Location: Inside the Orrhion Chip - Leo's Inner World
Time: The Projection
---
The creature was on the ground.
Orrhion writhed and heaved, its massive, protoplasmic form twitching with each blow. The lava-like radiance that had once burned so brightly around its body was dimming—flickering like a dying flame. The runes along its surface, once pulsing with hungry light, were sputtering, their glow fading with each passing second.
Leo stood over it, his chest heaving, his fists clenched. His projection form was no longer translucent—it was solid, tangible, real. The ribbon of light that coiled around his arms blazed with a fierce, golden radiance, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
"Not so tough now, are you?" he said, his voice carrying a note of cold satisfaction.
The creature roared—a wet, gurgling sound that was more pathetic than terrifying. Its eyes, once cold and predatory, now held something else. Fear.
Leo's lips curved into a grin. He raised his fist.
The impact sent a shockwave through the creature's body. Its form flickered, a portion of its mass dissolving into motes of light that were drawn into Leo's body. He could feel it—the energy flowing into him, strengthening him, making him more solid, more real.
That's it, he thought. The more I hit it, the weaker it gets. The weaker it gets, the stronger I become.
He struck again. And again. And again.
Each blow sent ripples through the creature's form, its body shrinking, its light dimming. The runes along its surface flickered and died, one by one.
The creature let out a sound—a high-pitched, keening wail that was almost pitiful.
Leo didn't stop.
---
The world around him dissolved.
The cavern, the pulsating walls, the writhing ground—all of it faded into a haze of white light. Leo felt himself being pulled backward, his consciousness snapping back into his body like a rubber band.
He gasped.
His body convulsed. His head snapped back, his spine arching, his limbs flailing. It was like being shocked back to life—like every nerve in his body had been set on fire at once.
And then it stopped.
He was on his knees, his hands pressed against the cold ground. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body trembling. The world around him was sharp, clear, vivid—as if he had been seeing it through a fog his entire life and was only now seeing it for the first time.
He could feel it. The air. The night. The chill that should have been uncomfortable but wasn't. It was like the world was... calling to him. Whispering. Inviting him to reach out and touch it.
"What... what is this?" he whispered.
A voice cut through the silence—calm, steady, and utterly unimpressed.
"Appears you did well."
Leo's head snapped up. Elijah stood before him, his arms crossed, a small smile playing at his lips.
Leo's body reacted before his mind could catch up. His hands flew to his head, his eyes wide, his expression one of complete confusion.
"I... I don't understand. What happened to me? What did you do to me?"
Elijah's smile widened. "I didn't do anything. You did."
---
Leo's mind raced. He could feel it—the world around him, the air, the ground, the sky. It was like everything was... alive. Like everything was speaking to him in a language he had never known existed.
"What... what is this feeling?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "It's like... like the world is... calling to me. Like I can feel it. All of it."
Elijah's voice was calm, measured. "That's the world. The energy that flows through everything. The frequency of existence itself."
Leo's brow furrowed. "Frequency?"
"Think of it this way," Elijah said, his voice carrying a note of patient instruction. "The suit you wear—the aethernova—is a bridge. It connects you to the world around you. But it's not the suit that determines what you absorb. It's your will. Your intent. The force of your own spirit, imposed upon the world around you."
Leo's expression remained confused. "I... I still don't get it."
Elijah shook his head. "You don't have to get it. You just have to feel it."
He gestured toward the world around them—the frost-covered ground, the moonlit sky, the distant hum of the city.
"Breathe, Leo. Reach out. Feel the world. Let it flow into you."
Leo hesitated. Then, slowly, he closed his eyes. He took a deep breath—in through his nose, out through his mouth. He let his body relax. He let his mind quiet.
And then he felt it.
A warmth spread through his body—a gentle, flowing energy that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. The air around him shimmered, a faint golden light radiating from his skin. It was like a second heartbeat—a rhythm that pulsed in time with his own.
His eyes snapped open.
Elijah's voice carried a note of quiet satisfaction. "Congratulations. You are now in the first gate of Circuit Awakening."
Leo stared at his hands. His expression was one of confusion, wonder, and something else—something that might have been hope.
"What... what does that mean?"
Elijah shook his head. "It means you've taken the first step. But there's a long way to go."
---
Leo's expression shifted to one of skeptical confusion. "Wait... if I'm stronger now, doesn't that mean I'm still of assistance to you?"
