Eight planetary cycles until exams begin.
The next day, Finn stood across from Kaeline with his hands on his hips and his head tilted slightly as he stared down at the assortment of weapons laid out in front of him. Swords, daggers, short spears, even a few strange blades he'd never seen before. Kaeline's voice broke his silent stares.
"Your dagger was shattered during your match with Myzen at the tournament, so I managed to find you some temporary replacements to use until the exams are over."
"Temporary? "Why temporary?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Because after the exams, you're going to need something better… We're going to find you a cosmic artifact."
His eyes lit up and his short pointy ears began to subtly flutter.
"That's right! You mentioned those before! Uhhhh… The captain! You said that the captain has one, right?"
"That's correct. Elara's sword she carries is a cosmic artifact."
"Woah… That's crazy. But… uh, what are cosmic artifacts exactly? You've kinda teased them to us, but you never really explained."
She turned to the weapons laid out before them.
"Cosmic artifacts are unique items that are made up of pure cosmic essence. No one has been able to confirm their origins, but everyone seems to agree that they have some form of connection to cosmic wells as they are only found there and cannot be made. They come in all forms, weapons of all types, armor, relics, jewelry, anything."
She knelt down and picked up a slender sword with one hand, raising it in front of her face and staring into the reflection of herself.
"They're ranked much like cosmic wells. F to B-ranked artifacts can be used by almost anyone—they'll enhance your abilities, increase your CPI, maybe even grant you a limited new affinity if you're lucky."
She paused for a moment, her expression becoming a bit more serious as she continued.
"But then there are the A and S-ranked Artifacts… or better known as true cosmic artifacts. They are a bit different."
"How are they different, sensei?" Finn asked.
She lowered the sword from in front of her and looked directly at him.
"They're alive."
Finn's entire demeanor shifted slightly as soon as he was able to process her words.
"They're… alive? What do you mean by that sensei? How could they be alive?"
Kaeline nodded before she began to speak to him.
"They are called Celestial Guardians. Conscious beings made out of pure essence and can materialize into physical form from their artifact, and fight beside you. But that's not all. After forming some type of mutual bond with your guardian, it grants you access to something extremely rare… something nearly all star travelers can only dream about."
Finn leaned forward.
"And what's that, sensei?"
"A resonance transformation."
His jaw nearly hit the floor hearing the bombshell dropped on him.
"Wait, wait—like the thingy captain did against that Myzen guy? The one when her red essence engulfed the entire moon?!"
Across the room, Kaito, who had been sitting cross-legged with three flickering lanterns sitting in front of him on the ground, whipped his head around after picking up on what was said.
"Wait. You mean the captain did a resonance transformation during the tournament?"
Kaeline looked over her shoulder at him.
"That's right Kaito, you were unconscious for Elara's fight against Myzen weren't you? But to answer your question, yes, she used a resonance transformation during the tournament, but it wasn't hers."
Kaito blinked at light speed, trying his damndest to process what he was hearing.
"So you're saying… the captain… has TWO resonance transformations?"
"Yes. Yes, she does. But… I've never witnessed her using her own. Only her guardian's." Kaeline said as her eyes wandered off, as if she was contemplating something herself.
Finn, whose mouth was still hung open, was finally able to speak up again.
"So you mean the captain's true resonance transformation is still completely unknown?"
Kaeline's contemplation was cut short hearing this and she gave her attention back to Finn before speaking up.
"Unknown… and likely far more powerful."
Kaito leaned back slightly, his hands falling into his lap as he absorbed this new information just dropped on him.
"Everyday it seems like I find something new about you that continues to widen the gap between us. She's around the same age as me, if not a stellar cycle or two older right? She's… amazing. How much power does she truly have? Are elves really that broken in terms of strength and essence? Just… What exactly are you, captain?
Finn scratched his head, still struggling to fully wrap his mind around everything being discussed, finally gave up and asked a different question that came across his mind.
"So uh sensei… You said these artifacts can only be found at or around cosmic wells right? What exactly happens to a cosmic well when someone defeats the head guardian? Like, does it just stay dead forever? Does it disappear or something?"
Kaeline shook her head.
"No. Over time, new head guardians are born from the essence remnants of the previous ones. It's a continuous cycle—much like life itself. Death, rebirth, renewal. That's the nature of the universe that applies to all things… even cosmic wells and their guardians."
Before he could fully process what she told him, another question struck him and he perked up once more.
"Hey sensei, if I get one of those artifacts… will it tell me what my affinity is?"
