Astra Blaze soared through the neon-lit cityscape of Nova City, the familiar hum of her Prism Glider a comforting presence. Below, the towering skyscrapers of the Prism Corps headquarters shimmered with a million points of light. Tonight, however, a shadow fell over the usual vibrancy.A distress call had echoed through her holo-communicator, a frantic message from Sergeant Kai, a promising Denarian stationed at the Prism Stone vault. Her stomach clenched. The vault housed not just any Prism Stones, but the prototypes - experimental crystals with unknown, potentially volatile, powers.Landing on the designated platform, Astra found the usually bustling landing bay eerily quiet. A single, flickering light illuminated a trail of scorch marks leading toward the vault. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs.Taking a deep breath, she activated her Solar Prism. White-hot light pulsed around her, coalescing into a sleek, golden battle suit. It hummed with power, a reassuring warmth against the creeping dread. With a silent command, her helmet materialized, its visor filtering the harsh neon glow into a tactical display.Cautiously, she followed the trail, the acrid tang of burnt metal filling her nostrils. Reaching the vault door, she found it mangled, ripped open by some unseen force. Inside, the room was in disarray. Empty containment units lay scattered on the floor, and the security console was a mess of melted wires."Sergeant Kai?" Astra called out, her voice echoing in the sterile silence. No reply.Suddenly, a low growl resonated from the shadows. A hulking figure emerged, its silhouette distorted by flickering emergency lights. It was a Xandrosian warrior, his crimson battle armor glowing with an unnatural, dark energy.But something was wrong. His movements were erratic, his eyes glowing a sickly purple. This wasn't Xanathar's usual tactic. He preferred a more flamboyant entrance."Intruder detected," the Xandrosian rasped, his voice warped by some unseen power. He lunged, his fist crackling with dark energy.Astra reacted instinctively, a beam of pure sunlight erupting from her hand. It slammed into the Xandrosian, sending him staggering back. He roared in defiance, charging again. This wasn't a normal Xandrosian soldier. This one was enhanced, perhaps by a corrupted Prism Stone.The battle raged across the vault. Astra used her light manipulation to her advantage, blinding the Xandrosian and deflecting his attacks with hard-light constructs. But the corrupted energy coursing through him made him resilient. His blows were unrelenting, each one laced with enough dark power to overpower a lesser Denarian.Just as Astra felt her strength waning, a voice crackled over her comm. "Prism Prime! This is Denarian Xi'an. I'm picking up readings of an unstable energy signature within the Xandrosian."Astra's eyes narrowed. An unstable signature? Could it be a corrupted Prism Stone? If she could isolate it…With a renewed surge of determination, she unleashed a blinding flash of light. The Xandrosian roared, momentarily disoriented. In that instant, Astra focused her solar energy, creating a scalpel-sharp beam. Aiming with practiced precision, she sliced through the Xandrosian's armor, exposing a pulsating purple crystal embedded in his chest cavity.As if on cue, the crystal overloaded. A blinding violet light erupted, engulfing the Xandrosian and throwing Astra back. When the light subsided, the vault was empty. The Xandrosian warrior, the corrupted crystal, everything was gone.Silence descended once more, broken only by Astra's ragged breaths. Relief washed over her, tinged with a chilling unease. What had Xanathar been planning? Why would he risk an unstable crystal? And where had it gone?Astra knew this wasn't over. The shadows of the Xandrosian threat had just taken a more sinister turn. With a determined glint in her eyes, she activated her holo-communicator, a plan already forming in her mind. They needed to warn the Council, and fast. The Prism Corps might be facing a new kind of darkness, but they would meet it head-on, as they always had.