The bullets tear further into the barrier. I can feel each hit getting closer to passing through. There is no guidance, no voice in my head to lead me out. Fear grips me. Am I going to die again a nobody? I have too much to live for now to die here. I can see Naomi out of the corner of my eye. She is leaning against a tree unable to take another step. Her Copy Seed has over-heated and exhausted her body. Ayesha on the other hand has not moved since her father arrived. Her obvious fear is tattooed across her face. Her legs are trembling with uncertainty.

“Ayesha, what are you doing?” her father yells. “Shoot him.”

Ayesha snaps back to life and lifts her arm cannon. I see her energy gaining inside the muzzle of the cannon. One hit with her particle weapon and I am dust. I can feel the shield deteriorate more and more with every second.

“You don’t have to do this,” I yell. “Your father is not all you have. You have me!”

She lowers the cannon and the energy disperses in the form of a gust of wind. Her arms quickly change back to normal and they drop to her side.

“Damn it Ayesha,” he yells. “I guess I should expect as much from trash like you.”

“How could you say that to your own daughter?” I shout.

“Ha, ha, ha. Daughter. That thing is not my daughter. When I rip that Seed from your chest I’ll do the same to her. It is worth more than that fake daughter of mine is anyway.”

With every word he takes a step closer forcing me more to the ground. The gruesome image of him breaking through the shield and riddling my body with bullets enters my mind. I can feel the fear cutting off my ability to utilize the Vortex’s energy. However, I can’t stop being afraid; because with every bullet that image is closer to becoming a reality.

“You are a monster,” I yell.

“I am an opportunist,” he exclaims. “Of course after she scanned your Seed with a simple knife to the gut. I have to tell you I was surprised that you possess the Vortex! The Gandoles most prized Black Seed right in front of me, ripe for the taking! They will pay a hefty price for such a thing to be returned. So do me a favor and di…”

Naomi appears to the right of Ayesha’s father. She stabs one of her knifes into his robotic arm disabling his right gun while stabbing the another into his leg. She then falls backwards. Her Copy Seed has over heated so much that she is now exhaling smoke. Her sweat is boiling to steam on her skin. Ayesha’s father does not let up with his left gun and seeing that Naomi is no longer a threat, he turns his full attention to me. His right gun changes back to an arm and he removes the knife from his leg. Suddenly a red beam zooms by cutting completely through his left arm. The gun explodes shooting him into the forest. I look at Ayesha who has her left arm changed into a sniper like gun. I lower the shield and run to Naomi. Her body is scorching hot but she seems stable enough to move.

“What have I done?” Ayesha screams as her arm changes back to normal.

“You made a choice on your own,” I say as I pick Naomi up.

“But what will I do now?” She asks.

Suddenly, a hovercraft flies overhead. Men on the sides take aim and fire mercilessly down on Naomi and me. I put Naomi over my shoulder and run to Ayesha using acceleration to dodge the gunfire.

“You can come with me,” I say as I grab her hand and lead her into the forest.

The hovercraft doesn’t follow us. They search for Ayesha’s father. We run and climb our way to the top of Mount Pe’hēb and overlook the bowl from the edge. I place Naomi on the snowy ground hoping the cold will help cool her Copy Seed.

“Where are we going?” Ayesha asks. “If we don’t move, he will find us.”

“Don’t worry. We are going to be fine,” I say as I take a hand full of snow and throw it over Naomi.

“But you don’t know my dad, Neo is not going to give up,” Ayesha screams.

“You don’t have to be afraid of him,” I say. “You are much stronger than he is and honestly you are much more terrifying.”

“Uh, thanks, I guess,” she says. “But if he is not my father then where is my real family? Why would he do this to me!”

“Because you are Aidoshian,” Naomi says as she sits up. “You can use Black Technology so he raised you to be a weapon.” She coughs up smoke and a little blood. “It’s rare but some governments kidnap Aidoshian babies or buy them from orphanages to raise as soldiers. You are unfortunate to be a part of that disgusting trade. It was never made public that only Aidoshians can use Pure Black Technology. Some people take advantage of society’s ignorance.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Ayesha walks to the edge of the steep drop and sits down hanging her feet over.

“Naomi, are you okay?” I ask. “Maybe you should lie back down.”

“No. We have to go now before they locate us,” she says as she reaches in her pocket.

She pulls out the compressed, old wooden staff. She hands it to me. At my touch, it extends to its full length.

“Can you use acceleration?” I ask.

“No,” she replies in a faded voice. “You will have to carry me the rest of the way.”

