Eclipse’s breath came in ragged gasps as she ran through the rain-soaked alleyways of the city, her boots spshing against the slick pavement. The neon signs overhead flickered back to life in eerie intervals, casting blue and red reflections across the cityscape. Eclipse had spent years exploring in the underbelly of this metropolis, constantly finding new untouched or forgotten areas to explore. It was the main inspiration for her work. The city always seemed to sing to Eclipse.

  But tonight was different. Tonight, the city was quiet and something was hunting her.

  A cold wind howled through the alleys, and a sudden pulse of energy crackled through the air. Eclipse skidded to a stop, pressing herself against the wall. Maybe it was some sort of weird electrical storm, but no it felt like it was following Eclipse. Grabbing a nearby dder on the side of the wall that led to an upper level of the city, Eclipse started climbing up trying to get to higher ground. Whatever this was, there was no way it knew the city like she did.“Fuck, I just wanted some food,” she muttered grabbing for the next rung of the dder. A loud crack echoed through the air, shaking the dder. Eclipse cried out as they fell back nding ft on their back in the cold alleyway, nocking the wind out of her. Scrambling to her feet, coughing, she paused to take stock of the situation. The alleyway seemed quiet no, The neon lights from above providing an eerie glow to the smooth concrete buildings.

  Then, she saw it.

  A swirling rift of sapphire light tore open in the air before her, distorting reality itself. Ice-cold tendrils of mist curled from its edges, whispering across Eclipse's fair skin. Though it looked like ice on her skin, it wasn't cold. 'Ok weird' she thought, taking a step back. Her instinct was to run, but curiosity was getting the better of her. She considered it her only major fw. Well that and overthinking everything, but that wasn't a problem at the moment. Her mind was racing for all the right reasons.

  The air shimmered as a figure emerged from the rift, a massive fox with crystalline fur almost as if it was made of ice itself. Its eyes burned with an ethereal glow, locking onto her with an intensity that rooted her in pce. The icy tendrils continued to dance along Eclipse's skin as she stared at the fox. It stepped closer, each step causing the rift behind it to pulse and the tendrils to grow. Without knowing why, Eclipse extended a hand, palm straight out. The fox let out a soft snort as it extended its nose touching Eclipse’s palm.A fsh blinded Eclipse causing her to stumble back again. This time, she didn’t fall. The tendrils ced behind her, catching her and stabilizing her as she blinked away the brightness. “My eyes” she groaned, rubbing them intensely. When she moved her hands, the fox was gone and in its pce was a human. It was a human female with luminescent white hair and eyes like that of pure ice. Her skin was fairer then Eclipse’s and she was cd in an advanced tech-wear ensemble of white and electric blue. She was perched on several boxes against the wall, her legs crossed bouncing slightly as she smiled at Eclipse.

  “Eclipse,” the being spoke, its voice a harmony of wind and water. “You stand at the crossroads of your fate.”

  Eclipse, never one for cryptic words, sighed. “Great, wanna just shoot me a message about it so I can head home?” she asked, trying to shake off the icy tendrils off of her arm. In response the tendrils tightened slightly, weaving themselves up Eclipse’s arm.“Hey!” she excimed, “Back off with the living ice. Who the hell are you?”

  The figure giggled, an otherworldly sound that sounded like fine china. “I am a child of Aegis-5.”“Uh yeah aren’t we all? It’s literally one of the city’s quotes,” replied Eclipse with a dull tone.

  “I am the original child or rather the spirit of Aegis. My name is Sifa. I was born when the city was constructed. And you…” Sifa hopped off the boxes effortlessly and took a step forward, the air around her freezing in delicate fractals. “have been chosen.”

  A surge of something deep and primal stirred within Eclipse, a connection she had never known yet felt as though it had always been a part of her. Sifa raised a hand, and the rift widened, revealing glimpses of a vast, frozen sanctuary hidden beneath the city’s surface. Towering crystalline trees shimmered under an endless aurora, and rivers of liquid light flowed like veins through the nd.“Wh…what is that?” asked Eclipse, her voice filled with awe as rain started to fall.

  “It is the heart of nature, of all that remains untouched. It has waited for a guardian. For you.”

  A thousand questions burned in Eclipse’s mind, but before she could speak, extended a hand. “Accept this gift, and you shall wield the power s you can only dream of. Become the bridge between nature and the technology of the future.” Eclipse hesitated for only a moment. Her entire life had felt like she was adrift in a world she didn’t fully rete to. If she had the power to change that, to carve her own destiny, she would take it.“Who are you to offer this gift to me?” Eclipse muttered in a soft voice.Sifa chuckled. “I have watched you, Eclipse. You are just what Aegis needs. Take it.”

  Eclipse reached out.

  The moment their hands met, a surge of power exploded through her, freezing the rain midair, turning each droplet into a diamond-like crystal. A searing cold raced through her veins, but instead of pain, she felt crity. Her vision sharpened, the world unfolding before her in a new spectrum of light. Her ears picked up the heartbeat of the city, the whispers of the wind, the pulse of water beneath the streets.

  A deep hum resonated from her core as blue runes ignited along her arms, tracing the path of an ancient lineage she had never known. “You are now the Guardian of Aegis-5,” the spirit intoned. “With this power comes a duty; to protect, to restore, to ensure that neither man nor nature is consumed by imbance.”

  Eclipse looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers as the energy settled into her being. She had spent her life just existing. Now, she had a purpose. And she would make sure the world knew her name. As the rift began to close, Sifa's final words echoed in her mind.

  “This is only the beginning.”