The sun hung low in the crimson sky, a dying ember against a sea of ash-colored clouds. Rayn

trudged through the waste, his boots sinking into the cracked, uneven ground. The air was

heavy with dust and the faint, acrid stench of decay. This was the surface—a sprawling,

forgotten world abandoned by those who now dwelled above. For those left behind, survival was

a constant battle, and Rayn had become a master of it.

He paused on a jagged ridge, scanning the barren landscape through the cracked visor of his

helmet. A faint hum droned in the distance—a Skykeep patrol ship. Its sleek silhouette glided

across the horizon, its underside bristling with turreted spotlights. He crouched, pulling his

weathered cloak tighter around him to blend into the rocks. The Skykeep’s watchful eyes rarely

missed anything, and Rayn had no desire to test his luck today.

“Move along,

” he muttered under his breath, his voice muffled by the rebreather strapped to his

face. The patrol ship veered left, heading toward a distant settlement. He waited until the hum

faded completely before rising.

With his path clear, Rayn descended into the valley below, where the remnants of a collapsed

tower jutted skyward like the bones of some ancient beast. Scavenging was a gamble—he

never knew if he’d find something valuable or walk into a trap set by desperate surface dwellers.

But the wastes offered few alternatives.

The tower’s interior was choked with rubble, rusted beams, and shattered glass. Rayn moved

cautiously, his steps silent on the uneven ground. His eyes scanned every corner, every

shadow, for signs of danger. He knew the risks of venturing this deep. Surface scavengers

weren’t the only threats—Skykeep often sent automated drones to strip valuable resources.

His gloved hands brushed against a tangle of wires protruding from a shattered console. He

tugged free a handful, inspecting them with a practiced eye. Copper filament. Worth enough for

a week’s rations if he could find a buyer. As he pocketed the wires, a faint noise reached his

ears—muffled cries carried on the wind.

Rayn froze, his senses sharpening. The cries grew louder, accompanied by the unmistakable

clatter of boots and the bark of commands. He crept toward a jagged opening in the tower’s wall

and peered out.

Below, a small group of surface dwellers—men, women, and even children—huddled together,

their faces pale and drawn. Surrounding them were Skykeep soldiers, their polished armor

gleaming unnaturally bright against the wasteland’s gloom. The soldiers’ helmets obscured their

faces, but their movements were precise, mechanical, and merciless.

“Tribute,

” barked the squad leader, his voice amplified by a built-in speaker.

granted leniency before. Not this time.

”

“You’ve been

“We have nothing left!” pleaded an elderly man, his frail hands trembling as he stepped forward.

“Please, spare us. The last storm took everything.

”

The squad leader raised his weapon—a sleek energy rifle humming with lethal power.

has no use for excuses.

”

“Skykeep

Rayn felt his fists clench. He should walk away—getting involved was suicide. Yet as the soldier

leveled his rifle at the old man, something inside Rayn snapped.

“Damn it,

” he hissed, pulling his cloak tighter around him. He slipped his sidearm—a compact

blaster—from its holster and leaped over the rubble.

Rayn’s first shot struck the squad leader square in the chest, sending him sprawling. Before the

other soldiers could react, he dove behind a rusted outcrop, firing with precision. The first few

fell quickly, their armor useless against his armor-piercing rounds. The remaining soldiers

scattered, barking orders as they scrambled for cover.

“Stay down!” Rayn shouted at the surface dwellers. They obeyed, pressing themselves to the

ground as chaos erupted around them.

The soldiers regrouped, their superior training evident. Rayn gritted his teeth as energy blasts

seared past him, one narrowly grazing his shoulder. His years of training kicked in—quick,

calculated movements, exploiting every weakness in their formation. He rolled into a better

position, throwing an improvised explosive he’d rigged from scavenged materials.

The blast tore through their ranks, leaving only a single soldier standing. Rayn wasted no time,

charging forward and slamming the butt of his weapon into the soldier’s helmet. The man

crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the labored breathing of the survivors.

Rayn turned to the huddled group, his weapon still drawn.

“You’re safe. For now.

”

One of the surface dwellers, a woman with a scar running down her cheek, stepped forward

cautiously. Her eyes, sunken with exhaustion, held a mixture of gratitude and suspicion.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“No one you need to worry about,

” Rayn replied curtly, scanning the horizon for reinforcements.

“You’d better move before more of them show up.

”

The woman hesitated, then nodded. She gestured for the others to follow, but a young

man—barely more than a boy—stopped and turned back.

“Wait! T ake this.

”

He held out a small, weathered piece of paper, folded and sealed with a crude wax insignia.

Rayn frowned.

“I’m not interested in your charity.

”

“It’s not charity,

” the boy insisted.

