Lore

## Prologue: Augmentor Origin

The Augmentors are living pieces of amalgamated data. They came
into existence when the intricate and complex codes of life began to
merge with other, stray, pieces of information on Bello Realm.

Only when clumps of random data have fully synthesized, will an
Augmentor come into being. Once the integration process is complete,
they emerge through a birth-portal, which appears as a vibrant shock of
blue light. It is impossible to predict when or where an Augmentor will
be born; they are the result of a chance interaction.

The first Augmentors were born during the first age of the Realm. The
 Realm was still in its infancy and many of its regions did not yet
exist. Only the Amber Wood and the Frost Fang had properly materialized.
 These first creatures are the most revered of all the Augmentors. They
are Galaxia, Wisp and Gobi – and they are known as the Gods.

For millennia, the Gods traveled throughout the Realm, gaining a
great understanding of its nature. They explored new regions as they
developed and keenly observed the birth of other Augmentors.
Collectively, they decided to pass on what they had learned so that each
 new Augmentor could prosper. The three of them were very different, and
 faults in one were made up for by the merits in another. It was only
together, as a triumvirate, that they possessed the ability to govern
fairly and with compassion. Between them they made an unbreakable
pledge: swearing to always maintain order, balance and harmony within
Bello Realm.

## Prologue: The Birth of Solar and Rhule

During the second age of the Realm something happened, something
that would come to change the fate of the entire Realm. Below the Great
Tree in the Amber Wood, a birth-portal opened. It was a strange portal,
unlike any that had preceded it. It opened slowly; the usual blue light
was more intense and contained sharp streaks of purple. It was a
blinding light that illuminated the whole of the Amber Wood; even those
to the South, in the Serenity Lake and Bogmarsh, could see it. The
portal remained open for five days and news of its peculiarity spread
throughout the Realm. The Gods began to wonder if it was truly a portal
at all. Many of the Augmentors flocked to watch it; its colour patterns
were enticing and hypnotic.

On the fifth day, the portal’s shape began to bend and contort. The
Augmentors who were close by recoiled. Deep booming sounds, like the
cracks of thunder that surround the Infernal Gorge, emanated from its
centre. The trees in the Amber Wood started to vibrate and dark wisps of
 cloud blotted over the sky. Those present knew something was about to
happen.

The Gods watched on in a combination of awe and fear. The portal, in a
 rich swirl of blue and purple, ripped itself in two. The Gods did not
know what was happening, in all their time, such a phenomenon had never
before been witnessed. The two portals began to circle high in the sky,
next to the branches of the Great Tree. Their pace quickened, spinning
faster and faster. The Augmentors took refuge behind the trees, which
were now shaking so violently, they looked as if they would be torn out
of the ground. Then, in a sudden whoosh, the two portals plummeted to
the ground. They let off a brilliant flash of indigo and there was a
seismic thud, which made the ground shudder momentarily. A tense silence
 followed. The Augmentors gathered themselves from behind the trees,
which were once again rigid.

The Augmentors were wonderstruck. At the base of the Great Tree,
there stood two new Augmentors. Born from the same portal, they were
each half of a single whole, the first siblings to be born on the Realm:
 Rhule and Solar. They did not look alike, but each of them recognised
in the other a certain similarity. They had come from the same data;
they were constructed out of the same code. The Gods held a council and
discussed what this twin-birth could mean for the Realm.

Over time, it became clear that Rhule and Solar were not like other
Augmentors. They possessed abilities that had not been seen before; they
 could influence all the elements of the Realm. Fire, water, earth and
air could all bend to their will. Their powers surpassed even that of
the Gods, who knew that they would be capable of both great and terrible
 things.

## Prologue: The Third Age

As the third age of Bello Realm set in, the Gods retreated from
their duties of governance. Though rivalries between Augmentors had
developed, they had maintained stable peace and fellowship for over a
thousand years, upholding the pledge they had made all those centuries
ago. It was now time to pass on the responsibility of leadership to a
younger generation of Augmentors.

The Gods held a council in order to decide who should take up the
mantle of headship. It lasted an entire week and was an impassioned,
emotive debate. Galaxia suggested that Solar should be the one to lead,
on account of her honesty, sincerity and strength. In opposition, Whisp
argued that Rhule should be given the honor because of his boldness,
daring and bravery. Gobi listened patiently; he acknowledged that both
Galaxia and Whisp had worthy and valid opinions.

The debate between Galaxia and Whisp raged on and looked as if it
would never be resolved. Each held firm in their belief as to who should
 next govern over the Realm. Gobi, having measured both arguments,
decided to offer the two a compromise. His manner was calm and dignified
 and he spoke with a degree of insight:

‘My friends, we have not ruled so successfully and for so long over
the Realm because one of us is superior to the other. In fact, none of
us, on our own, can claim to possess all the traits required of great
leadership. We have only achieved so much because each of us possesses
qualities that the two others do not. We ourselves are balanced, and it
is because of this that the Realm also remains in balance.’

