The mech fired, and Vera dove to the side, barely avoiding the blast. She scrambled for cover, her mind racing for a solution. The mech’s armor was too thick for her blade to pierce, and her energy reserves were running low.

“Wardens, I need backup!” she shouted into her comm, but the line crackled with static.

Before she could make another move, a blinding flash of light illuminated the battlefield. A new figure appeared—humanoid but clad in sleek, reflective armor unlike anything Vera had seen before. The figure raised a hand, and a bolt of energy shot forth, striking the mech and disabling it in a single, calculated hit.

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Vera stared in shock as the figure approached, removing their helmet to reveal a human face—sharp features, short-cropped hair, and piercing blue eyes.

“You’re not from around here,” Vera said cautiously, her blade still at the ready.

The human smirked. “Neither are you, from the looks of it.”

Before Vera could respond, her Interface Glove flashed a new message:

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New Objective: Establish Contact with Unknown Ally.

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And with that, Vera realized her journey had just taken another unexpected turn.