Kaelen carefully treaded his way back through the dense jungle, his senses sharp, fully alert to any danger that might lurk in the shadows. The trek to the airstrip had been relatively uneventful, though the Voice had remained eerily silent, perhaps still contemplating the cosmic artifacts Kaelen now carried. Each step, each rustling leaf, reminded him of the weight of what he'd just acquired—a piece of unimaginable power that could change his life forever, as well as the mysterious Cosmic Cube, capable of summoning beasts beyond his understanding.
However, as he walked, he couldn't shake off a nagging feeling, like he was being watched. He glanced over his shoulder several times, but the only things visible were the towering trees and thick undergrowth swaying gently in the wind. Still, he couldn't shake off the sense of impending danger.
And then, in a blink, the earth beneath him gave way.
Kaelen's body lurched forward as he fell, the jungle above disappearing as he plummeted into darkness. His instincts screamed, his body twisting mid-air as he tried to grasp onto something—anything—to slow his descent. But there was nothing. Only a seemingly endless void beneath him.
He finally landed with a heavy thud, his limbs jolting painfully upon impact with the rocky ground. Groaning, he pushed himself up, ignoring the dull ache in his bones. Around him was darkness, punctuated by the faint, ghostly glow of strange markings along the walls of what appeared to be an underground chamber.
Kaelen's eyes adjusted to the low light, taking in the intricately carved symbols and inscriptions that seemed to pulse faintly. The air was thick with an ancient, almost oppressive aura, as though he'd stumbled upon something that had been sealed away for centuries. His gaze landed on the center of the chamber, where a stone altar stood, and atop it, floating eerily above the rough surface, was a shard—small, yet mesmerizing, swirling with colors that defied description. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, a Cosmic Krystal fragment that seemed alive with energy, shifting from hues of electric blue to fiery orange, then to deep violet.
The pull was undeniable. Kaelen approached cautiously, his gaze locked onto the shard. It was beautiful and haunting, almost calling to him, resonating with a subtle hum that reverberated through his chest. He reached out, his fingers trembling slightly as he wrapped them around the shard. The instant he made contact, a surge of raw energy flooded his senses, like a bolt of lightning coursing through his veins. The fragment was warm, almost searing, and yet he felt an inexplicable bond to it. Without hesitation, he stuffed it into his pocket, feeling the comforting weight of it against him.
But the silence in the chamber was shattered by a low, menacing voice.
"Thief," it hissed, a sound that seemed to crawl over his skin, making his pulse spike.
Kaelen whirled around, and there, standing in the shadows, was a figure cloaked in darkness. The stranger's form was shrouded, face obscured beneath a hood, but there was an unmistakable aura of power emanating from him, pressing down on the very air in the chamber. His stance was rigid, his gaze, though unseen, piercing through the darkness as it locked onto Kaelen.
"You are not worthy of the Cosmic Krystal," the figure intoned, a note of disgust lacing his words. "A stray, lost boy playing with powers beyond his comprehension. That fragment should never have touched your hands."
Kaelen narrowed his eyes, the weight of the stranger's presence settling over him like a suffocating fog. His body tensed, muscles coiling as he prepared for what he knew was coming.
"Who are you to decide that?" he retorted, his voice steady despite the tension thickening the air. "If you wanted it so badly, you should have gotten here first."
The figure tilted his head slightly, as if amused. "Bravado. Foolish pride. I'll strip you of both."
Without warning, the stranger surged forward, faster than Kaelen anticipated. In a split second, Kaelen's combat instincts took over. He barely managed to twist his body, avoiding the first strike—a blade-like appendage that sliced through the air where his head had just been. Kaelen retaliated instantly, dropping low and launching a vicious kick aimed at the figure's knee. But his foot met only air; the stranger had already shifted, almost gliding across the ground with an unnatural fluidity.
Kaelen's mind raced, assessing his opponent's moves. Whoever this was, he wasn't just fast—he was something else, something beyond human. Kaelen had faced superhumans before, but there was a precision to this man's movements, a cold, calculated efficiency that hinted at centuries of experience.
The stranger lunged again, his hand enveloped in dark energy that crackled with a malevolent aura. Kaelen ducked and weaved, launching a rapid series of jabs aimed at his opponent's torso, followed by a brutal knee strike intended to disorient. The figure blocked most of the blows, but Kaelen managed to land a solid punch to the ribs. A slight grunt escaped the figure, but it only seemed to fuel his aggression.
The two clashed, their bodies a blur of fists, kicks, and evasion. Kaelen's moves were sharp, blending techniques from countless martial arts he had been forced to master—an elbow strike aimed at the stranger's face, a sweeping kick, followed by a swift backhand strike. He pressed his advantage, delivering a powerful boxing combo: a left jab, right cross, followed by a devastating uppercut that would have shattered a normal human's jaw. But the stranger merely recoiled, his movements too swift and controlled, absorbing each hit with a resilience that bordered on inhuman.
Then, without warning, the stranger countered with a vicious palm strike to Kaelen's chest, sending him stumbling back, gasping for breath. Pain flared through his ribs, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to yield.
As he steadied himself, a sudden memory flashed before him—a brutal mission back at the facility. He was barely sixteen, forced to infiltrate a compound alone. He had been outnumbered, outgunned, but he had fought his way through, each strike brutal, each movement fueled by desperation. His handlers had watched, observed, taking notes as he killed and survived, bleeding but unbroken.
The memory faded, but it brought a surge of cold determination.
Kaelen lunged back into the fray, his body moving with deadly intent. He feigned a punch, then spun, bringing his elbow crashing into the stranger's face with a sickening crunch. The stranger staggered back, and Kaelen capitalized on the opening, grabbing him by the cloak and delivering a savage headbutt. The stranger stumbled, disoriented for the first time.
But the stranger quickly regained his footing, his eyes glowing with a dangerous, ethereal light. "Impressive… but not enough."
With a snarl, the stranger unleashed a wave of energy that slammed into Kaelen, sending him hurtling across the chamber. He crashed against the stone wall, pain exploding through his back. Blood trickled down his lip, and he struggled to stand, his muscles protesting with every movement.
The stranger advanced, his figure looming over Kaelen like a harbinger of doom. Kaelen's hand instinctively reached for the Cosmic Cube, feeling its cold surface against his skin. Desperate, he summoned the Cube's power, envisioning a beast, something monstrous, something that could turn the tide.
In an instant, the Cube pulsed, and a rift opened in the chamber, a creature emerging from the void—a massive, snarling beast with obsidian fur and eyes glowing with red fury. It let out an ear-splitting roar, its form towering over both men, claws as sharp as blades glinting in the dim light.[PICTURE OF CREATURE HERE]
The stranger's expression shifted, a flash of surprise breaking through his stoic demeanor. He took a step back, momentarily thrown off by the unexpected summoning. The beast lunged, its claws slashing through the air, narrowly missing the stranger, who leaped back, his focus now divided.
Kaelen seized the opportunity. He dashed forward, slipping past the beast and the stranger as they clashed, claws meeting dark energy in a violent display of power. His escape was narrow, but Kaelen knew he couldn't risk staying any longer. Whatever this Cosmic Krystal truly was, it was attracting the attention of entities far beyond what he was prepared for.
He sprinted toward the chamber's exit, the sounds of the beast and the mysterious figure locked in combat echoing behind him.