2687

As Rex uncloaked himself, the effects of his newly acquired Yeager ability fading, he felt a slight tingling in his skin as visibility returned. The power of mirage, which allowed him to turn invisible, had been a gift from the strange orb he absorbed earlier, but it was not without its limitations.

He stood still for a moment, his breathing calm as he surveyed his surroundings. The dimly lit cave was eerily silent, with only the faint echo of dripping water in the distance. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the lingering heat from his previous encounter with the monstrous creature.

Recollecting his purpose, Rex turned on his heel and retraced his steps through the winding passages. He moved with purpose, each step deliberate as he headed back to the door he had encountered earlier—the one that had refused him entry.

The door loomed ahead, its surface rough and ancient, covered in strange symbols that glowed faintly in the dark. As he approached, Rex felt a surge of determination. This time, he was prepared.

With a steady hand, he reached out and placed his palm against the door. The metal felt cool beneath his skin, a stark contrast to the heat that had surrounded him moments ago. For a second, nothing happened. Then, the symbols on the door flared to life, glowing brighter until the entire door was bathed in light.

There was a low rumble, and the door slowly creaked open, revealing a new passageway. Rex tightened his grip on his sword, ready for whatever might lie beyond. He stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the unknown.

As Rex stepped through the door, he found himself in the center of the vast chamber. The atmosphere was tense, filled with a strange energy that seemed to pulse through the walls. He instinctively reached for his communication device, contacting Rona to update her on the mission.

"Rona, it's Rex. I've made it through the door. There's something strange about this place," he reported.

There was silence on the other end, the static crackling slightly as Rex waited for a response. After what felt like an eternity, Rona's voice finally came through, slightly distorted but clear enough.

"That’s quite impressive," she remarked, a hint of admiration in her tone. "But there's no time to rest. According to our intel, there's another floor above you. I need you to head up there, continue your mission, and locate that Yeager."

"Understood," Rex replied, his resolve hardening. He looked around, spotting a door on the top right of the room. Without hesitation, he made his way over and pushed it open.

The door led to another bridge, similar to the one he had crossed earlier, but this one seemed different—more foreboding. He could feel the heat intensifying as he walked, the air growing thicker with each step. The bridge led him to a different area of the structure, and soon he found himself standing before an elevator.

The elevator doors slid open with a mechanical hiss, revealing a small, dimly lit interior. Rex stepped inside, feeling a slight jolt as the elevator began its ascent. The ride was long, the silence pressing in on him as he ascended higher and higher. His mind raced with thoughts of what might await him at the top.

When the elevator finally came to a halt, the doors slid open to reveal a new environment. The heat hit him like a wave, far more intense than before. He stepped out of the elevator and into a strange area, one that was completely unfamiliar. The walls glowed with an ominous red light, and the air felt heavy, almost oppressive.

As Rex continued to walk forward, taking in his surroundings, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his abdomen. He barely had time to react as a trap was triggered, a hidden mechanism sending a powerful stun bolt straight into his stomach. The impact was immediate, and Rex felt his muscles seize up, his vision blurring as he collapsed to the ground.

Darkness quickly overtook him, his consciousness slipping away as the heat of the room seemed to intensify around him. The last thing he heard was the faint echo of his own breathing before everything went black.

As Rex opened his eyes, he found himself lying in bed, his heart still pounding from the dream. The details of the mission lingered in his mind, but he shook them off, knowing he had to focus on the present. He dressed quickly and headed downstairs, noticing his mother asleep on the couch. Her face looked worn, as if she hadn't had a peaceful rest in weeks.

"Mother, I’m heading out for a bit. They need me at base," Rex said quietly, not wanting to wake her. She didn’t stir, so he quietly left the house, stepping through the teleporter that would take him directly to Iris’s place.

Rex arrived at the front door of Iris’s home, the small sticker Leon had given him securely stuck to his hand. He knocked, and a voice from inside called out, "Come in."

As the door opened, Iris appeared, her expression surprised. "Oh, I wasn’t expecting you. Do you need something?" she asked.

"Actually, yeah," Rex replied, stepping into the cozy house. "I want to talk about Griffin Locke."

Iris blinked, clearly taken aback. "Sure, come in." She gestured for Rex to follow her into the living room.

Rex glanced around the room, taking in the warm, inviting atmosphere before sitting down. "So why do you want to talk about him?" Iris asked, settling into a chair across from him.

