Chapter 83: : The Gathering of Shadows
📘 Chapter 83
🌁 Scene 1: Whispers in the Storm
Location: Upper Orbit Debris Field – Aftermath of Orakion's Fall
Zake's prototype mecha drifts unconscious, power systems offline. Inside, he's barely alive.
A voice comes through the static:
Unknown: "...Emergency override… respond, Project Beta..."
Zake opens his eyes—barely. A holographic face flickers before him:
General Lyricus, commander of the exiled Mecha Architect Order, long thought dead.
Lyricus:
"You awakened the Zethron Signature. That means the Chronarch will return. And this time… we are not ready."
🧩 Scene 2: The Chronarch Appears
Location: Unknown Realm – Somewhere Beyond Time
Inside a fractured dimension, where clocks tick backward and forward simultaneously, stands a cloaked figure.
Eyes made of ticking gears. Veins pulsing with frozen Krono.
Chronarch:
"Zethron Ascendant has returned. The Warden has failed.
Phase Three must begin. Awaken the Sundial Apostles."
Dozens of portals open, and twelve mysterious enforcers, each fused with time-based mechas, emerge.
Each one controls a different "hour"—and each has been sent to destabilize time on Terra-Solis.
🧪 Scene 3: Project Reflection Revealed
Location: Alien Research Vessel – Zui's Containment Chamber
Zui is strapped to a glowing prism. Her purple Krono flows through crystalline tubes.
The clone—Mirror Zarkel—walks beside her.
Zarkel: "You think I'm a cheap copy. But we share the same memories, don't we?"
Zui: "You stole them!"
He flinches.
Zarkel: "Then maybe I'm not the villain… Maybe you are the anomaly."
Zui uses her limited Krono to cause a feedback loop. The ship trembles—but the clone restrains her.
He's hesitating—a hint of true emotion begins to form in him.
🛡️ Scene 4: Resistance in Shambles
Location: Resistance Base – South Quadrant
After the battle, only a fraction of the Mecha Riders remain.
A war council is held. Accusations fly. Morale drops.
Commander Rhyne declares martial law within the guild as rumors of traitors and Chrono-sleepers rise.
Meanwhile, Zeron remains isolated—recovering mentally from fusing with Zethron Ascendant.
His best friend Kael finds him, concerned.
Kael: "You saved the planet and vanished. You okay?"
Zeron: (quietly)
"The war isn't over. It never was. It's just… paused."
Kael claps his shoulder.
Kael: "Then let's use this pause to prepare for the punchline."
🌌 Scene 5: Journey to the Sky City
Location: Above Terra-Solis – Coordinates Unlisted
Lyricus sends coordinates to a location known only in myths: Aerethium—the Sky City of Architects.
Only those with awakened Krono signatures can enter.
Zeron, Zake (now awake), Kael, and a few surviving elite Riders board a stealth cruiser and fly toward the cloud barrier.
They arrive at a floating citadel made of metal, crystal, and light.
Here, they meet the Last Five Builders—humanoid AI beings created to oversee the balance of Krono.
They reveal a secret:
"The Purple Krono is not just a power…
It's a gateway to the ChronoCore,
the original heart of all timelines."
But using it fully comes at a cost.
"The wielder will be forgotten by time itself."
Zeron clutches his chest. Is this his fate?
🔮 Preview – Chapter 84: The Apostles of Time Descend
The Twelve Sundial Apostles begin their invasion, causing time anomalies.Zui's clone starts questioning his origin.A traitor within the Resistance is revealed.Zake unlocks a new defensive module in Beta.Zeron must undergo a test within the Sky City to awaken the second seal of his Krono.