"Ashes of the Unseen."

Riven braced his father's weakened body against his side, his sword clenched tightly in his other hand. The thundering footsteps of Echelon operatives grew louder by the second. The entire facility was now on high alert.

"Lirian!" Riven barked. "Cover our flank!"

Lirian didn't hesitate. Drawing his twin handguns, he planted himself between Riven and the approaching soldiers. "With pleasure."

The first wave of Echelon soldiers rounded the corner, rifles raised. Lirian opened fire instantly, precise headshots dropping three of them before they could react. More poured in behind them.

"Move!" Lirian shouted. "I'll hold them off!"

Riven gritted his teeth. "We're not leaving you behind!"

Lirian smirked, unloading another clip. "I didn't say you would. Just don't slow down!"

Riven adjusted his father's weight and pushed forward. Seren took point, guiding them through the facility's maze-like corridors.

---

"Who… are they?" Riven's father rasped, barely conscious.

"Enemies," Riven answered coldly. "The ones who did this to you."

His father's grip on Riven's shoulder tightened weakly. "…You shouldn't have come."

Riven's chest burned with frustration. "I couldn't leave you here. I won't."

A deafening explosion from behind shook the walls. Lirian sprinted up to them, blood splattered on his face but his grin still intact. "That should slow them down."

"Did you plant a bomb?" Seren gaped.

"Improvised." Lirian shrugged.

They pushed further into the facility. The layout was confusing, but Seren's terminal guidance kept them moving. However, the deeper they went, the stronger the security presence became.

Suddenly, four heavily armed soldiers rounded the next corner. Without hesitation, Riven laid his father down gently.

"Stay down," he told him.

Then Riven launched himself forward, his sword becoming a blur. The first soldier raised his gun—too late. Riven's blade cleaved through his weapon, slicing clean through his armor. The second soldier lunged, only to be met with a knee to the gut and a brutal downward strike that severed his arm.

The third fired—but Lirian's bullet found his skull first.

The fourth froze for half a second, fear crossing his eyes before Riven drove his blade through his chest.

Panting, Riven turned back to his father, who stared at him wide-eyed. "You've… changed."

Riven didn't respond. He only extended his hand, helping his father back to his feet.

---

They reached a freight elevator. Seren accessed the panel. "I can reroute this to the surface, but it'll take a minute."

"A minute we don't have," Lirian growled, reloading his guns.

The sound of marching boots echoed once more. This time, it wasn't just foot soldiers. It was something else. Heavy. Metallic.

"Mechs," Seren breathed.

Riven's jaw clenched. "How many?"

She swallowed hard. "…Three."

The elevator's doors creaked open. "Get him in," Riven ordered, helping his father inside. "Seren, get it moving."

"What about you two?" Seren demanded.

"We'll buy you time." Riven turned to Lirian, who only grinned.

"Thought you'd never ask."

---

The mechs arrived—towering humanoid machines, bristling with weapons. Their pilots, encased within armored cockpits, wasted no time. Twin rotary cannons spun to life.

"Move!" Riven shouted, pushing Lirian aside as a hail of bullets shredded the walls around them. Sparks and debris rained down.

Riven dashed forward, his sword crackling with energy. His muscles screamed in protest, but he ignored it. One clean strike across a mech's knee joint sent it crashing down. Lirian used the opening to plant a grenade beneath its cockpit.

Boom!

The first mech collapsed in flames. The second charged, its clawed arm swiping at Riven. He ducked, rolling beneath it, then drove his sword into its exposed joint, severing hydraulic cables. It staggered—just long enough for Lirian to unload his clip into the cockpit's visor, shattering it.

The third mech fired a missile. Riven barely managed to pull Lirian behind cover as the explosion rocked the corridor. Flames erupted.

"We can't keep this up!" Lirian yelled.

"We don't have to." Riven glanced toward the elevator. It was ascending. His father was safe.

He exhaled. "Time to leave."

Together, they sprinted toward the far corridor. The third mech, still operational, turned to fire—but a sudden overhead detonation collapsed the ceiling on top of it, crushing the machine.

Riven turned to see Seren at the upper level, detonator in hand. She grinned. "Told you I'm useful."

Riven smirked. "Get us out of here."

---

The three of them reached the surface just as the elevator finished its ascent. Riven's father, still weak, clutched the side for support.

"Are you… alright?" Riven asked, his voice softer now.

His father smiled weakly. "…Better now."

But the danger wasn't over. Alarms still blared in the distance. Reinforcements would arrive soon.

"We need to disappear," Seren said.

Riven nodded. "I know a place."

Without another word, Riven lifted his father onto his back, and they disappeared into the cold night—leaving the burning facility behind.

But Riven knew.

This was only the beginning.