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Chapter 116: Guardian's Rise (1) New
The sun hung low, casting jagged shadows across a landscape of rust and ruin. The outskirts of the Cosmodrome stretched wide—a barren expanse of corroded and sun-bleached wreckage.

The terrain was dry, cracked like broken glass, and scattered with twisted remnants of pre-Collapse machinery. Concrete bones jutted from the earth like the ribs of an ancient beast, half-consumed by time.

And there it stood—The Divide. An insurmountable wall.

The Divide loomed across the horizon. Hundreds of feet tall, impossibly long, it severed the desolate outskirts from the heart of the Cosmodrome beyond. No gates. No ladders. Just cold, corroded steel stretched to the sky—a relic of a world that feared invasion long before the Collapse ever came.

It was said nothing could pass the Divide without intent... or desperation. But with time, came decay. Across the decades, Fallen scavengers had tore through some sections of the wall, scrapping it to pieces.

Now, it stood as a reminder. A sign. One that embodied the end of an era. And now, perhaps the beginning of a new one.

A high-pitched shimmer echoed across the dust. Space folded on itself, and with a ripple of blue light, she arrived—a lone figure in the desert.

Cloaked in a tattered black coat, her armour worn but sleek, a long rifle mounted to her back. She'd appeared in a blink, as if peeled from a different timeline. The haze of transmat residue dissipated behind her as she knelt beside a scorched jumpship wreck resting on a collapsed roof.

The wind kicked up around her, she moved with mechanical precision, palm brushing along the ship's hull. Her helmet's visor flickered, lenses cycling through frequencies until it locked onto the faintest power signature.

She tapped her comms, her eyes glued to the ships hull. "I'm at the site."

A burst of static answered her. Then a garbled, modulated voice replied: "Status? Did you find anyone?."

"There's no guardians. No one on site. Scans indicate the ship is repairable. It's just like the stories. I am sure its this one."

She stood, gazing at the gigantic hole in the roof, the ship had probably crashed here. Now, it would be used by an escape by the new guardians.

Her eyes drifted to the Divide, its brutal silhouette casting a long shadow across the sands. Beyond it—she could feel the tension building and the scattered movements of Fallen packs.

"I'm in the right place," she said, her voice softer now, as if the wind might carry the words away. "At the right moment… but the wrong hour."

The Exo Stranger—stood motionless, her gaze lingering on the hull of the jumpship. Her eyes flicked up to the skies, then down to the radar projected across her visor.

Fallen signatures. Dozens of them.

Scattered across the perimeter, slowly circling in like vultures. With time, they'd converge on this place. With time, they'd find them.

All just as she'd heard. All unfolding as it should.

Almost.

A few seconds off.

A breath out of rhythm.

"It'll happen soon," she murmured, stepping back from the ship. "And when it does… the world will change."

Again.

She slowly turned, scanning the vast expanse of desert beyond the Divide. Nothing moved—yet the stillness was wrong. There was a weight in the silence, a tension in the sand, like the land itself held its breath.

Her frown deepened.

She tapped her comms again, her fingers pausing for the briefest moment before pressing down.

"I won't fail. Not again." Her voice barely carried over the crackling wind, but it was resolute.

A burst of static spiked through her ear. Then a voice—strained, filtered, trembling—cut through.

"You're our only hope."

It faltered.

Then again, more urgent now, laced with desperation:

"Don't let him find you, Elsie. If you see him, run. He's not to be trusted… please."

Elsie's expression hardened beneath her visor. Her reply was sharp. Calm.

"I know what to do."

Then, without another word, her form flickered—outlining in a pulse of blue light—and in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

Dispersed.

Scattered like mist into the fabric of Light and time.

-

[Tower, Last City]

High above the Tower the Traveler loomed overhead—silent, cracked, yet eternal. And beneath it, a stillness crept in. Not peace. Not calm. Something else.

Something… expectant.

Inside the Observatory, The Speaker stood unmoving, his masked gaze fixed upon the horizon where the light met the world's curve. His fingers laced behind his back, the quiet hum of the City below a distant murmur compared to the weight in the air.

A ripple had passed through the Light. Subtle. But undeniable.

"It must be soon," he whispered.

Behind him Ikorra Rey's eyes narrowed, she felt the same. While she had no such connection to the Traveler, she could feel the fluctuations in the light—an instinct honed across lifetimes of death and resurrection.

