The Nexus Gate pulsed softly, unlike the usual chaotic swirl of Axis portals.
This one calmer, brighter resonated with a strange peace. Aarav stood quietly as the coordinates locked in.
The data retrieved from the defeated alien invaders had revealed something shocking: the location of Axis Zero.
Not a dead universe. Not a broken battlefield.
But… something else.
"We've seen corrupted worlds," Rishi muttered, scanning the quiet frequency. "What if this one's… the opposite?"
Aarav nodded slowly. "That's what I'm hoping."
The Loop devices on their wrists glowed, harmonizing with the portal.
"Let's go."
Together, they stepped in.
Welcome to Axis Zero
Instead of swirling chaos or broken skies, Aarav and Rishi found themselves stepping onto soft grass. A light breeze carried the scent of trees and water. The sun above was golden, not too bright. Birds chirped. Children laughed somewhere in the distance.
It was Earth. But… different.
Unpolluted. Balanced. Pure.
Rishi looked around, stunned. "Is this… real Earth?"
Aarav's Loop confirmed it with a soft ping: Axis Zero – Primary Origin World.
Elios buzzed softly in Aarav's ear. "Confirmed. This is where it all began. The first Axis. Untouched. Uninvaded. Protected by natural dimensional harmony."
Aarav whispered, "No wonder the Harbinger can't enter here."
Why Axis Zero Matters
As they walked through the peaceful village nearby, people waved, unaware of the multiverse battles beyond their skies.
It was as if the war, the chaos, the destruction they were stories from another dimension.
Rishi stared in awe. "This place… it's pure. No Core destabilization. No alien presence. No energy corruption."
Elios explained, "Axis Zero operates on a natural balance. The Axis Core here is hidden within life itself not a machine, not a crystal.
It exists in harmony with the world. That's why it cannot be detected… or extracted."
Aarav stopped. "But that's also why the Harbinger wants the other Axis Cores. He can't touch this place without more power."
Rishi added, "He's stealing energy from the rest of the multiverse just to break into this one."
The Secret Guardian Protocol
Inside an ancient library buried under a mountain, Aarav and Rishi discovered a forgotten chamber. Symbols across the walls told the true history of the multiverse.
At the center of the room glowed a single crystal not a Core, but a memory keeper. Aarav touched it.
Visions flooded his mind.
The Axis Guardians were born here, in Axis Zero.
The multiverse was once a single reality until a great collapse shattered it into 17 Axes.
Harbinger was once a Guardian who turned against the balance, seeking control over all Cores.
Axis Zero was hidden to protect it sealed with ancient codes known only to the original protectors.
Aarav's eyes opened slowly. "We weren't chosen by chance, Rishi. We were born from this world. We're part of its defense."
Final Realization
Standing at the edge of a cliff, watching the sunset over Axis Zero, Aarav spoke firmly.
"This is what we're fighting for. Not just the other Axis worlds, but the source. The one place the Harbinger fears."
Rishi nodded. "He's close to finishing his plan. Once he absorbs enough power, Axis Zero won't be safe anymore."
Aarav looked at the Loop, which now pulsed with golden light from Axis Zero's frequency.
"Then we stop him. Before he gets another Core."