Esoterra – 1948 AM, Thursday, March 27
Cafeteria – 13:25
“Hernietta, I heard your son’s making waves at TU. A real genius, huh? They say he’s behind some groundbreaking tech,” one of the researchers remarked, stirring his coffee.
“Yeah, Hern, isn’t that amazing? Like mother, like son!” another chimed in.
A third nodded. “Word is, he perfected the theorem we’ve been struggling with. Guess that’s how it should be, right? The next generation surpassing us.”
Hernietta chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re all giving me too much credit. That’s his own hard work, nothing to do with me. The best I can offer is my prayers and hope that he chooses the right path.”
“A mother’s pride,” one of them mused, smiling. “Speaking of achievements, how’s the sample coming along?”
Hernietta checked her tablet. “We’ll be running the tests right after this break.”
Trial Room – 14:30
Hernietta placed a gentle hand on Naura’s shoulder. “Are you absolutely sure about this? If you have any doubts, we can stop now.”
Naura met her gaze, determined. “I’m sure, Mrs. Hern. If this works, we might finally have some answers.”
Hernietta studied the young woman for a moment before nodding. “Alright. Let’s say a prayer before we begin.”
The room fell silent as the team bowed their heads. When the moment passed, a researcher straightened and checked the final readings. “All systems ready. Preparing to administer the injection.”
“Starting in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…”
The vial emptied into Naura’s bloodstream. The monitors flickered with data.
“Sample successfully integrated. Running immune system diagnostics,” another researcher announced.
Hernietta leaned in. “Naura? How do you feel?”
Silence.
Then, a sharp breath.
“Mom…” Naura’s voice trembled. Her hands clutched her head, fingers digging into her scalp. “Mom… WHO AM I!?”
The air shifted. Every hair on Hernietta’s body stood on end.
“Emergency! Subject displaying extreme immune reactivity, mutation confirmed! Initiating extermination protocol!” a researcher barked.
A hand hovered over the emergency kill-switch. But before it could be pressed—
CRACK!
Naura lunged, smashing through the reinforced glass like it was paper. The researcher barely had time to gasp before her hands wrapped around his throat.
“JACK!” Hernietta’s scream cut through the chaos.
“WHO AM I!?” Naura shrieked again, voice raw, eyes wild with something inhuman.
A yellow-green glow pulsed beneath her skin, growing brighter. The radiation meter spiked.
“She’s going critical!” someone shouted.
Hernietta’s stomach dropped. “MARRY! Lock down Area 26! Now!”
Marry fumbled for the controls, but it was too late.
A searing flash—
BOOM.
The night sky of Esoterra lit up in a violent burst, radiation surging outward in a 30-meter radius. It wasn’t an explosion of destruction, but something far worse, a silent, invisible storm of energy.
Hernietta, barely clinging to life, crawled toward the communication terminal. With the last of her strength, she sent a desperate signal to Earth 2.0.
Then, nothing.
Earth 2.0 – 1950 AM, Wednesday, June 13
Shelter – 06:45
The interplanetary comm device buzzed again, sharp, insistent, like it had been for the past few minutes.
Alex jolted upright, heart pounding as he registered the blinking Esoterra identifier on the screen. His breath caught.
“Mom?”
He tapped the message open. The voice that played was weak but unmistakable.
“My dear Alex, congratulations on your achievement… how are you, son? I’m glad you’re okay. Cough cough… Alex, I’m sorry… there’s not much I can give you. I should be there for you, in your best and worst moments. But here I am, choosing to do what I believe is right… putting humanity first, even over my own son.”
Alex gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white.
“Alex… be yourself. The only thing I can give you is hope. I hope… I hope the choices you make will be the best for you.”
A long pause. Then, softer, almost pleading.
“Live, Alex. Just… live. Being alive is the best part of life. Cherish it.”
A sharp breath, then static.
Alex’s chest tightened. “Mom…” His vision blurred as hot tears spilled down his face. Something was wrong.
The static crackled again. A faint voice, distorted, desperate.
