Shadows of The Clock

The Strider cut through the night, gliding smoothly. Inside the cabin, Squad GX settled into their seats, readying themselves.

Jessie leaned back, arms folded behind his head, “So, anyone else wondering why we’re flying off into the dark, tracking some mysterious shadow with a code name like ‘Eclipse’? Feels like a setup for some bad horror movie.”

Talia shot him a look, unimpressed. “You mean you actually paid attention for once? Thought you were busy doodling on your holo.”

“Hey, I can multitask.”

Dax shook his head, slightly amused. “Maybe if you’d actually listened, you’d understand why this isn’t a joke. Eclipse is no ordinary target. High-ranking Aequitas, plenty of backup, and enough experience to make all of us look like rookies.”

Tidus' voice crackled through the cabin, its tone dry but precise. “Statistical analysis: the probability of success against Eclipse without optimal coordination is 42%.”

Rhea glanced back from the cockpit, “Let’s keep focus, squad. Eclipse, although powerful, hasn't been careful enough to cover their tracks and that’s why we’re hot on their tail. We’ve been briefed that the reason for them visiting the distortion sites are more than just simply amplifying them. Which means something larger is at play here.”

Mira looked up from her holopad, “The intel says he’s been spotted on numerous abandoned zones on the outskirts.”

Dax sighed, “We need to be ready for anything. Only Time knows what the Aequitas need with those distortions.”

Jessie shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Good thing I packed my ‘anything’ attitude, then.”

As the Strider neared the destination, Rhea checked their coordinates. “All right, team, this is it. We get in, locate them, assess their defenses, and make sure we’re not leaving empty-handed.”

The hatch opened, revealing the looming shadows of abandoned warehouses and factories below. The squad stepped out as the dark, warped landscape sprawled out before them, twisting slightly under the time distortions.

“Good luck out there, me and Tidus will keep an eye on you from here.” Mira grinned and nodded, wishing for her squad’s safety as she remained in the Strider. Although a part of her was silently happy she didn’t have to go out there against the Aequitas.

The rest of the squad moved carefully, navigating the skeletal remains of the abandoned buildings that rose around them like silent sentinels. The atmosphere felt heavy, almost suffocating, and the sky was painted an eerie dark green from the raw chrono energy. Mirac consulting her chrono scanner, guided them towards the coordinates over the comms.

Rhea raised a hand, signaling for silence as they crouched behind the crumbling remnants of a brick wall. Across from them, they could make out a group moving toward the distortion, a ripple of blue and green in the atmosphere. Cloaked figures, stepped in formation, their movements precise and coordinated.

“There,” Talia murmured, nodding to a figure near the front. Unlike the rest, his cloak was lined with silver, and his mask was detailed with intricate engravings, marking him as someone of higher rank. His build was tall and broad-shouldered, almost built as heavily as Dax himself.

“That’s him,” Rhea whispered. “Eclipse.”

“Man, he didn't forget to pack the muscle, that’s for sure.” Jessie winced at the sight of him.

“I can take him.” Dax glared.

But it wasn’t just Eclipse. A smaller figure shuffled beside him—a short, hooded shape, tugged forward by Eclipse’s gloved hand. The hood slipped slightly, and Rhea’s breath caught on her throat.

“The kid…” she murmured, barely above a whisper. Her gaze hardened in realisation.

“From the auction.”

The thought had been gnawing at Rhea ever since then, yet she didn’t anticipate she would come across them again. Yet there they were… a seemingly perfect opportunity.

Talia clenched her jaw, “They have to be forcing the child to work for them…”

They watched as Eclipse turned sharply toward the girl, and with a forceful yank pulled down the hood. She looked no older than 10, her face streaked with grime and tear tracks. On her head, covering her eyes, sat a bulky, metallic helmet, wires snaking from it and glowing with energy.

Mira sucked in a breath, her voice travelling with a tremor through the comms. “They’re… using her. She’s connected to that helmet. Those helmet’s readings… are the same with the ones seen across all the other distortions.”

Dax’s voice rumbled lowly, “They’re making her tamper with the distortion.”

“Why… her?” Talia asked, her tone grave. That’s when Rhea’s mind travelled back to the snake mask’s words during the auction.

