The lecture on Monster Nutrition droned on, the instructor's voice echoing dully across the amphitheater-style hall. Bright hologram screens hovered in the air, displaying cross-sections of monstrous anatomy and serpentine digestive tracts, armored lung sacs adapted to deep-sea pressure, and muscle fibers glowing faintly with residual bio-energy. Each slide rotated automatically, but Saurai paid no attention to the pace of the lecture.
He was seated near the back, posture relaxed, fingers flicking quickly through his digital notes. His screen displayed not just the day's lesson but full chapters from the advanced nutrition modules stored in his personal database. He had gone far beyond what the teacher was explaining.
This wasn't just about grades. It was about survival. The world around him was too unfamiliar, too full of layered systems which are some biological, some political, others technological. Everything here felt like a living machine, and every line of textbook content could hold the clue to understanding how that machine worked… and how to avoid getting crushed by it.
He had just reached a complex section on "Subdermal Organ Clusters in Abyssal Serpents," when a sharp pain flared behind his temple. It wasn't physical but more like an electric buzz that vibrated through his skull, pulling at something just behind his eyes.
Saurai winced and leaned forward slightly, clutching the edge of his desk. His breath caught in his throat.
The room spun.
And then it faded.
He stood inside a vast, ornate chamber.
The ceiling stretched so high it vanished into shifting shadows. Arched beams curled above like sculpted vines, woven through with crystal conduits that pulsed gently with light. Warm gold sunlight spilled through stained glass windows set into one entire wall, casting waves of amber and sapphire across the polished marble floor. The floor itself was etched with flowing geometric designs that seemed to dance subtly when he blinked.
A slow awareness crept into him.
This wasn't the academy. Not even a school. It felt like a memory but unlike the fragments he'd seen before, this one was vivid. It was a Whole. He could smell the faint tang of perfume in the air, the sterile metal undertones of high-end tech embedded in the architecture.
He stood as his self.
There were four people in the room, including him. He recognized only one: Varuna.
His older brother stood at ease in the far corner, arms folded, posture alert. His eyes met Saurai's for a moment and it was calm, unreadable, and with the same faint smile he always wore. There was something reassuring about that expression, though it carried a quiet pressure too.
Two others stood at the center of the chamber.
A woman and a man.
The woman was stunning, commanding the room with her presence alone. She wore a flowing coat of deep velvet black with silver patterns shimmering faintly at the hem. Her black hair cascaded down her shoulders in carefully styled waves. Her smile was gentle, proud but sharp, too. Like someone who had learned how to love without ever forgetting how to lead.
Beside her stood a simpler man who modestly dressed in a conservative sweater and plain pants. At first glance, he looked unremarkable, someone who might blend into the background without effort. But beneath his round glasses, his eyes held an unexpected depth and calm, observant, quietly intelligent. There was a weight to them, as if he'd seen more than he let on. He offered Saurai a faint, gentle smile, not forced but almost instinctive, the kind that asked for nothing and offered quiet warmth in return.He seemed to be deeply in love with the women.
Saurai stared at them both, mind whirring.
Were they his parents?
Why couldn't he remember them?
The woman stepped forward, she came before saurai and placed her hands gently on either side of Saurai's face.
"You don't need to feel pressure because of Varuna," she said, her voice smooth, laced with affection. "You'll make us proud. No matter what happens. We will always love you."
Her smile deepened, and for a moment, her eyes softened into something vulnerable. Saurai's chest tightened.
Then the man stepped forward, holding out a sleek, thin object.obsidian black, about the size of seed. A memory chip. Its center was lined with a faint, glowing streak of blue.
"Here," the man said, speaking cautiously. "This chip contains information. Private guidance protocols. Custom research threads. Hidden datasets not found in the central grid. Activate it but only when you've reached your academy. Do not try to open it before then or Luna might detect it."
"Luna?" Saurai asked in the memory.
"The central system," the man said in a hush, as if the name alone might trigger surveillance. "She watches everything on Artemis-5. If she detects unauthorized code or bypass attempts then the consequences would be unpredictable."
The man said, "I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but according to our research, it won't be long after you graduate from the academy before the world falls into chaos. There will be bloodshed, lots of it."
The woman immediately reprimanded him. "Don't talk nonsense."
Then she turned to saurai and said more gently, "The time is approaching. You need to be ready... but also, make sure to enjoy your time at the academy."
Young Saurai looked confused. "Why not just give this to Varuna?"
At that, the woman's lips curled faintly. Her voice remained calm, but her tone shifted.
"Your brother, he's not like you. He's powerful, yes. But not patient. This chip requires study and also required Discipline. You're the only one we trust with it And maybe, one day, you'll use it for more than just catching up."
Saurai glanced at Varuna, who stood silently across the room.
He didn't speak. He didn't argue. Just watched.
Then the memory faded.
Saurai gasped, blinking rapidly.
The amphitheater was still there. The faint hum of air vents above. The dusty smell of old tech and polished desks. The lecture was ending.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his eyes.
The memory chip.
The couple. The woman and man. Were they his parents? Why didn't his memories of them return before? Why did he feel nothing when he looked at them and only a fog, like looking through water at distant shadows?
And why had they been so secretive?
Was his family in some danger?
Or worse, Are they traitors?
What will happen after my graduation which will make world chaotic.
He shook his head. That path led to spirals.
He needed to stay focused.
Don't jump to conclusions. Work with the data you have. That voice in his head was his own, but sharpened like a memory from a past life or the residue of who he used to be.
Still, the questions clawed at him.
Why had they warned him about Luna? Why had they placed so much pressure on subtlety and patience? Was Varuna involved in something else or something that demanded distance between them?
And why didn't the sight of his supposed parents trigger more memories, like Varuna had?
Not everything familiar awakens something. That was another lesson. Familiarity wasn't the same as emotional connection.
Still… now he has a thread. A real one.
The chip.
Saurai reached down toward his bag, slowly unzipping the hidden compartment at the very bottom. There, tucked into the mesh lining between two reinforced flaps, was the chip.
He touched it, feeling the smooth metal beneath his fingers.
Cool.
Silent.
Waiting.
And now, he had confirmation that it wasn't a hallucination. It had been real all along.
He could access it.
He just had to decide when.
I hope this chip gives me answers and not more questions.
The school bell rang, jolting him fully back to the present.
Students around him began packing up, chairs scraping across the polished floor, chatter already rising about the two-day holiday ahead. The mood in the room had lightened.
"Let's go!" Bryn called, waving from the aisle.
Saurai nodded slowly, But His mind, however, was still deep in that golden-lit room.
And the echoes it had left behind.