Aki hurtled through the void, the Archwing strapped to his back humming with energy. The ruined ship behind him was collapsing, swallowed by a spiraling Rift that churned with an unnatural light. As he distanced himself, his HUD flickered erratically.
"Archwing stability... compromised," the Operator's voice chimed.
"No kidding!" Aki shouted, gripping the flight controls tightly. His heart pounded as bursts of static warped his vision, and the Archwing's thrusters sputtered.
The Rift wasn't done with him yet. A tendril of radiant energy lashed out, grazing his Warframe. The world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors, and his entire being felt like it was being stretched and twisted. Then—darkness.
When Aki came to, he was lying on a surface that felt cold and wet, like metal drenched in dew. He blinked, his helmet's visor displaying a damaged HUD. Static danced across his vision as he struggled to sit up.
"Operator? Where am I?"
Silence.
He looked around. The environment was alien, even for someone who had played Warframe obsessively. Giant, jagged structures jutted out of the ground, glowing faintly with Void energy. The air buzzed with an eerie hum, and shimmering Rifts floated lazily in the distance, their edges warping reality like heat waves.
"This… isn't in the game," Aki muttered, his voice trembling.
Before he could gather his thoughts, a loud crack echoed through the air. A Rift opened nearby, and from it emerged several twisted figures. Their bodies were grotesque amalgamations of organic and mechanical parts, Void energy coursing through their exposed veins.
Voidclones.
"Grineer experiments," the Operator's voice finally returned, strained and distorted. "They have found you."
"Fantastic," Aki muttered, drawing his Skana sword. His hands shook as he faced the abominations. These weren't just cannon fodder like in the game. They were wrong, their movements erratic and their bodies pulsating as though ready to explode.
The first Voidclone charged, its jagged claws slicing through the air. Akio dodged clumsily, nearly losing his footing on the slick ground. He counterattacked with a slash, but the Voidclone barely flinched.
"Your blade lacks the Void's touch," the Operator said. "These enemies are stronger than you."
"Then what do I do?" Akio shouted, backpedaling as another Voidclone leapt at him.
"Survive."
The word chilled him, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. The Voidclones attacked relentlessly, their strikes coordinated and brutal. Aki's shields flickered and failed under the assault, and pain shot through his body as claws raked against his Warframe.
His breath came in ragged gasps. This wasn't a game. There were no retries here.
Desperation clawed at his mind, and something inside him snapped. He felt a surge of energy—wild, untamed, and terrifying. Without thinking, he unleashed it.
A shockwave of Void energy erupted from his Warframe, sending the Voidclones flying. The ground beneath him cracked, and a nearby Rift shattered, spilling radiant light into the sky.
When the dust settled, the Voidclones were gone, their forms disintegrated into ash. Akio collapsed to his knees, his body trembling.
"What… what was that?" he whispered.
"An anomaly," the Operator replied, her tone unreadable. "Your connection to the Void is unlike anything in this system. But it is unstable. Dangerous."
"Tell me something I don't know," Akio said bitterly, clutching his chest as pain radiated through his body.
Before the Operator could respond, a new voice echoed across the desolate landscape, deep and resonant.
"You wield power you cannot control, outsider."
Akio turned to see a figure standing atop one of the jagged structures. Clad in ornate armor that shimmered with Void energy, the figure's face was obscured by a jagged mask. Behind them, a flowing cape seemed to dissolve into the air like smoke.
"Who are you?" Aki asked, gripping his Skana tightly.
The figure descended gracefully, their movements unnervingly smooth.
"I am Altharion, a Riftbound Seer. We have watched you since your arrival. You are a herald of the Unweaving, the one who will either save or destroy all worlds."
"Save or destroy?" Akio repeated, his voice shaking. "I don't even know what's going on!"
Altharion tilted their head. "Then you are more dangerous than I feared. The Void does not make mistakes, but it also does not grant second chances. Come with me, anomaly, and perhaps I can guide you before it is too late."
Akio hesitated. He didn't trust this stranger, but he didn't exactly have better options.
Before he could answer, another Rift tore open behind him. From it emerged a group of Corpus Synthetics, their gleaming metallic bodies bristling with advanced weaponry.
"There he is," one of them said in a mechanical voice. "Secure the anomaly."
"Great," Akio muttered, raising his Skana. "Just what I needed."
"Your choice has been made," Altharion said, drawing a sleek, glowing blade. "Prove you are not as weak as you appear, or die here."
As the Synthetics opened fire, Akio realized one thing: this world wasn't going to give him any time to figure things out. He either fought, adapted, and survived—or he wouldn't last long enough to matter.
With a deep breath, he charged into the fray, his unstable powers surging once more.