The night rain fell heavy over Soren Town.
Riku sat in silence, watching the lights blur beyond the glass window.
Bolt dozed beside him, but something about the thunder outside kept him awake.
> "Mom's been acting strange lately," he murmured.
"Like she's hiding something."
[Scene 1 – The Workshop]
The next morning, Riku entered his mother's workshop — the place where she fixed Core devices for the Spirit Cup teams.
Tools hung neatly on the wall. The air smelled like burnt metal and oil.
"Morning, Mom," he said softly.
She didn't turn. Her hands were trembling over a small silver Core — cracked, leaking faint energy.
"Riku," she whispered. "There's something I should've told you… long ago."
He frowned. "You're scaring me. What's going on?"
She turned slowly, her eyes heavy with regret.
"That mark on your wrist — it's not a normal Core link. You were never supposed to survive it."
[Scene 2 – The Confession]
Riku's breath froze. "What do you mean… never supposed to survive?"
She stepped closer, tears trembling in her voice.
"Thirteen years ago, I worked for Core Dominion. I wasn't just an engineer… I was part of their human-Core fusion program."
Her voice cracked.
"They wanted to create a perfect child — one who could merge with a spirit permanently. No separation. No limit."
Riku stumbled back, disbelief in his eyes.
"You mean… I was—"
"Yes," she whispered.
"You were one of the test subjects. My son… was born inside their lab."
Thunder cracked outside, rattling the windows.
[Scene 3 – The Flashback]
The lights flickered — and for a moment, the sound of machines echoed through Riku's mind.
He saw flashes — a white chamber, pods filled with glowing light, and a woman crying as guards dragged her away.
> "He's just a child! Don't take him!"
"Subject-09 has reached synchronization stability. Proceed with containment."
His mother's younger self screamed as the door sealed shut.
And then — darkness.
When she finally escaped the Dominion, she found him again — but his body had already fused with the Lightning Core.
The doctors said he wouldn't live past age ten.
But he did. Somehow.
[Scene 4 – The Breakdown]
Back in the present, Riku's voice shook.
"So all this time… I wasn't just your son. I was your experiment."
Tears streamed down her face. "No, Riku… I tried to save you! I gave up everything to take you away from them."
"Then why didn't you tell me!?"
"Because you were happy!" she cried. "You had friends… a normal life… and I was terrified that if you knew, you'd hate me."
He turned away, fists clenched.
"I don't hate you, Mom… but I don't know who I am anymore."
Bolt lowered his head, silent — feeling the pain deep in his core.
Outside, the thunderstorm grew stronger — violet flashes mixing with blue, as if the two energies were fighting in the sky itself.
[Scene 5 – The Dark Truth]
As Riku walked out into the rain, his mother called after him one last time.
"Riku… listen to me. The Dominion is still watching us. If they ever find you, they'll try to take your Core again."
He didn't stop walking.
Her voice trembled.
"I'm sorry, Riku. I was the one who handed you to them. I pushed you into that world… because I thought you'd die otherwise."
Riku froze in the rain.
He didn't look back.
But one word escaped his lips — broken, trembling.
> "Why…?"
She sank to her knees, whispering into the storm.
> "Because I was weak. And I thought science could save you."
[Scene 6 – The Echo Awakens]
Riku stood under the thunderclouds, lightning flashing behind him.
His gauntlet glowed — flickering between blue and purple.
Bolt's eyes widened. "Riku… your Core is reacting!"
A strange pulse rippled through his arm — a faint dragon-shaped spark hidden beneath the lightning.
For a moment, he heard a voice — distant, ancient, yet familiar.
> "So, another one has awakened…"
Riku gritted his teeth.
"Then I'll find out the truth myself. No more lies."
The storm answered with a roar.
And far beyond the mountains, Kaen Drayze looked up, feeling the same pulse — his rival's awakening had begun.