Kael Varn trailed Lirra Syn through the Citadel's emerald halls, his boots echoing against stone that seemed to hum with life. Oa was nothing like he'd imagined less a fortress, more a cathedral, its spires stretching toward a sky that shimmered with green auroras. Lanterns moved around them, some humanoid, others defying description tentacled, crystalline, gaseous all wearing rings that glowed with the same power as his. Kael's hand twitched, the ring on his finger feeling heavier with every step. He wasn't one of them. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
Lirra strode ahead, her posture rigid, her mandibles silent. She'd barely spoken since they landed, her focus locked on the Guardians' summons. Kael didn't need telepathy to know she was rattled the Voidveil's attack had shaken her, same as him. Those things, those entities, weren't just monsters. They'd clawed at his mind, whispering doubts he hadn't even known he carried. You're no hero. You'll fail. You'll run.
He shook it off, forcing a grin. "So, this place always this cheerful, or did we catch it on a bad day?"
Lirra glanced back, her eyes narrowing. "The Citadel reflects the Corps. Right now, the Corps is... strained."
"Strained?" Kael raised an eyebrow. "That's a fancy way of saying 'freaking out.' Those shadow things hit hard, huh?"
Her mandibles clicked, a sharp sound. "The Voidveil isn't just an enemy, Kael. It's a mirror. It shows us what we fear most. And fear breaks will."
Kael's grin faltered. He wanted to crack a joke, to keep the weight of her words at bay, but the memory of those tendrils red-black, hungry made his stomach twist. "Yeah, well, my will's still kicking. So what's the plan? We meet these Guardians, they give us a pep talk, and we punch the shadows into next week?"
Lirra stopped, turning to face him fully. Her gaze was steady, but there was something raw in it, something Kael hadn't seen before. "The Guardians don't give pep talks. They give orders. And you, Kael Varn, need to be ready. The ring chose you, but Oa will test you."
He met her eyes, his usual bravado slipping. "Test me how?"
"By demanding everything," she said softly, then turned and kept walking.
Kael followed, his mind racing. He'd faced death before pirates, storms, guild traps but this was different. The ring wasn't just power. It was a promise, one he wasn't sure he could keep. He glanced at it, its green light steady, unyielding. You picked me, he thought. Hope you know what you're doing.
Lirra's claws flexed as she led Kael toward the Guardians' chamber. The Citadel's hum, usually a comfort, felt discordant now, like a song out of tune. The Voidveil's attack had been no random strike it was targeted, precise, aimed at Oa's heart. Her telepathy caught whispers from passing Lanterns: fear, anger, questions no one dared voice aloud. The Central Battery's instability was no longer a secret, and doubt was spreading faster than light.
She glanced at Kael, his human face a mix of defiance and uncertainty. He was a liability untrained, impulsive, barely grasping the ring's power. Yet he'd fought the Voidveil, held his ground when most rookies would've broken. There was potential there, raw and unpolished, but potential wasn't enough. Not with the Corps fraying and the Voidveil circling.
Her mind drifted to Kryon, to the teammates she'd lost. She'd been like Kael once brash, sure her will could conquer anything. The Red Lanterns had taught her otherwise, their rage burning through her squad until only she remained. The memory stung, a crack in her resolve the Voidveil could exploit. She buried it, focusing on the task ahead. The Guardians would have answers. They had to.
The chamber doors loomed, carved with constellations that pulsed with green light. Lirra paused, her ring humming in sync with the Battery's distant pulse. "Kael," she said, not looking at him. "Whatever happens in there, speak only when spoken to. The Guardians are... not like us."
"Noted," he said, but his tone carried that infuriating human smirk. "I'll keep my charm on a leash."
Lirra's mandibles clicked, but she said nothing, pushing the doors open.
The chamber was a dome of starlight, its walls alive with galaxies that shifted and spun. The Guardians floated in a circle, their blue robes stark against the green glow. Ganthet, the eldest, regarded Lirra with eyes that seemed to see through her. Sayd, beside him, studied Kael, her expression unreadable. The air thrummed with power, but it was unsteady, like a storm held at bay.
"Lirra Syn," Ganthet said, his voice calm but heavy. "You have brought the new Lantern. Step forward, Kael Varn of Earth."
Kael hesitated, then strode into the center, his ring glowing brighter as if sensing the scrutiny. Lirra watched him, her telepathy catching a flicker of his thoughts nerves, defiance, a stubborn spark that refused to dim. She almost envied it.
"Uh, hi," Kael said, scratching the back of his neck. "Nice place you got here."
Lirra winced internally, but Ganthet's expression didn't change. "The ring has chosen you," he said. "A rare event, and a timely one. The Corps faces a crisis unlike any in its history. The Central Battery weakens, and the Voidveil grows bold. You, Kael Varn, are part of this."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Yeah, I keep hearing that. But why me? I'm no hero. I'm just a guy who flies fast and talks faster."
Sayd tilted her head, her voice soft but piercing. "The ring does not choose heroes. It chooses will. Yours burns brightly, even if you do not see it."
Kael shifted, clearly uncomfortable. "Okay, sure. But what's the deal with this Voidveil? Those things out there they weren't just monsters. They got in my head."
The Guardians exchanged glances, a silent tension Lirra felt like a blade. Ganthet spoke slowly. "The Voidveil is an ancient force, older than the Corps, perhaps older than the universe itself. It feeds on fear, doubt, the fractures in our resolve. The Battery's instability has drawn it, like blood in water."
