All Chapters of Oblivion's Edge: Voidbōrn : Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
32 chapters
20 For The Mission
. The days following the meeting between Prime-Dexūs and the other leaders were harsher than anything the soldiers of the Edge had known before. Training drills that once pushed them to their limits now drove them past exhaustion. The training fields rang with marching feet, barked orders, and the low groans of tired bodies that refused to collapse only because collapse meant punishment. The air around the barracks was thick with tension and the sharp scent of coolant from the defense drones that patrolled the perimeter. Lorekeeper Veydrān carried out every order Prime-Dexūs gave, but even he could feel the weight settling over the training yards. The soldiers no longer hid their frustration. Some cursed the day they were born into this world. Others whispered the same name over and over with bitterness. Aēllion. °Aēllion-197. Voidbōrn. The runaway. They spoke his name like a curse and sometimes like a warning, as if he had doomed them all the moment he crossed into the real
21 The Weight of a Word
Sira’s POV .. I woke to the soft hiss of the fridge opening. At first, I didn't move. My head felt heavy, as if someone had stuffed it with cotton and regret. The light in the room seemed too bright even through half-closed eyes. My mouth tasted bitter, dry even. My body ached in that dull, unpleasant way that only bad drinking decisions could explain. Then I heard it again. The fridge door closing. I opened my eyes properly. Aelly-Hal stood near the fridge with his back to me. I could see he was fully dressed. His jacket was on, his boots laced, his bag resting at his feet. That alone should have told me something was wrong, but my head was spinning too badly to think clearly. I pushed myself upright and immediately regretted it. Pain flared behind my eyes. My stomach rolled. I sat up for a moment then swung my legs off the bed and stood carefully. The room tilted, and I pressed a hand to my forehead, breathing slowly. I didn't say anything to him. I could barely th
22 Friends
Aēllion’s POV I woke to shouting. Not the kind that comes from danger or alarms, but the sharp, irritated yelling of someone who had been awake far too long and had lost all patience with the universe. “You owe me, man!” Threi snapped through her datapad. “I don’t wanna hear any excuses.” There was a pause. I could only hear her side of the conversation, but I imagined whoever was on the other end shrinking with every word. “You don't want to get on my bad side, Lou.” she continued. “Yeah. Thought so.” She ended the call with a sharp tap and muttered something under her breath that I suspected was not polite in any known language. I groaned softly and rolled onto my back. My body felt stiff from sleeping on the couch. Every muscle protested as I sat up. I rubbed my eyes, then stretched my arms over my head until my shoulders cracked. Threi turned toward me the moment she heard the sound. “Well, look who finally decided to wake up,” she said. Her voice carried its us
23 Soothing Ocean Sounds
Inside the hover car, Threi sat in the front seat with her boots propped up on the dashboard, fully absorbed in a loud, fast paced video game on her datapad. Her fingers moved with precision, tapping and sliding across the screen as small flashes of light reflected off her focused eyes. At the back, Aēllion and Sira sat side by side, separated by just enough space to feel awkward about it. Sira glanced from Aēllion to Threi, then cleared her throat. “Can you tell me why we’re going to Qiravel of all places?” she asked. Threi didn't look up. The sound effects of her game filled the hover car for a moment longer. Aēllion shifted in his seat. His eyes moved to the window, watching tall buildings slide past as the vehicle climbed higher. His thoughts raced. Do I tell her the truth about why we’re going, or do I make something up? he wondered. Either option felt wrong. Sira waited. Her gaze stayed on him, patient but searching. Before Aēllion could decide, Threi sighed loud
24 Improvise
Aēllion slept on a thin mattress near the wall, one arm thrown over his face. His dreams were restless, filled with moving lights and falling sensations. He was deep in sleep when a light tap landed on his shoulder. He groaned softly and turned his face into the small pillow beneath his head. The room was dark, quiet except for the faint hum of computers coming from another part of the apartment. Another tap came, firmer this time. “Aēllion,” a low voice whispered. “Wake up.” He cracked one eye open, annoyed and confused, ready to snap at whoever was disturbing him. The shape above him shifted, and he recognized Threi’s outline in the dim light. “What?” he muttered. She leaned closer. “Keep your voice down.” Aēllion blinked the sleep from his eyes. Sira was asleep a short distance away, curled on her side, her blue hair spread across the pillow. She looked peaceful, unaware of anything stirring around her. Threi placed a finger to her lips. “Shh, don’t wake her,” sh