She chuckled softly before genuinely beginning to actually laugh a bit, something so rare even Elysia and Kaito on the other side of the room looked at each other confused and slightly worried. Elysia's skin even began to glow pink subtly.
"No I won't, but there are a few individuals scattered across the galaxies who can. They're called soul seers."
"Soul seers?" Finn repeated, wide-eyed.
"Yes. They have the ability to peer into your essence and soul directly. They can see the raw affinity or numerous inside you, even before you awaken it yourself."
Finn's eyes practically sparkled with excitement.
"And… we'll meet one after the exams?" He asked, somewhat hopefully.
"Yes. After you've survived the exams we should be able to visit one on Jinx's homeworld in Starfall city. That way you and Kaito alike can find out your true potential together."
On the other side of the training room, Kaito sat cross-legged on the floor visibly frustrated as he stared at the motionless lantern in front of him. His hands, lined with faint purple essence, trembled ever so slightly as he tried to spark it to life.
Nothing.
The lantern sputtered weakly, flickered... and then died out entirely. He clenched his fists and jaw at the same time. Elysia, who had been watching silently next to him, finally spoke up.
"Take a breather, Kaito dear. You're forcing it too much. Please, rest your mind for a moment."
He let out a deep breath, dragging a hand through his dreadlocks. He dropped back onto his elbows trying to relax and calm himself down, but a slight shimmer of frustration was still on his face.
Elysia studied him for a moment. Seeing him frustrated… something about seeing him that way didn't sit right with her. Without thinking too much, she smiled and spoke up, trying to pull him out of his mood.
"So… Kaito dear. Can you tell me… uhh, about humans, Earth, the Accord... I'd love to hear more about it all. I haven't heard you talk too much about any of them, Kaito dear."
He sat up straighter, his face shifting slightly as he considered her words. After a second, he spoke—his voice low, slightly laced with something… heavy.
"...From what I heard growing up in Thalos' underground... and from what the Accord broadcasted across the galaxies under their rule… Earth was ambushed eighteen stellar cycles ago… The same day I was born."
Elysia's smile slowly faded away hearing this, but before she could say anything or try and change the subject, he continued.
"They crippled the entire planet in an instant. They hit all major cities, military bases, communication hubs, even space stations… all at once. There was no time to fight back. No time to even process what was happening… It wasn't a war… it was a massacre."
He began to stare off into nothingness as a new thought crept into his head…
"It's almost as if someone…"
But his thought was abruptly cut off by Elysia placing her hand lightly over her chest and letting out a gasp, visibily horrified by the thought of such a thing happening to billions of innocent lives… All for reasons no one knows… for now. Kaito continued, trying to change the subject to ease her stress.
"But the attack wasn't the end of it. After that… they sent millions of troops down to the surface. Not just to finish off the survivors, but to strip the world clean. They stole everything. Art, landmarks, historical artifacts… culture itself. Some of it got sold onto the black market, bit by bit over the cycles, but all of the rest are in the Accord's possession. That's how Farro found those Earth books for me when I was a kid. And when I got older... I started digging myself. Found movies, music, posters... all of the stuff in my room here on the ship that I managed to grab from the orphanage before we left Thaloria. I thought you might want to—"
"Music!?!?" Elysia perked up and she scooted a little closer.
"You found human music?? I love listening to music from different worlds! It's a hobby of mine. What's it like, Kaito dear? What kind of music did your people listen to?"
Kaito chuckled lightly, some of the weight lifting from his shoulders seeing her sudden mood change from distraught to excitement.
"There's a lot of different types. I don't have everything, obviously… but out of what I was able to grab there's Micheal Jackson, Green Day, Kendrick Lamar, Kaoru Akimoto, Lady Gaga, Anri… oh and some artist named Ado, I really like her music a lot. There's more packed away in my closet as well."
She tilted her head adorably.
"Lady... Ga..ga?" She repeated slowly, as if trying to decipher an ancient spell.
Kaito couldn't help himself but to chuckle at her cute innocence.
"Hehehe, yeah. According to the earth history and geography books, a lot of the stuff I found was made in or originated mostly from five territories on Earth we humans called countries. They're Japan, Brazil, Nigeria, France, and the United States of America."
Elysia's eyes widened in wonder and she began to slowly say the names of each of the countries one by one..
"Wowww… Japan… Brazil… Nigeria… France… and the United States of America!? all those places sound so fascinating! Can I see the stuff you have Kaito dear whenever we finish training? I'll stop by your room tonight if that's okay?"
"Hehe sure, just let me clean up a bit for us. But they're all so fascinating in their own right—or they were… at least." Kaito said, a touch of sadness slipping into his voice before he carried on, hoping Elysia wouldn't catch it and begin to worry about him like she always does.