“It’s a message. From someone who said you’d come. They

told us to give it to the one who fights for the surface.

”

Rayn’s brow furrowed as he took the note. The insignia was unfamiliar, but the craftsmanship

was too refined to belong to a surface dweller. He unfolded the paper, revealing a series of

symbols written in a coded script.

“Who gave this to you?” he demanded.

The boy shook his head.

was for the exile.

”

“I don’t know. They came from the north, said it was important. Said it

Rayn’s jaw tightened.

“Go. Now.

”

The group didn’t need to be told twice. They hurried off, disappearing into the wastes.

Rayn lingered, staring at the note in his hands. Its cryptic symbols taunted him, dredging up

memories he’d buried deep. He felt the familiar sting of bitterness rise in his chest.

Skykeep. Even out here, even after all he’d lost, the city still haunted him. He clenched his fists,

crumpling the note. The surface didn’t need heroes—it needed survivors. And yet, as he looked

at the smoldering battlefield and the fleeing figures, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this

message was more than a random plea for help.

He sighed, slipping the note into his pocket.

“Damn it all.

”

The hum of another patrol ship reached his ears, distant but growing louder. Rayn turned and

vanished into the shadows of the ruins, his mind racing.

The surface had always been his prison, but now, it seemed, it might also hold the key to

something greater. Something dangerous.

Something worth fighting for.

The hideout was a patchwork of salvaged scraps: rusted beams, cracked glass, and worn

tarpaulins stretched across a crumbled outpost deep in the wastes. It offered little in the way of

comfort but much in concealment, tucked within a labyrinth of jagged canyons that shielded it

from Skykeep’s patrols. For Rayn, it was home.

He dropped his satchel onto a battered table and sank into a makeshift chair fashioned from old

skyship parts. The note from the boy weighed heavy in his pocket. He pulled it out, unfolding it

under the dim light of a salvaged lantern.

The symbols stared back at him, their meaning obscured but tantalizingly familiar. He ran his

fingers over the faded ink, a long-dormant memory stirring at the edges of his mind. The script

was unmistakably Skykeep’s—an encryption style used by their elite intelligence units. He

hadn’t seen it in years, not since he’d been exiled.

With a sharp sigh, he rummaged through the satchel, retrieving a worn datapad. Its screen

flickered to life, casting a pale blue glow. Rayn keyed in a series of commands, the muscle

memory of his old life guiding his fingers. He paused, hesitating.

“This better be worth it,

” he muttered before entering the decryption sequence.

Lines of code danced across the screen before resolving into a coherent message. As Rayn

read, his jaw tightened.

Rayn,

If you’re reading this, you’re still alive. That’s more than I hoped for. Skykeep is

dying, but you already know that. What you don’t know is how far they’ll go to save

it. The ruling council has approved a project to drain life energy from the

surface—every living thing, human or otherwise. They’ll sacrifice the world below to

stabilize the Engines above.

There’s a way to stop them, but it’s dangerous. The Skykeep’s Secret isn’t just a

myth. It exists, hidden deep within the city. If you want to save what’s left of the

surface, you’ll have to find it.

I wish I could tell you more, but I’m being watched. Trust no one. Not even yourself.

—An old ally

The screen dimmed as the message ended. Rayn leaned back, his thoughts a storm of

emotions. Old ally. The words left a bitter taste in his mouth. There weren’t many people he

could call allies in Skykeep—fewer still he would have trusted with something like this.

He clenched his fists. The council’s plan was monstrous, but hardly surprising. They had always

viewed the surface as expendable, a mere resource to sustain their floating paradise. But to

strip it of life itself? Even for them, it was a step too far.

His eyes drifted to the last line of the note: The Skykeep’s Secret. A name spoken only in

whispers, even in the city’s shadowy corners. It was said to be a weapon, though no one knew

its exact nature or location.

Rayn exhaled slowly. He’d spent years trying to forget Skykeep, to bury his past and survive in

the wastes. Now, it seemed, the city was pulling him back.

As he stared at the message, memories clawed their way to the surface—memories of the day

he was cast out. The blinding light of the council chambers, the weight of their judgmental

gazes. The crime he’d been accused of wasn’t entirely his fault, but that didn’t matter. They’d

needed a scapegoat, and he’d been convenient.

He still remembered the moment the Engines opened beneath him, sending him plummeting to

the surface. The fall had broken his body, but the betrayal had broken something deeper. He’d

sworn he would never return.

And yet, here he was, considering the impossible.

Night had fallen by the time Rayn stepped outside. The temperature had plummeted, and a cold

wind howled through the canyons, carrying with it the faint scent of ozone. The stars above

were faint and distant, obscured by the smog that lingered even here.

