Kai opened his eyes and immediately recognized the place where he stood. The very birthplace of his Hex and his life as a Time-keeper. The very same place where Zayne had taken him when they first met in the subway. But now, standing here again, something felt....different. The ground beneath his feet was no longer cold and rigid, it was soft, lush grass, swaying ever so slightly as if touched by an unseen breeze. The air was warm, carrying a gentle, almost comforting heat that settled against his skin. Yet despite the warmth, a strange sensation curled in his gut, an instinctual whisper that something wasn't quite right. In front of him, the mansion loomed: massive, ornate, and impossibly grand. Its towers stretched endlessly into a sky that shimmered like liquid silver, reflecting the glow of distant, swirling clouds. But the strangest part wasn't the mansion itself...it was where it stood.
The entire structure, along with Kai himself, rested on a floating island, suspended high above an endless, abyssal void. The island was not alone; stone bridges stretched out from its edges, linking it to smaller floating landmasses that drifted lazily through the air like fragments of a shattered world. Some islands had lone trees standing atop them, their leaves golden and luminous. Others held strange structures, resembling ancient architecture. Kai exhaled slowly, his body tensing as his fingers curled at his sides. This place, familiar yet altered, sent a chill through him despite the warmth in the air. Something felt off, the place felt...different.
A voice suddenly rang out from behind him, startling him as he jolted back to reality. It was a voice he knew all too well. It was the same voice that had always whispered from the depths of his consciousness whenever he wielded his sword. But this time, it was different. This time, it was no longer a phantom echo, no longer a mere whisper at the back of his mind. It felt solid and.....alive? "You've finally made it, master. I have been awaiting your arrival" Kai froze. His breath caught in his throat. Slowly, he turned around, his muscles coiling with instinctive tension. And there she stood.....
The figure before him was unlike anything he had ever seen, yet something about her presence felt deeply familiar...like a presence that had always lingered at the edge of his consciousness, unseen but never absent. Her skin glowed with an ethereal azure light, not like flesh, but as if she were made of living energy, her entire form glowed with a sensation of alien beauty. Her black eyes, mirrored of his own, holding an ageless weight: cold, calculating, and unfathomable in depth. Her short, silky white hair framed her face, contrasting sharply with the jet-black hooded robe she wore over her form. The outer fabric was midnight black, absorbing the light around it like a void, while the inner lining shimmered in deep violet, like the last glow of twilight. At the back of her robe, embroidered in bright red, was the very emblem Kai bore on his own suit: the broadsword with wings unfurling where the blade met the guard. The red marking stood in stark contrast against the abyssal black fabric, making it seem as though the emblem itself was bleeding into reality.
Beneath the robe, she was clad in an assassin's attire, sleek and form-fitting, designed for speed and precision. Jet-black armor-like wrappings covered her forearms and shins, reinforced yet flexible. The twin belts crossing at her waist hinted at the presence of hidden weapons, and the fingerless gloves on her hands bore faint glowing sigils along the knuckles, pulsing softly with unreadable inscriptions. She exuded an aura of quiet lethality, every inch of her presence tailored for the art of the kill....and yet somehow it felt strangely beautiful. She was like an azure rose, beautiful to gaze upon but equipped with deadly thorns, ready to ravage anyone who dared to approach carelessly.
Kai swallowed, his throat dry as he finally found his voice. "Who... are you?" he said hesitantly. The young woman tilted her head slightly, her black eyes piercing into his as if seeing through him entirely. "I am the one who has been with you since the moment you first wielded your sword," she said, her voice steady, resonating deep within his soul, yet sharp like a dagger pressing against his throat. "I am the one who shall always stand by you and die by your side shall you ever perish. I am physical manifestation of your blade, your Hex. I am 'Umbra'." Her gaze softened, just slightly, though the weight in her words remained. "My voice is the one who has guided you every time we have fought."
Kai blinked, processing what he'd just heard. Umbra. The name sent a ripple through his mind, a name he had spoken the moment he first manifested his Hex, though at the time, he hadn't questioned why it had come to him so naturally. "You...." He hesitated, his voice uncertain. "I named my sword Umbra when I first summoned it.....because I heard that name." His eyes narrowed slightly. "That was you, wasn't it?" Umbra's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "Took you long enough to figure that out," she teased, crossing her arms. "Yes, that was me. I gave you my name.....our name.....because we've always been connected. I just had to make sure you heard it properly." Kai exhaled, running a hand through his hair, his mind still catching up. "If my Hex is formed from my own soul.....why do you look so different from me?" He gestured toward her glowing azure skin, her jet-black assassin's garb, the stark contrast of her entire presence against his own.
