Chapter 1: Intruders

9:17 p.m. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

The alarm speakers blared through the complex: "Intruder alert, intruder alert! I repeat, this is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill."

In the guards' room, chaos erupted. The Head Captain's voice cut through the din.

"Listen up, men. We have an intruder. You know the rules. Shoot first, ask questions later."

Over a hundred guards grabbed their weapons and headed toward section A, where the first alarm sounded. As they rushed to their posts, a bomb

exploded, obliterating the sealed gates that protected the artifacts in section S.

In the control room, the tension was thick in the air.

"Sir, there's a break-in at section S," Johnny reported, eyes wide with fear.

"Whaaat?" Commander luke said, his face twisted in disbelief.

"Sir, hurry on over here quickly. Someone is trying to break into Section X' Tom called out, his voice trembling.

"Send a message to the royal palace immediately," commander luke ordered, his voice urgent.

"What's the matter, sir? What's in Section X?" Johnny asked, his curiosity piqued despite the danger.

"The world's craziest scientist invented something so powerful, so out of this world that the first imperial king ordered it to be sealed away," commander luke explained, his voice low and grave.

"I heard it's a device that can make you young again,' Henry interjected, his tone incredulous.

"Whatever it is, I hope the army gets here before it's too late," Commander luke muttered, his eyes darting nervously around the room.

Back at section C, the guards were locked in combat with the intruders.

"Don't stop firing!" the Guard Captain shouted, his voice hoarse from exertion.

"Sir, I don," Guard 1 began, but his words were cut off as his head was severed from his body in a swift, brutal motion.

The male intruder laughed, a chilling sound in the chaos. "Do they actually think these weak guards could stop the likes of us?"

The battle raged on, but the outcome was inevitable. The guards fell one by one, their bodies sliced in two, their heads rolling on the blood-soaked floor. When

the fight was over, the room was awash in crimson, the walls and floor slick with blood.

Capri wiped his blade clean, his expression one of grim satisfaction. "Another job accomplished. I wonder what the boss is up to."

"He's doing what he loves the most, killing."

Aquara replied with a sinister grin, her eyes glinting with dark amusement.

Meanwhile, at the imperial palace, the king's secretary rushed to him with urgent news.

As she reached the king's royal office, she burst the doors wide open and shouted, "My lord!"

"My lor- my lord, there—" she started to speak so fast that the king couldn't understand her.

"Calm down and catch your breath, Rita," the king said calmly.

Rita took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"Now, what were you saying?" the king asked.

"There has been a break-in at O.A.W.C.L," Rita said, worried.

"What?" the king shouted. He immediately picked up his phone and called the royal army.

The phone rang several times before someone finally picked up.

"Hello, this is the king speaking. I hereby declare a state of emergency. There has been a break-in at O.A.W.C.L. Send all the troops you have to the site immediately."

The king hung up the phone and slowly sat down. "And here I thought that I could get some work done tonight," he sighed.

"Rita, I want you to station more guards around the palace."

Rita slightly bowed her head and replied, "At once, my lord."

She walked out of the office and immediately began coordinating with the palace guards to increase security.

The atmosphere within the palace was tense, the sudden emergency creating a ripple of anxiety among the staff and guards.

Back in his office, the king leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. The O.A.W.C.L., or the otherworldly advanced Weaponry and Climatic Laboratory, is one of the most secure and secretive facilities in the entire kingdom. A breach there could mean untold dangers, from powerful artificial intelligence to otherworldly artifacts, if any, were to fall into the wrong hands.

The king's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. It was his chief advisor, Lord Alaric, a man of sharp intellect and calm demeanor.

"My lord," Alaric said as he entered, "I heard about the breach. What are our next steps?"

The king took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "We need to assess the damage first. I've already sent troops to secure the site, but I need you to lead an investigation and find out who could have penetrated such a heavily guarded facility? And for what purpose?

Back at the 0.A.W.C.L., the intruders continued their assault. Capri and Aquara made their way through the blood-streaked corridors.

In the control room, the guards watched helplessly as the intruders advanced.

"Sir, they're approaching Section X," Johnny reported, his voice shaking.

Commander luke clenched his fists. "We need to hold them off until reinforcements arrive.

Do whatever it takes." Tommy monitored the security feeds, his heart pounding. "They're too strong. We

can't stop them."

"Focus on delaying them," commander luke commanded. "The army is on its way."

Suddenly, the control room doors burst open as a man wearing a mask with a question mark on it strode in. The guards in the control room looked at him with fear in their eyes.

"Umm, where am I?" the masked man asked, but no one answered. "I was sure I was at Section X a while ago, but then I saw a flashing white light, and just like that, I ended up in front of a giant door," he mused aloud.

"Who the hell are you?" One of the guards asked, his voice trembling slightly.

The masked man slowly turned his head and looked at the man who had questioned him. He smirked, and in a split second, he was at the other end of the control room, holding the guard's severed head in his hand.

"Anyone else want to ask questions?" the masked man taunted, his voice cold and mocking.

Commander luke tried to keep his composure, his mind racing for a way to handle the intruder. "Secure the room," he ordered, but his voice lacked conviction.

The masked man laughed, a chilling sound that echoed through the control room. "You can try, but it won't make a difference."

Meanwhile, Capri and Aquara had finally reach and successfully breached the doors of Section X. Inside, they were met with a small group of robotic guards, their weapons pointing towards the intruders.

