Episode 10: Phase 1
"The First Breach"
Rylen barely had time to process the events of the training session before the alarms blared across the facility. A loud, mechanical voice echoed through the corridors:
"Warning: Dimensional breach detected. All personnel, proceed to secure zones immediately."
Aris's face turned pale as they stared at their tablet. "This can't be happening."
"Tell me you're joking," Rylen said, his voice rising.
"I wish I was," Aris replied, their fingers flying over the screen. "The breach is at the eastern perimeter—the ripple we detected earlier. It's fully opened."
Lyra grabbed Rylen's arm, already dragging him toward the exit. "No time to panic, newbie. We've got a breach to stop."
As they sprinted through the halls, the facility shook, sending small cracks spidering across the walls. A low, guttural growl reverberated through the air, chilling Rylen to his core.
"What the hell was that?" Rylen asked, glancing at Lyra.
"Something coming through," she replied grimly. "And it doesn't sound friendly."
They reached the eastern perimeter, where a group of armed guards stood in formation, weapons aimed at the swirling mass of energy in the air. The breach was unlike anything Rylen had ever seen—an undulating vortex of darkness, its edges crackling with electric blue light.
"It's worse than I thought," Aris muttered, arriving behind them.
"Define 'worse,'" Lyra said, pulling a small energy blade from her belt.
Before Aris could answer, a figure began to emerge from the breach. It was humanoid, but its proportions were all wrong—too tall, too thin, and its movements unnaturally fluid. Its skin shimmered like liquid metal, and its eyes glowed a bright, piercing white.
"What is that thing?" Rylen whispered, his voice barely audible.
"A Shadow Entity," Aris said, their voice shaking. "It's intelligent, and it's here for one reason—to claim Rylen."
The creature stepped fully into their world, tilting its head as if studying its surroundings. Then, its gaze locked onto Rylen.
"You," it said, its voice echoing unnaturally. "The anomaly. The key."
Rylen's stomach churned. "I hate being called that."
"Get back!" Lyra shouted, stepping in front of him. She activated her energy blade, its blue light humming as she took a defensive stance.
The entity raised a hand, and a pulse of energy shot out, sending the guards flying like ragdolls. Lyra barely managed to dodge the attack, dragging Rylen with her behind a stack of crates.
"What's the plan?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Plan?" Rylen repeated, panic creeping into his voice. "I thought you had the plan!"
Aris ducked behind the crates with them, their tablet clutched tightly. "Rylen, you need to use your energy to destabilize it."
"Are you insane?" Rylen snapped. "I just figured out how not to blow myself up five minutes ago!"
"You don't have a choice," Aris said firmly. "That thing is attuned to the Shadow Zone. Normal weapons won't work on it. Your energy is the only thing that can disrupt its connection."
"Great," Rylen muttered, peeking over the crates to see the entity advancing. "So, no pressure."
Lyra smacked his shoulder. "Focus, genius! If you don't try, we're all toast."
Taking a deep breath, Rylen stepped out from behind the crates. His hands trembled as he tried to summon the energy within him. The entity's glowing eyes narrowed as it raised a hand again, preparing to attack.
"Come on, come on," Rylen muttered, feeling the flicker of energy in his chest. He focused on it, willing it to grow.
The entity lunged, and instinct took over. Rylen thrust his hands forward, releasing a burst of energy that collided with the creature mid-air. The impact sent it sprawling backward, its shimmering body flickering like a glitching hologram.
"Yes!" Lyra cheered. "That's more like it!"
But the celebration was short-lived. The entity recovered quickly, its form stabilizing as it let out an ear-piercing screech. The vortex behind it began to widen, and more shapes started to emerge—twisted, shadowy figures with glowing eyes.
"Uh, Aris?" Rylen called out, his voice rising. "Any chance we can close that thing before we have a full-blown invasion?"
"I'm working on it!" Aris shouted, furiously typing on their tablet. "Just keep them off me!"