“Alex… alive… I want to live, Alex. I WANT TO LIVE—”
Tuuuut. Tuuuut. Tuuuut.
The signal cut.
Alex gasped, his body locking up as the world around him dissolved. He felt it again, the crushing weight, the suffocating silence. He wasn’t in his shelter anymore. He was back there. In that moment.
The explosion. The glow.
His mother’s voice fading into nothing.
His breath came in ragged gasps. Cold sweat dripped from his chin.
“Another nightmare?” he muttered, pressing a shaking hand to his forehead.
He sat there for a long moment, staring at the dim ceiling. Then, with a groan, he pushed himself up and staggered to the sink.
The mirror reflected a pale, exhausted face. His own.
He twisted the faucet. Water splashed against his skin, shocking him back to the present.
“…AGE,” he muttered, barely recognizing his own hoarse voice.
The concept of time was strange on Earth 2.0. The planet’s slow rotation stretched days and nights far beyond what the human body was designed for. And yet, they clung to the ancient system, seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, because losing that would mean losing themselves.
Alex never paid much attention to it. The only thing that mattered was today.
And today, he was busy.
The clock read 06:45, fifteen minutes before another endless routine. Another day in his cramped shelter, no bigger than a garage. Another job.
Thirty anti-gravity thrusters. A custom order. His highest-priced product.
By 15:45, he had to deliver them.
No delays. No distractions.
And definitely, no time for dreams.
Trappistan University – 09:14
Library
The scent of old books and freshly printed research papers lingered in the air as Starlight stepped inside the library. Sunlight streamed through the massive windows, casting long beams of gold across the polished wooden floor.
“Good morning, Miss Stellar!” Mrs. Kelly, the librarian, greeted her with a warm smile from behind the counter. “And congratulations on your AGE development! A great success, I hear.”
Starlight returned the smile, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. “You flatter me, Mrs. Kelly. But I do hope it helps stabilize things… The uncertainty has gone on for too long.”
Mrs. Kelly chuckled. “I’ll drink to that! Now, what brings you here, Miss Best Answer?”
Starlight laughed softly at the nickname before lowering her voice. “I heard that the AGE concept was first proposed by someone else before my research. I was wondering if there’s any documentation on Alexsir Vasseur?”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
At the mention of the name, Mrs. Kelly’s smile faded slightly. She let out a small sigh, her gaze drifting as if recalling something distant.
“Alexsir, huh…” She shook her head. “Poor kid. Just like you, he was one of my favorites. Always here, always reading, always pushing ideas after finishing just a single book. A brilliant mind. But after that… incident at the research center on Esoterra’s midnight side—” she hesitated, then sighed again. “He vanished. Just like that. No trace.”
Starlight frowned. “Vanished?”
Mrs. Kelly nodded. “Like he was wiped from existence. No biography, no official records—nothing.”
Starlight bit her lip. “Nothing at all?”
“Well, there is something…” Mrs. Kelly tapped her chin, then snapped her fingers. “Wait here.”
She disappeared into the archive section, leaving Starlight standing in silence.
Three minutes later, she returned, holding a thin, slightly worn book.
“Here,” she said, placing it on the counter.
Starlight picked it up, scanning the title.
“Calculus of Emotions.”
She arched an eyebrow. “What is this?”
“A research paper he wrote in his first year,” Mrs. Kelly explained. “It discusses how implanted genetics correlate with the formation of a subject’s subconscious.” She shook her head, a small smile forming. “Honestly, it’s absurdly complex. I don’t remember half of what I read. Hard to believe an eighteen-year-old wrote it.”
Starlight ran her fingers over the embossed title, feeling a strange weight settle in her chest.
“Thank you, Mrs. Kelly,” she said, quickly filling out the loan form.
She turned to leave, but as she stepped out of the library, she nearly collided with someone carrying a trash basket.
“Whoa, oh, Stepan! Good morning!”
