"They called us outcasts. But being cast out doesn't mean you're condemned. We grew in the very place that tried to erase us."
— Seraph Vallen
----
Flashback – The Silent Zone, Five Years Ago
Toxic mist hung low over the ruins of the Silent Zone. The air reeked of burnt ozone and rust. Behind the shadow of a twisted metal pole, three children stood—faces smeared with grime, but eyes sharp as glass.
A woman stepped closer—her coat torn at the shoulder, boots crunching debris beneath. A small scout drone buzzed faintly on her shoulder.
"You think the world's done with you?"
Seraph Vallen's voice was heavy, but honest.
The children said nothing. They only glanced at one another.
"Nyx. When did you first read code?"
"Six."
"Pari?"
"I rebuilt a combat drone before I could spell my name."
"And you, Rav?"
The eldest boy answered slowly.
"I hacked Omega-2... through a broken antenna. I just wanted to know why our parents never came back."
Seraph inhaled deeply. She crouched, meeting their gaze. Then she pulled back her jacket, revealing an insignia: a broken wing and the code "V-77."
"I'm no savior. But I know this: you're not trash. The world just fears minds it can't control."
"If you come with me... I'll teach you how to curse the system. Not with bullets. But with your thoughts."
And from that day on, their world would never be the same.
---
Present Day – The Old Node
Desert heat bounced off the rusted metal and crumbling rock of the Old Node. Nyx scanned an underground map, Rav kept watch, and Pari dug through tangled cables and cracked protection modules.
"Seraph must know we left," whispered Pari—soft as metal scraping sand.
"She does. But she also knows... freedom's not something you can cage," Nyx replied.
They hadn't headed straight into the Helix underground. Not yet. First, they slipped into the Old Node—not to fight, but to search: for astronaut suits, heat shields, and war-era radiation dampeners.
"We're just trespassers... but with this gear, we're certified trespassers," Rav quipped, lifting a rusted helmet.
They chuckled. But their time was running thin.
---
The Burning Corridor – The Legend Team
Hours earlier, The Legend team had already moved out. They chose an unofficial route—cutting across the desert's edge. No map. No city clearance.
At the border, rogue Omega-2 agents handed them heatproof suits. The Helix Gate wasn't just dangerous—it was a nightmare corridor, once part of a bio-defense line with extreme heat and atmospheric pressure.
At the border station, they received their kits: thermal wear, vapor masks, pulse monitors. Scraps salvaged from an old-world war.
"It's like a murderous sauna," Daryn groaned, sweat dripping freely.
"If you faint, I'm leaving you," Lisse muttered.
"One wrong step and we're ash in five seconds," Jaro added, fitting his filter mask.
Kael stayed silent. He stared into the glowing tunnel—its walls burned red like a furnace, yet the air around it shivered cold.
"All this... for Liora?" Lisse whispered.
"No. This is for... the truth," Kael finally said. "And for all the kids who never got to grow up."
---
Unexpected Meeting – Two Paths, One Trail
As twilight kissed the ruins, two teams—never meant to meet—crossed paths in an old maintenance corridor that didn't exist on any Helix blueprint.
Kael and The Legend had just emerged from the heat zone when the faint stomp of smaller boots echoed behind.
Rav grinned. "Nyx. It's them."
Kael spun around, ready.
"Who are you?"
Nyx pulled down her hood. "Relax. We're on the same side."
"Where are you from?"
"Same place as you. Same system. We're just... smaller and faster."
/
Lisse squinted. "Wait. I know you... from Omega-2."
Rav nodded. "And the Silent Zone. We helped Seraph Vallen get Liora Vale to you."
Kael stiffened. "But... you—"
"Escaped?" Nyx interrupted. "Yeah. Because Kael Vale gave us a moment. And that moment... was freedom."
All eyes turned to Pari, who stood quietly behind them. She said nothing. But the look in her eyes said it all: I remember you.
"You haven't spoken," Lisse said to Pari.
Rav chuckled. "She's always like that. Quiet. But not mute. If she ever speaks... the world might just freeze for a second."
---
Closing – Three Names, One Title
Kael looked at them, one by one. Nyx. Rav. Pari. Now he remembered. They had been there—in the corner of Omega-2's war room—like flickers. But back then, he'd been too focused on Liora... to notice the other lights that now stood before him.
"The Legend?" Kael asked. "What is that?"
"That... is you," Rav answered. "Nyx came up with the name."
Kael was silent.
In a narrow, burning corridor—past blazing memories and into a waiting future—two teams stood united.
Not by fate.
But by a shared resolve:
To take back the world that once stole their lives.
---
A Few Steps Behind – Silent Dynamics
Pari walked at the rear, silent as ever. Lisse watched her from a distance. Every step was steady. Precise.
"Is she... always like that?" Lisse whispered.
Nyx nodded. "She's not mute. She just knows when to speak."
Pari turned her head slightly. Just for a moment. Then faced forward again.
---
At the Ventilation Crossroads
Their digital map showed two routes. One led directly to Helix's core—but it was riddled with biometric traps. The other circled wide, but avoided detection.
"The Legend team's going for the fast way, huh?" Rav teased.
"We're going for the one that keeps us breathing," Jaro replied flatly.
"Oh right. You're legends," Nyx smirked. "We're just genius runaways."
Kael suddenly stopped. His voice was calm but clear.
"Don't compare wounds. Our goals are the same, even if our paths aren't. If you know the safest route... show it."
Nyx stared at him. No defiance now. Just acknowledgment.
"Follow me. We'll take the stupid-looking path—the one that doesn't explode us."
---
Kael stared down the corridor ahead, lit with danger and the madness of systems past. But this time… he didn't feel alone.
The fire in his chest burned not for vengeance.
But for a future—
One that finally had names worth fighting for.
---