Tridonia Nexus: Alex's Journey

9 Inno's Mysterious Plans

Meanwhile, Kaelen, or Inno as he was once known, sat in the dimly lit chamber of his hideaway in Shadowfell Kingdom. The city he lived  was in Twilight Hollow. A city built within a massive hollow tree, where the branches obscure the sunlight, creating perpetual dusk.

In the silence of the cavernous hall, his mechanical arm whirred as he absentmindedly toyed with the 'blue ring' on his finger.

The inscription "E.I."—standing for Edzil and Inno—glistened faintly in the light, a reminder of what once was.

It had been so many years since he had last seen his family, since the day he was taken by the wayward Elders of the Tridonia Nexus. These Elders—Myrna, Icarus, and Z3-NO—had prepared him for greatness, but they had also robbed him of his humanity.

They had shown him endless images of his family to keep him tethered to the world he had been stolen from, as if to remind him of what he was sacrificing in pursuit of power. Every picture of his twin brother, Edzil, stung like a dagger to his heart. The supposed bond they would share as children could had been deep, inseparable.

Now, they were worlds apart, with Kaelen imprisoned in his half-human, half-robotic body, a shell of the man he once was.

Yesterday had been their birthday. The knowledge that he and Edzil had turned forty-five weighed heavily on him. Every year, he thought of the moment they shared as infants when they first received the blue rings—gifts from their father, Elion. That ring was to symbolize their bond.

Kaelen glanced down at the ring once more, the weight of its meaning sinking in. He remembered the elders whispering that this ring had the power to save him one day, to bring him back from the brink if ever he lost his way.

But when his powers were stripped by the revered rulers of Tridonia, the ring had been useless. It had failed him, just like everything else in his life. He had tried to throw it away countless times, but something always stopped him. Perhaps it was the hope, however small, that it could still mean something.

Elder Myrna appeared instantly before him and said.

"We don't know the specifics, but that ring was mysterious."

Elder Icarus stood beside her and comforted Kaelen.

"That ring will also help us lift the curse casted on us by the chief rulers of Tridonia Realm."

Hearing this new information about the ring, Kaelen was dumbfounded. He asked in doubt.

"Elders....Are you cursed too? But how and why?"

Z3-NO standing in mid air, continued. He said in a low and humble voice.

"You will find out after the ring saves you."

Kaelen was shocked to these revelations. After some thoughts, the three vanished in thin air and left him alone.

His thoughts went back to his family.

Alex. His nephew. The boy had the same gift as him. That truth had shaken Kaelen to the core. For thousands of years, no one in Technopolis had been chosen by the Tridonia Nexus, not since his own fall from grace. Yet, somehow, Alex had been given that same rare ability.

Kaelen’s emotions were in turmoil. Part of him was overjoyed to see his family lineage continue to play a role in Tridonia's future, but another part of him was consumed by jealousy and rage. Why had the Nexus chosen Alex and not him? Why was his nephew being given the opportunities that had been taken from him?

Kaelen remembered the last time he saw Alex in a timeless mirror—a child, no older than five or six, full of life and promise. Seeing him now, standing tall with the gift of Tridonia coursing through him, had stirred something inside Kaelen. He was both proud and envious, happy yet furious. The power that Alex now wielded could change the course of history, and Kaelen had plans for him.

But first, there was another pressing matter—the family gathering for their father Elion’s seventieth birthday.

Kaelen knew that his twin brother Edzil and the rest of the family would be there. The thought of seeing them again made his heart ache. How he longed to embrace his father one last time, to tell him the truth about what had happened all those years ago. But Kaelen also knew that he couldn’t simply walk back into their lives, not after everything that had transpired.

His mind was a war zone of conflicting emotions. The memories of their childhood together, the love and bond they shared, were overshadowed by the dark path he had taken. The Elders had told him that greatness awaited him, that he was destined for more than the simple life his family had offered. But that greatness had come at a cost—he had lost his soul in the process, and now he was little more than a shadow of his former self.

The truth was that Kaelen had wanted it all—power, control, and recognition. He had been seduced by the idea of becoming a ruler, of bending the very fabric of Tridonia to his will. But now, after so many years, he realized that all of it had been a lie. His pursuit of power had left him broken, isolated, and filled with regret. He was no longer human in the ways that mattered. The Elders had stripped him of his compassion, his empathy, and his connection to the world around him. And in the end, they had taken everything from him.

Now, as the family would gather to celebrate Elion’s milestone, Kaelen—or Inno, as his brother still knew him—was faced with a choice. Could he risk revealing himself to them? Would they even recognize the person he had become? The temptation to confront them, to demand answers, gnawed at him. He could feel the pull of his old desires, the part of him that still craved power and control.

But then there was Alex.

The boy held the key to something far greater than any of them realized. Kaelen could see it now. If he could somehow manipulate Alex, guide him in the ways he had once been guided, perhaps he could regain some of what he had lost. Alex was still young, still impressionable. If Kaelen played his cards right, he could turn Alex into the very thing he had once aspired to be—a ruler of unmatched power and vision.

Yet, there was another part of him, a small but persistent voice, that whispered of redemption. Perhaps, if he reached out to Alex, he could make amends for the mistakes of the past. Perhaps, through his nephew, he could find some semblance of peace.

The decision weighed heavily on him, but time was running out. He had heard rumors that Elion’s birthday celebration would be held in Etheria, one of the most breathtaking kingdoms in all of Tridonia.

A city known for its floating gardens and aerial races, attracting adventurers and thrill-seekers.

The floating gardens would provide the perfect cover for Kaelen to observe the gathering from the shadows. He could see his family, study them, and decide his next move.

But deep down, Kaelen knew that this wasn’t just about observing. He had a plan—a dangerous, delicate plan that involved both his family and his nephew. If he could draw Alex into his orbit, guide him towards the same ambition that had consumed him all those years ago, then perhaps he could still achieve the greatness he had once sought.

Kaelen’s mechanical fingers tightened around the blue ring. The inscription “E.I.” seemed to mock him, reminding him of the bond he had with Edzil, the bond that had been shattered by greed and power. But this time, things would be different. This time, he wouldn’t be the one to fall.

As the shadows of Shadowfell Kingdom closed in around him, Kaelen made his decision. He would go to Etheria. He would watch, and he would wait. And when the time was right, he would make his move. Whether he would find redemption or reclaim the power he had once lost, only time would tell.

But one thing was certain—his nephew Alex  would be the key to it all.