Rayn climbed to the top of a jagged outcrop, his eyes fixed on the sky. In the distance, Skykeep

floated like a ghostly leviathan, its glowing underside casting a faint halo of light over the

horizon. From here, it looked serene, almost beautiful. But Rayn knew better. The city was a

machine, and its gears were oiled with blood.

He clenched his fists. He didn’t owe the surface anything—not after the way its people had

treated him when he first arrived. But he couldn’t ignore the truth in the message. If the council’s

plan succeeded, there would be no surface left to exile him to.

His gaze hardened. He would need help.

Back in the hideout, Rayn began assembling his gear. A compact blaster, a set of throwing

knives, and a grappling hook were the first to go into his pack. He also packed a rebreather and

a supply of nutrient rations, enough for a few days.

But it wasn’t just weapons he’d need. If he was going to infiltrate Skykeep, he’d require

transport—and for that, he needed someone with a ship. His mind drifted to Kara, a smuggler

with a reputation for getting in and out of the city undetected. Their history was…complicated, to

say the least. But she was his best chance.

The thought of facing her again filled him with unease. Kara had never forgiven him for what

happened years ago, and he doubted time had softened her feelings. Still, she had a ship, and

she hated Skykeep almost as much as he did.

“It’s not like I have a choice,

” he muttered, slinging the pack over his shoulder.

As he prepared to leave, a flicker of movement caught his eye. He spun, blaster drawn,

scanning the dark corners of the hideout.

“Show yourself,

” he growled.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a shadow detached itself from the wall, stepping into

the dim light. It was a woman, her features obscured by a hood and mask. Her movements were

fluid, almost predatory.

“You’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest,

” she said, her voice low and tinged with amusement.

council won’t let you live long enough to act on that message.

”

“The

Rayn’s grip on the blaster tightened.

“Who are you?”

“A friend. Or an enemy. Depends on your choices.

”

Her cryptic words set his teeth on edge.

“What do you want?”

“T o warn you. Skykeep isn’t the only threat you face. The Shadow Order knows about the

Secret, and they’ll kill anyone who gets in their way. Including you.

”

Rayn’s stomach sank. The Shadow Order was a name he hadn’t heard in years, but he

remembered their reputation well. They were Skykeep’s enforcers, a clandestine organization

that operated in the city’s darkest corners. If they were involved, this mission had just become

far more dangerous.

“I don’t scare easily,

” he said, leveling his blaster at her.

you?”

“Now, why don’t you tell me who sent

The woman tilted her head, her expression unreadable.

“Someone who believes in you. For

”

now.

Before he could react, she threw something to the ground—a small device that erupted in a

burst of smoke. When it cleared, she was gone.

Rayn stood in the silence, his heart pounding. He glanced down at the datapad, the decoded

message still glowing faintly.

The stakes had just risen, and he had the sinking feeling they would only get higher.

“Guess I’d better find Kara,

” he muttered, heading into the wastes.

Rayn tightened the frayed scarf around his neck as he approached the outskirts of the Black

Dunes Bazaar, a ramshackle trading post perched precariously on the edge of the wastes. The

bazaar was a chaotic tangle of tents and crude metal structures, illuminated by flickering neon

signs scavenged from the old world. Smoke and the scent of charred meat drifted through the

air, mingling with the clamor of haggling voices.

If Kara was anywhere, it would be here.

Navigating the bazaar was no easy feat. Merchants crowded the narrow pathways, their stalls

overflowing with salvaged tech, questionable food supplies, and black-market wares. Rayn

moved through the throng like a shadow, keeping his head low. He wasn’t exactly welcome

here, not after his last visit had ended in a brawl that left two traders injured and half the bazaar

in flames.

The sound of laughter and clinking glasses led him to the Rusted Wing, a makeshift cantina

cobbled together from the remains of an old skyship. The Wing was infamous for its

clientele—smugglers, mercenaries, and outlaws—and for its barkeep, a woman with a knack for

knowing everyone’s secrets.

As Rayn stepped inside, the dim lighting and haze of smoke enveloped him. A dozen pairs of

eyes darted his way, some wary, others hostile. He ignored them, scanning the room until his

gaze landed on a familiar figure seated in the far corner.

Kara.

She hadn’t changed much in the years since he’d seen her. Her sharp features and piercing

green eyes still carried an air of defiance, though her leather jacket was more patched than he

remembered. Kara leaned back in her chair, boots propped on the table, nursing a glass of

something that looked suspiciously like jet fuel.

Rayn approached cautiously, knowing better than to assume a warm reception. Kara’s eyes

flicked to him as he drew near, her expression shifting from surprise to irritation.

“Well, well,

” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“If it isn’t Skykeep’s favorite outcast.

What’s the matter, Rayn? Finally run out of people to piss off down here?”

