The Fallen City's eastern edge was silent now— fire consumed the horizon and the Tanaka home vanished beneath rubble and smoke.
Ren stood at the centre of it all.
Cracked concrete and scorched ground stretched for blocks, overgrown with moss and accompanied by weeds. Somewhere beneath the ash and silence, the truth waited to be found.
Jun stood behind him, pale, his hand twitching as though the serum fought against every breath he took and step.
Akito and Kenji on the other hand kept watch while Elvina swept the area with a handheld scanner stolen from Lunaris tech labs from previous raids.
Ren's hand hovered near his belt, where a new blade rested—a gift from Rander, forged with fallen energy-resistant alloys.
"This was our home," he murmured. "Zane and I used to race along that path… right there." I spoke with a sigh.
Jun tilted his head slightly. "I remember… you told me this story you said you used to win. Every time."
Ren glanced back at him. "I let him win sometimes."
"You're a terrible liar." Jun replied in response.
A sudden mechanical chirp cut through the quiet of the air.
Elvina's scanner beeped erratically, pulsing with a bright green light.
"Movement. East quadrant to be exact. Heat signature—just one."
Ren's breath caught and hitched in his throat as the others stared.
A figure emerged from behind the shadows of a darkened alley.
Cloaked. Limping slightly. Holding a torch. He was worn out.
Ren stepped forward, —until he saw the face.
A familiar one.
Zane.
Gaunt. Eyes haunted. But alive. aching.
He lowered the torch slowly and let the flames die in the wind.
"It's me," he said quietly. "No tricks. No lies. I promise"
Jun stumbled forward, staring at him. "So it is you. Your real.."
Zane gave a pained smile. "You look like hell."
"So do you," Jun replied.
They stood in silence for a long moment. Then— He turned to Ren.
"I found her," Zane said. "Fae. She's being held in Sector K of The rebellion's Quarters. She's barely hanging on. Aragon's experimenting on her… and worse he's been confused in his ideals of late. His goal was to dismantle fallen magic. but he's become obsessed into making it stronger for his use only..to gain more control.."
"And you just decided to grow a conscience?" Akito snapped, approaching with a distrusting glare.
It was understandable.
"No," Zane said. "I decided to stop being a weapon. A pawn.."
He pulled something from his coat—a small, fractured crystal vial, filled with shimmering black serum instead of the usual blue colour.. It pulsed like a heartbeat.
"This is the original Moonris catalyst. The one they used on her. The one they used… on Ren."
Everyone froze.
"The one that awakened the fire within me...but this time its probably different for Fae. From what I have learned only a person driven by strong will can wield what I wield and is most effective when at birth. but if that's the case surely they must of already tried.. so I guess I got painfully cursed at being a successful experiment. Fae is most likely folding under the pain and pressure..so its guaranteed a fail on Aragon's behalf." I rambled before my expression shifted to a more serious one.
Ren stepped forward. "Why give it to me?"
"Because I can't carry it anymore," Zane whispered. "And because you're the only one strong enough to decide what happens to it."
Jun suddenly groaned, collapsing to one knee.
Zane knelt beside him instantly. "He's close to the final phase. His identity's breaking down."
Elvina scanned him again. "His neurological side of activity is splitting in half. Memories collapsing into raw instinct. If we don't stabilize him soon…"
Zane looked at Ren. "Then we break into Sector K tonight. Get Fae. Get answers. And end this."
Ren nodded.
The brothers locked eyes—not as enemies, not as strangers…
But as survivors.
A spark that refused to die
but only ignite further.