220 GRAVITON HOLD
"How reliable is your information?" Damen asked.
"Don't ask me," she said. "Ask Lord Nicaesa when you meet him."
With that, Damen bade them farewell.
The permit to enter the Space Rift was finally issued.
Holding the document, they made their way to the aur mine on the outskirts of the city.
To Damen's surprise, the site was silent. The constant hum of drills and the clatter of miners were gone. Dust covered the once-busy tracks, and the air smelled of metal and rust.
It was as if the place had been abandoned for months.
"There used to be so many miners here," Eryn murmured.
General Bierra, their escort, nodded. "The mine has been permanently shut down."
Liorea frowned. "Why? The aur veins here were making a fortune for the city."
"That information is not mine to disclose," Bierra replied curtly.
Damen looked deeper into the tunnels. The mine had changed…massively. Heavy machinery now lined the interior: generator towers, stabilized platforms, and humming crystalline conduits that pulsed with faint light.
He turned to Bierra again. "What are all these new installations for?"
"For the protection of our city," the general said simply.
"Isn't Fortress Myrone the city's protection?" Eryn asked curiously.
No further explanation came from the general.
Damen had a bad feeling about what was happening. Sienna's warning might have some truth to it if they were building something on this side of the space rift.
Moments later, Damen and his companions were led toward the core chamber where the Space Rift Gate shimmered faintly, a tear of light hovering above the mined pit.
They stepped through first, their figures dissolving into ripples of blue radiance.
Captain Green and his crew would follow later…once the containers of goods and essentials were secured and prepared for transport.
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[Inside Fortress Myrone]
The fortress was unusually busy.
Soldiers rushed through the corridors, their boots clanging against the metal floors, their eyes sharp and weapons ready.
The entire place buzzed with tension.
Damen hurried toward the command wing, his coat flaring behind him. He found Lord Nicaesa inside a recuperation chamber…a towering metallic tank laced with cables, hoses and glowing tubes that pulsed with green light.
"Kalmer, what's happening to Lord Nicaesa?" Damen demanded.
Lieutenant Kalmer turned, relief flashing on his tired face. "Damen! Thank goodness you're back. The Annunakins have been relentless. They've attacked us several times, trying to force Lord Nicaesa's hand. He was injured in the last battle and is undergoing regeneration."
"Will he recover?" Damen asked.
"He will. He always does."
As Kalmer spoke, the liquid in the chamber drained away with a hiss. The door slid open, releasing a burst of steam. Lord Nicaesa stepped out, pale but composed, quickly pulling on a military coat before facing Damen.
"Damen, why have you returned now? It's dangerous here," Nicaesa said, his voice firm despite the strain.
"What's going on? Why is the fortress on high alert?" Damen asked.
Nicaesa frowned. "The aliens are pushing hard against our lines. This time…" he hesitated, "…I'm not optimistic."
"Not optimistic?" Damen repeated. "What do you mean?"
"Two Shadows of Anubis have appeared in their ranks," Nicaesa said grimly. "It's the first time we've faced more than one. They mean to take Fortress Myrone at any cost this time."
"Two Rank S enemies?" Damen's eyes widened. "Can't we call for reinforcements from the League of Heroes?"
Nicaesa gave a short, bitter laugh. "The League? They don't move unless there's profit involved. To them, Myrone is a frontier outpost. We are expendable."
"I'm back now. I can help," Damen said firmly.
Nicaesa smiled faintly. "You've always had courage. But a Rank S… that's far beyond even you."
"I've grown stronger," Damen insisted. "I'm Rank A now."
That made Nicaesa pause. "Rank A? At your age…" His eyes softened. "Even your father wasn't that powerful when he was thisyoung."
"I mean it, Lord Nicaesa. I can fight."
Nicaesa studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Perhaps. But there's something more vital you can do. If the fortress falls—if they attack with both Shadows—you must lead our soldiers through the Space Rift. Evacuate them to Liberty City."
Damen frowned. "Will it really come to that?"
"Perhaps," Nicaesa said quietly. "I've already made arrangements with Sienna. She'll receive the survivors. Afterward, we'll seal the Space Rift for good."
Damen fell silent, thinking of the vast machinery and half-finished constructions deep within the mines—preparations he now understood were for a strategic retreat.
Finally, he nodded. "If it comes to that… I'll make sure everyone gets out."
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Lord Nicaesa led Damen through a reinforced corridor deep beneath Fortress Myrone. They stopped before a heavy door sealed with layered energy locks. With a gesture, Nicaesa's palm scanner lit up, and the vault door slid open with a resonant hum.
Inside, the chamber glowed faintly with golden and azure light. Rows of metallic racks filled the space, each holding containers with radiant, pulsing cores within … relics of immense power.
Damen's eyes widened. "What is this place?"
"This," Nicaesa said, his voice echoing softly, "is our treasure vault. Everything we've recovered from the rifts and ruins over the years is stored here." He gestured toward the racks. "Take what you need. If Fortress Myrone falls, there won't be time to save them."
Damen hesitated for a moment, then began scanning the room. The scale of the treasures was staggering … over a dozen Heart of Ra, half a dozen Heart of Shu.
Each one pulsed with divine energy, like captured stars.
Nicaesa pointed to another rack. "I know you've been looking for the Core of Electricity and Core of Kinetics. I set them aside for you. They might help." His tone softened. "Perhaps… the last thing I can do for you."
"Don't say that," Damen replied. "We're not losing yet."
"It's better to be prepared."
Damen nodded, stepping toward the containers. "Then I'll take what I can. With these meta artifacts, maybe I'll have a fighting chance … even against half a Shadow of Anubis."
Nicaesa chuckled quietly. "Good. Take everything you need."
Damen raised his hand, summoning the assimilation interface. Streams of light converged on him as the Hearts of Ra and Shu dissolved into his body.
Nicaesa watched silently, his reflection flickering across the glowing containment glass.
Heart of Ra – Level 5 Activated: 16/23
Heart of Shu – Level 4 Activated: 8/14
Damen moved on, absorbing the Cores of Electricity and Kinetics. Power flooded his nerves like lightning and wind entwined.
Core of Electricity – Level 8 Activated: 128/132
Core of Kinetics – Level 7 Activated: 64/89
Then something else caught his eye … a cluster of crystalline hearts marked with ancient glyphs: Heart of Heka and the Eye of Heka.
He had once planned to buy these through the mining app, but fate had delivered them here.
He didn't hesitate. Assimilate.
Heart of Heka – Level 3 Activated: 4/6
Eye of Heka activated.
Suddenly, his vision flashed white. A surge of new energy rippled through him — he felt denser, heavier, yet strangely calm.
"Congratulations — You have obtaineda Psychic Ranking."
"New Skill Unlocked: Graviton Hold Rank B"
"Graviton Hold?" Damen murmured. The name resonated in his mind like distant thunder. "I'll find out soon enough."
Before he could say more, the fortress alarms screamed to life.
Red lights flashed along the vault walls, bathing everything in crimson.
"Code Red! Code Red! Enemy assault detected!"
Nicaesa's expression darkened. "This is bad. The Double Shadows of Anu have returned."
Damen clenched his fists, energy crackling faintly around his arms. "Then it's time to see what these new powers can do."
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