The mothership groaned and screeched as it broke through Rikaidou’s atmosphere. Smoke trailed behind them, flas licking at the hull as Nyx wrestled with the manual controls.
The surface ca into view—lush forests, winding rivers, and jagged mountains blurred into a chaotic sar.
The ship shook violently, but Nyx’s fingers flew across the panel, steady and precise.
With one final jolt, the mothership slamd into the ground, skidding through dirt and trees before coming to a grinding halt.
Inside the cockpit, silence reigned for a mont before Nyx spoke, her voice sharp.
"Is everyone intact?"
She turned back and saw Anna slumped in her seat, wincing, while Malrik groaned and pushed himself upright.
"I’m fine. Well, mostly."
Malrik muttered, brushing off debris.
Anna clutched her arm and grimaced.
"Well, I’m not. That hurt like hell..."
"Good. ans you’re both fine."
Nyx said flatly.
She unbuckled herself and stood up, brushing a thin layer of dust from her uniform.
Without wasting another second, she moved to the console and started scanning for Nova’s energy signature. Her fingers hovered, her aether stretching out, reaching—
A sharp jolt hit her mind.
Nyx gasped and imdiately severed the connection, eyes wide.
Anna straightened up, noticing the change.
"What happened? Did you find him?"
Nyx slowly turned to face them, her brows furrowed.
"Sothing interfered. When I tried to reach out, sothing... sothing grabbed my aether. Not just blocked it. It tried to take control."
Malrik frowned.
"Like... a trap?"
"Worse. It felt sentient. Powerful."
Nyx said.
Anna blinked.
"Could it be... an apostle?"
Malrik looked at her, confused.
"What’s an apostle?"
Anna crossed her arms.
"Apostles are... chosen ones. Beings who ca into contact with a god and were granted a fraction of divine power—and a mission. They’re fanatics, really. But extrely dangerous ones. If one of them is involved..."
She glanced out the window.
"...Nova could be in serious trouble."
Malrik scratched the back of his neck.
"So what, this thing that grabbed you—it’s like a divine bodyguard?"
"Or a warden. Either way, it’s interfering with everything. I can’t track Nova. Not from here. Not with that thing lurking in the background."
Nyx muttered.
Malrik let out a frustrated sigh.
"Then what do we do?"
Nyx looked at the forest outside, her expression tightening.
"We do it the old-fashioned way. Eyes and feet. We search."
Anna groaned.
"You’re kidding."
"Do I look like I’m kidding?"
Anna glanced at Malrik, who was already tightening the strap on his bag.
"You’re seriously okay with this?"
He shrugged.
"I’ve been through worse. Besides... it’s Nova. If sothing dangerous is involved, we can’t leave him alone."
Nyx’s expression softened for the briefest second.
"He wouldn’t leave us."
Anna sighed and stood.
"Fine. But if I break a heel on this stupid forest floor, I’m blaming both of you."
"Then take off your shoes. We move in ten. I’ll patch up the ship’s auto-repair and prep ergency beacons. You two prep yourselves for recon."
Nyx replied coldly.
Anna rolled her eyes, but Malrik was already heading for the exit ramp, scanning the terrain.
Nyx stood alone for a mont longer, her eyes closed as she tried—once more—to reach for Nova through the faint threads of energy.
This ti, she didn’t even reach the edge.
Whatever was watching her... it was still there.
And it wanted her to know.
__
Malrik strapped on his travel gear and checked the weapon holstered at his hip.
The dense trees and mist-choked horizon of Rikaidou stretched out beyond the ship’s ramp like a stubborn, silent labyrinth. He glanced at Anna, who was tying her hair up, still frowning about her scuffed boots.
"This planet’s huge. Primitive. Barely any tech—no scanners, no networks, no satellites. How the hell are we supposed to find Nova in all this?"
Malrik muttered, pulling on a glove.
Anna gave him a pointed look.
Nyx didn’t even glance up from her panel as she responded.
"Don’t worry about that."
Anna smirked and echoed.
"Yeah. Nova has a way of drawing attention no matter where he goes. Give it a few hours, and soone will either love him or want to kill him."
"Or both."
Nyx added, voice dry.
Malrik groaned.
"Great."
They stepped out of the ship and onto the mossy ground. The air was heavy and damp with the scent of pollen and sothing faintly tallic.
A small footpath twisted ahead through the forest, and far in the distance, smoke curled up from what looked like a village.
As they approached it, villagers in worn tunics and woven cloaks turned to whisper. The strangers were clearly outsiders, and their presence stirred unease.
Malrik and Anna kept their heads low, listening carefully to the chatter as they passed.
"...heard it crashed right into the imperial gardens..."
"...strange man. Didn’t look like he belonged..."
"...they say his energy—unnatural..."
Anna’s eyes sharpened. She leaned in close to Malrik.
"That has to be Nova. Crashing into royal property? Sounds exactly like sothing he’d do."
Malrik nodded. "Let’s keep moving. We need to confirm it before others get there first."
—
Back in the herbalist’s greenhouse, Amari carefully plucked a thin, luminous vine from its pot, but her eyes weren’t on her hands.
They were on Nova. He sat quietly at the far table, organizing a set of dried roots with a calm, precise rhythm.
Too calm.
Too quiet.
Amari frowned. She didn’t trust him—there was sothing too composed about him, too observant.
He said little, offered nothing, and yet... she’d caught him watching the aether plants, his expression unreadable.
Was he calculating sothing?
Planning?
She’d been around long enough to know trouble when it wore a pretty face.
Her fingers trembled as she reached for the rare K’ther blossom, a delicate plant that pulsed with violet aether.
One wrong move, and its petals would wither. But her grip faltered, and the stem snapped awkwardly under pressure.
The K’ther instantly shriveled.
"Damn it."
Amari hissed under her breath.
She heard footsteps. Nova.
He stopped just beside her.
"Need help?"
His tone was neutral, but there was a glint of amusent in his eyes.
Amari froze. She didn’t look at him, not right away. Her pride was still too intact. She wanted to say no, to tell him to leave her alone.
But the K’ther was one of the rarest plants in the region—one she had grown for months. She didn’t have ti to start over.
"...I don’t need help."
She muttered.
Nova didn’t move.
"But, if you know how to handle a K’ther bloom, then... just be careful. It’s extrely sensitive to outer stimuli."
She added a mont later, shoulders tightening,
Nova crouched beside her, scanning the pot.
"Sensitive... but it still tough. Just not to force."
He held out his hand.
Amari reluctantly gave him another stalk, carefully selecting the healthiest one.
Nova pinched it gently between his fingers and coaxed a thread of energy toward it—not pushing, not manipulating, just syncing.
The plant vibrated faintly.
Amari stared.
"How are you doing that?"
She asked.
Nova smiled faintly.
"I candled it with care.."
The stalk responded, slowly blooming under his control. The violet petals opened like a sigh.
For a mont, Amari forgot her suspicion.
"Do you an I don’t handle it with care?"
"I don’t know. You seen like a forceful lady. Commanding even."
Nova said softly.
He handed her the bloom.
She took it, but her hands were slightly trembling.
"Where did you learn this?"
She asked.
Nova gave a vague shrug.
"It’s not that difficult."
That only deepened her frown.
She didn’t like this man.
But she also couldn’t deny that he had just saved her work.
Damn him.
But that was only the start of this weird feeling.
Reviews
All reviews (0)