The first shadowy figure lunged at Rylen, its movements jerky and erratic. Rylen barely dodged, stumbling backward as Lyra stepped in, slicing through it with her blade. The creature dissolved into a puff of dark smoke.
"Stick to me," Lyra said, pulling him back to his feet. "You keep blasting, I'll cover you."
The entity roared, its voice vibrating through the air as more creatures poured through the breach. Rylen's hands glowed again, the energy within him growing stronger.
"Bring it on," he muttered, bracing himself.
---
Episode 10: Phase 2
"The First Breach" (continued)
Rylen's palms burned as energy surged through them. He aimed at the nearest shadowy figure, releasing another burst of light. The creature evaporated into mist, but two more quickly replaced it.
"This isn't working!" Rylen shouted, dodging a swipe from another shadow.
"It's not about numbers," Aris yelled from behind their tablet. "The breach is the source! If we close it, they'll be cut off."
"That's easier said than done!" Lyra retorted, slicing through another shadow. "Can you maybe work faster?"
Aris ignored the comment, their fingers flying across the tablet. The glowing patterns around the breach shimmered and shifted, reacting to their commands. "I'm reconfiguring the containment grid to isolate the vortex. But I need a direct energy charge to seal it!"
Rylen ducked as a creature lunged for him, his heart pounding. "And let me guess—you mean me, right?"
"Bingo," Aris confirmed without looking up.
"Perfect," Rylen muttered, rolling out of the way of another attack. "Just what I wanted—front-row tickets to my own potential demise."
"You've survived worse today," Lyra quipped, stabbing her blade through a particularly large shadow. "Probably."
The entity from the breach, still standing tall amidst the chaos, began to chant in a low, guttural tone. The sound reverberated through the room, sending waves of nausea through Rylen.
"What's it doing now?" he asked, his voice strained.
"Reinforcing the breach," Aris explained, their voice tinged with panic. "If it stabilizes the connection, we're done for. Rylen, now's your chance! Channel everything you've got and hit the vortex directly."
Rylen's breath caught in his throat. He stared at the swirling void, its energy calling to him like a dark, seductive whisper. He could feel it pulling at him, threatening to consume him.
"I don't know if I can control it," he admitted, glancing at Lyra.
"You can," she said firmly, locking eyes with him. "You're not that scared kid they found in the Shadow Zone anymore. You're Rylen—crazy, stubborn, and full of surprises. Now get out there and prove it."
Her words struck a chord, silencing the doubts in his mind. Rylen took a deep breath, letting the energy flow freely through him. His hands glowed brighter, the light intensifying until it lit up the entire room.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered, sprinting toward the breach.
The entity turned its glowing eyes on him, raising a hand to intercept. But Rylen was faster. With a roar, he leapt into the air, thrusting both hands forward. A massive surge of energy shot out, slamming into the vortex.
The room erupted in light and sound as the vortex shuddered violently. The shadows let out deafening screeches before dissolving into nothingness. The breach began to shrink, its edges folding in on themselves like a collapsing star.
Rylen landed hard on the ground, gasping for breath as the glowing marks on his hands faded. The room fell eerily silent.
"Did it work?" Lyra asked, looking around cautiously.
Aris checked their tablet, their face lighting up with relief. "The breach is sealed. The connection's severed."
Rylen sat up slowly, every muscle in his body aching. "Next time, can we do something less life-threatening? Like board games?"
Lyra snorted, offering him a hand. "Sure, as long as you don't cheat."
"Me? Cheat?" Rylen feigned innocence, letting her pull him to his feet.
Aris walked over, their tablet still in hand. "That was impressive, Rylen. But this was just the beginning. The Shadow Zone isn't going to stop. We need to figure out why it's targeting you."
Rylen sighed, brushing dust off his shirt. "Great. More mysteries."
As they left the now-silent room, the faint sound of static crackled through the air. Rylen paused, glancing back toward the sealed breach. For a moment, he thought he heard a voice—a low, familiar whisper.
"This isn't over, anomaly."
He shook his head, dismissing it as exhaustion. But deep down, he knew the fight was far from finished.