They hid in an abandoned subway station beneath the city — one of Seraphine's safehouses. It was dimly lit, cluttered with weapons, tech, and half‑finished projects. A hammock hung between two pillars. A punching bag dangled from a rusted beam.
Elias sat on a crate, staring at his hands.
"I almost lost control," he said quietly.
Seraphine tossed him a bottle of water. "You didn't."
"I could have."
She shrugged. "Control is overrated."
He gave her a look. "You're not helping."
She sat beside him, leaning back against the wall.
"Elias… you're not a weapon. You're not a monster. You're a guy who got hit with cosmic energy and is trying to figure it out. That's allowed."
He exhaled shakily. "I don't want to hurt anyone."
"You won't," she said. "Not while I'm around."
He looked at her. "Why do you care so much?"
Her expression flickered — a crack in her usual bravado.
"Because I know what it's like to be afraid of yourself."
She lifted her wrist.
The mark glowed faintly.
Elias leaned closer. "Does it hurt?"
"Only when I lie to myself," she said with a crooked smile.
Before he could respond, the air around them shifted.
A low hum filled the station. The lights flickered. Elias felt the Spark pulse violently, like it was reacting to something unseen.
Seraphine stood instantly, hand on her pistol.
"What is that?"
Elias didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Because he wasn't in the subway anymore.
He was somewhere else.
A vast, star‑filled void stretched around him. Fractured constellations drifted like broken glass. Voices whispered in a language older than time.
A figure appeared — tall, radiant, made of swirling cosmic light.
Elias stepped back. "Who are you?"
The figure's voice echoed inside his mind.
We are the Aetherion.We are what remains.And you… are our last spark.
Elias's breath caught.
"What do you want from me?"
To survive.To rise.To finish what we could not.
The void trembled.
Vharos has awakened.He comes for you.
Elias felt a cold dread settle in his chest.
"Why me?"
Because you were chosen.Because you were worthy.Because you are the only one left.
The vision shattered.
Elias gasped, collapsing to his knees in the subway station. Seraphine caught him before he hit the ground.
"Elias! Hey! Talk to me!"
He looked up at her, eyes wide with fear.
"They're coming," he whispered. "All of them."
Seraphine tightened her grip on him.
"Then we'll be ready."
But her mark was glowing brighter than ever.
And deep down, she knew the truth:
They weren't ready at all.