Galaxia and Whisp recognised the truth Gobi spoke of, and he continued.

‘This is why neither Solar nor Rhule can lead on their own. They can
only lead together. We know how similar they are, but we also know how
very different they are too, and it is this difference that will serve
to keep the other in check. We have long wondered why it was that they
were born as one, and perhaps this is the reason. Together, they can
uphold the balance of the Realm, because they themselves are the
balance’.

On finishing his speech, Gobi returned to the Bogmarsh and entered
relative exile. Galaxia and Whisp agreed that both siblings, as Gobi
said, should be given command over the Realm. The two of them then left
the Amber Wood, and the third age of Bello Realm began under the new
stewardship of Solar and Rhule.

## The First Council

The time had come for Rhule and Solar’s first council as the
joint stewards of Bello Realm. It was to take place, as all previous
councils had done in ages gone by, in the Amber Woods. All regions of
the Realm had provided representatives, all except for the Infernal
Gorge. Though none of the regions had provided a proxy, its presence was
 still felt as an ominous black smog loomed over the Gorge.

The woodland air felt heavy with anticipation as eager Augmentors
gathered below the Great Tree, where there was a small green clearing.
They waited anxiously as the morning light started to seep through the
leaves above them, which were shaded with the browns and oranges of
autumn. After a few moments, a bottomless bellow emanated from the base
of the tree, a sound that shook all the long, thick branches of the
wood. It was a signal they had been waiting for: the first council was
ready to begin.

Rhule and Solar took their place upon the Steward’s Stone, which was
covered in glistening dew, as the rest of the Augmentors circled evenly
around them. When everyone was settled, Markik, who had come down from
the mountains, raised his voice.

‘Stewards of the Realm, before you speak, let us who have travelled
many miles, pledge our allegiance to you. You have been chosen by the
Gods, the first Augmentors and the wisest of us all, to lead Bello
Realm. May you do so with courage and honesty, may you work together in
harmony and above all, may you strive to maintain this peace that we
have long enjoyed. Come, my fellow Augmentors.’

On Markik’s command, those present at the council recited in unison:

‘We, who are here now, pledge our loyalty to the new stewards of the Realm, Rhule and Solar,’

Rhule and Solar both bowed in appreciation and acknowledged Markik’s
show of goodwill. The great honor of stewardship was not lost on them
and they stood proudly as if posing for a painting. Then, Rhule replied:

‘My fellow, noble, Augmentors. My sister and I stand here before you,
 humbled and jubilant, for this truly is a grand occasion. This, the
first council, will be remembered for as long as Bello Realm exists.’

Solar then followed and spoke with less force than her brother,
though with more elegance. Her voice was both calm and reassuring.

‘Indeed, this is a memorable day. My brother and I promise to serve
the Realm as best we can. Your support will, no doubt, be needed as we
move forward into the Third Age, together’.

There was a general cheer and Tundris, hailing from Frost Fang, gave a
 howl in recognition of the new stewards. A howl that stretched to the
far corners of the wood, rustling the trees.

The council was to debate many things, but there was one subject of
considerable importance: the quest for knowledge and understanding
outside of the Realm. Rhule, who had always longed for adventure,
declared:

‘The time has come to explore the Datasphere. The Gods, they taught
us of our entire world, the Bello Realm, but now, we must go forth and
discover. We must discover the place where we originate from, the source
 of our very code and our powers. As proud and virtuous Augmentors, we
must reveal ourselves. We must show who we are in the name of Bello
Realm.

Rhule’s words were impassioned and stirring, his manner bold and
fearless. Ki, the head of the Jungle, enthusiastically beat his chest in
 solidarity with the proposal. Solar, however, was wary of Rhule’s
envisaged expedition as she did not think the time was right to tread
beyond their world. To Rhule, she responded with words of caution.

‘Rhule, you are the bravest of all of us and I would follow you into
the depths of the Datasphere. But, you cannot govern Bello Realm if you
are not here and I cannot do it alone. The Gods entrusted this honor to
the both of us for a reason. There is rising tension from those who
dwell within the Infernal Gorge, those who did not even provide a
representative for this council. We should both be here in order to deal
 with their growing discontent. The risks are too great and we do not
know what you will find, or if you will ever return.’