"Apparently, my parents were from two of those places. My mom was from Japan and my dad from the United States."
Elysia's face lit up with pure interest hearing new personal information about him and this mythical world called Earth.
"You have to show me all the things you brought back someday, Kaito dear! The books, the posters, the movies... and especially the music! I want to hear it all!"
Kaito smiled genuinely now hearing the excitement and curiosity of Elysia's words and demeanor. Seeing her take such an interest in his homeworld and his people made him slightly feel… a way.
"Yeah… I think you'd like it a lot actually. Especially Lady Gaga, she seems kinda up your alley to me."
They shared a small laugh together, but as it died down, a new question floated in Elysia's head, one that… despite her hesitation or how touchy it might be, she couldn't shake it.
"...Wh- what about Earth now, Kaito dear? Is it still habitable? It's only been about eighteen average stellar cycles since the... H-Have you ever thought about going back?"
Kaito's smile faded and his gaze dropped to the darkened lantern sitting silently between them.
"Of course I've thought about it. But… it wouldn't be smart."
"Why not, Kaito dear?"
"After the Accord tried to claim Earth as their new territory... they ran into a problem. You see, this galaxy we call Viridion—what humans called the Milky Way—was never fully under the Accord's control. Only under its influence along with many worlds that reside in it. Due to this, other civilizations in the galaxy freaked out when they found out what the Accord did without telling anyone. It showed how little regard they had for true balance and law. This caused a lot of them to vote against joining the Accord's alliance after that."
Elysia listened closely, the depth of the situation slowly sinking into her.
"And Earth…?" She asked softly.
Kaito couldn't help but scoff when she asked this.
"Today? Earth's nothing but a dead wasteland. Sure it may be habitable to a degree after all these years, but that doesn't matter at this point… The entire star system, including the other planets there, are completely restricted, enforced by numerous laws from numerous different governmental bodies and civilizations. I heard some even work for or with the Accord. It's completely forbidden for anyone to approach."
His voice dropped much lower… and a wave of depression clearly took over his entire mood.
"Even if… There's nothing for me there. They took everything that mattered anyways. My people, my world… my family… everything."
Silence enveloped the both of them after those words left his mouth. Elysia tried to say something, to comfort him, but was abruptly cut off by Kaeline's stern voice coming from across the room.
"Stop wasting time flirting, you two. Get back to training."
Elysia jumped slightly, her cheeks flushing pink as she turned toward Kaeline and quickly bowed.
"Y-yes, Miss Kaeline! Sorry, Miss Kaeline!"
Once Kaeline's attention shifted back to Finn, Kaito glanced at Kaeline. As he did, his eyes got caught on the kunai strapped to her hip and an intriguing thought crossed his mind. He turned back to Elysia and asked curiously.
"Hey... Elysia. You and Kaeline sensei are from the same galaxy, but not the same world right?"
"That's right, but why do you ask, Kaito dear?" Elysia nodded before tilting her head curiously.
Kaito scratched his head, thinking it over before speaking.
"Well... her world's full of shinobi, right? Warriors who fight in the shadows?"
"Mhmm. That's all I really know. I've never visited her homeworld personally."
Kaito leaned back, his mind racing.
"It's weird. According to some old history books Farro found me… the country my mom's from, Japan, has a really deep culture tied to shinobi too. Like… a massively huge part of the history. But the thing is, we're from two completely different worlds in two completely different parts of the universe…"
He paused, his voice trailing off into thought.
"Crazy, right? Or... maybe it's just a coincidence."
Elysia didn't really react to this, instead she smiled and reached out to adjust his hair in his face.
"It does sound crazy, but… maybe it's not something so simple. Who knows, maybe there's a connection between your world and miss Kaeline's that neither of you know about yet. Maybe you should mention it to miss Kaeline someday. I think she'd find it just as fascinating as you do Kaito dear."
Kaito stared at the small lantern on the ground as her words echoed in his mind. Just then, Elysia's voice shifted back to its usual sweet tone like usual as she spoke up.
"But sorry to change the topic… We need to get back to your training right away, Kaito dear. We can talk more about it later in your room, okay?"
Kaito sat there silently for a moment contemplating everything… his home, the past, the strange possible connections between their distant worlds... everything. But eventually, he let it go, then nodded.
"Yeah... I'll do that. Thank you Elysia… Oh also, I want to hear more about you and your world. I don't want you to feel like I'm putting you off, I really want to know more about you… so would that… be okay?"
