## **Chapter 1: The Fugitive**
The wind howled as **Jasper Lightningheart** clung to the side of the hover-train, his breath ragged, his muscles screaming. The **cold metal vibrated beneath him**, rattling from the sheer speed as it tore through the neon-lit veins of **Erevar Prime’s industrial district**.
**Rain lashed against his face, mixing with sweat and blood.** His ribs ached, a dull fire spreading from the wound he'd taken during the escape. But pain was a luxury.
**Survival came first.**
Above him, through the shifting shadows and flashing city lights, **a silhouette stood at the edge of a towering spire.**
Ren Skydraenz.
Watching. Waiting.
Jasper knew exactly what that meant.
**Ren wasn’t done. Not yet.**
*"Move."*
He gritted his teeth, pulling himself up. The **city blurred past in streaks of gold and crimson**, skyscrapers stretching endlessly into the storm-lit sky. The hover-train snaked through the industrial sectors, its cargo likely packed with **military-grade magitek supplies**.
**It was heading out of the core city.** That was good. He needed distance.
Then—**a low hum.**
A sound he knew too well.
His stomach **sank.**
Twin streaks of **blue light** cut through the storm, slicing toward him like hunting falcons.
**Dominion Interceptors.**
Fast. Precise. **Merciless.**
Jasper barely had time to react before the first one **opened fire.**
Plasma bolts **screamed through the air**, detonating against the train’s hull. The shockwave sent molten shards flying, one grazing his cheek as he rolled aside.
**Another shot—closer this time.**
Jasper's mind raced. **No cover. No time.**
His magitek **grappling hook** was still functional. His pistol? **Two shots left.** Useless against reinforced armor.
Then—**he saw it.**
Up ahead, a **massive cargo lifter** hovered over an intersection, transporting **stacks of raw magitek cores** to a refinery. If he timed it right…
Another blast. **Too close.**
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Jasper **ran.**
The wind fought him, rain blinding his vision, but he pushed forward. The second Interceptor veered in for another pass—
Jasper **jumped.**
The grappling hook **fired**, its energy cable latching onto one of the cargo crates.
The world **lurched.**
The lifter yanked him through the air, the sudden force nearly tearing his shoulder from its socket. He twisted mid-swing, flipping over the crates before landing hard against cold metal. His ribs screamed in protest, but he didn’t stop.
The **lifter was rising.**
The Interceptors banked, struggling to track him through the shifting maze of industrial machinery. Jasper sprinted, leaping from crate to crate—
Then—**an explosion.**
One of the Interceptors clipped a tower, spiraling into a fiery crash. The second one hesitated for a split second—**long enough for Jasper to disappear into the shadows.**
He rolled onto a lower platform, pressing himself into a loading bay.
The sirens faded.
The pursuit was over. **For now.**
Jasper exhaled sharply, his grip tightening around the **data crystal** still clutched in his palm.
**The truth he had stolen.** The reason he was now the most hunted man in Erevar Prime.
He needed help.
And he knew exactly where to go.
The **Shadow District.**
The only place the Dominion **couldn’t** reach.
---
### **Scene 2: An Old Friend**
Jasper’s steps were unsteady as he slipped through the backstreets. **The Shadow District** was a world apart from Erevar Prime’s sleek high-rises. Here, neon signs buzzed and flickered, casting jagged shadows against **crumbling ferrocrete walls**. Graffiti marked the territory of **gangs and outcasts**. The air was thick with the scent of oil, rust, and damp ozone.
**This place thrived on secrets.**
A perfect hiding spot.
His side burned, blood loss creeping up on him, but he pressed on.
Finally, he reached a familiar door, tucked behind a **shuttered auto-shop.** He rapped his knuckles against it three times.
Silence.
He knocked again—**harder this time.**
A faint mechanical **whir**. Then—**a viewing slit slid open.**
Cold, calculating eyes studied him. Then, with a metallic **clank**, the door unlocked.
Jasper stumbled inside.
A woman stood before him, arms crossed. **Dark brown eyes. Surgical precision in her gaze.**
**Dr. Veyna Kain.**
Once a high-ranking **Dominion Special Forces medic**—now a rogue cybernetic surgeon.
Her voice was flat. "You look like hell."
Jasper forced a smirk. "You should see the other guy."
Veyna wasn’t amused. She was already moving toward a table cluttered with **medical tools and half-disassembled magitek implants.**
She grabbed a scanner, running it over his wound. "This is deep. You’re lucky the plasma round didn’t cauterize it—would’ve been a nightmare to dig out."
Jasper leaned back against the chair, exhaling. "Took a detour through hell to get here."
Veyna didn’t look up. "Then you shouldn’t have come."
"Didn’t have a choice."
She worked quickly, stitching his wound with **precise, unflinching efficiency.**
Then—finally—she spoke.
"Ren was here."
Jasper’s pulse quickened. **"When?"**
"An hour ago."
A tense pause.
"He knows you’re still in the city."
Jasper clenched his jaw. "And?"
Veyna hesitated.
"I told him I hadn’t seen you." She finally looked up, her voice unreadable. "But, Jasper… I still believe in the Dominion. I still believe in what we fought for."
Jasper met her gaze. "Even after everything they’ve done?"
A flicker of doubt crossed her face—but only for a second. She shoved it aside. "I don’t betray my oaths. I saved your life because I owe you. But when Ren asks again… I won’t lie for you twice."
Jasper nodded slowly. He had expected this.
He stood, testing his balance. The pain was still there, but the wound was sealed.
"Then I’d better not be here when he comes back."
He turned toward the door, but Veyna called after him.
"Jasper."
He paused.
"If you’re going after the truth…" Her voice was softer now. "Be ready for what you’ll find."
Jasper smirked tiredly. "I already know it’s bad."
He stepped out into the **rain-drenched neon streets.**
The hunt wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.