Something new was about to stir in the cradle of the world. Something, legendary. She had to see it through, they couldn't afford to lose more guardians.

She activated her comms

"To all Hidden operatives—dispatch teams to the Cosmodrome and Dead sea perimeter. Prioritize regions with mass records of Guardian awakenings."

Her voice carried absolute certainty.

"If The Speaker is right… we may not be alone much longer."

On another channel, she keyed in coordinates.

"Cayde. I need scouts across the King's Watch. Quietly. If they're going to rise, we need to make sure they reach the City—alive."

The comms crackled with a grin.

"You're sending me on babysitting duty again, Ikorra?"

She didn't blink. "You can do it can't you?"

A pause.

"Yeah," Cayde said. "I'll make sure of it."

-

[Workshop, Shore]

The air was thick with smoke and ionized dust, the faint buzz of static crackling across half-forged circuitry and steel. The workshop—if it could still be called that—hummed softly as Pahanin slid the final weapon into its case. Crude, by his standards. Functional, by Void's.

Void stood over the table, arms crossed, eyeing the loadout. A hand cannon reworked from fallen scrap and a solar shotgun. Tools for grunts, he'd said—but they were efficient, brutal. More importantly, they looked impressive.

The guns had a sleek design, most importantly, they held true to a dark theme. Matching the aesthetic he'd wanted.

Though Pahanin was confused as to why he'd asked for specific visual changes, Void knew the reality. For players, after loot was drip. Drip, was eternal.

Carrying the weapons with him, Void walked to the exit.

His quest interface pulsed again in his HUD—"A Guardian Rises."

Void closed the interface with a blink and nodded to Pahanin. "Good work. I'll be back soon."

With that, he turned on his heel and stepped onto the lift pad. A shimmer of transmat energy flickered around him.

"Obsidian," he said, the voice clear even before the interface synced, "plot a course for the Cosmodrome, we're going to the Divide."

"Roger that, but who exactly are you trying to impress." Obsidian shook his head.

Void smirked as the world dissolved into light. "Didn't I tell you? We're getting new customers."

"I'm still a bit sceptical about that." Obsidian rolled his eye but continued the operation. Moments later, the Jumpship lifted off the landing pad, and shot towards Earth.

-

[The Divide, Cosmodrome Outskirts]

The Jumpship emerged from the edge of the atmosphere, streaking like a ghost over the broken steel landscape below.

Void transmatted out, his gaze scanned the desolate outskirts that cradled the Divide—the colossal iron wall, towering like a relic of a forgotten war, casting its shadow on the sand-blasted desert.

He pinged the scan network. "Obsidian, give me a sweep. Look for Light traces, or… anything unusual. A disruption in time signatures. Maybe a trace left behind."

Obsidian's eye pulsed, "Scan's empty, nothing major."

Void nodded, he looked back at the Divide, he could see the holes penetrating the iron barrier. Right now he had only one goal, to find the crashed Jumpship site. Without a doubt, no matter where the players spawn, they'd end up there.

'If memory serves me right, it's right behind the wall. Through the complex,' Void stepped forward, and vanished.

"There," Void muttered, and descended. He'd crossed the gap in an instant. He could see it now, the same crash site. A Jumpship stationed under a broken rooftop.

As the ship came to view, Void paused. A memory flashed in his eyes, as if it was just yesterday where he stood here as a player.

'Time flies.' He chuckled.

"Void. Something....is strange." Obsidian chimed in, "I am picking up a trace. It's, a weird energy signature."

Void's eyes narrowed, he guessed right. The Exo stranger had come here. Likely recently.

"Where does it end?" He replied.

Obsidian flew around, scanning the place, "It's weird. The signal's right there but its almost as if..."

"As if it disappeared?" Void glanced around, "Keep it in your database. Keep searching, but for now, we've got other things to do."

"Got it." Obsidian stopped the scan.

Void walked to the ship, recalling the details of the first mission. He wiped the windshield of the ship.

'The player's spawn across the Divide, fight their way through to the ship, and eventually manage to fix it.'

It would be an easy mission, and it was likely that he never needed to show up at all. Void smirked.

'Who said it had to be easy?'

He didn't want easy. No, what he needed, was a downright disaster. Something that forced the players to rely on him.

