The silence was thick as smoke in the air.
Kael adjusted the restraint bracelets around his wrists. They limited the release of his solar energy, keeping his internal glow at "safe" levels—at least, according to Aria. The mission was simple on paper: infiltrate an old abandoned HelionTech lab, recover files, and identify possible traps for future attacks.
Simple. But nothing about this organization was ever simple.
"Alpha Team, final check," Aria's voice came over the comm. "Kael, Yune, Auren, ready?"
"Ready," Auren replied, fiddling with the devices that pulsed with biokinetic energy.
"Always ready," Yune murmured, adjusting the lenses that amplified her senses.
Kael just nodded. The atmosphere between him and Lyon was still unstable, but for this mission, Lyon had been left behind. A test of trust? Or just a sign that he was still an unstable piece on the board?
The transport slid through forgotten underground tunnels, until it stopped in front of a structure corroded by time. The walls of the laboratory were covered in moss and rust, but the presence of active sensors made it clear: someone was still watching this place.
"Time to enter the snake's nest," Auren muttered.
The group separated inside the facility. Kael walked through dark corridors, the lights flashing above him. Each step made his bracelets vibrate with slight tension.
It was then that he felt it: the energy.
It wasn't solar. Not like the allies'. It was something cold, synthetic... too manipulated.
"We have company," he warned on the communicator.
Before he could react, the ground beneath him collapsed.
Kael fell to a lower level, crashing into metal pipes and debris. When he stood up, he saw the figure in front of him: a woman with white hair and golden eyes. Her skin was artificial, her breathing... nonexistent.
"You are the living prototype… the 'Son of the Sun,'" she said with a neutral smile. "Fascinating."
Kael frowned.
"And you are?"
"A reminder that HelionTech never stops watching its assets."
She lunged. Fast. Precise. A punch from her sliced through the air like a missile, and Kael barely managed to block it in time. The walls burst into flames from the impact.
He tried to use his energy, but his bracelets flashed red.
"Limit reached. Containment active," the AI of the devices informed him.
Kael swore under his breath. He was going to have to make do with what he had.
He dodged two more attacks, slipped through the rubble, and jumped, using a small solar release to propel himself. A beam of light shot through the ceiling, alerting the others. Auren and Yune arrived soon after, working in sync to distract their opponent and free Kael. "Retreat now!" Yune shouted. "This is a trap. HelionTech never abandoned this place!" With effort, they escaped through a collapsed access, climbing through old pipes and fans until they reached the extraction vehicle. Kael was panting, sweaty, his skin marked with bruises. But alive. On the way back, silence reigned. "You did well down there," Auren said finally. "It was fast, even limited. Maybe… you're not all light." Kael looked out the window, watching the desolate world pass by. "I hope not… because sometimes, light alone… isn't enough to face certain shadows