It had been years since then. The world was changing. The government was reforming, and people were striving to rebuild the old world. But not everyone accepted this new future. Some longed for the world as it was when Abrianna ruled. One of them wanted it back badly enough to fight for it. That person was Jade. But if she was going to fight, she needed weapons. She needed automatons. And she knew just the place to look — the Tower of Unity.
For hours, Jade scavenged the tower's halls, her footsteps echoing in the vast space. But all she found were broken automatons and useless tech. Her frustration grew and her fist crashed against a cracked wall. The pain quickly ran up her arm, causing her to grunt and clutch her throbbing hand. But as her pulse raced with anger, something drew her deeper into the tower — toward Abrianna's main unit. Jade's gaze landed on what remained of Abrianna's body. She quickly looked away and pressed on, pushing through a door beside Abrianna's main unit and stepping into a vast chamber. At its center stood The Primordial. But it was different. No longer was it colorful and radiant, but instead, it was cloaked in an eerie darkness. Shadows writhed around it like living tendrils. Jade approached it, each step careful. "I'd advise you not to take another step, dear child. You stand before The Primordial. Mortals like you will perish from a mere touch." A voice said. The words seemed echo in her head. Jade's heartrate quickened. "W-Who said that? Where are you?" Her gaze darted across the room, but she saw no one. "My apologies. I did not mean to startle you. As for where I am... well, I am before you. My consciousness had been locked deep within this crystal long ago. It forced me to relive my last moments over and over. But now, I am free from its depths. And I wish to ask for your help. Though I no longer dwell in its deepest layer, I remain bound to this prison." Jade's eyes narrowed. "And why should I help you? What do I get out of it?" "I can give you my power." The voice said. Jade's eyes widened. This was exactly what she needed. "Speak my name, free me from this prison — and my power shall be yours." "What is your name?" "Shakti," the voice said. Jade's breath hitched. That name — she knew it from religious texts. She hesitated for a moment, but eventually, she made her decision. "Shakti," she said. "Thank you, dear child." Just then, agony exploded within Jade. Her screams filled the chamber. Darkness poured from her skin like smoke. Every muscle in her body felt like it was on fire and her bones felt like they were shattering. Her vision fractured, her nails clawing at the cold floor. Then — silence. She rose, slowly. Her skin had turned deathly pale, and her pupils were now a glowing, unnatural purple. Her lips curled, revealing fangs. Dark, jagged wings burst from her back, their edges sharp as obsidian." "As promised, my power is yours." She said, her voice a chilling harmony of her own and Shakti's. The wings enveloped her in a cocoon of darkness. She then dissolved into a swirling black fog. Though Shakti was gone, a presence still lingered in The Primordial.