The transport vehicle rumbled through a narrow mountain tunnel, its headlights cutting through the pitch-black darkness. Behind them, the faint glow of the dark red aurora faded, replaced by the cool, stale air of the underground passage. Elias leaned against the seat, his eyes closed, but his Primal Sense remained sharp—he could feel the hum of the fortress's energy core far ahead, the faint pulses of thousands of human lives, and the distant, muted growls of Shadow Devourers still lingering in the mountains.
The bronze shard against his chest pulsed in rhythm with the fortress's energy, as if recognizing a kindred force. The three symbols—star cluster, sword, and leaf—glowed softly, their light casting tiny shadows on his shirt. Since unlocking the Life Law's minor regeneration, his body had healed faster than he'd thought possible; the bruising on his ribs was gone, and his fatigue had faded to a dull ache. But the weight in his chest—guilt for New York, uncertainty about the future—lingered.
"We're almost there," Miller said, breaking the silence. He tapped the holographic display, and a blueprint of the fortress appeared. "Colorado Fortress was built during the Cold War, then expanded after the first hints of void energy were detected. It's carved into the Rockies—three levels above ground, five below. Research wing's in the deepest level, right next to the energy core."
Elias opened his eyes, studying the blueprint. The fortress looked like a maze of corridors, barracks, armories, and labs, all protected by multiple energy shields and reinforced steel doors. "How many people are here?"
"About 150,000," Miller replied. "Survivors from Colorado, Wyoming, Utah—whoever could make it through the Devourer lines. Soldiers, scientists, civilians… kids. It's the largest intact fortress in North America, but it's not invulnerable. If the Devourers mass a full attack, we'll hold for a while, but not forever."
The vehicle exited the tunnel, and Elias's breath caught in his throat. Colorado Fortress rose before them, a monolithic structure hewn from the mountain rock. Its walls were thirty feet thick, lined with energy cannons that jutted like steel spines. Searchlights swept the perimeter, and above the main gate, a massive energy shield hummed, casting a golden dome over the fortress. It was a sight of hope—a bastion against the darkness.
As the vehicle approached, the main gate rumbled open, revealing a courtyard bustling with activity. Soldiers in exoskeletons marched in formation, medics tended to the wounded, and supply trucks unloaded crates of weapons and rations. Civilians—haggard, dirty, but alive—huddled in groups, their eyes filled with fear and relief. Elias saw a little girl clinging to her mother, staring up at the golden shield as if it were a divine protection.
The transport stopped in front of a reinforced door labeled "Research Wing – Restricted Access." A team of guards in black uniforms approached, their rifles raised. Miller showed his credentials, and the door slid open with a hydraulic hiss.
Inside, the corridor was stark and sterile, lined with fluorescent lights and metal walls. The air smelled of ozone and disinfectant, and the only sounds were the hum of machinery and the distant whir of the energy core. As they walked, Elias noticed signs on the doors—"Astrophysics Lab," "Void Energy Research," "Primal Force Division." The last one made his chest tighten; that was Alan's lab.
They reached a door at the end of the corridor, marked with a handprint scanner and a glowing red lock. Miller placed his palm on the scanner, and the lock turned green. The door slid open, revealing a large lab filled with holographic displays, complex machinery, and shelves lined with books and samples. In the center of the room, a team of scientists in white coats huddled around a console, their faces serious.
At the front of the lab stood a woman with silver hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a lab coat covered in patches of dust. She turned as they entered, her sharp blue eyes locking onto Elias. There was a familiarity in her features—something that reminded him of Alan.
"Elias Kane," she said, her voice crisp and authoritative. "I'm Dr. Elena Reeves, head of the Primal Force Division. Professor Alan was my mentor… and my brother."
Elias felt a jolt of surprise. "I'm sorry about Alan. I tried to find him—"
"I know," Elena said, cutting him off. She gestured to a holographic display showing the bronze shard's data. "His final transmission was from Yellowstone Lake. He said he'd found the Primal Mark's carrier, and that the Devourers were closing in. He sacrificed himself to send the shard to you."
Elias's throat tightened. He'd never gotten to say goodbye to Alan—to thank him for taking a chance on a young intern, for sharing his passion for the unknown. "Why me? Why did the shard resonate with me?"
