Metaverse of Mechas

📘 Chapter 120

⚙️ Scene 1: Solace—The Fallen Titan

The dim, flickering lights inside Station 09's forgotten corridors cast jagged shadows across the rusted walls. Zeron stepped forward, cautiously eyeing the armored figure that had emerged from the darkness.

"You're Solace," Kael said. "You vanished five years ago. Declared dead."

Solace slowly removed the broken helmet.

A scarred, hollow-eyed face stared back. It was once handsome—now wrecked by time, isolation, and guilt.

"Not dead," Solace rasped. "Abandoned."

"Why?" Zeron asked. "Why hide down here?"

Solace turned away, gesturing toward the sealed chamber ahead—the heart of the Iron Grave.

"Because I failed to kill the origin. And I was punished for remembering."

Kael and Zeron shared a glance.

"The origin of what?" Kael asked.

Solace pointed at Zeron.

"The origin... of you."

🔍 Scene 2: The Emotional Vector Engine (E.V.E.)

The sealed door cracked open with a long hiss. Inside was a vast chamber, dimly lit by deep violet circuits pulsing in the walls.

At its center stood a device—towering, elegant, and alien. It looked like a throne and a motherboard merged into one.

"This is E.V.E.," Solace said. "A machine that translates raw emotion into Krono. It's older than the Guild. Older than Earth's defenses. It was made... for one person only."

Zeron stepped toward it. The Krono inside it shimmered faintly—purple.

"It responds to you," Kael muttered. "It's your origin."

Solace nodded.

"You weren't born, Zeron. You were willed into existence by the last operator of E.V.E.—your mother, Sariah."

"She created you... to stop what's coming."

🛰️ Scene 3: The Thread's Warning

Far above, as Verdion and Zui were en route to the Bloom Sanctuary for Life Thread replenishment, their transport was hijacked mid-air by a Threadic cult.

Their airship spiraled, flames licking its undercarriage. Verdion summoned Krono vines to shield Zui as they crashed into a cliffside forest.

The cultists circled them, chanting:

"All shall return to the Thread. The Catalyst shall not corrupt purity."

Zui stood, bruised and shaken.

"I am the Thread's chosen. I am not your puppet."

Her Life Thread aura exploded outward—roots burst from the ground, blooming with thorns and bioluminescent petals.

Verdion, bleeding but still standing, grinned.

"You finally listened to her."

Zui glared at the cultists, eyes glowing green-gold.

"Tell your leader... the Thread now fights back."

🔥 Scene 4: Zake's Trial: The Warden of Flame

Zake meditated alone in the Ashcore Training Vault, flames dancing along his fingers. A fragment of Asterion's original AI emerged from the shadows.

"You seek control, but you do not understand consequence."

"Teach me, then," Zake said. "Or shut up."

The AI revealed a trial: Zake must endure an ancient simulation—The Warden of Flame—an entity forged from failing pilots' regrets.

Inside the simulation, Zake faced thousands of dying screams.

His own worst fear emerged: a vision of Zui, burned and broken.

"You let us die."

Zake dropped to his knees—but then stood, fists ignited with crimson-gold Krono.

"No. I'm still here. I will burn through this."

He erupted forward, breaking the Warden with a single punch that shattered both his illusion—and a limit inside him.

When he awoke, his mech—Asterion Flame—had gained wings of blazing energy.

🧠 Scene 5: The Betrayal Reaches the Council

Meanwhile, back at the Guild HQ, Mireya stood before the Council of Mecha Lords, hand in hand with Captain Rhys.

"Zeron is hiding restricted technology. He accessed Station 09."

"We must detain him for unauthorized contact with ancient Krono tech."

The vote was cast.

But just as they prepared to issue an arrest order, Kael burst through the doors, slamming down a datapad.

"If you want to arrest Zeron, then you'll have to explain why this exists."

He activated a recording—a hidden file showing Mireya collaborating with a cloaked figure... bearing the sigil of Spectral Core, the alien-aligned underground faction.

Gasps filled the chamber.

Councilor Draith stood.

"Mireya Arven. You are hereby under investigation for collusion with the enemy."

Mireya's eyes narrowed as Rhys stepped protectively in front of her.

"This is not over," she hissed.

Kael simply replied:

"No, but your lies are."

📝 Chapter Preview – Chapter 121:

The truth behind Zeron's origin is fully revealed through E.V.E.'s core memory flashback.Solace recounts the final battle where Zeron's father vanished.Zui and Verdion uncover the Heart of the Thread—and awaken something ancient.Zake's Asterion Flame undergoes a forced evolution during an elite tournament.A new player enters the war: a woman with silver Krono—a color thought impossible.