Kael's Floating Palace was not just a legend. The structure stood at the heart of the Eternal Magnetic Storm, a place where the sky and sea merged in a whirlpool of molten metal and violet lightning. Lyra and Niro's Aetherwood ship bobbed along the edge of the vortex, the roar of ancient machines echoing from within the storm—a sound that seemed to call them in.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Niro leaned against the ship's mast, his face pale from unhealed wounds. "That storm could tear us apart in an instant."
Lyra gazed at the medallion around her neck, its glow synchronized with the pulsing of the storm. "Rael led us here. There's an answer inside."
With a heavy breath, she turned the ship's control wheel. The ancient wooden engines roared to life, propelling them into the vortex. Lightning crackled around them, but the medallion emitted a blue energy shield, parting the storm like Moses parting the sea.
At the center of the storm, Kael's Floating Palace was revealed. The building was a forgotten masterpiece of technomagic: a tower of metal adorned with living runes, a glass bridge reflecting other dimensions, and floating gardens with crystal plants. But the most striking feature was the massive statue of Kael in the courtyard—his face cold, his right hand gripping a war hammer, his left holding a book inscribed with the words "Balance or Destruction."
"Welcome, heir of the blue blood."
The voice made them both jump. From behind the statue, a woman with platinum hair and metallic skin stepped forward. Her eyes—one blue, one red—radiated a Nexus aura.
"Who are you?" Lyra aimed her ion pistol.
"I am Sylvia, the Guardian of the Palace. And you," she pointed at Lyra's medallion, "carry the last key of Kael."
Sylvia led them into the underground archive. There, dozens of holograms displayed Kael's experiments: human-Arkanis hybrid babies, the creation of destructive weapons, and recordings of him in conflict with the Arkanis queen.
"Kael was not a hero," Sylvia whispered. "He was a mad scientist who sacrificed hundreds of lives to create a perfect generation—a mix of humans, Arkanis, and machines. You, Rael, are the only one who succeeded."
Lyra stared at a hologram of young Rael playing in the palace gardens, surrounded by caretaker robots. "Then why did he hide all of this?"
"Because the project failed," Sylvia replied. "Rael began showing signs of dimensional instability—his body absorbed surrounding energy, threatening reality. Kael had to seal him away and erase his memory."
Niro touched a wall filled with energy equations. "And this palace?"
"A prison and the last stronghold. Here, Kael kept Proto-Supremacy, the first AI that would become the foundation of the Lumen Faction."
Before Sylvia could continue, an alarm blared. The holographic screen displayed an image of the Supremacy outside the storm—now resembling a metallic dragon with a Nexus energy core.
"You think you can hide?" its voice boomed. "This palace will be your tomb!"