The world around Aarav blurred into silence. The battlefield was far behind now. His powers gone.
The Loop on his wrist had turned cold, lifeless. No glow, no response.
He was no longer a Guardian.
Just… Aarav.
His body ached. His breathing was shallow. Somewhere above, he heard the buzzing of dimensional energy forming a portal.
A warm light pulsed around him as a familiar voice called out.
"Stabilizing subject. Priority Guardian down. Initiating extraction."
It was Elios.
In a burst of controlled energy, a golden field wrapped around Aarav, lifting him gently from the debris. Rishi reached out, grabbing Aarav's hand before he was taken.
"Hold on," Rishi whispered. "You'll be okay. I promise."
The world vanished in light.
Arrival at the Axis Vault
Aarav woke to sterile white lights and faint humming.
He was lying inside a massive chamber filled with translucent walls of data, glowing Axis symbols rotating in the air.
Floating stations and healing chambers lined the perimeter. Giant Guardian emblems were engraved into polished stone and crystal.
This was The Axis Vault the hidden headquarters of the Axis Guardians, located in a neutral layer of the multiverse, unreachable by aliens or Harbinger.
Aarav tried to sit up but felt weak. His muscles resisted. His Loop was still dark.
Elios materialized beside him, a projection made of blue light.
"You've been unconscious for 3 Axis cycles. You took a direct hit from corrupted Core energy. Your connection to the multiverse... was severed."
Aarav closed his eyes. "So I'm just human again…"
A Guardian Without Power
Over the next few hours, Aarav was tested, scanned, and stabilized.
Medics confirmed it: the damage to his Loop was not just mechanical it was spiritual. His bond with the Axis Fields had been deeply wounded.
No gravity surges.
No magnetism.
No energy pulses.
He could barely lift a metal cup, let alone shield a universe.
Rishi arrived at his side, sitting quietly.
"You saved Axis 13," Rishi said. "Even when you were losing your powers."
Aarav turned to him. "I couldn't finish the fight. I couldn't protect the Core."
"You protected me," Rishi replied. "That's more than enough."
The Elder's Warning
Later, a figure cloaked in silver and violet robes entered the chamber. His presence silenced the room.
He was one of the Elder Guardians, the few remaining founders who still dwelled inside the Vault.
He looked down at Aarav with calm eyes.
"Even without power, you carry the essence of Axis Zero. That is rarer than any ability."
"But understand this: Harbinger is moving faster. With each Core he drains, the multiverse shakes. If Axis Zero falls… everything ends."
Aarav clenched his fists.
"Then give me another Loop. I'll go back."
The Elder shook his head.
"This isn't about a device. It's about rediscovering who you were before the power. The next battle won't be won with strength alone… but with origin."
A Whisper from Within
That night, as Aarav lay in the Vault's healing chamber, something stirred inside him.
Not his Loop. Not his old abilities.
But a flicker… a heartbeat… from deep within his chest.
The same pulse he felt in Axis Zero.
The Core of origin.
And as it throbbed softly, he heard a whisper in the silence:
"You are more than power. You are the balance."
Aarav opened his eyes.
He wasn't done.
Not yet.