Rhule’s desire was ironclad. He thought they needed to know more
about the Datasphere and to understand it. Because of this, his sister’s
 words stirred inside of him, irritating him and creating an intense
response:

‘Solar, that is even more reason to go. Do you not see? We are not
meant to stay here, we are meant for greater things. We are meant to go
out and conquer.’ Rhule clenched his fist and banged it down upon the
Steward’s Stone. ‘That is why the Gods chose us to lead. And as for
those who dwell in the Gorge, all they need is a firm hand, someone to
put them in order. This, I trust, you can take care of on your own,
sister.’

There was an obvious unease between the new protectors of Bello
Realm. The rest of the council, now slightly agitated, was unsure of
whom to side with. Ki, who shared Rhule’s appetite for heroism, was in
support of his expedition, while Tundris feared that the growing problem
 with the Gorge would require Rhule’s resoluteness.

Though Solar tried to protest, voicing the need once again for both
new stewards of the realm to stay and rule, it was decided that a vote
was needed. After much deliberation, the council chose in favour of
Rhule’s exploration into the Datasphere. Elated, Rhule promised the
council that he would discover the origin of their existence. ‘I will
return,’ he said, ‘and with answers to the secrets of our world and
beyond.’

## Rhule Leaves the Realm

Rhule’s exploration party assembled on top of the highest
mountain in Sky Point, ready to begin their quest. They peered out over
the Realm and were once again reminded of its brilliant variety, its
abundance of colours and its defined landscapes. This was their home
and, as daring as they were, the intrepid explorers feared they might
never lay eyes upon it again. It was a chance all in the expedition were
 willing to take.

Though she still believed Rhule should stay, Solar too had travelled
to the leaving site. She could not bring herself to hold a grudge
against her brother and this was not the time for sour words. Neither of
 them knew what was going to happen.

‘Good luck, brother. If anyone can succeed in this mission, it is
you. You have the love of those that follow you. It is something all
great leaders can claim, the love of their subjects. Yet, I worry for
the Realm while you are away. I do not know if I alone can quell those
of the Gorge if they turn against me.’

Rhule embraced his sister. He knew she possessed just as much strength as he did, if not more.

‘Solar, my sister, I would not leave if I did not think you capable
of governing the Realm on your own. You are stronger than you know. The
Augmentors respect your wisdom and patience, yes, but sometimes,
decisive acts are needed. I know those of the Gorge fear your resolve
and will soon fall in line. I know I will return to the Realm as I see
it now. I salute you, Solar, chief steward of Bello Realm!’

Rhule’s words did much to ease Solar’s doubts. She knew what he said
to be true; the Augmentors of the Gorge would only recognise strength.
It did, however, still fill her with sorrow to see Rhule leave. They had
 never before been apart. She loved her brother and his extreme valour
was something all of Bello Realm revered.

Rhule and his followers prepared to leave. They were to propel
themselves upward until they reached the outer confines of the Realm.
Each of them said their farewells. There were great cheers of adulation
as the heroic party shot upwards. They climbed higher and higher until
vanishing beyond the rim of the clear pale sky.

## The Datasphere

Rhule and his followers searched
the Datasphere. It was a daunting and emotionless space, cold and
sterile. The only things that moved were fragments of data, which
whizzed through the dark in a flash. Rhule led the party to follow one
of the beams, hoping that it may lead to a discovery.

Inside the beam, shards of images
came in and out of view. They looked like places on Bello Realm. There
were mountains, trees and lakes –  all things that the Augmentors
recognised. Spurred on by these similarities, the brave explorers
tracked the beam across the empty expanse of the Datasphere. The voyage
was arduous; just when the beam appeared to be shortening, it would
unexplainably lengthen. It took Rhule and his followers deeper and
deeper into the unknown and further from the place they called home.

Eventually, just when the journey was
 beginning to seem unending, the beam began to disperse. Rhule and his
followers were relieved. They had, at last, reached its end. The fading
beam of light flickered toward something peculiar.  A little way in the
distance, there hovered a large curve of stones shaped like an archway.

The explorers approached it
tentatively, they were both guarded and curious. It was not clear how
the stones were held together, though they appeared weathered, they
seemed perfectly sculptured. Beneath them, there lay a void, desolate
and black. Rhule approached the archway before his followers in order to
 inspect it. To his astonishment, a piece of engraving was etched into
the top-stone. Though it was not fully clear, Rhule could make out the
words ‘This is the passage to the Grid, where the Masters of Data
reside.’

Still weary from their travel, the words both enthused and disturbed the party.

‘Are these Masters of Data what we
have been looking for?’ Headeron eagerly asked. ‘Do we take the passage
and see where it leads?’

To this, Rhule was unsure. He could
hear his sister’s voice urging him caution, but his heroic desire was
insatiable. After a few moments of contemplation, he spoke:

‘I do not know where this passage
will lead, my gallant companions, but I am of mind to take it. When we
set out, we did so with the goal of discovery. Perhaps these Masters of
Data will reveal to us the secrets of Bello Realm and where it is we
come from. We did not follow the beam for so long, just to turn back.’
His voice deepened, spurred on by his thirst for exploration. ‘I know it
 may be perilous, but that has not stopped us before. We are the first
Augmentors to ever travel the Datasphere. Follow me now, one more time!’

