Echoes of the Nullborn

🌑 The Nightmare The night was still. No wind, no sound — only darkness. Jade Valor stood alone in an endless void, the ground beneath him a mirror of shimmering black water. The reflection that stared back wasn’t his own — it was younger, with frightened eyes and blood on its hands. Then, from the horizon, a familiar voice echoed. “You finally came back, Jade…” He turned — and froze. Standing a few meters away was Eren, his childhood friend. The same boy he had once sworn to save. The same friend whose lifeless body he’d found in the Orbit years ago. But Eren’s eyes now glowed faint red, cracks running down his face like glass. “You couldn’t save me,” Eren whispered. “And now… you’re becoming what killed me.” Jade stumbled back. “That’s not true—” “You released it that day,” the apparition continued, stepping closer. “The seal broke once, remember? You felt it — the power, the hunger, the voice that told you to destroy.” The darkness rippled. Suddenly, the world around him shifted — he was back in the Orbit, years ago. The monsters’ screeches filled the air, the sky crimson, the ground littered with corpses. He saw his younger self kneeling over Eren’s body, flames bursting from his hands, tears mixing with ash. “Break the seal…” the deep, echoing voice repeated — the same one that had whispered to him that day. “Break it… and become whole…” The air cracked apart, revealing a monstrous shadow with burning eyes. Eren’s face warped into that same darkness, his mouth twisting into a snarl. “You’re no hero, Jade. You’re the next Rift.” The shadow lunged — Jade screamed. ☀️ Morning Jade woke up gasping, drenched in sweat, the sheets scorched faintly where his hands had been. Lightning and smoke crackled around his bed before fading. He stared at his trembling palms, horrified. “That… wasn’t just a dream.” The Aether Morph, resting on the nearby table, pulsed with faint red and blue light — as if reacting to his fear. Lira knocked softly on his door. “Jade? It’s late morning — Commander Reizan wants us at the west platform.” “Coming,” he managed, forcing his voice steady. When she left, he stared once more at the mirror. For just a split second, his reflection flickered — showing the shadowed version of himself from the dream. ⚙️ West Platform – ADL Headquarters Squad Zero assembled by the hovering transports, awaiting their next directive. Rian was grinning as usual, though Jade noticed sparks flickering from his arms — his partner’s control was slipping too. Maybe the Rift had affected all of them. Lira glanced at Jade. “You look like you haven’t slept in days.” “Didn’t,” he muttered. “Nightmares?” He paused. “Something like that.” Before she could ask more, Commander Reizan arrived, flanked by several senior officers. “Today’s operation is simple,” Reizan began. “We’ll be running a retrieval at the southern research district. A Nullborn core was stolen from containment. We believe it was taken by an internal traitor.” Jade’s pulse quickened. An internal traitor… could it be Coren? “The Nullborn core must not be allowed to reactivate,” Reizan continued. “Valor, Kesai, Voss — you’re the first line. Find the thief. Retrieve the core.” The trio saluted and boarded their vehicle. 🌫️ The Southern District The southern research district was quiet — too quiet. The usual elemental hum that powered Aethernova’s streets was absent, replaced by a dull, hollow silence. As they moved deeper, they found the remains of a broken containment chamber. Charred markings spread across the floor, but what caught Jade’s eye was a single blood smear leading into the sewers. “Down there,” he said, crouching. They descended into the tunnels — damp, echoing, faintly glowing from residual energy. Halfway through, the tunnel widened into an abandoned chamber filled with shattered equipment and runic scripts burned into the walls. At the center lay the Nullborn core — floating, pulsing faintly. Rian took a step forward. “Looks dormant.” “Wait—” Jade began, but too late. The core burst open in a surge of light, slamming everyone backward. Rian hit the wall, unconscious. From the blinding glow emerged a humanoid shape — Eren. But not the Eren from his dream — this one’s body was half elemental, half decayed flesh, and his voice carried the same distortion as the Nullborn. “You still haven’t changed,” it said. “Still pretending you’re different.” Jade stumbled to his feet, shaking. “You’re not him.” “Maybe not. But I’m everything you left behind.” The creature lunged. Jade countered with a burst of fire, but the blast barely slowed it. They clashed in flashes of light — water, lightning, and flame exploding through the tunnel. As they fought, Jade’s vision blurred — memories overlapping the present. Eren laughing beside him as a child. Eren screaming in the Orbit. Eren’s corpse — and now, Rex’s voice whispering, “You were too late.” Jade roared, his aura flaring uncontrollably. For a moment, his eyes flashed gold and crimson — and the Nullborn Eren stopped, trembling. “That power… it’s him. It’s the seal’s mark.” Jade didn’t hear the rest — he struck forward, channeling pure elemental fusion through the Aether Morph. The weapon transformed into twin scythes of light and shadow. “You’re not my friend,” he hissed. “You’re just a ghost.” With a final slash, the creature disintegrated into dust and flame. Silence filled the chamber. Lira helped Rian back to his feet. “You good?” “Yeah,” Rian groaned. “But what the hell was that thing?” Jade didn’t answer. He stood staring at the fading embers where Rex had stood. He could still hear that echo — “It’s him… the seal’s mark…” 🩸 The Whisper That night, Jade sat alone at the barracks rooftop, the city lights flickering below. The Aether Morph rested beside him, pulsing faintly as if alive. Then, faintly — almost inaudibly — a whisper brushed through his thoughts. “You’re getting closer… Jade Valor.” He stiffened. That voice. The same one from his childhood. “You’ve seen what happens when the seal stirs. Keep suppressing it… or lose everything again.” The air around him distorted, like heat waves rippling through time. And then, as quickly as it came, it was gone. Jade stared into the distance, his reflection glinting in the weapon’s surface. “If this seal’s really tied to me… then I’ll find the truth myself.” End of Chapter 5 – Echoes of the Nullborn