Rex hesitated, then spoke. "Something happened to me after my father died. I was overwhelmed with anger, and suddenly, dark flames started coming out of my mouth. I’m asking you because you were the first to ever mention Griffin Locke to me. Can you explain what’s going on?"

Iris sighed, her expression shifting to one of understanding. "So it finally happened," she murmured. "I guess it’s time I told you the story."

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes distant as she began. "Griffin Locke was a flame user from the Locke family, which is considered the strongest family in the world. There are about 300 members in that family, but only four of them have been dark flame users. Dark flame users are incredibly rare because their flames can burn through reality and time. This makes them particularly dangerous to Yeagers, whose abilities depend on those very elements. Griffin was the strongest of his generation, undefeated in every battle—except one, but we don’t mention her anymore."

Rex listened intently, his mind racing with questions. "Are only people from the Locke family able to use dark flames?" he asked.

"Yes," Iris replied, nodding. "Only their family has been able to use them."

"But then why am I able to use them? I’m not even part of the family," Rex said, confusion lacing his words.

Iris’s gaze softened. "That’s where the story comes in. You see, Griffin hated his family because they were all at odds with each other—no one got along. In a rare act of defiance, Griffin decided to pass on his dark flame ability to someone outside the family. Before you were born, he sought out your mother, Sally, and transferred some of his flux energy into you, giving you the dark flame style. That makes you the fifth person in history to ever use it."

Rex sat in stunned silence, absorbing the weight of her words. He had always known he was different, but this revelation brought everything into sharper focus. He wasn't just different—he was a wielder of a power feared by many, a power that had deep, complicated roots.

"I never knew..." Rex began, but his voice trailed off, the enormity of what he had just learned settling heavily on him.

"Oh yeah, come with me for a second. I want to give you something," Iris said, leading Rex into another room. She walked over to a shelf and carefully took down a sword, its blade shimmering faintly in the light. "I want to give this to you. Every dark flame user in history has wielded this sword, and now it’s yours since you’ve inherited the dark flame style."

Rex looked at the sword in awe. "How do you know about this?" he asked, still processing everything she had told him.

Iris paused, then said softly, "I was married to Griffin, but he’s gone now. I’ve been keeping the sword safe, hiding it from the Locke family, but it’s yours now, Rex. It’s a part of your legacy."

Rex’s eyes widened in surprise. "Thank you so much," he said sincerely, reaching out to shake her hand. Iris took his hand and gave it a firm shake, sealing the moment between them.

"I’m going to get going now. Thank you for helping me," Rex said as he turned to leave.

"OK, see you later. Remember, you can talk to me about anything," Iris replied with a warm smile.

Rex left the house and teleported back to the base, heading directly to the research section where Leon was waiting for him. "Were you able to get the information?" Leon asked as soon as Rex arrived.

"Yeah, I was," Rex said, following Leon to his lab. Once inside, Rex handed him the sticker he had placed on his hand earlier. Leon took it and quickly uploaded the data to a board.

"It's not her," Leon confirmed after a moment.

"So that means the only other person it could be is my aunt Martha or Barak," Rex said thoughtfully.

Leon shook his head. "No, it’s not Martha. I checked on her—she’s clean. That leaves only Barak. He’s the one who’s been leaking information about our base. He’s also the one responsible for Adam’s death."

Rex’s expression hardened, but he remained calm. "Alright, let’s bring him in for questioning. We need to find out why he betrayed his own kind."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "You don’t seem as angry as I thought you’d be. Don’t you want to kill him?"

"We can’t let anger blind us," Rex replied firmly. "We need to bring him in and find out why he did what he did."

Just then, the door to the lab opened, and Sally stepped in, her expression unreadable. "So it was Barak who got Adam killed, huh?" she said, her tone laced with a mix of anger and sadness.

Rex and Leon turned to face her, the room suddenly feeling tense as the reality of the situation settled in.

“Mother, we can bring him in an question him, but we can’t kill him,” Rex replied.

“I’m sorry honey, but I’m going to kill the fucking son of a bitch and rip his head off,” she said.

She used her strings to create a wall, to the door entrance. So Rex and Leon can’t leave. “Leon open a portal right now!” Rex yelled.

“I can't say the strings are causing interference,but we can go this way,” Leon said. He hits a wall and the passage open up. And the both of them ran through there to catch up with Sally and stop her. It's a race now to decide if Barack it’s going to die or live.