"In the endless dark of the cosmos… worlds are born, and worlds are destroyed."
The Astrals were one such race — beings of light and color, whose home planet was consumed in fire by a far greater enemy. With their world lost, the Astrals scattered across the stars in search of refuge.
At last, they found Earth.
But mankind feared them. Strange creatures from beyond the skies… what right had they to walk among humans? Earth's leaders sought to drive them away.
The Astrals made a pact.
They warned humanity: "The destroyers who ended our world will one day come for yours. If you grant us shelter, we will grant you strength. We will live within you, fight beside you, and together… protect this planet."
Most Astrals kept their word, choosing hosts and forming bonds with humans — guardians born from unity.
But not all agreed.
The Umbrayx Red in color, Vanthel Black, and Crythos Dark Purple Astrals rejected the pact. They saw humans not as partners, but vessels. They seized human bodies, turning them into living weapons, and for a time, Earth burned in chaos.
And when they took control, Earth learned what war beyond the stars truly meant.
And for the first time… humanity fought back against gods from the stars.
When the war finally ended, they were defeated but not destroyed. Humanity showed mercy… but not trust. Their descendants were feared and hated, forced to live apart from society.
Yet hatred proved justified.
Generations later, some descendants of the Crythos, Vanthel, and Umbrayx Astrals would lose control, twisting into monsters that rampaged across the cities. Time and again, it was the loyal Astral hosts who put them down.
From those years of fire and sacrifice, an order was born — the Cosmic Vanguard Association, founded by the very warriors who ended the war. Their duty: to protect Earth, and to strike at hostile forces beyond the stars before they reach home.
But among the cursed… one boy is about to awaken an Astral unlike any the world has ever seen.
City of Unity
The narration fades. The screen fills with light.
The city of Unity stretches across the horizon — towers of steel and glass reaching for the sky, roads crisscrossed with hover-lanes, and massive docking platforms where sleek Vanguard cruisers rest like guardian beasts.
Above, ships roar across the clouds, engines glowing with starlight. Their silhouettes are unmistakable — the war machines of the Cosmic Vanguard Association.
Down below, life hums.
Astrals of every color flicker faintly within their human hosts — a soft glow in their eyes, a shimmer on their skin, a trace of wings or tails forming when powers stir. Humans and Astrals walk side by side, some laughing, some arguing, some pretending they don't notice the other at all.
A massive holoscreen plays above the central plaza.
"Breaking news: Team Nova of the Vanguard has returned victorious from the Andra Sector. Reports confirm they intercepted and destroyed a raiding fleet before it reached Earth's orbit…"
Cheers rise from the crowd. Children point upward as a Vanguard ship streaks overhead, leaving a trail of blue light across the morning sky.
"Look, mama, it's them! The Vanguard!"
Little hands wave at the sky. Vendors sell toy blasters and miniature Astral figurines. Bright banners flutter between the skyscrapers:
"The Vanguard Protects All."
"Glory to Earth's Guardians."
Everywhere, the people of the city look up with admiration.
Everywhere… except on the far side of the walls, where the shadows fall longest.
Beyond a wide steel wall, on the outskirts of the city, the lights of the main city fade into rust and dust. Streets crack beneath tired footsteps. Buildings lean, patched together with metal scraps. There are no banners here, no cheers for the Vanguard — only silence and the watchful eyes of guards posted at the wall.
Here live the descendants of the Vanthel, Crythos, and Umbrayx Astrals. Their ancestors once chose to dominate instead of bond. Though forgiven, their bloodlines were never trusted again.
Children chase each other through the cracked streets, their Red, Black, and Dark Purple Astrals darting beside them — strange shapes of light and shadow that only make passersby tense. To outsiders, it looks dangerous. To the children, it is play.
Shopkeepers close early, their shelves half-empty. Whenever a Vanguard ship passes overhead, parents pull their children close — not out of awe, but fear… as though the soldiers might turn their cannons on them at any moment.
This district is only one-fifth of the city's size, yet it feels a world apart.
Haruto's Home – Outskirts of the City
The outskirts of the city were quiet that morning, the hum of distant Vanguard ships little more than an echo beyond the walls. Inside a small, cluttered home, the youngest of the Mori family was still fast asleep.
Haruto Mori, fifteen years old, lay tangled in his sheets, his messy room a reflection of his restless mind. Books, clothes, and sketches of Vanguard ships littered the floor. For a boy who dreamed of the stars, his world seemed very small
From the kitchen, a warm voice calls
"Haruto! Are you still are asleep, breakfast is getting cold!"
His mother Aya Mori (age thirty-eight), gentle and caring, is already setting the table with the little they have. Despite the neighborhood's hardships, she always manages to make their home feel softer than the world outside.
When Haruto didn't respond, Aya sighed.
"He's going to be late for school again," she muttered, then raised her voice toward the living room.
"Reina, please go wake your brother!"
From the kitchen came an exasperated groan. Reina Mori, nineteen years old, was halfway through stirring her tea when she set the spoon down with a clink.
"Why is it always me? Every morning, it's Reina, go wake Haruto. Doesn't he ever get up on his own?" she complained, wiping her hands before marching down the narrow hallway.
She stopped at her brother's door, arms crossed, her shadow stretching across the cluttered floor. Her brows furrowed, voice sharp with irritation as she barked:
"Oi, lazy bones! Time to wake up!"
Bossy by nature, but affectionate at heart, Reina was the type to nag and tease Haruto yet she would never let anyone else say a word against him.
From the bed, a low rustle answered her. Haruto's eyes cracked open, meeting hers with a dull, half-awake stare.
Her annoyance spiked immediately. "You bastard… you were awake this whole time?!" she snapped, stomping one foot against the floor. "Why didn't you respond? Do you enjoy making me yell at you every morning, or are you just that useless?"
This was the Mori family — flawed, poor, and outcast… but still whole.