"You think House of Devils still has that bounty on my head?" Void asked.

Obsidian blinked, and sighed "…Still active. Wide open. Cursing you out on the open channel."

"Perfect," Void said, his grin curling under his hood. "Send out some invitations, keep it discrete."

"Whatever you say boss." Obsidian chimed in.

Moments later, a massive chain of messages was forwarded to the House of Devils on the open channel. Void was certain that the Divide would be flooded. Multiple Fallen squads, Elites, heck he was even hoping for a walker drop.

All according to plan.

With the stage set, Void took one last glance at his System window. It was time.

-

[.....]

[...Loading]

[.....Connecting to Destiny Servers....]

[..]

[World Stage: Live!]

[Current Player Count: 0]

[...Connecting]

[Current Player Count: 3]

-

"Perfect", He smiled, and then disappeared into the shadows.

==
 
Chapter 117: Guardian's Rise (2) New
The world surged into view with a hum of Light.

Three new Guardians materialized in the wild wastes beyond the Divide. The landscape was barren, scorched, and vast—unlike any MMO they'd played. Of course, there hadn't been an MMO with RPG and FPS elements like this.

"Holy crap," TheOneWhoKnocks muttered, spinning in circles "These graphics… this is another level. They really picked it up for the live release."

"No UI lag," Waffles added, spamming a switch between inventory and HUD. "Feels smooth."

"I can punch a tank," IEatPaint grunted spamming melee attacks on the rusted scrap. "10/10 already."

The three were veterans, rpg enthusiasts that were eager for the official game launch. When the game went live, they'd already decided to form a fireteam. As the opening cutscene played, the three immediately skipped it.

"What classes did you guys pick?" TheOneWhoKnocks opened his HUD.

"Warlock" Waffles replied, spamming her crouch as her robes fluttered.

"Titan." IEatPaint spammed a few more melees in the sky, and then spammed his jumps.

"Hunter for me", TheOneWhoKnocks began running around in circles as he slid, " Damn, the movement's fantastic."

"Shouldn't we go enter the walls?" Waffles chimed in, facing the quest indicator.

"Wonder if the game still crashes if you go the opposite way." IEatPaint chuckled.

Waffles sighed, "Wouldn't wanna test that out."

TheOneWhoKnocks immediately opened his director and looked at the quest details, "Looks like the intro quest is the same. Guess we speedrun it and continue the campaign? We only got to play a few missions last time."

"Agreed." IEatPaint nodded, "Let's move fast though, isn't it only one fallen squad? We can take those out."

The players darted towards the Divide, reaching its first tunnel. A section of the wall had been dug out by Fallen scavengers, revealing the inside of the complex.

As the three stepped inside, a wave of darkness rushed over, their screen turned black. They could see nothing, but just then, their ghosts flickered beside them and pulsed with a light barely bright enough to illuminate what was ahead.

TheOneWhoKnocks cautiously walked forward, with the other two right behind him. As they prowled the dark halls of the Divide, they could hear the clicking of jaws, old vents that rustled with movement. Strange movements. And ever so often, their hearts would race as they sensed a pair of eyes in the dark behind them.

Unknown, but watching. But just as they turned, the eyes were gone.

"Damn. They really upped the vibe this time. It's feels real." Waffles whispered.

"Yeah, but why are you whispering?" IEatPaint chuckled, "You scared?"

"No....It's just a bit creepy." But as footsteps echoed in the dark, she huddled beside the two, afraid to explore alone.

The three crouched, moving through the Divide's rusted carcass. A few minutes later, they had reached the first checkpoint. A weapons crate nestled under a flickering light bulb.

Waffles breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly walked up to the crate, she immediately opened it to receive the first auto rifle and a random special weapon.

What she got was a prized classic, the grey Khvostov Auto Rifle. But with her luck, Waffles had also gotten a sniper rifle, an Amina-E7.

Puzzled, Wafffes asked, "I thought this gun was removed in the final patch notes?"

"Probably decided to keep it," TheOneWhoKnocks replied, collecting the crate for himself. Receiving the Khvostov and a Maverick Mk. 20 hand cannon.

IEatPaint clicked open the crate, and immediately equipped the Deadlander Mk.24 shotgun, "We're all set. Guess the first enemies show up now."

"Let's move. Watch your step though, I remember they had these weird traps all over the place." TheOneWhoKnocks recalled.

