The Rusted Drake glided through the Aetherstreams, its engines straining against the swirling currents that twisted and churned around the ship. The glow of the fractured sky had dimmed, replaced by an eerie darkness that seemed to press in from all sides. Jagged, floating shards of rock drifted aimlessly in the void, remnants of shattered islands long forgotten.
Jasrik Thorn stood at the railing, staring into the abyss. His bionic arm hung at his side, the faint hum of the Havok Fragment buried within it barely audible over the engines. The chaos inside the fragment mirrored his thoughts. The Sovereign Vault, if it truly existed, could hold the answers he desperately needed. A way to remove the fragment. A way to survive.
Behind him, Merrik Ironspire muttered a steady stream of curses as he wrestled with the ship's controls. "This is insane," the mechanic grumbled. "We're flying straight into the damn Edge. Do you know how many ships never come back from this place?"
"Plenty," Sela Wren said, leaning against the wall of the cockpit. Her violet eyes flicked between the ship's displays and the shifting Aetherstreams outside. "But those ships didn't have me."
Merrik snorted. "Right. Because a half-dead mercenary with busted wings is gonna make all the difference."
Jas didn't respond to their bickering. His focus was on the horizon—or what should have been the horizon. The usual faint glow of distant islands and Aether currents was gone, replaced by a suffocating blackness that swallowed the light. The Edge wasn't just a myth. It was real, and it was far more unsettling than he'd imagined.
"How much further?" he asked, his voice low.
Sela stepped forward, pulling a small, glowing device from her belt. The fragmented orb pulsed faintly with blue light, casting her sharp features in shadow. "The vault's signal is coming from deeper inside," she said. "A few more miles, maybe less. Assuming the currents don't tear us apart first."
Jas frowned. "That's comforting."
"It wasn't meant to be," Sela replied, tucking the device away.
The Drake shuddered violently as a rogue current slammed into its side. Merrik cursed, gripping the controls tightly as alarms blared. "If you've got a way to stabilize us, now's the time!" he shouted.
Jas moved quickly, bracing himself against the console. "What do you need?"
Merrik's glare was sharp. "I need Aetherite. The engines can't keep up with these currents unless I overcharge them, and we're running low."
Jas hesitated. The vial of Aetherite dust they'd salvaged from Krael's Hollow was their last reserve. Without it, they wouldn't make it back out of the Edge. But without power, they wouldn't survive long enough to worry about an escape.
"Do it," he said finally. "Use the dust."
Merrik muttered another curse but didn't argue. He grabbed the vial and disappeared into the engine room, leaving Jas and Sela alone in the cockpit. The ship groaned as another wave of turbulence struck, but the engines roared to life moments later, the glow of the Aetherite core intensifying.
"You think this vault is worth it?" Jas asked, breaking the silence.
Sela didn't answer immediately. Her wings flickered faintly as she stared into the darkness outside. "It has to be," she said eventually. "I didn't come this far just to die like this."
"Fair enough," Jas said, leaning back against the wall. "But if this goes south, don't expect me to save you."
Sela smirked. "I wouldn't dream of it."
The Aetherstreams grew calmer as they pressed deeper into the Edge. The chaotic currents gave way to an unsettling stillness, the air thick with an unexplainable weight. The glow of the Drake's engines seemed muted, swallowed by the oppressive void around them.
"We're close," Sela said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jas stepped forward, peering through the viewport. At first, he saw nothing but endless darkness. Then, faintly, a structure emerged in the distance. It was massive, a monolithic fortress of jagged stone and ancient metal suspended in the void. The Sovereign Vault.
"By the Sovereigns…" Merrik muttered, returning to the cockpit. His usual sarcasm was gone, replaced by a mixture of awe and dread. "It's real."
Sela's hand tightened around the edge of the console. "Of course it's real. And if we're lucky, it's still intact."
Jas wasn't convinced. The vault radiated an unnatural energy that set his teeth on edge. The Havok Fragment pulsed faintly, as if responding to the presence of something familiar. Something dangerous.
"Get us closer," he said, his voice steady despite the unease creeping up his spine.
Merrik didn't argue. The Drake inched forward, its engines whining as the air around them grew heavier. The closer they got, the more apparent it became that the vault wasn't abandoned. Dim lights flickered across its surface, and faint movements hinted at defenses still in place.
"Looks welcoming," Merrik said dryly. "How do you want to do this, Thorn?"
Jas considered their options. Charging in blindly was a death sentence, but lingering outside would only invite attention from whatever was inside. And then there was the question of the Syndicate—or the Ashen Church. If either faction had tracked them this far, they were already at a disadvantage.
"We dock and go in quiet," Jas said finally. "No point wasting time."
Sela nodded, already strapping a fragment-powered rifle to her back. "About time you said something smart."
Merrik muttered something under his breath but guided the Drake toward a faint docking platform jutting out from the vault's side. The ship groaned as it made contact, the faint hiss of pressurization signaling a secure connection.
Jas stood, his bionic arm sparking faintly as the Havok Fragment stirred. "Let's move."
The air inside the vault was stale and cold, thick with the metallic tang of ancient machinery. Dim lights flickered along the walls, illuminating corridors carved from black stone and laced with glowing lines of energy. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of the fragment-powered mechanisms embedded in the walls.
Sela moved ahead, her rifle raised as she scanned the shadows. Jas followed close behind, his senses on high alert. Every step felt heavier, the weight of the Havok Fragment pressing down on him like an unseen hand.
"This place isn't empty," Sela said quietly, her voice echoing faintly. "Stay sharp."
They turned a corner and entered a large chamber, its ceiling stretching high above them. At its center stood a massive console, its surface covered in runes that glowed faintly with blue and green light. Fragment energy pulsed through the room, filling the air with a low, resonant hum.
"This is it," Sela said, her voice tinged with awe. "The heart of the vault."
Jas stepped forward cautiously, his bionic arm tingling with a familiar energy. The Havok Fragment pulsed stronger now, almost eager. He reached out, his hand brushing against the console's surface.
The lights in the room flared suddenly, and a deep, mechanical voice filled the chamber.
"Unauthorized presence detected. Activating defenses."
Jas cursed, yanking his hand back as the walls came alive. Panels slid open, revealing automated turrets and fragment-powered drones that hovered ominously.
"Great," Sela muttered, raising her rifle. "Here we go."
The first turret fired, and chaos erupted.