Elijah's lips curved into a cheeky smile.
Leo's internal voice carried a note of dawning dread.
I have a bad feeling about this.
"You're stronger," Elijah said. "But not strong enough. Your body needs to adjust to the energy. To the new awareness you've gained. You're a gate one circuit-bound, but that's just the beginning."
He paused, his smile widening.
"Which is why I'm going to help you. Attack me."
Leo's eyes widened. "What?"
Elijah placed one arm behind his back. His expression was one of teasing challenge. He gestured with his fingers—come on.
"You heard me. Attack me."
Leo's expression shifted to one of complete reluctance. "You... you want me to attack you?"
"I want you to try."
---
Leo lunged forward, his body moving with a fluidity he had never known before. His feet shifted—front, back, side—his movements a blur of practiced military precision.
But Elijah didn't move.
Leo's fist arced toward his face—a front punch, aimed with precision. Elijah's hand moved—not to block, but to slap. The impact caught Leo's wrist, deflecting the blow with minimal effort.
Leo's feet shifted again. A side step. A back step. A pivot. His body twisted, his fist arcing toward Elijah's midsection.
Elijah didn't move. His hand shot out again—another slap, this time catching Leo's jaw. The impact sent him spinning.
Leo stumbled, his body trembling. He could feel it—the energy around him flickering, wavering. The confidence that had filled him moments before was bleeding away, replaced by something else. Doubt.
He lunged again—a front kick, a back fist, a side elbow. Each attack was met with a casual slap, a deflecting hand, a minimal movement. Elijah wasn't fighting. He was toying.
Leo hit the ground again. And again. And again.
Each time, the energy around him flickered—the golden light dimming, replaced by something darker. The warmth in his chest grew cold. The rhythm in his heartbeat faltered.
Why... why is this happening? he thought. I was stronger. I felt it. But now...
He pushed himself to his feet. His body ached. His breath came in ragged gasps.
Elijah stood before him, his expression still teasing, his arm still behind his back.
"What's wrong?" Elijah asked. "I thought you wanted to be of assistance."
Leo's hands clenched into fists. His voice carried a note of cold frustration.
"Seriously... is this even fair?"
Elijah's smile widened. "Fair? No. But necessary."
---
Leo's body was trembling. The energy around him was unstable—a chaotic mixture of confidence and doubt, grit and frustration. He could feel it—the way his own uncertainty was undermining his strength.
"The problem," Elijah said, "is that what you were given was the easy way. The quick way. The aethernova lets you jump straight to the soul without building the body or the will first."
He gestured toward Leo's chest.
"But the body, the will, and the soul are three separate things. Before you can build the soul, you need to build the body. Before you can build the body, you need to build the will. The suit skips all of that. It makes you dependent. Weak."
Leo's voice was quiet. "So... what do I do?"
Elijah's expression shifted—the teasing gone, replaced by something more serious.
"You need to find an art. A martial skill that focuses on the body and the will as separate things. One that teaches you to differentiate between them. To control them. To make them work together instead of as one."
Leo's expression shifted to one of dawning understanding. "An art..."
Elijah nodded. "The majority of trainees are given the suit and told to train. But they're never taught the foundation. That's deliberate. It makes them easier to control. Dependent on the suit. Dependent on the Mysterium clan."
His expression shifted to one of cold disdain.
"But you're not going to be dependent. You're going to learn. You're going to grow. And you're going to become something more than what they made you."
---
Leo's body tensed. His eyes blazed with determination. He lunged forward—a side slide, a front fist aimed at Elijah's face.
But this time, something was different.
Elijah's hand moved—not to slap, but to intercept. His palm caught Leo's fist, halting the attack before it could connect.
Leo's eyes widened. He felt it—the energy around his fist shifting, the golden light flickering.
"What... what did you do?"
Elijah's expression was unreadable. "I didn't do anything. You did."
He released Leo's fist, stepping back.
"Your will was strong. Your intent was pure. For a moment, you stopped doubting yourself. That's what made the difference."
Leo stared at his hand. His expression was one of confusion, wonder, and something else—something that might have been pride.
"Seriously... is this even fair?"
Elijah's lips curved into a small smile. "No. But it's necessary."
He turned, walking toward the edge of the alley.
"Come on. We have work to do."
Leo stared after him for a long moment. Then, slowly, he followed.
The spark within him flickered.
And for the first time in his life, it began to burn.