The players advanced, moving through a broken air vent, ducking under trip mines, weaving through collapsed catwalks and jumping across rooms littered with crumbled tech.

As they reached the first room, their radars blinked red.

"Shit, here comes the first wave." TheOneWhoKnocks crouched beside a wall, chucking a grenade.

Immediately, the exit of the room was flooded Shanks. Dregs. Then a pair of Vandals—textbook low-tier mobs.

"Easy XP," IEatPaint rushed forward with his shotgun.

They cleared the pack, following the path forward that led them to an open clearing.

The quest marker blinked again, directing them to find a Jumpship to escape.

"Found the waypoint, it's right there." Waffles shot a few bullets to mark the spot in the distance.

The three darted towards the abandoned warehouse in the distance, fighting off small scavenger squads. By the time they reached the door, everything was clear.

Entering inside, it was a flickering warehouse bay, and a crashed Arcadia-class Jumpship, tangled in cables and arc sparks.

"Nice, guess the intro missions over." Waffles sighed with relief.

TheOneWhoKnocks approached the Jumpship and a cutscene triggered. "Not yet. We'll still have to hold down some waves before the repair's done."

"Start it, we've got plenty of special ammo." IEatPaint reloaded the shotgun.

"You got it." TheOneWhoKnocks summoned a ghost in his palm, gently directing it to the ship. Then, the timer started, their radar's blinked red. The Enemy was near.

Unbeknownst to them, it was an enemy they had never expected. As the Fallen skiffs drifted towards the warehouse, their HUD blinked with a dark flare.

[ WARNING: No Respawn Zone! ]

Then a chorus of roars rose around them as Elite House of Devils squads blinked into view from cloaking fields, Dozens of red health bars flared. Four Captains towered among them.

"Son of a..." IEatPaint swallowed dryly.

"Are those... max level enemies?" Waffles shouted, peeking out the small door.

"This...wasn't in the BETA." TheOneWhoKnocks nervously stared down the approaching squads, "F*ck it, farm your supers, play it slow!"

As the squads flooded the warehouse, the three of them fought, clawing for every inch. They'd played hard intros before— this was different. Tactical. Deliberate. Designed to break them.

"I punched one four times—it didn't die," IEatPaint barked, taking a knee.

"My super's almost full! Keep fighting!" Waffles hid behind the doorframe, dropping her healing rift.

TheOneWhoKnocks continued his headshots, but it was futile, ""They're over-leveled! I can't crit!""

Finally, the super bar glowed with a faint yellow outline. Waffles rushed out the warehouse and jumped, then a massive Nova Bomb formed above her and she chucked it down.

An explosion rang out, engulfing all the enemies. As she dropped to her foot, the three expectantly looked at the Fallen Captains....they'd barely left a scratch.

With a Nova Bomb wasted, they were running out of tools.

Unbeknownst to them, a figure perched at a signal tower beside the warehouse, observing their every more.

"So? What do you think?" Void chuckled.

"They've got heart, I don't think I've seen anyone fight that hard versus elite squads." Obsidian sighed, "You know, you're quite evil for this one."

"Please, they can't always be babied. Guardians need to struggle to improve." Void shrugged, "I suppose that's enough of an intro. Time to make an entrance."

Then the shadows shifted.

-

The players retreated into the warehouse. No Warlock super, no chance for big damage. Special ammo had run dry minutes ago. Without perks, all they had left was RNG—and that had stopped smiling on them a long time ago.

As far as they were concerned, this was the end.

"F*ck, are we seriously failing the intro mission?" groaned TheOneWhoKnocks, firing his Khvostov in frustration. The bullets sparked harmlessly off a Captain's shield.

Then he saw it.

A shimmer—Half-shrouded in static and shadow. He emerged like a glitch in the game.

Void flickered into existence on the far walkway, half-shrouded in static and darkness. His cloak danced in the dry wind. In his hand: a sleek, custom-forged hand cannon.

He raised it, tilted his head, and fired into the air.

The battlefield fell silent. None of the Fallen had detected his presence, and with that gunshot he'd startled them all.

As they all turned back. Void smirked, and raised his hand-cannon.

One.

A Captain's head detonated.

Two.

A Vandal mid-leap was blown off trajectory, slammed into the wall.

Three. Four. Five.

