sai

power within

Sami barely slept that night.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the blue crystal again.

He sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his hands.

“Void Energy…” he whispered.

A tiny blue glow appeared around his fingers.

Sami quickly closed his fist.

The glow disappeared.

He looked at the strange symbol on his hand.

“What am I becoming?”

The mysterious voice answered inside his mind.

You are becoming what you were chosen to be.

Sami stood up.

“Then tell me who chose me!”

Silence.

Then the voice spoke again.

Not here.

The next morning, Sami went to school like nothing had happened.

But things were different.

Kane noticed immediately.

“You look weird today,” Kane said.

Sami ignored him and kept walking.

Kane stepped in front of him.

“I’m talking to you.”

Sami tried to move around him.

Kane grabbed his schoolbag.

“Where are you going?”

Sami pulled the bag back.

“Give it to me.”

Kane laughed.

“Since when did you become brave?”

Sami's anger rose.

The symbol on his hand suddenly glowed.

A small burst of blue energy pushed Kane backward.

Everyone nearby froze.

Kane stared at Sami.

“What… was that?”

Sami stared at his own hand.

“I—I don’t know.”

Kane's expression changed.

For the first time, he looked scared.

Sami quickly walked away.

Not here.

The voice echoed in his mind again.

During lunch, Sami sat alone.

His younger sister had always told him he should stand up for himself, but now he wondered if his new power was something he should even use.

After school, he returned home.

His mother smiled when she saw him.

“You're home early.”

“Yeah.”

His little sister ran over.

“Sami!”

She hugged him.

He smiled.

For a moment, everything felt normal.

Then his stepfather entered the room.

“You're late again.”

Sami looked at the clock.

“I came home before dinner.”

His stepfather shook his head.

“Always excuses.”

Sami said nothing.

He went to his room.

That night, he made a decision.

He had to understand the power.

So he returned to the forest.

The moon was bright above the trees.

Sami stood where the crystal had disappeared.

“I'm here.”

The air became cold.

Blue light appeared in front of him.

The mysterious voice returned.

You came back.

“Tell me everything.”

A giant image appeared in the air.

Sami saw a strange world.

Floating mountains.

Purple skies.

Huge cities.

Warriors wearing futuristic armor.

Then the image changed.

A massive black army appeared.

Buildings collapsed as dark creatures moved through the streets.

“What happened?”

The Ancient Core was created to protect the universe.

Sami stared at the vision.

“The crystal?”

Yes.

“Then why did it choose me?”

The voice went silent.

Finally, it answered.

Because the Core recognized something inside you.

“What?”

Before the voice could answer, the ground shook.

Sami turned around.

A tall armored figure stood between the trees.

Its eyes glowed red.

“You found the Core,” it said.

Sami stepped back.

“Who are you?”

“The Dominion sent me.”

The figure raised its hand.

A dark energy blast flew toward Sami.

Sami jumped aside.

The blast struck a tree.

Sami's heart raced.

The hunter moved incredibly fast.

Sami raised his hand.

A blue shield appeared.

The hunter struck it.

CRACK!

The shield broke.

Sami fell backward.

“Your power is still weak,” the hunter said.

Sami stood up.

“I'm not finished.”

Blue energy surrounded his arms.

He rushed forward.

The hunter blocked his attack and pushed him away.

Sami hit the ground.

He remembered Kane.

His stepfather.

His mother.

His little sister.

He couldn't keep running from everything.

Sami closed his eyes.

He stopped thinking about his fear.

He focused.

The blue energy became calmer.

A long blue blade formed in his hand.

The hunter stepped back.

“So… you've learned already.”

Sami opened his eyes.

“What is the Dominion?”

“The people who will take your power.”

“Not happening.”

Sami charged.

The hunter blocked the blade.

Blue and dark energy collided.

The forest shook.

Sami pushed harder.

For a moment, the hunter was forced backward.

Then the hunter opened a dark portal.

“This is only the beginning.”

Sami pointed the blue blade at him.

“Wait!”

The hunter stopped.

“You cannot protect your family forever.”

Sami froze.

The hunter disappeared into the portal.

The blue blade vanished from Sami's hand.

He stood alone in the forest.

“How does he know about my family?”

The mysterious voice answered.

Because the Dominion is already watching you.

The next day at school, Kane followed Sami.

He had seen everything the day before.

He caught Sami behind the school building.

“What are you?”

Sami turned around.

“Leave me alone.”

“I saw what you did.”

Kane stepped closer.

“That blue energy… what is it?”

Sami stayed silent.

Kane looked at the symbol on his hand.

“You're hiding something.”

Sami walked away.

But Kane didn't follow.

He simply watched.

That evening, Sami stood on the roof of an abandoned building.

The city lights stretched across the horizon.

The mysterious voice spoke again.

You are ready.

Sami looked up.

“Ready for what?”

The sky suddenly opened.

A giant image appeared above the city.

Sami saw a huge tower surrounded by strange machines.

At its center was a massive black Gate.

Creatures moved around it.

“What is that?”

Your first mission.

Sami stared at the Gate.

“And if I fail?”

The voice became quiet.

The Gate will open.

Sami clenched his fist.

Blue energy surrounded him.

He remembered his family.

He remembered everything he had gone through.

Then he looked toward the sky.

“My name is Sami…”

The blue symbol on his hand began glowing.

“But if I'm going to protect this world…”

His eyes shone blue.

“…I'll become SAI.”

Far away, inside a massive Dominion ship, the armored hunter stood before a shadowy figure.

“The Core has awakened,” the hunter said.

The figure slowly turned.

“And the boy?”

“He has accepted the name.”

A dark smile appeared.

“Then begin the hunt.”

The Dominion ship disappeared into the darkness.

And somewhere in the distance, the first Rift began to open.