The Masked Operative

⚔️ Silent Aftermath Days passed since the Nullborn core incident. The ADL praised Jade’s team for “containing the outbreak,” but no one explained what the creature really was. Jade couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Eren— flickering between the boy he knew and the monster he destroyed. “That thing knew me,” he whispered one night. “How?” When he asked Commander Reizan for access to the Nullborn containment reports, the man’s crimson eyes flickered with something — not irritation, but warning. “You did well, Valor,” Reizan said smoothly, standing in his office surrounded by holographic files. “But you’re not cleared for that level of data.” “It attacked me directly. I deserve to know what I fought.” “You deserve to live long enough to keep fighting. That’s all.” The conversation ended there, but Jade noticed something strange — a faint, black sigil pulsing under Reizan’s glove as he dismissed him. It looked similar to the markings from the Inverse War legends, the forbidden realm once sealed off from the known worlds. Jade didn’t say a word, but his instincts screamed. Something was off. 🕯️ The Whisper in the Halls Late that night, while the barracks slept, Jade wandered through the ADL archives. He used a fragment of lightning to short-circuit the security door, then slipped inside. Stacks of encrypted data crystals glowed faintly blue. One file caught his attention — PROJECT INVERSE ANIMA. Before he could open it, a voice echoed from behind: “You shouldn’t be here, Valor.” Jade spun — a masked figure stepped out from the shadows. Their mask was sleek, black and white, with a faint rune glowing across the visor. “Who are you?” “A friend,” the figure said. “One who knows what your commander truly is.” Jade didn’t lower his guard. “Reizan?” “He isn’t human. He’s a Kuralis — a demon from the Inverse. He came here after the Great Seal fractured. And he’s not serving the ADL…” The masked figure stepped closer, voice lowering. “…He’s serving the Null Order. The ones who create the monsters you fight.” Jade’s heart pounded. “That can’t be true. The League’s mission—” “—is a lie. The Null Order funds it from the shadows. Reizan’s division doesn’t eliminate the Nullborn. They harvest them.” Jade’s breath caught. The memory of the Nullborn core, the strange way Reizan had forbidden the report… It all began to align — horribly, perfectly. “Why are you telling me this?” “Because you’re the only one who can expose him,” the figure said. “And because your seal — that power inside you — it’s tied to something the Null Order fears.” Jade narrowed his eyes. “You know about the seal?” The figure nodded once. “More than you do.” Before Jade could press for more, alarms blared through the corridor. Red lights flashed. “They’ve found me,” the masked figure said. “Listen — when the Nullborn rise again, don’t trust the League. And don’t trust your commander.” A portal of dark blue flame opened behind them. The figure stepped through — but not before dropping a fragment of metal at Jade’s feet. When Jade picked it up, he saw the insignia engraved on it: The Sigil of the Inverse. 🔥 The Demon Commander The next morning, Jade stood in Reizan’s office again. He wanted answers — but this time, he wasn’t going to ask politely. “Commander,” he said coldly, “what’s the Null Order’s connection to the League?” Reizan looked up slowly. “You’ve been digging too much, Valor.” Jade’s hand hovered near the Aether Morph. “Answer me.” Reizan smiled faintly. “So… they told you.” In one motion, he removed his glove. The black sigil on his hand burned bright, veins spreading with molten light. His voice deepened, reverberating unnaturally. “I am Kuralis Reizan, Exarch of the Inverse Flame. I was sent to ensure humanity remained divided — feeding the Null Order’s hunger.” Jade’s aura flared. “You… you’re a demon.” “A necessary one,” Reizan said, rising. “You humans crave war. The Nullborn are just the reflection of that desire. The ADL doesn’t fight them — it sustains them.” “Then I’ll destroy both!” Jade roared. He lunged forward, the Aether Morph shifting into a dual-bladed spear. Reizan caught it bare-handed — flames erupting between them, twisting black and red. “You’re powerful,” Reizan said calmly, “but untrained. Do you even know why your power was sealed?” Jade gritted his teeth. “I don’t need to know to end you.” He forced the spear forward, sending Reizan crashing through the wall — but when the smoke cleared, the commander was gone, leaving behind only a scorch mark shaped like the Inverse sigil. 🌒 Aftermath The ADL announced that Commander Reizan had gone “missing in action.” Jade said nothing. He sat alone in the hangar that night, staring at the weapon on his lap. The Aether Morph pulsed softly — blue light mixing with a faint red glow. “Reizan said the Nullborn are reflections of humanity…” he murmured. “If that’s true, what does that make me?” The wind blew across the metallic floor. Then — faintly — a whisper echoed through the hall, the same deep tone as before: “You’re only beginning to remember.” Jade froze. He turned toward the shadows, but there was nothing there. Only a faint, flickering trace of energy — the same color as the seal buried deep within his soul. End of Chapter 6 – The Masked Operative