Venus was nothing like what Noir had expected.
He had seen chaos. He had walked through apocalyptic landscapes, spoken to royalty, and stood at the edge of rebellion. But what met his eyes as the spacecraft lowered into the outer crust of Venus was something quiet. Still. Suspiciously peaceful.
An endless sea of shimmering golden sands stretched far into the horizon, cracked in lines of dark obsidian rock that occasionally pulsed faintly with a bioluminescent hue. Massive, mangrove-like structures dotted the terrain, curling up toward the cloud-covered sky like ancient fingers clawing for freedom. The heat was thick, but breathable thanks to Cloud's temperature-regulating field.
"Looks quiet," Noir muttered, his voice flat.
"Too quiet," Cloud replied.
As they stepped out of the ship, a group of five humanoid beings approached, all with pale, slightly translucent skin and glowing pupils — the Victinions. Their movements were cautious, defensive. They were draped in patchwork robes crafted from salvaged alien materials and woven tech.
"We come in peace," Cloud announced.
The one who stood in front, a woman who later introduced herself as Joma, eyed them carefully. "Strangers. That is rare."
They introduced themselves, leaving out any information that might seem threatening. Still, the Victinions were wary, their eyes watching every twitch of their fingers.
"You may come," said a second Victinion named Yureth, "but you will not be trusted."
The duo was led to a settlement buried into the roots of the mangrove structures, a sort of organically formed village that pulsed with soft energy. The temperature here was lower, more comfortable.
The day passed in tense silence. Joma and Yureth spoke only when necessary. It was during a shared meal — a glowing root-like plant that had a citrus tang — that the beasts attacked.
Screeches pierced the air. The walls of the underground grove shook. The Victinions snapped to attention as giant reptilian creatures clawed their way into the outpost from the perimeter.
"This never happened when she was here!" shouted Joma, panic flaring in her normally cold eyes.
Noir, who had been reaching for his weapon, froze. "Who?"
Yureth's expression snapped shut like a steel gate. "No one. It doesn't matter. Fight, or die."
The beasts were powerful, more instinct than intelligence. But Cloud and Noir handled them with brutal efficiency. Flames and fists. Strategy and strength.
When the dust settled, and the bodies of the attackers lay smoldering in the sand, Noir stood before Yureth again.
"Who is she?" he demanded.
Yureth looked at Joma, who shook her head. "You're outsiders. It's not your concern."
Cloud's jaw tensed. But he put a hand on Noir's shoulder. "Later."
—
That night, the settlement slept fitfully.
Noir and Cloud, wide awake from the day's events, slipped from their quarters.
"You think this is a trap?" Noir whispered.
"No. But there's something they're not telling us. And I don't like secrets," Cloud said. "Especially when those secrets come with claws."
They ventured deeper into the mangrove structure, into a network of naturally formed tunnels reinforced with makeshift metal panels and vines.
That's when they saw it.
A chamber. Smooth, sealed, and humming with an unnatural, magnetic energy. The door was metallic, but ancient. The air around it felt… heavy.
"What is this?" Noir asked, stepping toward it.
"I think we found their secret." Cloud touched the surface. It pulsed.
Footsteps echoed behind them. Shouts. Then Joma's voice, sharp and angry. "Stay away from there!"
They turned to see all five Victinions behind them, faces drawn in horror.
Yureth stepped forward, trembling. "You cannot open that door."
Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Then tell us what's inside."
"No," Joma said, her voice brittle. "You don't understand. She chose to be locked away. We must honor that."
"She?" Noir asked. "So it's true. There's someone inside."
Yureth stepped forward. "She's the last hope of our kind. The strongest among us. But she—"
"She did something unforgivable," Joma finished.
"We don't care about your guilt," Cloud said. "If she's as powerful as you say, we need her. The galaxy needs her."
"You can't just open that chamber!" Yureth stepped forward, arm outstretched.
Suddenly, one of the younger Victinions tripped, stumbling forward and slamming into the wall.
A click.
A hiss.
Everyone froze.
The chamber door slowly slid open, revealing a dim, crystalline room, and in the center — a figure curled in on herself, suspended in glowing fluid. Her skin was pale, her eyes shut, hair floating like silk.
Kyi.
The chamber pulsed. The air grew denser.
Her eyes shot open.
Noir felt a chill run down his spine as the once silent room came alive with an aura so dense it was nearly tangible.
The seal had been broken.
The strongest Victinion had awoken.