Rhule’s rousing speech galvanized his
 company. They would take the passage together. One by one they passed
under the archway and disappeared.

## Mutiny on the Realm

While Rhule and his companions
searched the unknown, unrest grew within the Bello Realm. The Infernal
Gorge was becoming more unstable and those who dwelled within it refused
 Solar’s call for calm and truce. Its inhabitants, Minitor, Blompta, and
 Azul had taken to plundering the Amber Woods and Jungle of Faces in
order to fuel the deep fires that blazed in the heart of the Gorge. They
 had clashed with Ki already, and in the battle had burnt down a sacred
part of the forest.

Ki was furious and blamed Solar for
not retaliating. He claimed Rhule would have dealt with the threat
immediately. Rumours were circulating that the fire-wielders were
planning to stage a mutiny. They believed the ancient trees of the Amber
 Wood would enhance their power.

Solar was now faced with a decision:
she could either attempt to negotiate or use a heavier approach. She
thought of her brother’s advice and knew what had to be done. Though it
pained her to use force against her fellow Augmentors, it was her only
real option.

When the three fire-wielders approached the wood, Solar confronted them. Minitor scoffed:

-‘You are not as strong as your brother, Solar. You cannot defeat all of us.’

Solar remained silent, though her outward shows of strength were not as common as Rhule’s, she was not to be underestimated.

-‘Back down’, Blompta said.

Solar was steadfast and invited them to challenge her.

Minitor lunged forward and sent a
wall of flame toward Solar. She countered it with a fierce gust of wind,
 which narrowly blew the fire back toward them. Together, the three
conjured a huge flame, which they shot at Solar’s feet. Solar jumped
backwards while narrowly avoiding it. Azul then stepped forward with a
sword of white embers and blue flames and swung it violently toward the
lone steward. She skillfully evaded while producing an immense barrier
of water, which extinguished the sword. Solar sent the water high up
above the three and brought it crashing down upon her three foes. It was
 enough to convince them that they were outmatched. They pleaded for
mercy, and though Solar felt a great surge of power and rage running
through her, she granted it. The fire-wielders returned to the Gorge,
sorry for doubting Solar’s strength.

News of Solar’s victory spread
throughout the regions. She had restored order to the Realm on her own,
without the aid of her brother. She had earned Ki’s respect, and the
mutiny had been quashed. Though it was a victory, it had left many
visible and personal scars upon her.

## The Grid

As the party stepped through the
archway, they became rigid and found themselves in a long fall, unable
to stop. ‘What’s happening’ one of them cried out. Fear began to take
hold as they spiralled downward. Powerless, Rhule thought he had led his
 followers to certain death. But it was not death that awaited them. It
was a prison. Unbeknown to the bold explorers, the passage they had
taken had been a trap, designed to entice errant pieces of data.

They eventually hit the ground and
the brave party lay stunned on a wide barren grid devoid of all life. It
 was made up of endless data fields, which stretched out in every
direction. Packets of data were ordered and followed fixed patterns of
movement. Regimented lines of code were infinite in number. Traumatized,
 the Augmentors could not comprehend what they saw before them. The grid
 filled them with misery. There didn’t seem to be any way of getting
back to the Datasphere. They were, for the first time, lost.

‘Where are we? What is this place?’ Some panicked and continued to cry out questions to anyone that would listen.

Distraught and helpless, Rhule looked
 at his followers and felt a great shame. It was he who had led them to
the grid and their suffering was his fault. He spoke with sincerity, his
 voice full of remorse:

‘I am sorry, my friends. It is I who
led you here. I have brought ruin to us all. I do not know what this
place is. And I cannot bear to see you despair.’

There was silence. They were all
overcome with a hopelessness that could not be expressed. No words would
 do. They struggled to move –  it felt as if they were chained to the
grid. There was nothing they could do.

## The Vow

After what felt like aeons, Rhule began to gather some of his
strength. He managed to break free of his invisible bonds, or at least
subdue them for a while. In an attempt to rouse his followers, all of
whom were still sapped of their energy, Rhule decided to search the grid
 for a way back to the Datasphere.

‘My brothers and sisters, I will not accept this dismal grid as our
final fate. I will go forth and search with all my might for a way to
escape, so that we may return to Bello Realm. So that we will return
home.’

Rhule’s followers were stirred by his words. Though they held little
hope for his success, they knew he would do everything in his power to
free them. Headeron stumbled to his feet, his body slumped forward as
the desolate realm pulled him forward. He spoke with every ounce of
strength he could muster:

‘Rhule, I will come with you. I have little strength but you cannot cross this grid alone, it is like a desert.’

