Ascendant Fury

Sector D – Midday

The sky had turned into a dull bruise—storm clouds rolling in like an omen.

Kaien sat on the rusted edge of the train car, legs dangling over the rooftop's ledge, watching the city breathe. The streets below buzzed with everyday chaos. No one had any idea what had changed overnight. But he could feel it.

Something had shifted.

Zaira leaned against the doorway behind him, arms crossed.

"You've been quiet," she said.

Kaien didn't turn. "Just thinking."

"You don't do that often."

A faint smirk tugged at his lip. "Guess I'm evolving."

Zaira joined him on the edge. "So... what now?"

Kaien reached into his bag and pulled the cloth-wrapped mask halfway out. It shimmered faintly—like embers trapped beneath obsidian.

"I train," he said. "I find out what this is. What I am."

"And if someone comes looking?"

"I'll be ready."

Zaira nodded slowly, then nudged his shoulder.

"You better be. Because someone's already watching."

---

Sector C - The Echo Lounge

Far from the slums, in the cleaner districts of the city, a jazz bar played smooth synth over dim lighting. In the back room, behind a one-way mirror, a man sat alone—legs crossed, sipping tea.

His face was obscured by a simple grey veil, but the air around him felt wrong. Still. Artificial.

He was watching a projection—grainy footage of Kaien lighting his fist with flame.

"Interesting," he murmured, fingers dancing over a projection console. "Breath of Embers. Pattern incomplete. But instinctive."

Another man stood beside him, armed, armored, and silent.

The veiled figure set the cup down.

"Send me in."

The guard blinked. "You, sir?"

"Yes."

"But your designation is—"

"I'm aware of my designation. I haven't stretched my legs in years. This boy woke something ancient. I want to look him in the eye."

He stood up.

As he did, the lights dimmed automatically.

Every camera in the room shut off.

The system knew:

Class V Operative: Lucien Veyl — Code Name: "Grey Veil"

Mission Authorization: Direct Engagement

---

Back in Sector D

Kaien and Zaira relocated to an abandoned metro tunnel—a place they used when they needed privacy. The ceiling cracked in places, vines pushing through the rusted pipes. A few old targets still hung on the walls from their street-fight training days.

Kaien stretched his arms, let out a breath, and focused.

Flames ignited across his fingers—not burning, but flickering. Hungry.

Zaira circled him like a coach.

"Try maintaining the flame while moving. Controlled bursts. Don't overdraw."

Kaien nodded, dashed forward, and threw a flame-laced punch at a rusted target.

BOOM.

The target exploded.

Zaira blinked.

"…Maybe less force."

Kaien grinned. "No promises."

He spent the next hour honing control—igniting flame in his feet to enhance speed, channeling heat into focused arcs. Every movement made the world feel clearer. His senses expanded. His instincts sharpened.

But something gnawed at him.

The voice.

It hadn't spoken again since the catacombs.

And yet… he felt it.

Still watching.

Still waiting.

---

Rooftop Above the Tunnel

Lucien Veyl stood in the wind, his grey veil fluttering. He looked down at the broken skylight peeking into the tunnel below. His hands were gloved, but there were sigils etched into the skin beneath.

He raised one hand—and the wind stopped.

Time bent around his presence.

"Let's see what you really are," he whispered.

He stepped off the edge—and descended like smoke.

---

Tunnel – Moments Later

Kaien stopped mid-swing.

Zaira tilted her head. "What?"

"…Something's off."

Before she could reply, a shadow drifted down from the cracked ceiling—and landed silently behind them.

A ripple of pressure surged through the space.

Zaira turned, reaching for her blade.

Too slow.

In a blink, the newcomer was between them.

Grey veil.

Calm eyes.

And a voice like frost on metal.

"Hello, Kaien Nox."

Kaien stepped back instinctively. "Who the hell—?"

"I'm Lucien Veyl. Division Five. I'm here to determine if you're a threat."

Zaira snarled. "You think you can just show up—"

Lucien raised a finger.

Zaira froze. Mid-sentence.

Her body locked, suspended in the moment.

Time fracture.

Kaien's eyes widened. "What did you—"

"She's fine. Just paused. I only want to talk. You've awakened something ancient. I'm curious if it's worth fearing."

Kaien clenched his fists. "You came all this way to threaten me?"

Lucien tilted his head. "No. I came to test you."

---

Without warning, the space around Kaien fractured.

Like glass shattering in reverse, he was pulled into a memory-void—a constructed battlefield of grey ash and flickering flame. A domain woven from Lucien's mind.

Kaien landed hard, coughing.

Lucien hovered across from him, still veiled.

"This is my Mind Plane. If you're unworthy, you die here—and no one even finds your body."

Kaien stood slowly, fire swirling around his fists.

"Let's see what I'm worth, then."

---

Mind Plane Battle

Lucien moved like thought.

One second far, the next behind Kaien.

Kaien barely ducked the first blow—Lucien's hand slicing through air like a blade. A crack of force sent Kaien flying backward.

He hit the ash ground, coughed blood, rolled, and launched a fire arc at Lucien.

Lucien caught it.

With two fingers.

"Unrefined. Wild. But there's a storm buried in you."

Kaien charged again.

This time, he let the fire guide him.

His feet ignited, propelling him faster. He spun midair, feinted, and dropped a point-blank blast.

Lucien finally stepped back.

Kaien didn't notice the grin behind the veil.

"You're adapting," Lucien said.

Kaien burned brighter.

Flames wrapped around his arms, forming flickering gauntlets.

He exhaled—and whispered:

"Burning Core."

The domain trembled.

Lucien narrowed his eyes. "So… it's starting."

---

Five Minutes Later

Kaien fell to one knee.

Panting.

Smoke rising from his arms.

Lucien stood a few meters away, untouched—but no longer passive.

"…Impressive," he said. "You're still standing."

Kaien grinned. "Want a rematch?"

Lucien shook his head.

"No. I've seen enough."

He snapped his fingers.

The domain shattered.

---

Tunnel – Reality

Zaira gasped, moving again as if nothing happened.

Kaien stood alone, sweat pouring down, barely able to breathe.

Lucien was gone.

Only a whisper lingered in the wind:

> "You've been flagged, Kaien Nox. The gods are watching now."

Zaira caught him as he collapsed.

"What the hell happened?!"

Kaien looked up at the cracked ceiling, vision spinning.

"I think…"

He passed out mid-sentence.

"…I got invited to the big leagues."

---