Elena walked to a console and pulled up a DNA sequence on the holographic display. "Alan's research showed that the Primal Mark chooses those with a specific genetic marker—one that dates back to the dawn of humanity. It's a trace of the Creation Guardians' bloodline, passed down through generations. You're a descendant, Elias. One of the few left."
She tapped the display, and the DNA sequence overlapped with an image of the bronze shard. "The shard is a relic of the Creation Guardians—warriors who fought the void at the beginning of the universe. They sealed the Void Sovereign away, but their power faded over time. The shard was meant to awaken the bloodline when the void returned… and now it has."
Elias thought of the images in the shard's projection—the colossal figures身披 stars, fighting the shadowy forces. He was a descendant of those warriors. It was a legacy he'd never asked for, but one he couldn't escape.
"We need to study you," Elena said, her tone softening. "To understand how the Primal Force works, how to replicate it. We have other descendants here—about two dozen—but none of them have awakened the bloodline. You're the key to creating an army of Primal Force users."
She led him to a circular platform in the center of the lab. "Step on this. It's a scanner that will map your energy signatures, your DNA, your connection to the shard. It won't hurt."
Elias climbed onto the platform. As soon as his feet touched the surface, it hummed to life, and a blue light swept over him. He felt a faint tingle, but no pain. The holographic displays around him lit up, showing graphs of his heart rate, his Primal Force flow, and the shard's energy signature.
"The connection is stronger than we thought," Elena muttered, staring at the displays in awe. "The shard isn't just awakening your bloodline—it's merging with it. You're becoming a vessel for the Primal Force."
As the scan continued, the bronze shard in Elias's chest pulsed brighter. The three symbols glowed, and a new fragment of information etched itself into his mind—"Primal Synchronization: Law Fusion – Space + Life."
He felt a surge of energy, warmer and more powerful than before. It wasn't just Space Law or Life Law alone; it was the two merging, their energies weaving together into something new. He could feel the space around him, the life in the lab—Elena's heartbeat, the plants in the corner, the energy core's pulse—and he could sense how they were all connected.
"The scan is complete," Elena said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "We have the data we need. Now, we can start developing a training program for you… and for the others, if we can awaken their bloodlines."
Just then, the lab's alarms blared. Red warning lights flashed, and a voice echoed over the intercom: "Alert! Alert! Devourer horde approaching the eastern wall! Energy shield at 90%! All soldiers to battle stations!"
Elena's face paled. "They're here faster than we expected."
Miller grabbed his rifle. "I need to get to my squad. Elias, stay here—you're too valuable to risk."
But Elias shook his head. He climbed off the platform, gripping the bronze shard. The Primal Force surged within him, the merged Space and Life Laws humming with power. "I'm not staying. The fortress is humanity's last spark—I can't let it go out."
He thought of the little girl in the courtyard, of the survivors clinging to hope. He thought of Alan, of the Creation Guardians. This was his fight.
Elena hesitated, then nodded. "Take this." She handed him a wristband with a small display. "It's a tracker that will show you the Devourers' positions, the shield's status, and the location of friendly forces. And Elias—be careful. We can't afford to lose you."
Elias slipped the wristband on. "I'll be back."
As he raced out of the lab, Miller at his side, the fortress's intercom blared again—this time, with a desperate shout: "The Devourers have breached the eastern wall! Repeat, the eastern wall is breached! All available personnel to sector 7!"
Elias sprinted down the corridor, his Primal Sense guiding him. He could feel the Devourers—hundreds of them, swarming through the breach, their void energy corrupting the air. He could feel the soldiers fighting, their life forces fading as they fell.
He rounded a corner and burst into a large hall. The eastern wall had collapsed, leaving a gaping hole in the fortress. Shadow Devourers poured through, their screeches echoing. Soldiers fired their weapons, but the Devourers were too many. A high-rank Devourer lunged at a young soldier, its claws outstretched.
Elias didn't hesitate. He channeled the merged Space and Life Laws, warping the space around the Devourer to slow it down, then sending a pulse of Life energy to the young soldier—strengthening his resolve, healing his minor wounds. The soldier reacted, firing a concentrated energy bolt that hit the Devourer's neck. It dissolved into black mist.