Umbra's expression shifted just slightly, her usual playful demeanor dimming for a moment. "That... is because of your heritage," she said simply. Kai immediately caught onto her wording. "Heritage?" His brows furrowed. "What does that mean?" Umbra's black eyes met his, and for the first time, there was something unreadable in them. She grinned, but it was different this time.....like she was holding something back. "Not time for that yet," she said in a sing-song voice, dodging the question entirely. Kai let out a frustrated sigh. "Seriously?"
"Seriously, I'll tell you when the moment's right, but for now, let's focus on what's actually important Big brother." Umbra said. Kai gave her a flat look. "'Big brother'? Since when was that a thing?" Umbra just smirked, tilting her head playfully. "Since always." Kai narrowed his eyes. "Pretty sure I would've noticed if I suddenly had a sibling. Why do you refer to me as 'big brother'?" She simply shrugged, a mischievous glint in her black eyes. "Dunno, it just feels right." Kai opened his mouth to argue but then hesitated. Something about the way she said it.....so casual, so certain...made it hard to challenge. He sighed, shaking his head. "You're impossible." Umbra giggled. "And you're slow, big bro." Kai folded his arms, his patience running thin. "Alright, then answer this: How the hell did I end up here? Zayne's Nexora of all places. And more importantly, how do I get out? The others are gonna wonder where I went."
Umbra turned back to him, raising an eyebrow. Then, she suddenly grinned, stepping closer. "That's the fun part." She lifted a finger and poked him lightly on the forehead, making him flinch. "This place? Doesn't belong to Zayne anymore." Kai's breath hitched slightly. "What?" Umbra's grin widened. "Ownership of this plane transferred to you the moment you properly connected with me. So congrats, boss! You officially have your own private little floating reality." She threw her arms out dramatically. "Feel free to redecorate." Kai stared at her, his mind whirling. "....That doesn't explain how I get out"
"Oh, that's easy." Umbra waved a hand dismissively. "Just command the Nexora to dissolve, and poof you're out." Kai's brow twitched. "That's it? That simple?" "Yep." Umbra's tone was completely casual, as if she was explaining how to open a door. "And don't worry about time. The moment you leave, you'll return exactly to the point you entered. So no one's gonna freak out about you vanishing." Kai narrowed his eyes. "...So I could stay here as long as I wanted? Umbra nodded. "Mhm. Take a nap, train, have an existential crisis—whatever suits your fancy." Kai exhaled, rubbing his temple. "This is way too much to process." Umbra giggled. "Welcome to being a Time-keeper." Kai gave her a long, scrutinizing look. Something about Umbra's behavior was throwing him off. When he first saw her in the Nexora, she had a cold, calculating....almost unreadable demeanor. Now, she was teasing him, acting playful, even a little mischievous.
His eyes narrowed. "Okay, seriously why the sudden shift in personality? A few minutes ago, you were all ominous and cryptic, and now you're acting like... this." He gestured vaguely at her, as if that explained everything. Umbra chuckled, placing a hand on her hip. "What, don't like it?" "That's not the point," Kai said flatly. "You were totally different when we first spoke." She smirked. "Well, duh. I had to make a grand first impression." She flicked his forehead lightly. "You wouldn't take me seriously if I just popped up all casual like, 'Hey, Kai! Guess what? Your sword's actually a person!'" She deepened her voice mockingly, mimicking his reaction. "'Oh no, that can't be! That makes no sense! What is even happening?!'" Kai gave her a deadpan stare. "I don't sound like that."
Umbra grinned. "You kinda do." He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "So, let me get this straight, you went all dramatic on me on purpose?" She nodded. "Yup. Had to sell the whole 'mystical, ancient Hex spirit' thing, y'know? First impressions matter." Kai shook his head in disbelief. "And now you're... what? Just messing with me?" Umbra gave a nonchalant shrug. "I am your sword. That means I know you. And let's be honest, big bro you'd get way too stiff if I acted all serious all the time." She poked his cheek. "This is me. The real me." Kai blinked at that. For a moment, he wasn't sure how to respond. Then, despite himself, he let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "You really are...quite annoying." Umbra grinned. "And you, big bro, are way too easy to mess with."
Kai let out a long sigh, "Okay so why did you ask me to come in here? Please don't say it is just because you felt like it." "Jeez, I am not a child you know?" Umbra said, puffing her cheeks. "The reason why I asked you to come in here is because there are certain things you should know, certain things that will probably save your life." "Oh and that is....?" Kai asked slowly. "For that you gotta come with me." Umbra said as she marched off towards the mansion. "Hurry up brother. I know that you are slow, but I really don't like waiting"