“They still retain fragments of human instinct,” Ren added quietly. “Which honestly makes them worse.”
The next images displayed gigantic monstrous beings consuming smaller Nethers.
“Aberrants,” Ren said. “Highly dangerous predators capable of regeneration and evolution through consumption.”
The atmosphere in the room suddenly felt heavier when the final images appeared.
Seven towering figures surrounded by celestial energy filled the screen.
“Archons.”
Even Ren’s expression became serious.
“They are godlike entities governing the fundamental essences of existence itself.”
The names appeared one after another across the screen.
“Morvath. Archon of Matter and Creation.”
“Solgrane. Archon of Energy and Stability.”
“Lyra. Archon of Life and Rebirth.”
“Noxiel. Archon of Darkness and Fear.”
“Vorna. Archon of Flames and Emotion.”
“Eidiros. Archon of Dreams and Nightmares.”
“Vaelith. Archon of Time and Decay.”
Tetsuiya stared speechlessly at the screen.
“Together,” Ren continued, “they supposedly maintain balance across existence.”
The monitor displayed one final image.
A massive shadow hidden behind countless galaxies.
“The Abyssal Architect.”
Tetsuiya narrowed his eyes.
“What is that?”
Ren crossed his arms.
“A myth,” he replied. “Or maybe not. Some believe it exists beyond even the Archons themselves.”
The screen finally shut off.
Silence filled the reactor.
Then Ren looked directly at Tetsuiya.
“You’re different from normal survivors, kid. A Nether should’ve killed you instantly. Instead… you adapted.”
Tetsuiya lowered his gaze.
“I don’t really understand what happened,” he admitted softly. “I just remember feeling helpless.”
His hands tightened unconsciously.
“I didn’t want to die. Then suddenly it felt like… something answered me.”
Ren’s eyes narrowed immediately.
“What did you just say?”
Tetsuiya looked confused.
“It felt like the world itself answered me.”
For a moment, Ren remained completely silent.
Then he quietly muttered to himself.
“So it’s true…”
“What?”
“Nothing,” Ren replied quickly. “Forget it.”
He suddenly grabbed an empty juice can from nearby and tossed it toward Tetsuiya.
The can rolled across the floor before stopping near his feet.
“Turn that into a knife.”
Tetsuiya blinked.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Tetsuiya picked up the can awkwardly.
“How exactly am I supposed to do that?”
Ren shrugged.
“Figure it out.”
Tetsuiya sighed and concentrated as hard as he could. He imagined the metal twisting and reshaping itself into a blade.
Nothing happened.
Again he tried.
Still nothing.
Sweat formed across his forehead as minutes passed.
The can remained completely unchanged.
Ren sighed dramatically.
“Well, well,” he muttered while standing up. “Looks like we need a more dramatic method.”
Tetsuiya immediately sensed something dangerous.
“What are you talking about?”
Ren slowly began walking toward him.
His expression suddenly became cold and emotionless.
“I’m going to kill you, kid.”
Tetsuiya froze.
“What?!”
“You’re useless if you can’t use your ability.”
Blue energy erupted violently around Ren’s arm as a glowing Photon Sword materialized in his hand with a sharp humming sound.
The temperature in the room instantly rose.
Tetsuiya instinctively stepped backward.
“Wait—!”
Ren disappeared.
In the next second he appeared directly in front of Tetsuiya with the blade raised.
Fear exploded inside Tetsuiya’s chest.
His heartbeat became uncontrollable.
Then suddenly—
A strange crimson mark spread across his neck.
The Halo Mark.
Energy surged violently throughout his body.
The juice can in his hand twisted unnaturally before reshaping itself into a sharp metallic knife.
Without thinking, Tetsuiya hurled it toward Ren.
The knife flew through the air at incredible speed.
But Ren casually caught it between two fingers.
A huge grin suddenly spread across his face.
“Now THAT,” he laughed loudly, “was brilliant acting.”
Tetsuiya stared at him in disbelief.
“…What?”
Ren immediately dismissed the Photon Sword.
“Relax, kid. I was forcing your survival instincts to activate your powers.”
Tetsuiya nearly collapsed from relief.
“You’re completely insane…”
“Probably,” Ren admitted proudly.
Before Tetsuiya could respond further, loud alarms suddenly echoed throughout the reactor.
Red warning lights began flashing across the walls.
Ren’s expression immediately sharpened.
He turned toward the large display screen.
EMERGENCY ALERT
NETHER SURGE DETECTED — SECTOR 9
ABERRANT CLASS ENTITY IDENTIFIED
Designation: Spine Eater
REQUESTING IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE
Ren cracked his neck.
“Well then,” he said excitedly, “looks like your first lesson starts now.”
Tetsuiya looked confused.
“Lesson?”
Ren smirked.
“I’ll show you how to kill a Nether before we begin proper training.”
Tetsuiya immediately frowned.
“Sector 9 is way too far from here. We can’t possibly reach it in time.”
Ren simply stretched casually.
“Hold onto me tightly, kid.”
Tetsuiya blinked.
“What?”
“You’ll understand soon.”
Reluctantly, Tetsuiya grabbed onto Ren’s shoulder.
“You ready?” Ren asked.
After a moment of hesitation, Tetsuiya nodded.
“…Yeah.”
Ren slowly closed his eyes.
Blue energy began gathering around his body.
Then he quietly uttered a single phrase.
“Null Step.”
Instantly, reality distorted.
Tetsuiya felt a terrifying force slam into his body as space itself twisted violently around them. His vision blurred completely while the world stretched unnaturally in every direction.
It felt as though his entire body had been ripped apart and reconstructed within seconds.
Unable to endure the sensation, he shut his eyes tightly.
Then suddenly—
Everything stopped.
Cold wind brushed against his face.
Tetsuiya slowly opened his eyes again.
They were standing on top of a massive skyscraper overlooking Sector 9.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
“H-How did we get here?!”
Ren placed his hands casually inside his pockets.
“Null Step,” he explained calmly. “An advanced application of Energy Manipulation. I convert kinetic energy into instantaneous displacement.”
Tetsuiya still looked completely shocked.
Below them, chaos consumed the city.
Buildings burned beneath the dark crimson sky. Vehicles littered the shattered roads. Smoke rose everywhere while terrified civilians ran desperately through the streets.
Dozens of Wraiths crawled across walls and rooftops like shadows.
Tetsuiya still looked completely stunned.
“H-How did we get here?!”
Ren placed his hands casually inside his pockets.
“Null Step,” he explained calmly. “An advanced application of Energy Manipulation. I convert kinetic energy into instantaneous displacement.”
Below them, chaos consumed the city.
Buildings burned beneath the dark crimson sky. Smoke rose endlessly into the atmosphere while terrified civilians ran through shattered streets. Wraiths crawled across walls like shadows while Dominion sirens echoed throughout the sector.
Tetsuiya froze at the horrifying sight before him.
“This is…”
Ren’s expression became serious as he looked toward the center of the city where something massive moved through the smoke.
“A real Nether Surge,” he said quietly.
A deafening roar suddenly echoed across Sector 9.
The ground trembled violently beneath them.
Tetsuiya instinctively stepped back as an enormous silhouette slowly emerged from the burning streets below.
Ren smirked slightly.
“Looks like we made it in time.”