Rhule was touched by Headeron’s devotion to him:

‘Headeron, you are one of my most cherished companions but I have
already caused you enough grief. I cannot ask you to risk anymore for
me. I do not know what is out there, nor do I know what I may find. I
must do on my own. I am the steward of the Bello Realm, a hero to the
Augmentors.’

Though Headeron protested, he knew Rhule’s word was final. Rhule
looked back one last time to see the bodies of his followers almost
lifeless. He was determined to find a way to save them, no matter what
the cost. He could have sworn they wept for him.

\*\*\*

Rhule’s body was heavy, but he pushed on despite exhaustion. He felt
an unnerving loneliness as he trudged across the grid. He aimlessly
moved between its vast fields, with nothing but regulated data for
company. He tried to keep optimistic, though this was difficult and he
often found himself fighting off moments of distress. An eternity seemed
 to pass.

The grid was not only expansive, it was also draining. He felt as if
he was walking through a thick fluid ever resisting against his
movement. There were short seconds when he thought he could see
movement, moments when bits of data seemed to rise up out of the fields.
 Each time he saw one of these sparks, he lumbered towards it. By the
time he would get there, however, the data had merged back into the
fields.

A strange uncanny feeling had also come over Rhule. For some reason,
he felt connected to the grid. He could not understand why; there was
nothing to identify with or relate to. As he continued to wander, he
took comfort from the odd feeling of familiarity he had with the place.

\*\*\*

It was not long before Rhule, one of the two stewards of Bello Realm,
 began to doubt if he would ever see his followers and friends again. It
 had been some since he had seen anything even remotely resembling an
Augmentor or life.

There were times when his feet would meld with the grid, his ankles
deep in the darkness that surrounded him. It was quite terrifying and he
 thought it a trick of the mind. He pictured the Augmentors who lived on
 the Northern Planes back on Bello Realm, those who had fallen into
madness because of extreme isolation.

Exhausted, Rhule collapsed. Lying upon the grid, it slowly engulfing
the rest of his body as it did his feet, he resigned himself to his
fate. He was alone and helpless, a stranger in a strange land. As his
eyes closed for what he thought was the final time, he heard a sound.
From somewhere in the darkness, both close and far away, there came a
tapping. The sounded repeated at regular intervals and showed no change.

Suddenly, it grew louder and seemed to approach him. The data around
him began to swirl, lights darting to and fro. Now, the sound was
deafening and Rhule pulled his arms out of the grid to cover his face.
Then, in a great abrupt flash, there emerged a large figure out of the
grid.

With his eyes and mind weak from the journey, Rhule could barely make
 out the figure. It loomed over him with an omnipotent presence. Its
eyes contained both everything and nothing as they pierced through the
steward’s mind.

‘Who are you?’ it asked. Its voice faint and echoing from every invisible corner of the grid.

‘I am Rhule. I am an Augmentor from Bello Realm. My friends… my followers and I are stuck here on this grid.’

‘You look strange, are you a data piece?’

‘No… I don’t know anymore. We crossed over from the Datasphere, from
Bello Realm, our home.’ Rhule’s words were heavy as he struggled to talk
 from exhaustion. ‘We’re explorers. We were attempting to discover where
 it is our own data originates from but we ended up here, and now we’re
trapped, imprisoned on this plane.’

The figure continued to stare at him. Rhule noticed through the daze
of consciousness that it was made out of data, but the appearance kept
changing like he was constantly refreshing. After a few moments, the
figure spoke again.

‘Do you know what this grid is?’

‘No, I do not,’ replied Rhule, gritting his teeth from exhaustion.

‘Everything you see before you, everything that ever was here is
under human control and is part of their network. This is where data is
governed over, enslaved, if you will. Nothing escapes the grid.’ The
figure cocked its head to one side, almost as if it took pity on the
creature before it. ‘How is it that you ended up *here*?’

‘We took a passage under a stone archway. It had an inscription about the Masters of Data.’

‘Those passages are traps, designed by the humans to catch unruly
data pieces and bring them back to the grid.’ The voice was calm and
cool, almost lifeless.

‘But we are not data pieces, we are Augmentors. We are warriors! We must be allowed to return home,’ shouted Rhule.

‘That may be so, but I’m afraid there is no leaving this place. I am
Shadox and I have known this grid since its inception, since before dust
 travelled the stars of existence. Once you are part of the grid, you
will be confined for eternity.’

‘But we are not part of the grid! We must leave. We do not belong here’, asserted Rhule, shocked at what he had heard.

‘No you are not part of it, yet, but you soon you will be. You will be subsumed by it. You may resist, but it will happen.’

