Chapter 2 – Echoes Before Sleep
The Evolution Hall buzzed with tension. Students whispered and compared symptoms—heat, vision shifts, strange muscle tension. Everyone was mutating now. Some more obviously than others.
Kairo kept to himself, trying to stay unnoticed. But that never lasted long.
"Hey, Velen!"
The voice cut through the noise. Rahl Vexen, arrogant and broad-shouldered, swaggered over with two friends. His uniform was clean, ironed, and reinforced at the sleeves—a private order most couldn't afford.
"You're the mid-grade freak, right?" Rahl smirked. "Didn't scream once. Trying to act special?"
Kairo didn't answer.
"Maybe your serum fried your brain."
The shove came next—light, but public. Students turned to watch.
Kairo stepped back but didn't strike. His fingers twitched. For a moment, instinct screamed at him to retaliate—to crush this loud insect like in the old wars.
But he wasn't that person yet.
Not here.
> "You done?" Kairo asked quietly.
Rahl sneered but didn't push again. He'd gotten the attention he wanted.
Before it went further, Dr. Fenn's voice cut in. "Rahl. Back in line. Now. You'll all be tested in one week—save your show for then."
---
Back Home
The day passed in a blur. Muscle aches, dizzy spells, half-heard lessons.
By the time Kairo returned home, the sky was dark.
His mother met him with warm soup. "You okay?"
He nodded. "Just tired."
His father ruffled his hair. "Rest. Body's working overtime now."
Kairo barely touched the food before retreating to his room. The bed creaked as he lay back, staring at the ceiling, the sound of a distant freight rail humming through the walls.
---
The Dream
The moment he drifted into sleep, the world shattered.
He stood in a realm of stars and broken sky.
In the distance, the Creation Tower spun like a galaxy-sized drill, pulsing with energy. Across a field of floating stone, he saw himself—older, stronger, wielding a blade that hummed with cosmic power.
Opposite him stood another—twisted, hateful. The final challenger from the tower's trial.
> "You stayed to die with the universe," the enemy spat.
> "No," the older Kairo replied. "I stayed to protect what I loved."
Their blades clashed—and the memory exploded.
---
Awakening
Kairo jolted awake, chest rising fast.
A whisper rang in his ears:
> "You are the Guardian Reborn. Rise, Kairo."
Sweat soaked his back.
The serum had only opened the door. Now the past was pouring through.
And he was starting to remember who he truly was.