The janitor glanced up, brushing dark bangs out of his eyes. “Oh. Miss Star. Morning. Not that there’s been a morning for the past two years.” His voice carried his usual sarcastic drawl, but his eyes flickered toward the book in her arms.
His expression darkened.
“You still think that idiot who dumped your package at the junkyard’s lost-and-found is the same person as your fictional idol?” he muttered.
Before Starlight could respond, another voice cut in.
“Hey, troublemaker! Watch your mouth!”
Revana.
She strode up, arms crossed, glaring at Stepan. “You don’t get to judge other people when you’re like, this.”
Stepan smirked. “Oh, and here comes the nagging lady.” He gave a mock bow. “But really, both that overly nice guy and your fictional idol, Miss Star shouldn’t waste her time chasing ghosts.”
He turned slightly, his face shadowed as his tone dropped.
“In my experience, people like them don’t bring happiness.”
Revana scoffed. “Huh?! At least people like them are better than you, troublemaker!”
Starlight watched the two bicker, but her mind was elsewhere.
Chasing ghosts?
She didn’t refute them.
Not because she agreed, but because she wasn’t sure what she was chasing anymore.
“Star?”
She blinked. Revana was looking at her, concern etched on her face.
“Are you okay?”
Starlight hesitated, then forced a smile. “Ah, no, I was just thinking… You two have gotten really close, huh?”
Immediately, Stepan and Revana turned to each other, then away, faces flushing slightly.
“Haaah?! No way!” they denied in unison.
Starlight chuckled.
“Hmph.” Stepan scoffed and picked up his trash basket. “I’ve got work. See you, Miss Star. And you, Miss Grumble.”
Revana fumed. “What’s his problem? You shouldn’t even talk to someone like him, Star!”
Starlight shrugged. “It’s fine, Rev. He means well.”
Revana huffed but let it go. “So, what’s your plan today?”
“I was going to spend some quiet time reading.”
Revana smirked. “And dig deeper into that mysterious prince?”
“Revana!” Starlight’s ears burned. “I—I never thought of it like that!”
“Sure, sure. But you did bring the book.”
“It’s just a research paper! You seriously think Sir Alex and Alexsir Vasseur are the same person?”
Revana crossed her arms. “It’s too much of a coincidence. The genius who vanished. The mystery guy rejecting AGE. Similar names.” She narrowed her eyes. “It just fits.”
She paused, then sighed. “Though… I do agree with Stepan on one thing.”
Starlight raised an eyebrow.
Revana pursed her lips. “That guy was stupid for returning the package. But maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe he knows something we don’t.”
Silence.
Starlight had no answer.
Then—
Bzzzt.
Her comm-watch vibrated. A new message.
She tapped it open.
SUBJECT: Invitation
FROM: V
CC:
Come to the LYOD city warehouse area, Block F.
15:45
You will find something interesting.
-V
Starlight’s brows furrowed. “V…? Warehouse block F?”
Revana peeked at the screen. “That’s sketchy. Just ignore it.”
But Starlight wasn’t convinced.
This email wasn’t sent to her public address, it had arrived at her private one. The one only trusted people had access to.
Something about it felt deliberate.
“…I should check this out,” she murmured.
Revana frowned. “Star, come on, it’s obviously a prank.”
Starlight shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Revana’s concern deepened, but before she could protest, Starlight stepped back.
“Actually, Rev, I forgot I have something to do at my apartment. Let’s split here for now, okay?”
Revana hesitated, but eventually sighed. “…Alright. Just be careful, okay?”
Starlight nodded, but something about this invitation made her heartbeat quicken.
15:45.
Block F.
She didn’t know why—
But she had a feeling this wasn’t just some prank.
And she had to be there.
Alex’s Shelter – 14:50
Deep within his underground workshop, surrounded by the hum of machinery and the faint glow of holo-monitors, Alex worked tirelessly.
Today, the genius underground engineer had no plans to leave his workstation. His focus was singular, finishing the last batch of anti-gravity thrusters.
Each one required exactly twenty minutes to assemble.
