The sky above the Arbora fields was lit by the shadow of a large aircraft hovering low. Kaelar Thorne sat in the pilot's seat with a steady hand, his sharp eyes scanning the fields below. Beside him, Velaria checked the holographic screen displaying visuals from a landed aircraft beneath them.

  "Kaelar," Velaria said, her tone serious. "That's an Edena ship. But... wait. No, it's an older model. That ship isn't like the ones used by Edena's current forces."

  Kaelar glanced at her, his expression uncertain. "You sure? It looks like one of theirs."

  Velaria nodded, pointing at the screen. "Look closely at the details. The tech isn't as refined. It's outdated. Whoever owns it likely isn't part of Edena's main fleet."

  Kaelar sighed but stayed alert. "Keep the defenses ready. We don’t know what we’re dealing with."

  On the field, Draven observed the descending ship from Vega's window. His face tensed at the sight, it was significantly larger and more advanced than Seren Vega’s craft.

  "Lyra!" he called, running to the room where Lyra monitored Aelina and Vega. "There's another ship overhead, bigger, more sophisticated."

  Lyra stood abruptly. "What? Another ship?"

  "Yes," Draven said, lifting his weapon. "We need to check it out. You stay here, watch Aelina and Vega."

  But Lyra shook her head. "No, you watch them. I might know who’s in that ship."

  Draven hesitated, then handed her the weapon. "Be careful. If anything happens to them, hit the red button on the panel to wake them."

  Lyra exited the Vega with confident steps, weapon raised at the sky, aiming at the low-hovering ship. But before she could fire, a voice echoed from its speakers.

  "Lyra... it's me, Velaria Kane," said the voice, calm and confident. "I know it's hard to believe, but I’m here to help."

  Lyra's brow furrowed, her grip on the trigger loosening. "Velaria?!"

  Inside the ship, Kaelar turned to Velaria with a raised brow. "You know them?"

  Velaria nodded. "I know Lyra. We used to work together at one of Edena’s research facilities."

  Kaelar sighed. "Then let’s handle this peacefully."

  The ship slowly descended at the field’s edge, its powerful engines stirring the tall grass. Hearing the noise, Kirana and Zephyr rushed from their shelter.

  Zephyr instinctively gripped his spear. "What now?" he muttered.

  Kirana turned to Lyra, who still stood with her weapon drawn. "Who’s on that ship, Lyra?"

  Lyra exhaled slowly. "If I’m right, that’s Velaria Kane. She used to work for Edena, but I don’t know why she’s here."

  The ship's door opened, and two figures emerged. Velaria Kane stepped out first, her short hair ruffled by the wind. Behind her, Kaelar Thorne followed, confident in his tactical gear.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Lyra lowered her weapon, still cautious. "Velaria. I didn’t expect to see you here."

  Velaria gave a faint smile. "Neither did I, but I’m glad you’re alive."

  Zephyr eyed them warily. "Who is she, Lyra? And the guy?"

  Lyra turned to Zephyr and Kirana. "That’s Velaria Kane. We worked together in Edena, before I left. As for him... I don’t know."

  Kaelar stepped forward, hand to chest in a short salute. "Kaelar Thorne. Former Edena soldier. We’re here to stop the second-generation cloning project."

  Zephyr narrowed his eyes. "And why should we trust you?"

  Velaria moved up. "Because we know what Edena’s planning. They're creating a stronger hybrid army. Aelina is the key. If we don’t work together, they’ll win."

  Kirana stepped forward. "What’s your plan?"

  Kaelar answered firmly. "Destroy their cloning facility in Aurion. If it falls, so does the project."

  Zephyr nodded slowly, still cautious. "That’s a good plan. But we also need to sever Aelina’s link to them."

  Velaria met his gaze. "Exactly. Without that connection, they lose access to her data. That’s our first move."

  Kirana looked at Lyra. "Do you trust them?"

  Lyra nodded. "I trust Velaria. If they’re really here to stop the project, we have to work together."

  Zephyr sighed. "Fine. But any betrayal, and I’ll deal with it personally."

  Kaelar gave a faint grin. "We're on the same side, friend. You’ll see soon enough."

  With tensions easing, the group gathered around the Vega to strategize. They pooled their knowledge, planning the next steps to protect Aelina and stop Edena. But they all knew this was just the beginning. Far away, storm clouds loomed, not just in the sky, but in the battles to come.

  After the dust settled, Kaelar led Zephyr and Kirana into Velaria’s ship. The interior glowed with soft blue lights along sleek silver walls, a futuristic marvel unfamiliar to Zephyr and Kirana.

  Kaelar guided them to the ship’s central chamber. There stood a large device resembling a capsule, surrounded by glowing panels. Zephyr eyed it with suspicion, while Kirana approached curiously.

  "What is this?" she asked, touching a panel that displayed a weapon schematic.

  Kaelar turned. "Nano Forge. Edena’s finest tech. Design your own weapons and armor. No more relying on traditional gear."

  Zephyr folded his arms. "We’ve survived fine with the old ways."

  Kaelar smiled faintly and activated a large battlefield simulation on the screen. "What’s coming is far beyond what you’ve faced. Edena keeps evolving. Stay traditional, and you won’t survive."

  Kirana watched the display intently. "So this creates better gear?"

  Kaelar nodded. "Nano-particles shape whatever you need. Start with a design, choose features, the system handles the rest."

  Zephyr inspected it skeptically. "How do we know this won’t make us dependent on Edena again?"

  Kaelar answered calmly. "I left Edena because I believe you can use this tech to protect yourselves. Nothing more."

  Kirana laid a hand on Zephyr’s shoulder. "We should try. If it helps us protect Aelina, we can’t afford to hesitate."

  Kaelar motioned to the main panel. "Kirana, you can begin. Design armor and weapons for both of you."

  Kirana swiped through the interface. Soon, a ninja-like armor appeared, light metal, glowing streaks. "Nothing heavy," she murmured. "Zephyr needs to move freely."

  She added an energy shield and a long chain weapon tipped with a blue electric spear.

  Zephyr, half-impressed, half-skeptical, admitted, "Looks... interesting."

  Kirana then crafted her own gear: light flexible armor, and a high-tech plasma bow with tracking systems for precision.

  She pressed a button. A voice replied, "Initiating process."

  Moments later, two bracelet-like devices emerged from the forge.

  Kaelar handed them over. "Nano-Bands. Your armor and weapons are stored here. Wear it, tap it, nano-particles do the rest."

  Zephyr examined his band. "So this gives me instant gear?"

  Kaelar nodded. "No more burdens. No lost weapons."

  Kirana put hers on. "How do I activate it?"

  Kaelar smiled. "Touch the center."

  She did, and in a flash, silver particles wrapped around her, forming the sleek armor and summoning the bow.

  Zephyr followed. His ninja armor materialized, the electric spear coiled at his waist. He looked at his arm, awed by the blue light.

  "Incredible," he muttered.

  Kirana glanced at Kaelar. "I never imagined tech like this. Edena’s far ahead."

  Kaelar folded his arms. "Which is why we must use their tech to fight them. With this, you’ve got a real chance."

  Lyra entered, staring in awe. "You look like soldiers from the future..."