Lirra stepped forward, unable to stay silent. "Drawn it how? The Battery has stood for millennia. Why now?"
Sayd's eyes narrowed, a flicker of unease crossing her face. "We... are investigating. There are indications of tampering, a corruption within the Battery's core. We suspect a traitor among the Corps."
Lirra's mandibles stilled, her telepathy spiking with shock. A traitor? The idea was unthinkable Lanterns swore oaths, bound their wills to the ring. But the Voidveil's precision, its timing... it fit. She glanced at Kael, who looked as stunned as she felt.
"A traitor?" Kael said, his voice sharp. "You're saying one of your own is helping those things?"
"It is a possibility," Ganthet said, his tone measured. "We have summoned all Lanterns to Oa for review. Until we know more, trust must be earned, not assumed."
Lirra's claws tightened. Trust was the Corps' foundation. If that crumbled, what was left? She felt Kael's eyes on her, searching for reassurance she couldn't give.
"What do you want from us?" Kael asked, his bravado gone, replaced by something harder. "I didn't sign up for this, but I'm here. So tell me what to do."
Ganthet's gaze softened, just a fraction. "Learn. Train. Become the Lantern your ring believes you can be. Lirra Syn will guide you. Together, you must uncover the truth behind the Battery's corruption and stop the Voidveil before it consumes us all."
Kael nodded, his jaw set. Lirra felt a pang of respect for him, fleeting but real. He was out of his depth, but he wasn't backing down.
As they left the chamber, the Guardians' words hung heavy. Lirra's telepathy caught a whisper not from Kael, but from the Citadel itself. A shadow, faint but growing, like a crack in the light.
The training grounds were a vast arena, its floor a mosaic of green stone that shifted to mimic any terrain. Kael stood at its edge, his ring glowing as Lirra faced him, her posture all business.
"Focus," she said, her voice cutting through the hum of Oa's atmosphere. "The ring is an extension of your will. Doubt weakens it. Fear breaks it."
Kael flexed his hand, the green aura flickering around him. "Got it. Think hard, don't panic. Easy."
Lirra's mandibles clicked. "Not easy. Necessary. Construct something simple a shield."
Kael nodded, raising his ring. He pictured a wall, solid and unyielding. Green light flared, forming a shaky barrier that wobbled like jelly. He grimaced, pouring more effort into it, and it solidified, holding for a moment before cracking.
"Better," Lirra said, circling him. "But your mind wanders. The Voidveil will exploit that. Again."
Kael tried, again and again, each shield stronger but never perfect. Sweat beaded on his brow, his frustration mounting. "This is harder than it looks," he muttered.
"It's supposed to be," Lirra said, her tone softer now. "Will isn't muscle. It's clarity. Find what drives you, Kael. Hold it tight."
He paused, his eyes distant. Lirra's telepathy brushed his thoughts a flicker of memory, a ship, a promise to keep flying no matter what. She didn't pry, but it was enough. Kael raised his ring again, and this time, the shield was solid, glowing with a fierceness that surprised her.
"Not bad," she said, a rare hint of approval in her voice.
Kael grinned, panting. "Told you I'm a quick study."
Their training was cut short by a tremor a low rumble that shook the arena. Lanterns nearby froze, their rings flaring as alarms echoed through the Citadel. Lirra's telepathy spiked, catching a surge of fear from the Battery's direction.
"The Battery," she said, her voice tight. "It's happening again."
Kael's grin vanished. "Those shadow things?"
"Worse," Lirra said, already moving. "Come."
They ran toward the Battery's chamber, joining a stream of Lanterns converging on the heart of Oa. The massive emerald construct loomed, its light flickering wildly, casting jagged shadows across the walls. Lanterns formed a perimeter, their rings raised, but Lirra's senses screamed with wrongness. The Battery wasn't just unstable it was bleeding, green energy seeping into the air like smoke.
A figure stood at its base, a Lantern Lirra didn't recognize. Their ring was dim, their armor cracked, and their eyes glowed with a red-black haze. They raised a hand, and the Battery pulsed, a wave of dark energy rippling out.
"Traitor!" a Lantern shouted, firing a construct that shattered against the figure's shield.
Chaos erupted. Lanterns attacked, their rings blazing, but the traitor's power was unnatural, fueled by something beyond will. Lirra dove in, her constructs slicing through the dark energy, while Kael followed, his shields clumsy but effective.
"Who is that?" Kael yelled, blocking a tendril that lashed from the traitor's ring.
"I don't know!" Lirra shouted, her telepathy probing the traitor's mind—and recoiling. It was a void, a scream of doubt and rage, twisted by the Voidveil. "Stay back, Kael!"
He didn't listen, charging forward with a green spear that pierced the traitor's shield. The figure staggered, their eyes locking onto Kael. "You," they hissed, their voice a chorus of shadows. "The new one. You'll break first."
Kael froze, the Voidveil's whisper clawing at him failure, fear, alone. Lirra felt it too, her own doubts surging, but she pushed through, slamming a construct into the traitor. They fell, their ring sparking, and the Battery's pulse steadied, just barely.
Lanterns swarmed the traitor, binding them in green chains, but the damage was done. The Battery's light was dimmer, its cracks visible now, glowing with faint red-black veins.
Kael stood, breathing hard, his ring trembling. "What... what was that?"
Lirra's mandibles clicked, her voice low. "Proof. The Voidveil isn't just outside us. It's inside."
She looked at the Battery, then at Kael, his face pale but defiant. The Corps was fracturing, and the traitor was only the beginning. Somewhere, the Voidveil laughed, its hunger growing.