Elysia's eyes seemed to become filled with pure happiness hearing this and she placed her hand on the side of his face, rubbing and slightly pinching his cheek.
"Of course Kaito dear. I would love that."
Kaito smiled hearing this and placed a hand gently over hers that was resting on his face. Little did Elysia know, his eyes shot down the four times the speed of light to catch a peek at her boobs that were slightly slipping out of her white coat, before looking back into her eyes like nothing ever happened in that very moment.
They both stayed in place, staring into each other's eyes silently for a few LONG moments before Elysia said something.
"I saw that."
Kaito didn't miss a beat or break character when he responded.
"No you didn't."
On the far opposite side of the same star system, hidden behind a large, desolate rocky planet with scattered pockets of small green oceans, drifted the star traveler licensing station. Inside the heart of the colossal structure, hundreds of glowing monitors formed a towering wall in a huge room. Pale blue and gold light illuminated the room.
At the center of the room sat a slender alien woman. Her skin was porcelain-white and seemed organic yet robotic in a way. Beneath her skin were faint shimmering lines of iridescent circuitry subtly glowing, flowing through her as if data itself sustained her life. Her two red, predatory-like eyes locked onto the monitors. Beneath them were a second smaller set of identical eyes blinked independently, shifting between monitors in a machine-like pattern… almost as though a second consciousness lived within her, analyzing and processing information separately.
She sat back in her seat and began to speak.
"Another promising harvest of ascendants…" She said, her voice layered with a second robotic voice.
She slowly raised one hand with elongated claw-like fingers before slicing gracefully through the air. Instantly, three profiles expanded and floated forward.
"Finn… Nara… and of course, Kaito." She said as a subtle spark of intrigue shimmering in her eyes as numerous red warning pop-ups flashed urgently around Kaito's profile, highlighting the singular word.
Human.
"So this is the infamous human everyone's clamoring about? Born on the day your world burned… Such an exquisite tragedy. The universe truly enjoys poetic cruelty, doesn't it?"
She sat back in her chair again after analyzing his profile more and her eyes drifted to Finn's and Nara's profiles.
"Interesting indeed… All three serving under the infamous S-Ranked captain, Elara the Destroyer. A cluster of ascendants like this is rare—no, unprecedented. Perhaps the universe is finally feeling generous… or exceptionally cruel."
With a dismissive flick of her wrist, Kaito's and the other profiles dispersed, sinking back into the ocean of glowing data and other profiles.
"Ah, my human child, I'd be far more intrigued if I didn't already have a superior target in mind the universe has brought to me." She whispered, her voice dripping with a cold amusement of sorts.
A single snap of her elegant fingers summoned a fresh, singular profile from the glowing sea of profiles. It stretched across multiple monitors, showing a portion of a lean elven silhouette, the rest of its features obscured by layers of classified redaction… all except for three crucial lines of information glowing beneath:
Name: Sylas
Race: Keldon Elf (Core Race) – Mixed Heritage (Unknown Sub-Elf)
Key Relation(s): Brother - Theron - S-Rank Captain (Missing/Presumed Dead)
The woman's four eyes seemed to ignite with a predatory intensity, and she leaned forward, her lips slowly stretching into a wicked… almost sinister grin..
"You, my precious little ascendant… Sylas. The unwanted shadow cast by the great Theron of the Keldon elf race. A being trapped between illustrious bloodlines, shaped by unbearable pressure, consumed by legacy—yet… unspoiled by the universe's true darkness. Unclaimed. Untamed."
She extended one elegant finger, tracing invisible lines around Sylas' obscured profile.
"You are my ultimate variable—an equation even I cannot yet predict. The universe craves fresh chaos, fresh ambition. And you shall be my catalyst."
She leaned back in her chair, seeming to savor the thought as every monitor around her began to pulse faster—almost as if resonating with her twisted excitement.
"Come, Sylas… Prove your worth to me. Rise and burn brighter than your lineage ever intended."
She lifted her slender hand once more, her elongated fingers slowly forming a single, final snap.
In an instant, every monitor simultaneously went out, plunging the entire room into absolute darkness… except for the faint glow of iridescent circuitry beneath her skin, eerily illuminating her silhouette.
In darkness, her smooth and robotic voice uttered out something… words that seemed saturated with layered meaning, hinting at a power and truth beyond mortal comprehension.
"Only eight planetary cycles remain until the exams begin… Prepare yourselves well, ascendants, but do not forget…"
Her circuitry gradually faded, and in the final moment before darkness overtook the room entirely, she said one final thing.
"The universe waits for no one."