Each shot cracked like thunder. Every round a statement. The Fallen were confused. Afraid.

He flickered across the field—shadow to ledge, smoke to steel—never staying still, never wasting a bullet.

Elites fell in seconds.

Void holstered the hand cannon and drew a solar shotgun, closing the gap in a blink. He slipped through gunfire like it moved in slow motion, blasting Dregs apart, slicing through the chaos with a knife and a whisper of smoke.

Above them, he reappeared mid-air, one step ahead of gravity, and shot another Captain point-blank in the face.

The fireteam stared, motionless.

Only two captains remained.

Void sauntered forward, gun hanging loose, taunting. The Fallen had recognized him.

They charged but he didn't flinch.

The hand cannon vanished behind his back. One hand extended, the other pulled back on a string of crackling void light.

A bow took shape in the air and a shadowshot condensed at its centre.

Void released.

The arrow shrieked through the battlefield like a storm made solid.

It struck and Imploded. The two Captains dropped instantly—dragged into the void, their souls unravelling mid-scream.

Void exhaled. "Bit much?" he muttered. "Nah. They probably loved that."

He glanced at the hand cannon and sighed. "Should've stuck with the guns. Good marketing."

He turned toward the fireteam, expression unreadable beneath his helmet.

"…Newly risen?" he asked. His voice was cold—but not cruel. "Didn't think I'd see that again. Name's Viper."

He approached slowly, cloak fluttering behind him. "Looks like you walked face-first into a Devil ambush. Bad luck."

"The House of Devils are greedy bastards. Don't like competition." He looked around at the carnage. "You'd be dead. Count yourselves lucky."

The players didn't speak. Just stared.

Viper's gaze drifted to their worn Khvostovs. He frowned.

"You took what you could find. Smart. But don't trust random drops. Pick your weapons like you pick your fireteam. Deliberately."

He nodded to their Jumpship in the distance. "That'll get you to the City. If the engines haven't iced over. I'll hold the line while you make your move."

Then, his inventory shimmered open. One by one, he handed them weapons—sleek, unique, glowing faintly with light. Each one stamped with a black serpent crest.

"Free of charge," he said. "Cosmodrome's no place for rookies wielding rusted junk."

A prompt appeared: [ACCEPT GEAR].

The fireteam did. Wordlessly.

Then, Viper turned.

"Tell the Vanguard what happened," he called over his shoulder.

He paused, "we'll meet again."

And just like that, he was gone—vanished into the shadows.

==
 
Chapter 118: A Stranger New
A/N: If you guys enjoy these chapters do let me know with replies, I can't really judge the audience response with likes alone.... Continue Reading!

=
The silence hung heavy. The air itself seemed afraid to move.

Not a single Fallen remained. Only scorched ground, drifting ash, and the distant, sparking hum of the Arcadia Jumpship behind them.

Waffles was the first to speak.

"…What the hell was that?" she whispered, slowly lowering her weapon. Her voice trembled—not with fear, but with the kind of stunned adrenaline only a warlock could mask with faux curiosity. "Did we just get saved from a boss fight?"

"I—I think we got carried," IEatPaint muttered, his Titan frame glitching slightly as he moved forward, peeking at the blackened walkway Void had stood on. "I think I saw my soul leave my body when he fired that first shot."

"Was that, a hunter?" TheOneWhoKnocks said sharply, scanning the scene, "He moved like one"

"That wasn't in the beta". Waffles cut in, more firmly this time. She turned to look at them, her helmet tilting. "You remember, right? This mission ends with a scuffed Fallen squad and we clear a few Dregs, then the cutscene triggers. No custom NPCs. No supers like that."

They were all looking at the same spot now—the high ledge where Viper had appeared like a shadow stitched into reality. He was gone now.

"He moved like a player though," IEatPaint said. "Sliding corners. Optimizing his reloads. Flick shots. Like... actual PvP-level clears. Did you see the cancel on that reload animation?"

"Did I see it?" Waffles said with a dry laugh. "He style-fragged a Captain mid-slide. He was putting on a show."

"...And then gave us loot." TheOneWhoKnocks brought up the new weapon in his inventory. Sleek. Marked with an unfamiliar emblem—a serpent crest. "Custom stats. Unique perks. This isn't in any build notes."

