The Magnetic Ocean was no ordinary sea. Its waters were liquid silver, swirling like living metal, while the sky above was filled with a green aurora that sucked every iron particle into the clouds. Ships daring enough to traverse here had to be made of ancient wood or anti-magnetic ceramic—materials nearly extinct since the War of the Guardians.
Rael stood at the edge of the old dock in the Lower District, staring at the small boat recently "acquired" from the black market trader. The boat was made of Aetherwood, the sky-tree bark that could float in the metal sea. In his hand, the core crystal relic of the Sage pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, guiding him toward the coordinates of the Cursed Island.
"Are you sure this will work?" asked a voice from behind him.
Rael turned. Niro, a man with a wide hat and an anti-magnetic cloak, carrying an old ion rifle, was the only navigator willing to take him—at the cost of half a soul.
"No," Rael answered honestly. "But I have no choice."
They sailed into the ocean. The boat vibrated wildly, pulled by unseen magnetic currents. Niro cursed while twisting the control lever. "Damn! The magnetic field here is ten times what the reports said!"
Suddenly, the water in front of them bubbled. A submarine from the Lumen Faction emerged, the symbol of a split sun on its hull. Its ion cannons aimed at their small boat.
"Sink them!" shouted the commander over a loudspeaker.
Niro grabbed the helm. "Hold on tight!"
The boat shot forward, dodging energy blasts that made the silver water boil. Rael felt blue-purple energy boiling in his blood. Unknowingly, he tapped the water's surface—a massive magnetic wave formed, sinking the submarine.
"Gods..." Niro was stunned. "You can control the sea?!"
"No," Rael gasped, blood dripping from his nose. "That... wasn't me."
In the depths, something massive moved.
The Cursed Island appeared like a nightmare. Its land was pitch black, filled with rusted metal towers that soared into the sky. In the center, the wreckage of Kael's airship lay discarded, its mechanical wings broken, but its hull still radiated faint energy.
"You have one hour," said Niro, staying with the boat. "Any longer, the magnetic field will destroy this vessel."
Rael jumped onto the land. The air here felt dense, like breathing liquid lead. As he approached the ship, the crystal-winged symbol on his back pulsed—synchronization.
The ship's door opened by itself. Inside, the engines were dead and dusty, and in the cockpit, the corpse of a mechanical guardian, Arkanis-humanoid in form, lay with a sword stabbed in its chest.
"Welcome, Rael Veygar."
Rael turned. A man with metallic skin and crystal-red eyes stood in the shadows. The Island's Guardian—last of the hybrid beings from Kael's experiments.
"I am Niro," said the man, but not the Niro from the boat. "It's not my real name, but it'll do for now. Your father left me here to wait for you."
Rael lifted the core crystal. "I need an Arkanis annihilation weapon."
Niro laughed bitterly. "That weapon is you. But you're not ready. Your Arkanis blood is still bound."
From his pocket, Niro pulled out a cryptic key shaped like a wing. "This will open the ship's basement. There, you'll find the dimensional mirror—an artifact to see the Nexus. But be careful... some ghosts are more real than shadows."
The basement was filled with blue mist. A mirror three meters tall stood in the center, its surface like still water. As Rael approached, his reflection morphed into a winged woman—his mother.
"Rael..." her voice echoed, embracing him through the mirror. "You've grown."
Rael trembled. "Is it really you... still alive?"
"Part of me is trapped in the Nexus," she replied, her face sorrowful. "Kael saved my soul by merging it with the Aetheris Gate. But now... the Lumen Faction is trying to open the Gate. If they succeed, the Nexus will consume everything."
Suddenly, the reflection shifted. Lyra appeared, bound in the Lumen Faction's torture chamber, her body filled with neural control devices. "Help..." she whispered.
Rael screamed. His energy exploded, shattering the mirror into shards. The blue mist swirled, forming Kael's final hologram:
"Rael, if you're seeing this, it means you've found the truth. The Arkanis annihilation weapon is not an object—it's a sacrifice. Only by releasing the seal within you can you destroy the Gate forever. But that will erase you from existence. I'm sorry... I couldn't do it for you."
The siren wailed. Niro shouted from above: "The Lumen Faction is coming! They brought the Dimensional Destroyer!"
Rael ran to the deck. In the sky, the Lumen Faction's fleet surrounded the island. On the flagship, Lyra (now fully controlled) aimed a massive cannon at him.
"You can't run, Rael!" Lyra shouted with a dual voice. "Surrender, or we'll destroy this island!"
Niro handed over Kael's energy sword. "What's your choice?"
Rael stared at the sword, then at the sky. In the distance, the green aurora turned to blood-red—a sign the magnetic field was unstable.
"I choose to fight."