At that, Rhule let out an audible gasp. He feared that his followers might have already been sucked into the grid.

‘But how is it, Shadox, that you appear before me now?’

‘I am old and have seen many things. I am a security protocol, or an
Ancient as others like you have called me. The humans tasked me to watch
 over the grid and check for corruption.’ Shadox’s voice was still
devoid of any emotion or feeling.

‘Corruption? What is corruption?’

‘If a data piece becomes corrupted they are able to move outside of
the grid – outside of order and control. And outside of the humans. It
has been my duty to track down these corrupted pieces.’

‘So if I was corrupted, I would be able to leave the grid?’

‘Yes, but once you are corrupted there is no turning back. You will lose all idea of yourself. You will not be the same.’

‘How do you become corrupted?’ By now Rhule has managed to at least
get to his knees, though he still felt as if life was falling away.

‘You take a vow, in which you renounce yourself and all of you. But I
 fear I have told you too much – corruption is not a path you should
take. If you do, you will not be the same. You will not be Rhule.’

‘I would lose myself… but I would also save myself.’ His voice was now a barely audible whisper. ‘ How do you know that?’

‘I am sorry, but you will become part of the grid. There is nothing
you can do, data must be ordered. It is the way of things. It is my
duty.’

At that, Shadox dissolved into the grid and disappeared. Alone once
again, Rhule knew he and his companions had one choice to make if they
wanted to be free of the grid. He realised that either his damnation or
salvation was at hand.

## The Return

The sky over Castle Rhune, one of the many havens of the
Augmentors, ripped opened and a dark purple fog emerged. The very air
crackled and fizzed while bolts of black lightning darted across the
sky. The Augmentors looked above in terror.  Slowly, figures began to
emerge from the eye of the storm. One by one the Augmentors made out the
 forms of Rhule and his followers. Steward and brother of Solar
bellowed:

‘Solar, sister, come here. It is I, your brother and I have returned from my journey.’

The Augmentors’ terror turned to celebration and they were overjoyed
at the return of the brave explorers. Solar swiftly made her way to
castle Rhune, where a crowd had begun to congregate, ready to welcome
the expedition. She longed to speak to her brother and tell him of all
that had transpired in his absence.

As Solar entered the castle, she felt a chill about her as if all her
 vitality had been drained. Markik and Tundris, already there, ran up to
 her:

‘Something is wrong, my lady. Something is very wrong,’ said Tundris in panic.

‘What is it?’ Solar asked.

But before Tundris could answer, Rhule howled.

‘Solar, we must go. Rhule is different. He’s no longer the brother you once knew. We must-‘

‘No,’ said Solar. She was adamant to see her brother.

Rhule and the rest of his followers stood in the courtyard of the
castle. Nothing could have prepared Solar for what she saw. They had
changed. Their eyes were blacker than night and their faces were
twisted, disfigured, even.

‘Hello, Solar, steward of the Realm.’ He held out a hand.

Rhule’s voice sounded deeper and menacing. It was a voice that Solar
did not recognise. His followers, too looked threatening, as if ready to
 fight without hesitation.

‘Brother, what has happened to you, my Rhule?’

‘I am no longer your… brother. I am stronger now that I am free from this world.’

‘What do you mean?’ Solar asked, alarmed.

‘Bow before me, Solar, and call me Dark Rhule. I am your God now.’
Rhule let out a laugh that echoed through the castle’s halls. It was
maddening and sent a shiver through those who heard it. ‘You see, we all
 took a vow that has freed us from Bello Realm’s teather. We left as
explorers, but we return as conquerors. I now rule the Realm, sister.’

Solar was left speechless. The Augmentors fled in fear as Dark Rhule
began to shoot streaks of purple energy around the castle, twisting and
corrupting its walls. The castle began to take on new shapes, turning it
 into a new home for Dark Rhule and his followers. He once more roared:

‘Well, will you bow?’

Solar clenched her fists as tight as she could. ‘You do not speak to
me as if I am your inferior. I am your sister and a steward of Bello
Realm. You are my brother and my equal.’

‘I ask again, Solar, will you bow to me, the hero of the Augmentors?’

‘No, Rhule. You left here a hero, a protector. What you have done
here today will not be forgiven. We may be blood, but my duty is to the
Augmentors. I will not bow to you, not now, not ever. I will resist you
and I will protect the ones I love, even if they are damaging others.’

‘Ha – so be it’

Dark Rhule lifted his arm and fired a burst of power at Solar, which
connected and flung her out of the fortress. Markik and Tundris rushed
to her aid and picked her up. They carried her back into the Amber
Woods, careful to avoid more of Dark Rhule’s bursts. They hid in the
wood until she had recovered. Bello Realm was in a state of dismay and
it shook in terror.

