The Forge did not ignite this time.
It withdrew.
Light that once spiraled upward now folded inward, collapsing into a dim, pulsing core that hovered just above the fractured ground. The air around it felt thin—unnatural—like a breath held too long.
Seren wrapped her arms around herself.
"I don't like this version of the Forge."
Rourke nodded.
"Me neither."
The Memory Core hovered low, its glow subdued.
"Null Gravity training requires environmental suppression.
Any excess force could destabilize local reality."
Seren stared at it.
"That's… comforting."
What Null Gravity Really Is
The Memory Core projected a simple image:
a sphere floating in empty space.
Gravity lines curved inward.
Then the lines vanished.
The sphere did not fall.
It did not rise.
It simply… ceased to exist.
Seren's breath caught.
"That's not zero gravity," she whispered.
"Correct," the relic replied.
"Zero gravity is absence of pull.
Null Gravity is absence of structure."
Rourke felt a chill run through him.
"So gravity isn't just force.
It's… glue."
"Yes."
The relic's voice darkened.
"Remove the glue,
and reality unravels."
Seren swallowed.
"And the Solarii thought this was a good idea?"
"They thought it was necessary."
Why Prime Can't Be Fought Normally
The Memory Core shifted the projection.
A stylized image of Hunter Prime appeared, surrounded by perfect gravitational symmetry.
"Hunter Prime does not manipulate gravity.
He defines its parameters."
Rourke frowned.
"So when I push…
he just says 'no.'"
"In simplified terms—yes."
Seren muttered,
"Arrogant cosmic bureaucrat."
The relic continued.
"Null Gravity bypasses definition entirely.
Prime cannot control what does not exist."
Rourke exhaled slowly.
"So this is the only way."
"It is the only way to level the equation."
The Localization Problem
The projection changed again.
A sphere appeared—
this time with a tiny void at its center.
The surrounding structure warped violently toward it.
"Null Gravity cannot be sustained globally,"
the Memory Core explained.
"It must be localized—
contained within a defined boundary."
Rourke studied the image.
"Like a hole."
"Like a wound," the relic corrected.
Seren winced.
"That metaphor didn't help."
The relic continued:
"Without containment, the absence spreads.
This is why the Solarii failed."
Rourke nodded slowly.
"They removed gravity…
but couldn't stop the removal from expanding."
"Correct."
The Human Variable
Seren shifted uncomfortably as the Memory Core's glow turned toward her.
"Containment requires a constant—
something unaffected by gravitational law."
She stiffened.
"Please don't say 'human emotion'."
The relic pulsed.
"Human choice."
Rourke blinked.
"What?"
"Gravity is deterministic,"
the relic said.
"Human will is not."
Seren stared.
"You're saying…
my decision-making helps hold reality together?"
"Your presence introduces unpredictability.
Null Gravity cannot fully erase what it cannot predict."
Seren let out a breath.
"That might be the weirdest compliment I've ever received."
Rourke looked at her seriously.
"That's why Prime keeps calling you inefficient."
She smirked faintly.
"I'll take that as a win."
First Attempt Parameters
The Forge pulsed weakly.
"Initial attempt must be minimal,"
the Memory Core warned.
"A localized nullification no larger than a grain of sand."
Seren raised an eyebrow.
"And if it goes wrong?"
The relic paused.
"Then the realm collapses."
Seren blinked.
"…Okay.
Low stakes."
Rourke stepped forward, focusing Gravity Sight inward.
For the first time since gaining the Heart, he didn't push.
He didn't pull.
He let go.
The sensation was horrifying.
Gravity didn't resist—
it vanished.
A pinprick of absolute nothingness formed between his fingers.
The air around it screamed.
Rourke's crown flared violently.
Seren shouted, "Rourke—STOP!"
He tried.
Nothing responded.
The void pulsed.
Expanded.
The Forge flickered wildly as the realm buckled.
The Memory Core shouted:
"Containment failing—
anchor now!"
Seren ran forward without thinking and grabbed Rourke's wrist.
"I'm here!
You're not alone—
I choose this—
I choose YOU!"
The words hit like an anchor thrown into chaos.
The void shrank—
stabilized—
then vanished.
Rourke collapsed to his knees, gasping.
The Forge went dark.
Silence slammed down hard.
The Aftershock
Seren dropped beside him, shaking.
"That was a GRAIN OF SAND?!"
Rourke laughed weakly, then winced.
"…I felt it trying to spread."
The Memory Core dimmed heavily.
"Your instinct was correct.
Null Gravity seeks expansion."
Seren stared at the empty space where the void had been.
"And that thing almost ate reality."
Rourke closed his fist.
"But it worked."
The relic pulsed slowly.
"Yes.
You created Null Gravity…
and survived."
Seren looked at him, fear and awe mixing in her eyes.
"But barely."
Rourke nodded.
"And Prime won't give me 'barely.'"
The Memory Core's voice turned grim.
"This was only the theory."
Rourke looked up.
"What's next?"
The relic answered:
"Now you attempt application."
The fractured sky darkened again.
And far away,
Hunter Prime recalculated.