"Thanks!" the soldier shouted.
Elias nodded, then charged into the fray. He moved like a whirlwind, his fists glowing with Primal Force. He warped space to dodge attacks, healed wounded soldiers with Life energy, and struck down Devourers with precise, powerful blows. The bronze shard pulsed brighter, feeding him energy as he fought, and the merged laws flowed through him like water.
But the Devourers kept coming. For every one he took down, two more rushed through the breach. He could feel the shield's energy fading—90%, 85%, 80%—as the void energy corrupted it. And then, he felt it—a massive surge of void energy, far stronger than any Devourer he'd faced before.
He looked up, and his blood ran cold. Standing in the breach, towering over the other Devourers, was a creature unlike any he'd seen. It was ten feet tall, its body covered in black, crystalline armor that glinted in the emergency lights. Its head was a mass of writhing tentacles, and its eyes were two glowing red orbs that pierced the darkness. In its hand, it held a sword forged from void energy, crackling with black lightning.
"The Void General," Miller muttered beside him, his voice trembling. "Command said they're the Sovereign's right-hand men. Each one is strong enough to destroy a fortress."
The Void General let out a guttural roar, and the Devourers froze. Then, it raised its void sword and swung, sending a wave of black energy toward Elias and the soldiers. The energy hit the ground, exploding in a shower of debris. Elias warped space to shield himself and the nearby soldiers, but the force of the blast knocked him off his feet.
He climbed to his knees, his head throbbing. The Void General advanced, its red eyes fixed on him—on the bronze shard, on the Primal Force within him. It could sense the creation energy, and it hungered for it.
Elias stood, gripping the bronze shard. The merged Space and Life Laws surged within him, but he knew it wasn't enough. He needed more—he needed to unlock the third core law, the one that balanced creation and destruction.
As the Void General raised its sword for another strike, the bronze shard pulsed violently. The three symbols—star cluster, sword, leaf—merged into one, a glowing golden circle. And in Elias's mind, he heard a voice, clear and powerful, like the roar of a star: "Primal Ascension – Destruction Law: Unlocked."
A surge of dark golden energy flooded his body, merging with the Space and Life Laws. It wasn't corruptive like the void—it was pure, destructive, the necessary balance to creation. He could feel the power to break, to end, to reset—and it was exhilarating.
The Void General swung its sword, but Elias dodged, warping space to appear behind it. He channeled all three laws—Space to teleport, Life to strengthen his body, Destruction to focus his energy—and punched the creature's back, right where its armor was weakest.
The dark golden energy exploded, tearing through the Void General's armor and into its core. The creature let out a ear-splitting shriek, its body convulsing. Black mist poured from the wound, and its crystalline armor cracked and shattered. Within seconds, it dissolved into a cloud of void energy, which was quickly dispersed by the fortress's energy core.
The remaining Shadow Devourers, sensing their general's death, fled through the breach, vanishing into the mountains.
Elias collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. The three laws faded, leaving him drained but victorious. The soldiers cheered, their voices filled with relief and hope. The shield's energy stabilized at 75%, and the breach was quickly sealed with emergency barriers.
Miller helped him to his feet. "You did it. You took down a Void General."
Elias looked at his hands, still glowing faintly with the three laws. The bronze shard pulsed, its golden circle symbol glowing softly. He had unlocked the three core laws of creation—Space, Life, Destruction—and in doing so, he had given humanity a fighting chance.
But as he stared at the sealed breach, he knew this was just a reprieve. The Void General was just one of many. The Void Sovereign was still out there, hungry for the Primal Force, for the creation energy that sustained the universe. And Earth—Colorado Fortress—was just the first battle in a war that would span the stars.
Little did he know, his victory had been observed. Far beyond the solar system, in a fleet of black ships, the Void Sovereign's lieutenants watched footage of Elias defeating the Void General. Their red eyes glowed with anger and hunger. But among them, one figure—cloaked in shadow, its face hidden—smiled. It had been waiting for the Primal Force to awaken, for the descendant of the Creation Guardians to rise. And now, the real game could begin.