The ruins of Old Pride are silent — a graveyard of shattered neon and melted steel.Wind howls through hollow towers, carrying whispers of a city that once burned bright.Here, beneath layers of dust and forgotten tech, Ronak wanders — not as Ignis, not yet — but as a shadow chasing echoes of who he was.
His flames flicker weakly in the dark, reflected in the cracked mirrors of a fallen world.
Then he sees it — a faint, golden shimmer beneath the rubble.He brushes away the ash to reveal a small, fractured data core, still pulsing.When his energy touches it, the device hums to life — and from the projection rises a face he thought he'd never see again.
"If you see this, Ronak…""…it means destiny has reignited."
The holographic remnant of Urja — Ultra Man himself — flickers to life, a ghost woven from light and memory.The voice is softer than he remembers, yet every syllable burns with the same strength that once guided him.
"Your return was no accident. The plasma storm that birthed you — and destroyed me — was the trigger of something far greater.A cycle older than heroes, older than Helios.The Elemental Rebirths… they've begun again."
Ronak's eyes widen. The hologram shows visions — ancient temples, energy patterns spiraling across galaxies, and human figures wreathed in fire, water, light, and shadow.Each life connected by one repeating symbol — the Phoenix Sigil.
"Helios Core has known for years," Urja continues. "They seek to control the rebirths — to manufacture gods."
Before Ronak can ask more, the hologram shudders — interference crackling through the static.From the doorway, a sharp voice cuts through the hum:
"Still chasing ghosts, Ignis?"
Ronak spins around — and freezes.Standing amidst the flickering lights is Akhilo, codename Xenon — once Urja's most trusted advisor, now wearing the dark armor of the W.H.O.S. (World Headquarters Organization of Superheroes).
Akhilo steps forward, removing his helmet. His silver eyes gleam under the pale neon.
"You've been gone a year. The world changed while you slept.""Helios Core isn't rebuilding — they're consuming. The energy inside you? It's the last pure fragment of the 'ALL IN ONE' source. That's why they want you dead… or contained."
Ronak's fists tighten. "Then we stop them. Like before."
Xenon shakes his head grimly.
"Before, we had hope. Now, they have armies. Synthetic soldiers. Surveillance AIs. Even heroes are under contract.""You're not fighting a villain anymore, Ignis… you're fighting the system itself."
Suddenly — BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.The air hums with an eerie whine. Red laser dots scatter across the walls.
"They found us," Xenon mutters, drawing a plasma blade.
Outside, the night explodes into motion.Brandie drones swarm in, their mechanical wings slicing through the air. Each one locks onto the energy surge radiating from Ronak's unstable core.
Ronak glances back at Urja's flickering hologram.The old hero's image flickers once more, half-smiling — almost proud.
"Then burn bright, my flame…""…and remember — ghosts never die. They guide."
Ronak's eyes ignite, twin orbs of gold and white.As the drones descend, the ruins light up once more —a dance of fire and shadow reborn beneath the night.
The past has spoken. The hunt has begun.