Waffles turned the weapon over in her HUD, examining the detail. "This is new. Nothing like the BETA. The perk pool's curated. He said it was 'on the house'? This is straight-up narrative integration. A whole vendor system, hidden behind story events."

IEatPaint took a step back, as if trying to process it all. "You think this is a new mechanic? Like, hidden world NPCs that respond based on how we play?

"Nah, but I don't think he was in the story before" Waffles muttered, she seemed to recall something, "Wait, did any of you watch the new trailer?"

"Nope, why would I. Didn't think it was anything new." IEatPaint replied.

Waffles immediately shared a link to the trailer in the chat. As the Fireteam watched, they stood stunned in silence.

As the trailer ended, Void appeared before the end credits—TheOneWhoKnocks exhaled, long and slow. "Damn, who the hell is he?"

Waffles nodded, still staring into the distance. "He introduced himself. 'Viper,' right? That means he's not just a one-time event. He's a story character. Has to be."

"Yeah, but I thought story characters don't taunt elite squads and then vanish like ghosts," IEatPaint added. "They don't act that menacing."

TheOneWhoKnocks turned to them both, his voice quiet. "...You think they changed the story?"

Waffles didn't answer immediately. Then— "I think he's part of something bigger. I think we just got dropped into a storyline that wasn't in the BETA."

They turned toward the Jumpship, its engine slowly whining to life.

"You realize what this means, right?" TheOneWhoKnocks said. "This game's changed. This isn't just loot and strikes anymore."

"Nope," Waffles said, stepping up the ramp. "This is narrative immersion dialled to eleven."

IEatPaint grunted. "Damn, I thought this was just an FPS RPG. I didn't think it had a good story."

Waffles smiled under her helmet. "You sure? Because I'm invested now."

The Jumpship's doors closed behind them. Lights blinked. Thrusters surged. But none of them moved toward the cockpit just yet.

They all stared at their new weapons—serpent-forged, unlisted, gifted.

They were all excited at the prospect of a new story. Perhaps, they also wanted to know who had saved them.

The players moved towards the Jumpship, and as they took off, somewhere in the Cosmodrome, a shadow watched it all.

-

[Cosmodrome, The Divide]

The sky was beginning to bruise with evening.

Void watched from the shadows as the Jumpship roared into the upper atmosphere, its blue trail flickering briefly before vanishing past the clouds.

He let out a low breath.

A flicker of light crossed his HUD—

-

[Mission Complete: "A Guardian Rises"]

+20 Reputation (Player Alignment)

-

Void dismissed the prompt without a glance. Instead, his entire focus lay on the Cosmodrome. It was about to happen, he was sure of it.

'She'll show herself, anytime now.' Void watched with hawk eyes, and then.

Obsidian was pulsing—sharp, urgent, "ANOMALY SIGNAL ACQUIRED. COSMODROME WILDS. LOCKED."

Void didn't hesitate.

In the next instant, he flickered—vanishing from the rusted platforms and appearing on a hill across the warehouse.

Void remained hidden in the shadows, biding his time.

Just as he'd expected, he wasn't the only one watching that Jumpship leave.

He could sense it, and then a few steps ahead of him, a figure stepped out of nothing.

She stood still. Cloaked in snowlight and silence. Her gaze locked on the departing trail.

Elsie Bray narrowed her eyes behind her visor.

"I saw it begin," she murmured to no one. "This time, I saw it."

But just as she turned to leave, something… shifted.

A prickle at the edge of her senses. Like the past curling back toward her.

She spun—weapon drawn.

Void flickered into reality only a few meters away.

The moment their eyes met, she fired.

Void moved like a blur—but the bullets twisted unnaturally, caught in some kind of magnetic rewind. They snapped backward mid-air, forcing him into a second dodge.

He skidded across the dirt, then lunged forward.

She fired again, but this time he was too close.

He knocked the gun away in a clean arc, his palm locking onto her wrist. For a moment, the world held its breath.

"Wait," he said, quiet. Controlled. "I'm not here to fight you."

Elsie didn't answer. Not at first. Her eyes met his, a tinge of rage coloured her gaze, but before Void could notice it, she'd let it go.

Then, slowly, she let out a breath—lowering her hand.

Void released her and stepped back. The space between them was tense, but no longer lethal.

Elsie stared at him. Her eyes scanned him, not with suspicion, but with something colder. Older.