By his calculations, the 30th and final unit should be completed at precisely 15:10.
"Yosh! That’s the last one."
Alex exhaled in satisfaction, stretching his fingers as he checked the time.
15:08.
Right on schedule.
"Time to pack up."
Without hesitation, he began loading the 30 anti-gravity thrusters into a crate, securing them carefully onto his hoverboard, a sleek but utilitarian model, built solely for transportation, not for riding.
By the time he finished packing, the clock read 15:17.
It was time to go.
Since he didn’t own a vehicle, and his hoverboard wasn’t designed for carrying people, he had no choice but to travel on foot, his hoverboard floating behind him, following automatically like a silent companion.
But Alex wasn’t worried.
He had calculated everything, the exact time, the precise walking pace,
As long as nothing disrupted his plan,
He would arrive right on time.
LYOD City Warehouse Area – 15:40
Alex walked briskly through the dimly lit corridors of stacked containers, his hoverboard silently following behind, carrying a crate full of anti-gravity thrusters.
All according to schedule.
Then, a sinking feeling in his gut.
Shit. My self-protector.
His steps stuttered slightly. How did I forget that?
The underground was lawless. No IDs, no authorities. Only survival. If you couldn’t fight, you needed protection and a self-protector was the best there was. His invention could absorb high-impact kinetic force, even deflect plasma rounds.
He exhaled sharply. Too late to turn back now.
Nothing should go wrong. This was just a transaction.
He pressed on.
Warehouse Block F – 15:45
Starlight crouched behind a stack of containers, her sharp ruby eyes scanning the open field ahead.
A man walked into the clearing, followed closely by a hoverboard carrying a metallic crate. Opposite him, a young woman with blonde hair tied back approached.
Starlight narrowed her eyes. An illegal deal?
"You have the package?" the woman asked, voice smooth and businesslike.
The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his gaze flicked around before settling on her.
"Where’s Mr. Etols? I was told I’d be meeting him," he said, tone light but cautious.
"Oh, that." The woman tilted her head with an easy smile. "He had other matters to attend to. I am Vale, he sent me instead."
The man remained unreadable. "That so?"
His stance shifted slightly.
"And what did he say about Scipio?"
The woman hesitated. "Scipio…?"
Then it clicked. A verification test.
He had expected a response. A counter-sign. If Vale was truly sent by Etols, she would have said "Africanus." Anything else meant red flag.
Alex’s stomach twisted. Damn. A setup.
Where’s Etols? Are they holding him? Did they kill him?
He had to think fast.
He forced a chuckle, stepping back. "Oh, so you don’t know that Scipio this Scipio lalala…. wait, holy shit! What is that glowing thing in the container!?"
Vale’s head instinctively snapped toward the crates.
Alex ran.
"Tch… ACCEL!" Vale, or whoever the hell she was, shouted, calling for backup.
Behind the Containers
Starlight watched, wide-eyed.
Scipio…?
Before she could react—
"AFFIRM, NAURA! TARGET B IS HERE!"
A voice erupted behind her.
She barely turned before a hand clamped over her arm.
"HAAA!" Starlight screamed, thrashing as a man yanked her back.
Alex had made it exactly 10 meters before stopping, his minimum safety distance. Outside melee range. Only a 30% chance of getting shot.
Then...
"You better not run too far, Sir Alex! Or this woman pays the price!"
Alex’s jaw clenched. He turned slowly, eyes locking onto Vale, no, Naura.
Beside her, Accel held Starlight in a firm grip.
"You’re resorting to hostages now?" Alex scoffed, arms crossing. "Cheating bastards. But what do I care? I don’t even know her."
Starlight flinched.
Then...
"Sir Alex?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the weight of it made Alex pause.
Starlight’s eyes widened in shock. Alex? Could it be...
Naura smirked. "Oh, I think you’ll care." She turned slightly, gesturing toward Starlight.
"This isn’t just anyone, this is Starlight Stellar."
The air seemed to freeze.
Alex’s expression barely changed, but his pupils shrank.
