"Archie."
Zaviel's voice carried easily through the empty hall
He stopped at the center of the room and spread his arms, slow and unbothered, eyes closing as if this were routine..... which of course it was.
The floor beneath his boots shifted.
Panels slid apart without sound and from it came cybernetic hands, ready to design a new suit for their master
"Preparing combat configuration," Archie said pleasantly. "May I assume this is not for a date."
Zaviel exhaled through his nose. "You're funny."
"Correction sir, I am accurate."
Light traced Zaviel's silhouette, scanning him from head to toe. Data rippled across the walls.
"Measurements adjusted. Threat profiles updated..."
"Threat hmm?" Zaviel murmured
click click ....
The first layer formed around his torso like liquid shadow, weaving itself into shape. Matte black plating flowed over his chest, locking together with soft clicks.
"Adaptive weave deployed," Archie narrated. "Lightweight. Blade-resistant. Fire-resistant. Bullet-resistant to a degree you will still ignore."
Zaviel didn't move.
Segments sealed along his ribs, spine, shoulders. The suit tightened, then relaxed, molding to him like it had always been there.
"Master…" Archie whispered
The word came softer than usual.
Zaviel's raised a questioning brow
"Based on all available records," Archie continued, "your… father… does not fall under any acceptable definition of trustworthy."
....
"Engaging with him carries a ninety-two percent probability of irreversible outcomes."
Another pause.
"…Are you certain this is a path worth walking?"
The answer came before Zaviel could think it through.
DA DUM.
His chest tightened. Not pain. Not exactly. A sharp pull that softened the moment it settled. A sensation he recognized immediately, and resented for how easily it claimed him.
Lyra.
Her voice. Her smile. The way she said his name like it wasn't something dangerous. And she was the only one to worry about his safety
The noise inside him dulled.
Zaviel exhaled slowly. A smile threatened to surface. He crushed it with a quiet snort.
"Hmph," he muttered. "You really do have a talent for killing the mood."
"I am attempting to preserve your life," Archie replied dryly.
Zaviel smirked faintly.
Gauntlets slid over his forearms, locking with a magnetic snap. Thin lines of violet light pulsed once, then vanished.
"Neural response synced," Archie said. "Your reaction time is now offensively unfair."
A collar rose around Zaviel's neck, sealing with a soft hiss. The hood followed, fabric forming seamlessly from the back, draping forward. When it settled, it cast his face in shadow, leaving only the faint glow of his eyes beneath.
The mask came last, assembling mid-air smoothly. Sleek and black. It locked into place quietly
Zaviel opened his eyes.
Gold and violet cut through the dark.
He flexed his fingers once. The suit responded instantly.
"This.....is a bit different from the last." Zaviel moved his neck sideways, causing a slight crack. "I can't put my finger on it"
"That is because," Archie said calmly, "your fingers are currently interfacing with six separate subsystems."
Zaviel raised one hand. The air rippled. A faint hum answered, low and patient, like a blade waiting to be drawn.
"…I was hoping for a simpler explanation."
Panels along his forearms slid open a fraction, just enough for a shimmer of gold to breathe through before sealing again. The suit tightened around his wrists, then loosened.
"Your previous configuration prioritized lethality," Archie continued. "This one prioritizes discretion."
As he spoke, the lights along Zaviel's spine blinked once.
Off.
On.
Then gone.
Zaviel took a step forward.
The sound never came.
His foot touched the floor. No echo. No scrape. Even the air seemed reluctant to acknowledge the movement.
His brow creased slightly.
"You'll have to figure out the rest yourself" Archie snickered
Zaviel ignored the talking air and walked towards the wall.
A grin crept up his mouth.
clap clap
The wall split apart with surgical precision, panels sliding away to reveal a hollow chamber bathed in soft blue light.
Five katanas floated within it, suspended in the air like rare relics from a video game
Their blades caught the glow differently.
Gold, radiant and clean.Red, deep and restless.Purple, sharp and cold.Orange, bright with restrained heat.
Zaviel's gaze passed over them without pause.
Then it stopped.
Black.
Zaviel's breath slowed.
His grin thinned until it was only a memory of one.
The room dimmed
Eleven years vanished in a blink.
A smaller hand wrapped around a training hilt. Skin split. Fingers shaking. A thick beastly voice filling the space.
A man with the same set of eyes as his stared into his young, feeble eyes.
You are special.
The word special pressed down like a crown made of iron.
A god.
The blade came down harder this time. Again.
Built to destroy.
Pain burned through his skin.
Weak.
Zaviel clenched his teeth.
Kill them all.
DA DUM! DA DUM!
Each second of reminiscing left Zaviel's heart pounding wildly
Zaviel's fingers curled slowly at his side. The suit reacted, tightening along his forearms before easing again, as if unsure whether to restrain him or follow.
His reflection surfaced faintly along the black blade's edge. Older now. Taller. Still standing where he'd been told to stand.
Still here.
He reached out.
The blue field trembled as his hand passed through it, the black katana settling into his grip like it had been waiting for him alone.
"Choosing that blade means you haven't forgotten a thing I taught you!" A cold voice spoke from behind
Zaviel turned around staring at the same man from earlier and 11 years ago.
His adoptive father.
The man stared into Zaviel's eyes.
"Arrrhhh!" Zaviel screamed.
He collapsed on one knee.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
The words pressed down harder.
Zaviel's vision swam. A metallic taste filled his mouth as he coughed, blood spattering the floor in dark drops. His grip on the katana tightened instead of loosening.
"For… the…..."
The pressure spiked.
Zaviel dragged in a breath through clenched teeth, forcing his spine straight despite the tremor running through him.
"Night Guild," he finished, voice rough but unbroken.
The blade in his hand hummed softly.
"Now....
"Go retrieve the other one"