Naomi stands up and I kneel down so she can climb on my back. I then walk over to Ayesha dangling her feet back and forth.

“Are you okay? This has to be a lot to take in,” I say.

“Actually,” she says with a grim smile and teary eyes, “I’m relieved I’m not his daughter,” she gets louder with every word. “I hate that man with all of my being. He put me through hell, and deep down I knew I wasn’t his daughter. I could see his resentment for me every time he looked at me.”

“Come on,” I say. “You will not have to worry about that ever again.”

I jump off the edge and she follows right behind me. We hit the ground and start running as if it wasn’t a six hundred foot drop. We both run through the forest moving at speeds I thought impossible. The Vortex tells me every step I need to take, how much force and how to move. I’ve only had a Black Seed for a few days and yet I feel as though I’ve had it all my life. However, every time I look over to Ayesha I can see her grace and elegance. She is truly a Master of her Black Seed.

We reach the opening that the Black Technology Ruin. The black jet is still in the center of the field. As we approach the jet, I let Naomi down off my back. She takes the staff and jumps in the jet.

“Are we leaving in that thing?” Ayesha asks. “They will shoot us down before we even take off.”

“No, I believe you are ready, Elvion,” Naomi says. “You will take us to the Rift.”

“What is the Rift and who is Elvion?” Ayesha asks as the ground begins to move downward.

“That would be my real name,” I say.

“The Rift or Raife in Latianeus?” Naomi explains. “It was called the Chariot of Univer by the Black Technologists.”

“How is that possible?” I ask outraged. “Univer is a spiritual being.”

“Hey. Calm down,” Naomi says. “I don’t mean to disrespect you. It is possible the Black Technologist also worshiped Univer.”

“I did not mean to lose my temper,” I say.

The old rusted-over door appears before us. I walk to it while Naomi stays inside the jet. I touch the door and the inscriptions glow and the grime and rust dissipate into the air. The design on the door is fully visible. The mural is of people with robotic wings extending from their backs all flying towards the top which has an elderly-looking man with a long beard. He has real wings like a bird and light flows from him.

Ayesha walks over to my side she stares at the door. She is speechless for a second.

“Are you sure you should open the door?” she asks.

“Yes. It’s the whole reason I’ve been brought here,” I reply.

“Is Naomi Aidoshian,” she asks. “How do you know she is not using you to get the Rift?”

“No, but she wouldn’t,” I exclaim.

“I was used by the Gandole all my life,” Ayesha says. “I’m not so willing to trust one now. How do you know Naomi isn’t working for the Gandole just to get her hands on this Rift thing?”

“What do you want me to do? Leave her here to die,” I ask as I turn back to look at the jet. “I can’t do something like that to her. She saved my life four times. I owe her.”

“I trust your judgment,” Ayesha says. “But I’ll follow you not her. She will have to earn my trust.”

I place my hands on the door and push as hard as I can. The door splits in half and slowly opens. A bright light shines through as the crack widens. The doors start to open by themselves.

“Ayesha, can you get Naomi?” I ask.

“Yes,” she says as she vanishes and reappears carrying Naomi.

We are surprised when the door is fully open to see a docking bay for aircrafts, with the Rift in the center—a huge Black Technology jet one hundred feet long thin and sleek. Its wingspan is sixty feet and its thrusters are on the ends of the wings. Underneath the Rift, a bay door opens with a ramp. We walk underneath and slowly up the ramp. Once inside the doors close behind us. We walk from the hall to the cockpit. There are three chairs, two set at stations on opposite sides and one in the middle. The one in the middle is overlooking a circular crystal table.

“Wulcom, ah wa’qua,” says a female voice from behind.

We turn around and see no one.

“What was that?” Ayesha asks.

“A welcome,” Naomi says. “It must be automated. All it said was, welcome oh Master.”

Suddenly a little girl appears standing next to the chair overlooking the table. She appears to be no older than ten. Her skin is as white as snow and she is clothed in robes even whiter. Her face lacks emotion and her eyes are cold and lifeless lacking pupils. She disappears then reappears in front of me bowing at my feet.

“Ah, wa’qua iva ja…”

“Stop do you speak Nayate?” I ask.

“Elvion, how could she?” Naomi questions. “Who knows how long she’s…”

“Language scan complete,” the girl says. “Processing Nayate speech… internalization complete. My name is Tak, I am the Rift’s computer system, Master.”

“You are the Rift,” I ask.

“Correct. I’m a living autonomous being.”