"End of the line," one of the robotic guards said.

Capri chuckled. "We'll see about that."

The two sides clashed in a brutal fight. Capri's and Aquara's skills were unmatched, their movements a deadly dance of precision and power. The robotic guards fought valiantly but were no match for the intruders.

As the last of the robotic guards fell, Capri turned his attention to the device in the center of the room. It was a sleek black box, with metallic contraption, humming with a strange energy.

"There it is," Aquara said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Capri approached the device, his fingers itching to take hold of it. "The key to everything," he murmured.

Back in the control room, the masked man continued his reign of terror, dispatching guards with ease. Commander luke, now desperate, activated the emergency lockdown. Heavy steel doors began to close throughout the facility, sealing off sections in an attempt to contain the threat.

"Too late for that," the masked man said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

The king, watching from the palace, saw the lockdown take effect. His heart sank as he realized the intruders were already inside Section X.

"Rita, give me an update," he demanded.

"The intruders have breached Section X, my lord. They're... unstoppable."

The king clenched his fists. "We can not let them escape with that black box. Mobilize every available unit. We must stop them at all costs."

Rita nodded and hurried to relay the king's orders.

Capri tried to pick up the box and got his fingers cut off. It was protected by a special type of laser called Magma. Aquara grabbed him and pulled him away from the lasers.

"My fingers are gone," Capri said to Aquara, his voice shaking with pain.

"We need to wait for the boss," Aquara replied, glancing warily at the laser-protected box. "Or we'll both lose our fingers trying to get that black box otherwise."

As they retreated to a safer distance, the room remained filled with tension. The black box sat ominously.

The masked man left the control room and headed straight towards Section X. His path was blocked by heavy steel doors, but he made short work of them, destroying each one until he reached his destination. As he entered the room, his eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the sight of blood-stained floors and the figure of Capri clutching his injured hand in the corner.

"What happened?" the masked man asked, his tone dripping with mockery.

"I was trying to pick up the box, and my fingers got cut off," Capri replied, his voice strained with pain.

The masked man chuckled. "You really are an idiot."

Ignoring Capri's glare, the masked man walked over to the black box. Its surface gleamed ominously in the dim light, its true power hidden from view. But before he could make his move, the royal army burst into the room,  with their advanced weaponry  ready.

The leader of the royal army stepped forward, his gaze locked on the masked intruder. "Surrender now, and you may live to face justice," he commanded, his voice firm and resolute.

The masked man's lips curled into a smirk beneath his mask. "Or what? You'll try to stop me?" he taunted, his confidence unshaken.

With lightning speed, he launched himself into action, dodging the army's gunfire with incredible agility. His movements were like those of a seasoned warrior, fluid and precise, as he closed in on the black box.

As the chaos unfolded around him, Capri watched from the sidelines, his hand throbbing with pain.

The masked man's keen eyes caught sight of Aquara as she stealthily approached the black box. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled a knife towards her, the blade slicing through the air with deadly accuracy.

Aquara's instincts kicked in, and she dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly projectile.

Meanwhile, the masked man continued his relentless assault against the royal army, his movements a blur of speed and precision. His adversaries struggled to keep up, their gunfire futile against his unmatched skill.

"Why the hell did you attack me?" Aquara demanded, her voice tinged with anger and confusion.

"If you got too close, you would've died," the masked man replied.

With a nod of understanding, Aquara and the masked man switched roles.

As Aquara charged into the fray, her senses heightened, She faced the royal army head-on, her skills as a fighter on full display as she danced through the chaos, her blades flashing in the dim light.

Meanwhile, the masked man approached the black box, his mind focused solely on the task at hand. With each step closer to the box, the air crackled with tension.

Aquara unleashed a flurry of attacks against the royal army, her movements fluid and precise. Despite their advanced weaponry, they struggled to keep up with her relentless assault, their ranks beginning to falter under the pressure.

Back at the black box,the masked man puts on a pair of specialized gloves to shield his hands from the laser.

With a steady hand, the masked man lifted the black box and carefully opened it, revealing a single item nestled inside – a ring. Without hesitation, he slid the ring onto his finger, feeling a surge of power course through him as he activated its enchantments.

"Gate," he commanded, his voice carrying a commanding tone.

In an instant, a shimmering, ethereal gate materialized before him, its mystical aura pulsating with otherworldly energy.

Aquara, sensing the opportunity for escape, hurried over to Capri's side. Despite his injuries, Capri managed to stand with her support.

"Let's go," Aquara said, her voice urgent as she gestured towards the magical doorway.

As the soldiers' frantic shouts filled the air, laser beams erupted from their weapons, streaking towards Aquara and Capri with deadly intent. But before the onslaught could reach its mark, the masked man intervened with a gesture of his hand.

In an instant, time seemed to freeze around them, the chaotic scene frozen in a suspended moment. Only Aquara and Capri remained unaffected, their movements unhindered as they made their way towards the shimmering gate.

they followed the masked man through the portal.

And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the gate vanished, leaving behind only the echoes of their escape. With a soft whoosh, time resumed its natural course, the soldiers' shouts and laser fire ringing out once more as reality reasserted itself.

As reality snapped back into place, the soldiers found themselves faced with an empty room, devoid of any trace of the intruders. Confusion rippled through their ranks as they scanned the area, searching in vain for any sign of Aquara, Capri, or the mysterious masked man.