Chapter 7 — Shadows of Betrayal

The Vault’s energy was still humming under Kael’s skin as the Resistance skimmers cut through the evening sky. The mission had been a success—they had secured the Dormant Core, and Kael had proven himself as a true Relic-Bound.
But the weight of victory felt… fragile.
“We hit them hard today,” Kuro said, leaning back lazily in his seat. “Bet they didn’t see that coming.”
Kael glanced over to Elira, who sat quietly, Lira asleep in her arms. The children had stayed back at the Sanctuary, but every second away from them made Kael restless.
“I don’t think they care about losing a Vault,” Kael muttered. “They’re after something bigger.”
Selene, piloting the lead skimmer, cut into the conversation. “He’s right. The World Eaters don’t fight for resources. They fight to control the flow of reality. And as long as they hold the main Inversion Key, we’re playing catch-up.”
The mention of the Key made Kael’s fists clench. That portal… it had thrown him into this life.
But it wasn’t the time to dwell. The Sanctuary’s ridge came into view, lights flickering along its carved terraces like a heartbeat.
Something was off.
“Where are the sentry lights?” Kuro said, sitting up.
Kael’s gut twisted. The outer watchtowers were dark. No patrols. No signals.
Selene’s face hardened. “Prepare to land. Quietly.”



The Sanctuary was eerily silent.
The usual hum of activity—the forging, the scouts training, the children’s laughter—was gone. Only the echo of their footsteps filled the air as they moved through empty halls.
“Kuro…” Kael said slowly, “this isn’t an attack site. It’s abandoned.”
“No,” Kuro replied, his tone sharper than usual. “It’s a trap.”
A sharp, mechanical click echoed from the upper balcony. Kael’s reflexes kicked in as he grabbed Elira and pushed her into cover. Red laser sights danced along the walls as armed operatives in black exo-suits emerged from the shadows, encircling them.
But these weren’t World Eaters.
They wore Resistance insignias.
A figure stepped forward—Darian, Kuro’s old comrade, a veteran scout leader Kael had met briefly before.
“Kuro,” Darian said, his tone devoid of warmth. “You’ve brought him here. That was your first mistake.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed. “What is this?”
“It’s survival,” Darian spat. “The World Eaters offered us a deal. They only want the Relic-Bound. The rest of us get to live.”
Kael’s blood froze. “You sold us out.”
“I secured a future for our people!” Darian snapped. “You think we can beat them? They control the skies, the Keys, everything. This war is lost.”
Kuro’s hand hovered near his blade, his expression cold. “You always were a coward, Darian. But betraying your own? That’s low, even for you.”
Darian’s men raised their weapons.
“Hand over the Core, Kael. Or we’ll take it from your corpse.”
Kael looked to Selene, who had already drawn her energy daggers, her stance low, prepared.
“I don’t negotiate with those who burn homes,” Kael said, stepping forward, the Relic Core’s glow intensifying in his palm.
Darian sneered. “Then you’ll die with your ideals.”
The first shot rang out.
Kael reacted instinctively, throwing up a Resonant Barrier, the air solidifying into a crackling shield that absorbed the blast. Selene moved like a blur, disabling the nearest shooter. Kuro, with his usual calm fury, unleashed a shockwave from his blade that threw three men across the chamber.
But they were outnumbered.
“Fall back to the forge hall!” Selene commanded.
Kael covered Elira, guiding her through the labyrinthine corridors. The hum of the Relic amplified, its power responding to his rising fury.
“They’ll corner us at the armory,” Elira warned.
“Then we don’t let them,” Kael muttered.


In the forge hall, Kael spotted the Gravity Pulse Generators—devices used to shape Relic fragments during crafting. An idea sparked.
“Kuro, if we overload these generators, can we collapse this level?”
Kuro’s eyes gleamed. “With pleasure.”
While Selene and Elira held the line, Kael and Kuro worked fast, rerouting energy lines and placing the Core into the stabilizer field. The hum turned into a deafening roar.
“Time to go!” Kuro shouted.
They sprinted as the forge hall detonated, the shockwave collapsing the chamber’s ceiling. Dust and debris swallowed the pursuing traitors, cutting off their advance.
Outside, the Sanctuary’s ridge was crumbling, its carved terraces falling into the gorge.
Darian’s betrayal had cost them their base.
But as Kael stood at the edge, watching the Sanctuary fall, he knew this war wouldn’t be fought from hidden caves anymore.
It was time to take the fight to the sky.