Recognition.

"…Do you know me?" Void asked, tone carefully neutral.

Elsie paused, for a second too long.

Then she replied, "No. I don't."

Void nodded, as if he'd expected that. "Strange. I've run the Cosmodrome for years. Never seen you once."

Elsie gave him nothing. She turned slightly, like she was preparing to leave.

But Void called out again, with a hesitant voice.

"I need your help."

That made her pause.

"I know you don't know me," he continued, quieter now. "Maybe that's a lie. Maybe you do. I can't tell anymore. But I know this—if the Light is to survive what's coming… I'll need your help."

Elsie didn't speak.

Not at first.

Then, with her back still turned, she looked over her shoulder.

Her visor shimmered faintly in the dying light.

Then she was gone. No transmat. No blink. Just—mist. Like the end of a dream.

Void stood in place for a long moment, then exhaled.

"Didn't think so."

He vanished too—disappearing into smoke and flicker. Far away from the Cosmodrome, a Jumpship flared to life, heading for the shore.

-

A soft crackle of static filtered in.

Elsie stood at the edge of a windswept plateau. Behind her, nothing but dirt and sky. Ahead, a translucent interface shimmered to life.

The voice on the other end was familiar.

"Report."

She nodded once. "I've seen it all, the Jumpship took off. "

Then, she spoke softly, "I also saw him."

Silence.

"Are you sure?"

Elsie didn't answer right away.

"Not… entirely. He was different. But it was him…"

She trailed off.

The voice on the other end didn't hesitate.

"You know what's at stake. Don't trust him. We can't afford it."

Elsie glanced back, toward the City—now distant.

"…I won't," she said. "I know what I have to do."

The comms cut out.

Only the wind remained.

-

[Tower, Last City]

The sun was beginning to dip behind the Traveler, casting long shadows over the City below.

Ikorra Rey stood at the window of her office, watching the sky shift hues. Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft hiss of the gate opening.

Cayde-6 strolled in, Ghost floating lazily behind him.

He leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"They made it," he said.

Ikorra turned, one brow raised. "The new Guardians?"

"Yep. Just docked. Rough ride, but they're intact. Mostly." Cayde tilted his head. "Their Ghosts gave me the debrief."

"And?"

Cayde exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fallen ambush. House of Devils. Multiple squads, even Captains. Real classic welcome party."

Ikorra frowned. "They weren't supposed to encounter resistance that early."

"That's what I said. But… someone stepped in."

Ikorra tilted her head. "Who?"

"Guy called 'Viper,' apparently."

She blinked. That name didn't ring any bells. "That doesn't match any registered Guardian in the system."

"I know," Cayde said, smirking now. "Didn't ring a bell for me either. Not until the new Lights said he used this—"

He put his hand out and mimed pulling a bow.

"—weird bow made of shadows and nightmares."

Ikorra's eyes sharpened.

"Shadowshot."

Cayde nodded. "That's the one", there was a pause. The Tower's silence hummed around them.

"…It's Void", Ikorra said.

Cayde's smirk faded into something softer. "Yeah."

Another moment passed. The weight of that name hung in the air between them.

"Without him," Cayde continued, "the House of Devils probably would've torn those new Lights apart before they even found their footing."

Ikora looked back toward the horizon.

"He was watching," she murmured. "Even now."

Cayde stepped up beside her, resting his elbows on the railing.

"Guess the exile hasn't dulled his sense of timing."

Ikorra allowed herself the faintest smile. "Or his aim."

"Even now he's doing more than you. Probably get that act together Cayde." Ikorra laughed softly.

"Please, who do you think taught him the moves?" Cayde mimed the bow again, this time aiming haphazardly.

"I'd like to see you say that in front of Tevis." Ikorra shook her head.

Cayde cleared his throat, "Don't say a word to him."

Then, they stood there in silence for a moment, watching the sun dip lower.

Grateful that a shadow still guarded the Light.
 
A bit confused on the players, do they think they are doing a virtual reality remake of D1 or something?
 
A bit confused on the players, do they think they are doing a virtual reality remake of D1 or something?

Good question, the setting for the players is somewhat like VR, but not SAO level VR. It's not that fully immersive thing and they're not really in the world. To them its a game, but for immersion I've added the dialogues and interactions to reflect that they're in somewhat of a VR.
 

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