The Shadowfang drifted in orbit above a barren, gray planet shrouded in dust storms. Its surface was marred with scars of ancient battles—craters and ruins stretched as far as the eye could see. This was Yovannis Prime, once a hub of knowledge for the galaxy, now a forgotten wasteland.
"This is where the next lead takes us?" Luna asked, her voice skeptical as she stared at the desolate world through the cockpit window.
"According to the shard's resonance, yes," Iris said, her face illuminated by the glowing data streams on her console. "The archives here might hold the key to understanding the shards' true purpose."
Arkan stood silently behind her, his Neo-Ki pulsing faintly. "Then we're going down. If the Vow knows about this place, they won't wait for us to explore."
Descent into Ruin
The crew descended in a small, stealth-modified shuttle, leaving the Shadowfang cloaked in low orbit. As they approached the surface, the scale of the devastation became clear. Towering ruins jutted from the cracked earth, their metallic surfaces rusted and battered.
"Place gives me the creeps," Kairo muttered, his hand resting on the hilt of his pistol.
"Focus," Kyra said, scanning the area with her tracker. "Whatever we're looking for is underground. Nexus tech, if I had to guess."
As they reached the entrance of a massive, half-collapsed structure, Iris stopped abruptly. "The shard… it's reacting."
The shard she carried began to glow, casting faint ripples of light over the ruins. Symbols etched into the walls lit up in response, creating a path that led deeper into the structure.
"Convenient," Luna muttered, her blaster at the ready.
"Or a trap," Arkan said, stepping forward. "Stay alert."
The Archives Awaken
The path led them to a vast chamber buried deep beneath the surface. Rows of ancient, crystalline terminals lined the walls, each glowing faintly as the shard's energy activated them.
"This must be it," Iris whispered, awe in her voice. She approached one of the terminals, her fingers hovering over the glowing interface. "These archives were designed to store and protect Nexus knowledge. I'll see what I can access."
As Iris began working, the chamber trembled slightly.
"Tell me that's just the planet settling," Luna said, scanning the room nervously.
"It's not," Kyra said, pointing toward a massive door at the far end of the chamber. Symbols similar to those on the shard glowed across its surface, and faint thudding sounds echoed from behind it.
"Something's waking up," Kairo said, drawing his weapon.
The Keeper's Warning
Before the crew could react, the terminals flickered, and a holographic figure appeared in the center of the chamber. It was similar to the spectral Keeper they had encountered earlier, but its form was more fragmented, its voice distorted.
"You have come seeking the forbidden knowledge," the figure said, its voice echoing ominously. "The shards are not what they seem. They are not keys to power—they are locks to destruction."
Arkan stepped forward. "What destruction? What are they locking away?"
The figure's eyes glowed brighter. "The Nexus was not a creation of salvation but containment. The shards seal the Rift—a wound in reality itself. To unite them is to open the Rift."
The room grew colder as the weight of the revelation sank in.
"Wait," Luna said, her voice tense. "So if we put the shards together..."
"You will unleash the Void beyond the Rift," the figure said. "And the galaxy will fall."
The Vow's Arrival
Before the crew could process the warning, the chamber trembled violently, and an explosion rocked the entrance. Syndicate soldiers poured in, their weapons aimed at the crew.
"Figures they'd show up," Kairo muttered, firing a quick shot that dropped the first soldier through the door.
"Protect Iris!" Arkan shouted, his Neo-Ki flaring as he charged toward the Syndicate forces.
Kyra darted into the shadows, her twin blades gleaming as she dispatched soldiers with surgical precision. Luna provided cover fire from behind a terminal, her blaster shots ringing out with deadly accuracy.
"Work faster, Iris!" Luna yelled.
"I'm trying!" Iris snapped, her hands flying across the terminal. "There's a lock on the core data, but I'm almost through!"
The Hidden Truth
As the battle raged, the massive door at the far end of the chamber began to creak open, glowing symbols cascading down its surface.
"Uh, guys?" Kyra called out, her voice strained. "Something big's coming through that door!"
From the shadows beyond the door emerged a towering, mechanical guardian. Its body was a fusion of ancient Nexus technology and crystal, its movements fluid yet unnervingly precise.
"That's bad," Kairo said, firing a shot that bounced harmlessly off the guardian's crystalline armor.
Arkan leapt toward it, his energy blade igniting. The clash of Neo-Ki against the guardian's energy field lit up the chamber in a dazzling display.
"I've got it!" Iris suddenly shouted. "The data's downloaded—let's move!"
A Narrow Escape
As the crew retreated toward the exit, the guardian pursued them, its massive steps shaking the ground. Syndicate forces scrambled to get out of its way, only to be crushed underfoot or cut down by its energy attacks.
"Get to the shuttle!" Arkan yelled, covering the crew's retreat.
"Not without you!" Iris shouted, her voice breaking.
"I'll be right behind you!" Arkan replied, dodging a swipe from the guardian's massive blade.
As the others boarded the shuttle, Luna fired up the engines. "Come on, Arkan!" she yelled, her voice laced with urgency.
With a final burst of Neo-Ki, Arkan severed one of the guardian's legs, sending it crashing to the ground. He sprinted toward the shuttle, leaping aboard just as it took off.
The Data's Revelation
As the shuttle ascended, Iris accessed the downloaded data. Her face paled as lines of ancient text translated on the screen.
"It's worse than we thought," she said, her voice trembling. "The shards don't just lock the Rift—they suppress the Void's influence. Without them, it'll seep into our reality, consuming everything."
Arkan clenched his fists, his Neo-Ki flickering around him. "Then we can't let the Vow get another shard. Whatever it takes."
The crew exchanged grim looks as the barren planet faded into the void of space. The stakes had risen, and the galaxy's survival depended on their next move.