[Ken POV]
I sat on the edge of the bed in my quarters, staring blankly at the wall. The fight replayed in my mind—my blade cutting through the Paladin's defenses, the final strike, his collapse, and the silence that followed.
But I felt nothing.
No pride. No guilt. No thrill of victory.
Just… stillness.
It should've disturbed me, how easily I had ended a man's life. How my body reacted with precision, my mind without hesitation. But instead, it felt normal. Like I had done exactly what I was meant to do.
Maybe something in me had broken a long time ago.
---
The next morning, we were herded like soldiers into the departure hangar. Lined up and ready, we boarded the ship that would take us to Inquisitor HQ.
The vessel was sleek and monolithic, matte-black with glowing blue runes embedded across its hull—ancient tech mixed with modern engineering. Its engines hummed with a subtle power, like it was alive. Inside, it was pristine—white walls, holographic screens suspended in the air, smooth metal floors, and rows of reclining seats with neural ports attached behind the headrests.
I took a seat by the window. Outside, the stars stretched endlessly, pinpricks of light scattered across the void.
Then a memory surfaced.
Seven years ago. My colony was ash and cinders. Buildings gone, people dead. I was just a kid, standing among the ruins while inquisitors in silver armor escorted me off-world. I didn't cry. Didn't speak. Just watched the flames flicker in the distance.
"Hey."
A voice dragged me back to the present. I turned and saw a boy with dark curls and sharp brown eyes. He held out his hand.
"I'm Theo. Theo Lang."
I stared at his hand for a moment, then turned back toward the stars.
"You're as cold as ever, huh, Ken?" he muttered with a chuckle.
I glanced at him. "You talk like we know each other."
Theo blinked. Then his smile faded slightly. "You really don't remember me... Of course you don't. You never did. I've been trying to talk to you since we joined the recruit program. Seven years ago. We were both ten."
---
[Theo POV]
From the first day I arrived at the recruit training facility, Ken Reign stood out. Not because he talked, or made friends, or showed off. He didn't. He was just… focused.
No matter what we were learning—combat, tactics, survival—Ken always ranked at the top.
I tried talking to him dozens of times.
"Hey, I'm Theo."
Nothing.
"You wanna spar?"
Silence.
"You like the food here?"
A blank stare.
It wasn't that he was mean. He just didn't see people. He only saw the goal. The path.
Even back then, I think I knew... he wasn't like the rest of us.
---
[Ken POV]
Maybe I had met Theo before. Maybe not. The years blurred together in a haze of training, missions, survival drills, and objectives.
I didn't remember him—not clearly. But I believed him.
Not that it changed anything.
---
The ship finally pierced the dark, choking clouds of Vorkarth-7's atmosphere. The gloom gave way to something unexpected—a planet of green and gold valleys, enormous silver towers that rose like spires from the land, and massive black walls encasing entire cities.
It was… beautiful.
I had imagined something grim and brutal. But this was different. Controlled. Powerful. The heart of the Inquisitor Order.
We descended onto a landing pad where countless ships came and went, inquisitors walking in formation, others boarding transports or returning from missions—some bloodied, some pristine.
Then she appeared.
A woman in a long white coat, her golden hair shimmering under the ship's lights, flanked by five elite inquisitors. She wore thin glasses and walked with absolute authority.
"I am Director Sarah Virellian," she said, her voice crisp and cold. "I oversee advanced technological and psychic development for the Inquisitor Order."
Virellian. That name again. I turned slightly—Astrid Virellian was a few feet behind me. There had to be a connection.
"Today," the director continued, "you will receive your nano-implantation and psychic energy infusion. Follow me."
She led us through pristine white corridors to a chamber filled with tall glass tubes, each brimming with a pale blue liquid. Machines hissed and clicked. Specialists in surgical suits waited silently.
"This is where the process begins. You will be taken to prep rooms to undress and be prepared for infusion."
Everyone began moving. I stepped forward too, until—
"Ken Reign," Sarah Virellian said sharply.
I turned.
"Your process is different. Follow me."
I obeyed.
As we walked through a sealed corridor, she spoke again. "You chose your brain for enhancement. Very few ever do. The risks are substantial."
"I don't care about the risks," I replied.
Her eyes flicked toward me. "Why the brain?"
"I want to process information faster," I said. "I want to think faster. Strategize better. Anticipate more."
She was silent for a few moments, then said, "The emperor honors all promises. You'll receive the enhancement. But your procedure will take longer than the others. Much longer."
---
The days that followed were agony.
I was submerged in liquid. Needles drilled into the back of my skull. Neural implants grafted to my cortex. Psychic energy poured directly into my mind—raw, volatile, untamed.
I felt like I was burning from the inside out.
Visions. Memories. Equations. Thoughts not my own. Every second stretched into eternity.
I didn't scream.
Couldn't.
But I endured.
---
When I finally woke, a thin white light poured into the sterile room. A nurse handed me a small black keycard.
"Room A-113. Welcome to the HQ, Inquisitor Reign."
I said nothing.
I walked down the quiet corridor to my new room. The door slid open with a whisper, and inside—
On the bed lay my uniform.
A red and black high-collared jacket adorned with gold trim and silver buttons.
It looked regal. Ruthless.
Like it was made for someone meant to conquer the stars.
I ran a hand across the fabric. Then looked into the mirror.
The boy who came from a dead colony was gone.
Now, there stood an Inquisitor.