The battlefield was silent now. The alien ships were reduced to smoldering wreckage scattered across the landscape. The sky, once choked by swirling storm clouds, had cleared. Blue bled into the horizon, as if nature itself was healing from the chaos.
Aarav sat on a jagged piece of rubble, staring at the smoldering crater where the Harbinger had fallen. His mind buzzed with questions. Who were they? Why Earth? And why did that final blast—born from the union of his powers and Rishi's—feel like it tapped into something far older, something ancient?
Rishi walked toward him, limping slightly but alive. "Still with me?"
Aarav managed a weak nod. "Barely."
Rishi sat beside him and looked at the sky. "It's not over, is it?"
"No," Aarav said, a strange pull rising in his chest. "It's just beginning."
Suddenly, the air changed—like a ripple across the surface of reality. A circular ring of white light split open the sky, folding outwards like a portal made from the threads of space itself. From it descended a tall figure clad in shimmering armor that shimmered like stars. The figure hovered inches above the ground, glowing symbols orbiting around his body.
Rishi stood, alert. "Another one?!"
"No… I don't think he's here to fight."
The figure landed softly, his voice calm and deep. "Aarav. Rishi. You've just touched a power not meant for mortals. But fate has chosen you."
Aarav narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The figure nodded solemnly. "I am called Elios. I am the Axis Guardian—protector of the multiversal threads. And this world… is dangerously close to Axis 17."
Rishi frowned. "Axis what?"
Elios raised his hand, and with a soft hum, a glowing hologram expanded in the air—multiple worlds orbiting a bright core, each linked by silken strands of light.
"There are infinite universes, each one known as an Axis. Your world is Axis 9. The invaders you faced—The Scourge—belong to a corrupted dimension known as Axis 17. Its reality has been fractured beyond repair. The Harbinger you fought was only the first of many. He was testing your defenses."
Aarav's voice was quiet. "Why us?"
"Because when the Infinity Loop touched your soul, it unlocked a gate inside you—a convergence point. You, Aarav, are a living Axis Bridge. You're connected to more universes than you know. That lightning strike wasn't an accident. It was the Axis choosing you."
Aarav's heart pounded. It made sense now—the dream that lasted nine years, the powers, the visions. He wasn't just experiencing different universes. He was a part of them.
Rishi folded his arms. "So what now? Do we just wait for more monsters to fall out of the sky?"
Elios shook his head. "You must come with me. To the Axis Vault. A place between dimensions where protectors are trained. Time flows differently there. You'll need to learn to control your abilities—gravity, magnetism, and more. Rishi's powers too. Axis 17 is gathering. And they will return."
Aarav stood. "And if we don't come?"
Elios looked him dead in the eyes. "Then your Earth won't survive the next invasion. And neither will any version of it."
The wind blew across the wreckage as silence settled again.
Aarav looked at Rishi, then back at Elios. "Then take us."
Elios raised his hands, and another rift opened in the air. This time, it felt different—less violent, more focused. Aarav stepped through first, the fabric of reality folding around him. Behind him, Rishi followed, no hesitation.
They emerged in a chamber unlike anything they had seen—a wide, circular arena floating in a sea of stars. All around them were floating glyphs and glowing pillars, each pulsing with energy from countless universes.
"This…" Rishi whispered. "Where are we?"
Elios smiled faintly. "Welcome to the Axis Vault. The heart of all connected realms."
Suddenly, others stepped into view—young warriors, beings of strange forms, all wearing the sigil of infinity on their armor.
"They're like us," Aarav whispered.
"They were like you," Elios corrected. "Now, they are Guardians."
Aarav felt a fire in his chest. For the first time, he didn't feel like a kid stuck in a loop. He felt chosen. Purposeful.
But deep in the shadows of Axis 17, something stirred.
A dark figure with glowing crimson eyes stood before a crumbling gate. Its voice was sharp and cold.
"The Axis Bridge has awakened. Begin the next phase."