Rayn pulled out a chair and sat without waiting for an invitation.

“Nice to see you too, Kara.

”

Her smile was cold.

“I don’t recall sending you an invitation.

”

“I need a ship,

” he said, cutting straight to the point.

Kara laughed, a harsh sound that drew the attention of nearby patrons.

“Oh, you need

something. That’s rich. After what happened the last time we worked together, you’ve got some

nerve showing up here.

”

Rayn leaned forward, lowering his voice.

“This isn’t about us. It’s about stopping Skykeep.

They’re planning something—something that’ll wipe out the surface entirely.

”

Kara’s smile faded, replaced by a flicker of uncertainty.

“What are you talking about?”

Rayn slid the decoded message across the table. Kara hesitated before picking it up, her eyes

scanning the text. Her expression darkened with every word.

“This… this is serious,

” she muttered.

“That’s why I need your help,

” Rayn said.

only one who can get me there.

”

“Your ship is the fastest way into Skykeep. You’re the

Kara set the note down, her eyes narrowing.

my neck out for you, it nearly got me killed.

”

“And why should I trust you? The last time I stuck

“You’re still alive,

” Rayn said.

“That counts for something.

”

Kara snorted.

“Barely.

” She leaned back, crossing her arms.

risking my life for free.

”

“What’s in it for me, Rayn? I’m not

Rayn hesitated. He hadn’t expected Kara to jump at the chance, but he also hadn’t planned for

this part of the conversation.

“Name your price.

”

Kara’s lips curled into a predatory grin.

pay me double what I’m asking for.

”

“My price? Fine. I’ll do it—on two conditions. First, you

Rayn’s stomach sank.

“And the second?”

“You clear my name in Skykeep. Make them forget about that little… incident with the council’s

treasury.

”

Rayn’s brow furrowed.

“That’s impossible.

”

Kara shrugged.

“Then find someone else.

”

A tense silence hung between them. Finally, Rayn exhaled sharply.

I’ll figure out a way to deal with your name.

”

“Fine. Double the price and

Kara’s grin returned.

“That’s more like it.

”

She reached out to shake his hand, but before Rayn could respond, the door to the Rusted

Wing slammed open, drawing the room’s attention.

A squad of Skykeep enforcers strode in, their gleaming armor a stark contrast to the dingy

cantina. The lead soldier scanned the room, his visor locking onto Rayn.

“There he is!” the soldier barked.

“By order of the council, you’re coming with us!”

The cantina erupted into chaos. Patrons scrambled for cover, overturning tables and shouting

obscenities. Rayn leaped to his feet, pulling Kara with him.

“Damn it, Rayn!” Kara shouted as they ducked behind the bar.

“Did you lead them here?”

“They must’ve followed me from the hideout,

” Rayn growled, drawing his blaster.

The enforcers opened fire, energy blasts scorching the walls and shattering bottles. Rayn

returned fire, his shots precise and calculated. Kara joined in, pulling a compact pistol from her

jacket and cursing under her breath.

“You owe me for this!” she shouted over the din.

Rayn smirked.

“Add it to my tab.

”

As the fight raged, Rayn spotted a narrow service door at the back of the cantina.

he shouted, grabbing Kara’s arm.

“That way!”

They sprinted through the door, emerging into a maze of alleyways. The enforcers were close

behind, their shouts echoing through the narrow corridors.

“This is your plan?” Kara hissed as they ducked behind a pile of scrap.

“Improvising,

” Rayn replied, pulling a smoke grenade from his belt. He tossed it into the alley,

the thick cloud buying them precious seconds.

They burst into the open bazaar, weaving through the crowd as shouts of alarm followed them.

Kara led the way to a concealed hangar on the bazaar’s outskirts. Inside, her ship—a sleek,

lightning-fast vessel painted a dull gray to avoid detection—awaited.

“Get in!” Kara shouted, slamming her palm against the access panel. The ship’s ramp lowered

with a hiss, and they scrambled aboard.

The engines roared to life, the ship lifting off just as the enforcers burst into the hangar.

“Hold on!” Kara yelled, yanking the controls. The ship shot into the sky, leaving the bazaar—and

the enforcers—far behind.

As the ship leveled out, Kara turned to Rayn, her expression a mix of anger and reluctant

admiration.

“You’ve got a death wish, you know that?”

Rayn shrugged.

“Comes with the territory.

”

Kara sighed, collapsing into the pilot’s seat.

over again, Rayn, I’ll shoot you myself.

”

“Fine. You’ve got your ride. But if you screw me

Rayn offered a faint smile.

“Wouldn’t expect anything less.

”

As the stars stretched out before them, the weight of their mission settled heavily between them.

The journey to Skykeep had begun—and with it, the first steps toward uncovering its darkest

secret.