The night air over Rome carried the faint scent of rain and stone. The city stretched beneath the stars, ancient and eternal — marble domes gleaming against the dark.
Klevin stepped out of the transport van, his pendant glowing faintly beneath his shirt.
He had imagined his first mission a hundred ways, but not like this — standing beside Emilia under the shadow of history.
"You nervous?" she asked, her tone soft but teasing.
He exhaled. "If I say no, I'd be lying."
Emilia smiled faintly. "Then we'll be nervous together."
The rest of their team climbed out of the van behind them — Marcus, the brawler with the Kinetic Veil; Lina, the calm illusionist; and Noah, their gadget-obsessed engineer.
Marcus stretched his shoulders. "All right, team. Elias says the Aether signature's somewhere under the Vatican district. Probably catacombs. Classic."
Noah glanced up from his tablet. "I've traced the signal. We go in quiet, we come out rich with data and zero dead bodies. Preferably ours."
"Quiet's not exactly my thing," Marcus muttered, cracking his knuckles.
Klevin caught Emilia's amused glance. "Seems like we've joined a cheerful bunch."
The church they entered was old — dust motes swirled in the faint light of dying candles. A Latin inscription above the altar read, Et Lux in Tenebris Lucet.
Light shines in the darkness.
Lina led the way toward a staircase hidden behind the altar.
"Energy readings spike below. This is it."
Klevin took the last step with Emilia right beside him. The tunnel was narrow and cold, the stone walls slick with condensation. But deeper down, he felt it again — that steady hum beneath his skin. The Aether.
Emilia whispered, "Feels alive, doesn't it?"
He nodded. "Almost like it's waiting."
When they reached the chamber, the sight took his breath away.
The ceiling arched high above, carved with ancient Roman symbols. In the center, half-buried under centuries of dust, a golden shard pulsed with rhythmic light — the Artifact fragment.
Noah's scanner beeped wildly. "That's it. It's identical to Munich's readings. But… it's stronger."
Before anyone could approach, a voice echoed from the shadows.
"So the Order sends children now?"
Figures stepped into the dim glow — men and women in black robes, crimson symbols etched across their skin.
The Obsidian Choir.
"Positions!" Marcus barked.
The Choir struck first — a blast of black fire arcing through the air. Marcus punched forward, his Aether flaring blue as he deflected it into the wall. The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber.
Lina blurred into motion, her body shimmering until three perfect illusions appeared around her, all moving in unison.
"Try to hit the real me," she taunted.
Noah slammed a small disk into the ground, deploying a barrier that shimmered like glass. "Aether dampeners up! We've got one minute!"
Emilia ducked behind an ancient pillar, her hands gripping a compact relic gun — an Artifact-modified firearm she'd calibrated herself.
"I've got their left flank!"
Klevin's pulse pounded. He could feel the Aether thrumming violently in his chest — stronger than before. The pendant at his neck burned hot, reacting to the chaos.
"Emilia," he said, his voice low. "It's happening again."
She turned to him — worry and faith in her eyes. "Then don't fight it this time."
The air rippled.
Light burst from his hands, pure and blinding. For a heartbeat, time slowed — dust frozen midair, motion suspended. And when the glow dimmed, he was holding it:
A blade of golden radiance, humming like a living thing.
The Divine Sword: Solvain.
Its runes pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. He could feel something ancient beneath its surface — a presence watching, judging.
Marcus grinned mid-fight. "Now that's more like it!"
Klevin didn't answer. He moved — faster than he thought possible. His first strike cleaved through a Choir soldier's weapon, scattering black energy into sparks. The second swing released a wave of light that tore across the chamber, forcing the rest back.
The energy inside him roared, wild and heavy. He barely controlled it. Each movement felt guided by instinct — not training, but something deeper.
The Choir's leader stepped forward, his Aether aura swirling dark as smoke.
"Divine Control," he hissed. "Blasphemy given flesh."
He thrust out his hand, forming a jagged spear of shadow. "Let's see your false divinity burn!"
The spear shot forward. Emilia gasped — but Klevin moved before he thought. The sword in his hand shifted, its light deepening.
He whispered the words that rose in his mind:
"Radiant Sever!"
The blade ignited. A single swing shattered the incoming spear and exploded in a flare of light that shook the chamber. The Choir leader was thrown back, crashing into the stone wall with a cry.
When the glow faded, silence filled the air — heavy and absolute.
Marcus whistled. "Remind me to stay on your good side."
Lina lowered her illusions, breathing hard. "That wasn't training. That was raw resonance."
Klevin's hands trembled, the sword flickering. "It's like it wanted to move. I wasn't… fully in control."
Emilia holstered her weapon and stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm. "Then we learn together. You, me, and whoever else wants to survive this madness."
Her voice steadied him. Slowly, Solvain's light dimmed until it vanished, leaving only a faint warmth in his palm.
When the team surfaced hours later, dawn was painting Rome gold. The mission had been a success — the fragment secured, the Choir scattered. But the weight of what Klevin had done still pressed on his chest.
They gathered by the van, the city quiet around them.
Marcus leaned against the door. "Well, if that was your first hunt, I'm terrified to see your tenth."
Noah smirked. "If he keeps swinging that thing around, I'll need to build stronger scanners."
Lina folded her arms. "We survived. That's enough for today."
Klevin turned to Emilia, who was watching the sunrise. The soft light caught her eyes, turning them amber.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "We found the fragment. You found your power. That's a win in my book."
He gave a small laugh. "It didn't feel like winning. It felt like something else — like being watched."
Emilia looked at him seriously. "Maybe the Artifact isn't just power. Maybe it's aware."
He glanced down at his pendant, which glowed faintly once more.
"Then let's hope it's on our side," he said quietly.
As they drove through the waking city, the bells of Rome began to toll — soft, ancient, and haunting.
Klevin closed his eyes, the echo mingling with the hum of the Aether in his blood.
For the first time, he felt both fear and belonging.
This was his first hunt — but it wouldn't be his last.