The scent of mud on that stormy night was her earliest memory of the world.
Draped in an oversized nightgown that had belonged to a human casualty, she stood barefoot on the scorched earth left behind by The Enders' mothership. Around her, human screams mingled with the roar of the downpour. When , a member of the rescue team, gathered the little girl into her arms, the girl remained expressionless. Yet almost by instinct, she wrapped her arms around 's neck...
Why were these carbon-based lifeforms so warm, yet so fragile? Why did that warmth make the Ender cells in her blood cry out for conquest, while also stirring an instinctive desire to cling to it?
In the days that followed, the girl enjoyed 's care. To fit in, she learned to mimic how humans smiled and adopted human restraint. She even chose a human name for herself: .
But had always known she was different.
To her, it was all a game of pretend. Destructive power and dangerous thoughts came naturally to her, yet the humans around her only praised them as signs of her unique talent.
Their praise never truly meant anything to her. What fascinated her instead were the cold mecha constructs at Selrick Academy. The circuits and energy coursing through them felt far more like what flowed through her own veins.
Getting into the Science Division was like a children's game to . The professors marveled at her instinctive understanding of the Aspirant mechas, never realizing that she herself was a living source of the technology they studied.
She personally modified a compact mecha suit known as Silverbolt. To everyone else, it was the product of everything she had learned at the Academy, a powerful weapon built to defend the city. They were amazed that alone could operate it so well.
But only knew the truth: Silverbolt was, in every sense, a weapon of The Enders.
Late at night, would slip into the shady areas along the city's outskirts with Silverbolt. Using the storm for cover, she would shed her Academy uniform and allow purple biomechanical tissue to spread across her body. Then she would race through the city like a shadow, free to go wherever she pleased.
She relished the freedom of living between two worlds. She even openly sold Ender technology recovered from wreckage to , curious to see how another pawn like herself might escape the game.
Her comms were never quiet. Academy assignments, mercenary jobs, black-market deals... took them all on. The sense of controlling her own destiny only fueled her ambition. She loved this freedom, and the feeling that she could bend the world to her will.
She soon discovered just how rewarding that freedom could be. In the human world, it seemed to be a privilege reserved for the most brilliant. With her intelligence and the identities she moved between, could navigate even the most volatile situations and walk away without a scratch.
But a ""privilege"" built on deception could never withstand the scrutiny of truth.
deliberately ignored the mysterious transmission buried among her messages. She knew exactly what it was: a recall from The Enders, a command etched deep into her cells, and an invisible shackle trying to drag her back to the cold, rigid Mother Matrix.
's recall followed her like a shadow. The fearsome huntress was already crossing the sea of stars, closing in on . To The Enders, had always been a bold experiment placed in the heart of human society. They were willing to let their pawn move freely for a while, granting her a small taste of ""freedom."" But if she ever slipped beyond their control, there would be only one outcome: termination.
Once realized someone from the Mother Matrix was coming for her, she quickly weighed the choice that best served her survival and interests. She had no intention of returning to a Mother Matrix ruled by nothing but slaughter and control. Nor did she intend to die protecting humanity.
When 's hunter descended through the clouds above the Academy, was waiting atop the bell tower in the middle of the storm. She wore her human uniform and the polite smile she had learned to mimic from humans. A quick glance at the Academy below confirmed the coordinates. She immediately pushed Silverbolt into overload.
She knew that refusing the order to return meant betraying The Enders, and that they would hunt her without end. But so what? She would rather live as "","" a name she had chosen for herself, than remain someone else's pawn. She wanted to explore on her own terms, take control of her own destiny, and even take the Imperatrix's place if she had to.
"This so-called destiny... it doesn't sound cool at all."
chose neither to flee nor to submit. Rampant electricity surged through her body, completely transforming her into her combat form. She would use the very signal meant to call her back to trace 's coordinates instead.
"Sorry, but I still prefer life at the Academy. Still, if you really want me to choose..."
She took a deep breath as arcs of electricity split the clouds above her, opening a path toward The Enders' mothership—the target of her ambitions.
"Even on the path to destruction, I'm taking the scenic route!"
Lightning swallowed her silhouette, and vanished into the clouds. Below, the city was left in chaos; stunned spectators could only stare as a storm unlike any before raged overhead—a storm born of rebellion.