Naura leaned in slightly, watching him closely. "Ring any bells, Sir Alex?"
Starlight’s breathing hitched.
Naura’s smirk widened. "You, of all people, should understand why this matters. Your mother, Hernietta Stellar, was one of the most brilliant minds of her time."
Starlight stiffened.
Hernietta Stellar?!
That name… she knew it. Her father, Brighton Stellar, had mentioned her before. Her father’s distant cousin. A genius only second to him.
Alex was her son?!
Her thoughts raced.
"The Stellar bloodline," Naura continued. "A lineage of unmatched intelligence. And you, Starlight, have perfected AGE..."
Starlight’s breath hitched again.
Alex, however, remained eerily still.
Damn, couldn't this day get any worse? How could Starlight and Naura be here? What a sick coincidence!
Alex said in his mind.
Naura’s smile didn’t waver.
"But that’s not the only reason we want you both."
Alex exhaled slowly. "Then what is?"
Naura’s topaz eyes gleamed.
"We are Alexandrian."
Alex’s stomach twisted.
"Our goal is simple," Naura continued. "Humanity has lost its way. Technology has become its greatest poison. So we will reset it all, wipe every trace of it from existence. We call it the Grand Reset."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Alex felt his jaw tighten. Starlight’s hands trembled.
Naura took a step closer, her tone as smooth as ever.
"That's exactly why we need both of you, the underground genius and the genius above the clouds. Together, you'd be the perfect combination to open Pandora’s Box"
Silence.
Starlight swallowed hard. Alex’s breathing was slow, measured.
Then Naura’s smirk returned.
"Not a bad offer, right?"
Before Alex could give any responses, crackling plasma shot tore through the air.
Bang!
The impact exploded against Accel’s arm.
“GAHHH!” He staggered back, his fingers convulsing as the nerves in his hand seized up. Starlight wrenched herself free, stumbling forward.
"DON'T THINK YOU CAN LAY A HAND ON STARLIGHT, YOU TERRORISTS!"
A familiar fierce voice rang out.
From behind the towering stacks of metal containers, Revana emerged, blaster in hand, eyes blazing with fury.
She wasn’t alone.
Stepan, Gabie, and a full squad of security forces flanked her, weapons locked and ready.
Accel clutched his arm, jaw clenched in pain. “NAURA! THIS IS BAD!” he gasped, staggering toward her. “WE NEED TO FALL BACK!”
Naura’s topaz eyes darkened, her lips curling in frustration.
"Tch… Damn it!"
Without hesitation, she reached into her coat and hurled something to the ground—
Smoke erupted.
A thick gray fog swallowed them whole, and within seconds, the two had vanished.
"STAR!"
Revana ran toward Starlight, who stood there, pale, motionless.
“Reva… I’m fine.” Starlight’s voice was steady, but her grip on her sleeve trembled slightly.
Alex watched, eyes flicking between them. Then without a word he threw the crate off his hoverboard and jumped onto it.
In an instant, the board roared to life.
He was gone.
"WAIT! SIR ALEX!"
Starlight’s voice cracked, a desperate, almost broken sound.
Alex didn’t stop.
Her vision blurred. Her fists clenched.
"Miss Star, you should stop," Stepan said softly. "I told you, people like him will only bring you pain."
Her lips quivered. Her knees felt weak.
Then, for the first time in years, Starlight cried.
Not because she was hurt. Not because she was weak.
But because for the first time, she felt abandoned.
On the rooftop of a nearby building, a figure in a black cloak stood, shrouded in shadows.
They had seen everything.
Their voice was quiet, almost a whisper.
"When a star can no longer hold its own mass…"
They tilted their head slightly, gazing down at Starlight.
"…it collapses into itself, dense, powerful, unstoppable."
A faint, eerie chuckle.
"Oh, star that becomes a pulsar… will you illuminate the path—"
The figure turned their gaze toward where Alex had disappeared.
"—or will you, become ALEXANDRIA?"
End of chapter II.