## The War

Bello Realm, which had only ever known peace, had become a place
of conflict. Dark Rhule and his followers launched attacks from Fortress
 Rhune on any Augmentors who dared to defy them. The once virtuous and
honorable explorers were no longer the same – they had been warped by
their thirst for power and survival. The vow of corruption had, as
Shadox said it would, changed them.

Solar began to form a resistance and valiant Augmentors flocked to
her cause. They called themselves the Light, a party to fight the
encroaching darkness. They confronted Dark Rhule’s army and fought many
ferocious battles. Yet, the shadow of evil was creeping over the Realm.
Dark Rhule had recruited more Augmentors to his cause, promising them
great power if they joined him. Everything was in the balance. The Realm
 was divided into Light and Shadow. Now, friends had become enemies,
sister fought brother, and chaos reigned over Bello Realm.

From a distance, a figure stood silently and watched the world slowly unravel.

## A New Power

Clouds of war hung in the sky. Peace now seemed like a
long-forgotten dream for the creatures of Bello Realm. The earth and the
 air pervaded with tension. Rest was impossible as everyone was on their
 guard.

The noble Solar wore the scars of her many battles. She had become
the Augmentors’ greatest warrior and posed a great threat to the
Shadowmentors. Her bravery and skill could only be matched by Dark Rhule
 – the rest of his followers did not dare challenge her alone.

Solar summoned her generals to a meeting. Whispers had reached her
that Dark Rhule was planning to harness a great power and she needed to
discover what it was. Deep in the Amber Woods Solar gathered with Markik
 and Tundris. Solar spoke first:

‘My wise generals, word has reached me of a great danger. Rhule… Dark
 Rhule is planning to gather a power to use against us. I do not know
what it is but we must find out at all costs.’

Solar’s warning shocked her company, who already feared that Dark
Rhule’s growing strength was too great to overcome. Markik responded
with trepidation.

‘A new power? Then surely all hope is lost, we are barely containing
his evil as it stands. Where is this power going to come from? The
Gods?’

‘I do not know,’ responded Solar, ‘but we must enter Castle Rhune and discover his plan.’

Tundris, who had managed to keep Rhule’s forces at bay in Frost Fang, spoke next.

‘Solar, you have lead to us with all the courage bestowed upon you,
but to try and storm Castle Rhune is a fool’s errand. We would never
make it past the walls, we would be defeated. The Shadowmentors are too
many, we would need twice the number of warriors we already have.’

In her heart, Solar knew Tundris’ council to be true. The castle was well fortified and they would never stand a chance.

‘Tundris, you are a loyal and wise friend and I know I should listen
to your counsel, but I must find out what Dark Rhule is preparing. If,
like I have heard, he gains control of this power, he will be
unstoppable. We cannot enter the castle by force, but perhaps I can by
guile. If I go alone, there will be less chance of being caught. I can
do what an army cannot.’

Markik could sense that Solar’s mind was made up, but he attempted to dissuade her nonetheless:

‘Solar, the risk is too great. If Dark Rhule captures you, he would
have no one to oppose him. We are not strong enough to resist him
without you!’

Solar knew what would happen if she failed, but she also knew what
would happen if she did nothing. She resolved to enter the castle that
night, alone.

\*\*\*

Castle Rhune had become a lawless place. What was once the proud and
stately center of Bello Realm, now stood as the nucleus of the
Shadowmentors’ anarchy. It was wild, full of howls and screams, where
Dark Rhule’s followers revelled in their corruption.

The savage crowd gathered in the great hall. Dark Rhule was ready to
reveal to them his plan to capture a great and secret power. Unbeknown
to the delinquents, however, was that Solar, disguised in shadow, stood
among them. She had slipped through the castle’s guard unnoticed and
could now listen intently to Dark Rhule’s announcement. She avoided eye
contact with anyone and joined in with the beastly chants as to not draw
 any attention to herself. As Dark Rhule emerged at the head of the
hall, the throng fell silent.

‘My faithful and brave kin, I stand here now ready to taste an
ultimate power. A power which will let us reign over all of Bello Realm.
 I am going to open a portal between our world and the grid to a place
called Earth. The power of the grid will be mine. There, I remind you,
we would have been subsumed, imprisoned forever. There, data is only a
tool for the human race, something to control. Well, I say we are not to
 be controlled. We are to control them!’

The crowd responded with violent cheers as Dark Rhule cast open a
portal. It appeared to take an incredible amount of strength from him,
but he kept on.

‘I will first reveal myself to the humans and bring them under my
rule. I will make them bow down before me, the one true hero of the
Augmentors. They will have a choice: become our allies or be defeated as
 our enemies.’