This is no ordinary child…

As they watched, Eclipse pointed a gloved finger at the shifting air in front of them. That was the point where the distortion circled around, the exact spot where it occurred and wiped out the district. The girl trembled, stretching out a small, unsteady hand toward the swirling untapped and dangerous energy, her helmet sparking faintly with the force. But as she got closer, the distortion wavered, fluctuating wildly with a crack similar to that of thunder. A small cry escaped her lips as she flinched back, clutching her head.

“Again,” Eclipse snapped, his voice cold and merciless. The girl whimpered, shaking her head, but Eclipse moved in front of her. “I said, again.”

The girl’s sobs grew louder as she reached toward the distortion again, her face contorted in pain. The chrono energy sparked violently, and this time she let out a sharp, pained scream, dropping to her knees.

Rhea’s jaw set in anger, her eyes glaring at the scene. She couldn’t let this go on. HE wouldn’t either.

That was the last straw. Without even waiting to assess the situation, Rhea’s hand went to her weapon, her voice laced with anger. “That’s it, we’re moving in. No one’s hurting a child on our watch.”

Dax and Talia were right behind her as well, weapons drawn as they surged forward. Jessie’s easygoing attitude was replaced with a steely determination as well, as he gripped his blade.

The squad burst from cover, charging toward the Aequitas. Eclipse’s head snapped up, as he spotted them. He stepped back, shouting commands to his followers, who quickly turned to face the approaching Chrono Knights.

“And the Knights come running.” Eclipse’s voice rumbled eerily beneath his mask, a metallic, almost robotic tone to it.

Rhea reached the girl first, crouching beside her, “We’re going to get you out of here. Just hang on a bit longer.”

But Eclipse was already advancing, a dark aura of chrono energy gathering around him as he raised his hands. Jessie, as fast as ever, jumped in, blocking Eclipse’s path, his blade clashing with his opponent’s metallic arm.

Eclipse merely sneered beneath his mask. “Your order is as predictable as ever. This child is mine. Step aside or face the consequences.”

“For an elusive dark faction, you do say some generic stuff, don’t you?” Jessie quiped, yet his eyes were steeled with anger.

As Dax arrived, he quickly turned to stand between Eclipse’s followers and the kid, his knuckles already sparking with electricity. Lastly, Talia took her position next to Rhea and the young girl, her bow at the ready.

Looking up from the child, and seeing her squad in formation, Rhea turned to the Aequitas, “There’s not a chance we’ll let you do anything to her again. Squad, engage!”

And with that, the battle erupted.

Jessie pushed Eclipse away from him and dashed forward to catch him off balance. His opponent however stood tall, blocking the young man’s fast strike with his arm that seemed to surge up with blue energy, enhancing its power even more.

“You didn’t heed my advice. Now I will kill you.” Eclipse said flatly. He kept deflecting Jessie’s strikes, looking for an opening. And that opening didn’t take long to come, as the young knight swung harder than he should have.

With a well placed punch, Eclipse struck Jessie in the abdomen, the force of his metallic arm seemingly amplified as he sent the young man tumbling across the dirt.

“Jessie!” Dax, who had been tussling with a few of Eclipse’s followers, cried, running forward to tackle the target himself.

Meanwhile, Talia was perched slightly behind the squad, as she aimed her bow. She notched an arrow and released it with a swift motion, the arrow splitting into three midair, each piece hitting its mark precisely. “Jessie, can you move?”

Rhea, meanwhile, remained close to the girl, defending her with swift strikes against anyone who dared approach.

“I’m good, just uh… taking a nap.” Jessie soon rose from the ground, picking up his blade. At once, two Aequitas followers rushed him, but Jessie evaded by sidestepping an incoming attack and countering with a wage of energy, “This guy packs some serious punches Dax, be warned!”

“I can handle him.” Dax growled as his chrono gauntlets collided with Eclipse’s defenses, who seemed to have absolute faith in his arm’s blocking prowess. The high-ranking Aequitas held back an attack, continuing to block and parry Dax with the same tactic. Dax was relentless as he moved up once more, his fist swinging forward only to pause as a voice cut through the chaos.

“Dax Vanon.”

The voice was familiar yet twisted, carrying a bitter edge that froze Dax in his tracks. His eyes widened as he looked to Eclipse, who was standing still now. He chuckled, a low, eerie sound that cut through the night like a knife.

“Impossible…” Dax murmured, taking a step back.

Eclipse reached up, slowly pulling away his mask to reveal a face half-covered in metal plates, tempusite running through the skin. The other half—the half that Dax recognized—was unmistakably his old friend.

“R-Reid…?”