The twilight sky bled into a deep cobalt as Earth-1's shimmering skyline lit up beneath the stars. High above the world, inside a sleek orbital command vessel marked with the insignia of Aetherlight Vanguard, classified footage was under intense review.
The main screen displayed a teenage boy stepping out of a collapsing dungeon portal. On one arm: a glowing green device. On the other: a weapon that shifted into a bracer, sleek and pulsing with energy.
His name pulsed in red beneath the image:
RIVEN KADE
C-Rank – Unaffiliated – Alert Flagged
The room was quiet save for the soft whir of processors.
A silver-uniformed commander leaned forward. "Pause. Zoom in on the arm."
The image froze on the bracer-like weapon retracting into a dormant state.
"That isn't in our database," said a technician.
"Any relic match?"
"None sir, visual structure unknown. Transformation sequence... unique. No relic we've seen changes form like that."
"And the device on his left wrist?" the commander asked, indicating the Omnitrix.
The analyst squinted. "Glows faintly. Non-responsive during the footage. Possibly passive. No reaction or transformation logged."
"So it could just be ornamental?"
"Or another relic. But the weapon — that bracer — it's the one giving off power surges."
Another officer stepped in. "Sir, we ran his background."
"And?"
"Nothing. No school, no health tags, no civilian history. His Hunter registration appeared after he solo-cleared a D-rank dungeon… but the system treated it as legitimate."
"Forged identity?"
"Or someone tampered with the registry itself."
The commander leaned back. "Either way… that weapon. That's our anomaly."
...
Earth-1 – City Core, Earlier That Day
The mall was swarming with response teams.
Aetherlight Vanguard drones buzzed overhead, scanning residual dungeon energy. The fractured marble floor still radiated warmth from where the dungeon gate had collapsed. Reports were flying, but none explained how it had closed so quickly — or who had done it.
"There's no core residue," said one officer.
"No boss signature either," another added. "But the energy drain... someone absorbed it."
"And this reading…" A third showed a tablet. "There was something in there. Not a registered weapon. No traces left."
"Someone got in. Closed it solo. Then walked out."
.....
Riven crouched on a quiet rooftop, watching the city skyline below. His hood was up, Nullshift dormant on his right arm like a smooth metal band. The Omnitrix, tucked beneath his sleeve, pulsed faintly but didn't glow.
The world hadn't reported his involvement.
There were no headlines. No alerts. No surveillance had caught a name — just a brief flicker, a portal closing, and the strange weapon retracting.
Which was good.
For now.
He raised his right arm. "Nullshift — blade."
The band stirred. Plates unfolded with a click, and the energy-forged sword slid into place. Cold-blue in color, humming softly — an echo of his fight with the Cryo-Warden. Arctiguana's energy still lingered in the blade's reactive edge.
Riven narrowed his eyes at it. "So we both are not from this world, huh?"
The blade retracted.
A mystery stacked atop the Omnitrix. Nullshift had been dormant in the ancient vault — hidden behind a locked chamber that only opened after the boss was defeated. When it had synced with the Omnitrix, his energy had surged — his watch recharged.
Now it lived on his arm.
And no one knew what it was.
.....
Aetherlight Vanguard Surveillance Deck
Inside the high orbit command module, Riven's profile hovered in mid-air.
Name: Riven Kade
Rank: C
Clearances: 2 (D-rank, C-rank) – Both solo
Affiliation: None
Relic Signature: Unknown – Flagged
Background: No records located
"He's too clean," one analyst muttered. "Even ghost operatives leave traces. This one has nothing."
Another spoke up. "I've flagged the weapon he used — it's unlike anything on record. No relic tag, no dungeon signature, no forge trace."
"Could be a one-of-one," someone suggested. "A wild relic. Lost tech."
"But synced?" the analyst frowned. "It responded to him like it was made for him."
.....
Elsewhere – Nova Arcanum Vessel
Far above Earth-1, aboard a satellite cloaked in anti-detection shielding, a woman stood before a massive crystal-glass interface.
She wore a high-collared research coat, her long silvery-white hair tied in a ponytail. Blue eyes with glasses scanned the still image of Riven Kade, paused mid-step as Nullshift collapsed into his arm.
Her name: Lyra Veyla — senior relic specialist for Nova Arcanum, a globally recognized organization that operated independently from the five major guilds.
"He's not registered under any relic lineage," a junior officer beside her whispered.
Lyra remained quiet, gaze fixed.
"This weapon… the form factor… the reactive nature…"
"It's not in our sealed archives either," the junior added. "And that wrist device — no match there too. Both are unknown."
"Yet," Lyra replied softly. "Unknown doesn't mean untraceable. Just means... old."
She turned.
"Tag the boy for soft observation. Do not engage."
End of chapter.
If there are mistakes do tell me I will correct it.