25 Backup Plan
Sira's POV I wasn't too deep asleep when I heard whispering. Careful, low, deliberate whispering. At first, I didn't open my eyes. I laid still on the mattress, listening. Two voices moved through the apartment. One was Threi’s. I would recognize that sharp, cold tone anywhere. The other was Aelly’s, quieter, rough obviously with sleep. They were trying not to wake anyone. That much was clear. My half-awake mind went somewhere stupid before it went somewhere logical. For a brief moment, I wondered if something was going on between them. Threi and Aelly have been spending a lot of time together and I barely understand what they've been up to. No, that can't be right. Can it? The way Threi’s voice softened just a little when she spoke to him. The thought of it made my chest tighten in a way I did not like. Then minutes later, I heard the door open. Then close. Then silence. I opened my eyes fully and stared at the ceiling. Something felt wrong. I sat up slow
26 A Box Of Memories
.. The last thing Lougard saw before darkness took him was Aēllion collapsing nearby, his body hitting the ground in a limp heap as security drones hovered overhead. Then everything went black Lougard woke with a sharp gasp. Pain flared through his wrists and shoulders as he struggled instinctively, only to realize he was tied to a chair. Thick restraints wrapped tightly around his arms and legs, biting into his skin. His heart slammed against his ribs, fast and uneven. The room was dark and cold. A single bright bulb hung from the ceiling, flooding the space with harsh white light. It buzzed faintly, like an insect that refused to die. And someone was watching him. A man stood just outside the circle of light, his face calm, almost curious. His eyes were sharp and focused, as if Lougard were nothing more than an experiment laid out in front of him. Lougard swallowed hard. His legs began to shake again, the same way they had in the vents, except now there was nowhere
27 No time for Hesitations
The hover car cut through the air in a steady glide, its engine humming low and controlled. Neon lights from the city blurred past the windows, stretching into long streaks of color. Inside the car, the atmosphere was tight and heavy, as if the air itself knew something terrible was coming. Sira sat rigid in the passenger seat, her hands clasped together in her lap. Her fingers trembled despite her effort to keep them still. Threi sat in the driver's seat, without speaking, her eyes locked on the road ahead, her jaw set hard. The glow from the dashboard lit her face in sharp lines, making her look even more intense than usual. After several seconds of silence, Sira finally spoke. “What’s your plan?” she asked quietly. “How are we getting Aēllion and Lougard out of there?” Threi didn't look at her. “I know where they’re being kept inside the facility.” Sira’s heart thudded harder. “Where?” “It's called the box.” Sira turned fully toward her. “The box? What does that mean?”
28 Lockdown
The gun pressed harder against the back of Sira’s head.“Before I fry your brain like I did to your comrades,” the man said coldly, “tell me who you’re all working for. And what were you after in this facility?”Sira’s body shook despite her effort to stay still. Fear crawled through her chest, tense and suffocating, but she forced her voice to remain steady.“Fry my brain all you want,” she said. “I’d never tell you anything.”The man sighed, almost bored. “What a stubborn decision you’ve made.”His finger tightened on the trigger.A sudden burst of laserfire exploded through the room.The security drone Marian had hacked earlier swooped in from behind, firing rapidly at the man. He reacted instantly, twisting aside as shots scorched the air where he had been standing. He rolled, fired back, and barely missed the drone’s core.“Now’s your chance, Miss Sira,” Marian said quickly through the comms. “Push the yellow button at the edge.”Sira didn't hesitate.She spun toward the control
29 Counter protocol
Aēllion heard Lougard’s words even though Lougard’s voice was low, almost lost beneath the hum of the locked chamber. “What do you mean?” Aēllion asked, stepping closer. “What doesn’t look good?” Lougard dragged a hand down his face, fingers trembling slightly. “I thought I was talking to myself,” he muttered. Then he looked up, his eyes sharp despite the exhaustion. “I can’t override this lockdown without the exact protocol.” Aēllion frowned. “I don’t understand.” Lougard sighed, turning back to the control panel for a moment, then facing them again. “You know the protocol that put this room on lockdown mode. Well every lockdown protocol has a counter protocol. A release command.” Aēllion’s mind clicked into place. “So we need the other protocol if we’re going to get out of here.” “Exactly,” Lougard said. Sira swallowed hard. “And there’