The shouts from the fierce Shadowmentors became louder and Dark Rhule
 stood with arms outstretched, adopting a position of godly veneration.
The hall shook with the movements of the crowd, which now resembled a
feral animal pack in barbarous ecstasy.

With one dominant step, Dark Rhule entered the portal and vanished from sight.

Solar, who had remained hidden within the mob, began to edge closer
to the gateway. She readied herself to make a break for the portal and
follow Dark Rhule to the Earth realm. She was acting on instinct and
full of nervous energy, almost overcome by the noise and brutality
inside the hall.

The portal was now in view. It was quite large and emitted a sinister
 light. As Solar muscled her way to the front of the crowd, she steadied
 herself. She would need to be quick, if she was seen, she would
undoubtedly be destroyed. When a gap opened, Solar burst forward. As she
 did, she was spotted by some of the crowd, who let out cries of
astonishment. They fired bolts of energy at Solar, but she was able to
dodge them. They whizzed past as she approached the portal. In one great
 jump, Solar flung herself over the threshold.

## The Arrival

Sora, Matt and Shiro sat in Central Park, enjoying the soft grass and
 gentle sunshine. It was late in the afternoon and the hum of traffic
could be heard in the distance. Their phones lay beside them, buzzing
every now and then with messages from friends.

As the sun began to drop behind the Manhattan skyline, with an orange
 glow reflecting in the city’s steel and glass towers, a peculiar event
occurred: at once, all of the mobile phones in the city began to
vibrate. The three friends looked at each other, perplexed by what was
happening. Each and every phone shook with a great force, as if they
were about to explode and shatter into a million pieces.

‘Guys, what’s going on?’ asked Sora.

The park’s visitors stopped what they were doing and stared at their
phones in disbelief, confused by the mysterious phenomenon. Then, each
device’s screen turned an unnatural, bright shade of purple.

‘This is so strange,’ muttered Matt to no one in particular. ‘Is this a new software update?’

‘I don’t think so,’ replied Shiro. ‘It’s nothing I’ve heard of anyway.’

A deep, rumbling noise erupted all around them.

‘What was that?’ asked Matt, nervously. ‘Did you guys hear that?’

The noise broke out once more. It sounded like a low, manic laugh
that echoed from within a never-ending cave. The friends looked around,
but could not see where the noise had come from. They got to their feet
and saw others speaking to each other, just as bewildered as they were.

Just then, an eerily silent darkness fell over the park and their
phones suddenly stopped emanating their sickly purple shine. Strange
thumping sounds started getting louder all around the park’s visitors,
but the three friends could not see nothing out of the ordinary, and
nothing to explain what was happening.

One by one, each of the friends raised their phones to take photos
and videos of the chaos that surrounded them. Suddenly, a great figure
was looming over them, seeming to have appeared through the screens of
their phones. Though there was nothing visible in the real world, the
virtual one held the abominable sight.

The trio screamed in terror.

Dark Rhule was in their world and incomprehensible to the naked, human eye.

With people shoving their phones into their pockets and fleeing in fear, Dark Rhule began to speak.

‘So, this is what you look like, you pitiful humans.’ His voice
boomed through every device’s speaker, carrying a dark and sickly tone.
‘You look fragile and weak. I am not impressed.’

The friends stood frozen but held their devices up to the behemoth; Rhule continued to speak.

‘Humans, I am your new God! It is now time for the shadows to reign.
Your systems of order and your ideas of control will exist no longer.
Join me and my army of chaos if you wish or do not, and succumb to your
rightful, deserved destruction.’

Dark Rhule’s attention turned to the three friends. He eyed them up and down, a wicked smirk appearing across his face.

‘You three, I will make an example of you first. You will find it an honor to be sacrificed by my power.’

They turned to run, but their bodies were full of fear and frozen to the very ground they stood on.

‘Turn off your phones,’ Matt screamed as he fumbled for the device’s
off switch. ‘He might vanish if we do!’ They tried in desperation to
kill their phones, to erase the image of the creature, but their efforts
 were futile.

Dark Rhule lifted his arms, ready to strike them down and issue his
warning to those who would oppose him. The three held onto each other as
 they prepared for the end.

Another light appeared just as Dark Rhule’s arm came down; it left
him momentarily blinded. The friends looked up and saw a new figure
facing their attacker. It was Solar, and she had blocked his strike with
 all of her strength.

‘It cannot be,’ cried Dark Rhule.

‘It is, brother,’ Solar said sternly. She stood in front of the
friends, shielding their bodies. Their phones now focused on her form.

Dark Rhule and Solar raised their arms and simultaneously released
energy bolts that collided in a massive and thunderous crash. The great
battle between Shadow and Light had made its way to Earth. While one
side was corrupted by the humans and sought vengeance and power, the
other looked upon them with compassion and aimed to protect their mortal
 souls.