2025-10-23 09:36:06..
The sun bled gold across the sky as Sireya-Val stood on her balcony, gazing at the capital city. From here, the city looked perfect. Silver towers glowed in the fading light, and streams of sky-traffic moved in orderly lines between spires. The air was clean, the streets calm. For anyone else, this view would have been paradise. For Sira, it felt like a cage made of glass and light. The faint alien markings along her arms shimmered as the sunlight shifted. Her luminous blue eyes reflected the sky, but her thoughts were far beyond it. She could still hear her father’s voice from their conversation an hour earlier, deep, firm, immovable. Earlier That Evening The senator’s study was massive, the walls lined with holographic archives and alien script etched into the polished black stone. Xurell-Val stood by the tall window, his robe trailing across the floor. “You’ve had the best tutors. You understand law, politics, and diplomacy. When I step down, you will take my place in the Senate.” Xurell-Val said without looking at Sira. “That’s not what I want.” Sira replied. He turned sharply, his luminous amber eyes narrowing. “What you want? Sireya, you were born into responsibility. You think you can just… leave and wander aimlessly?” “Not aimlessly. Freely. I want to see the worlds beyond the capital. I want to live without every choice being measured against your name.” She countered. Xurell-Val shook his head. “Freedom without structure is chaos. Chaos destroys civilizations. I won’t watch you throw away your future for—” “—for my dreams?” Sira asked. The senator’s jaw tightened. “You are my only daughter. One day, you will understand this is not about control. It is about protection. And I will not approve of this foolishness.” Sira’s hands curled into fists. She didn’t answer. She turned and left, the heavy doors sliding shut behind her. - Info: Alien civilization on earth has drastically developed since the alien-human war. Over 60% of the population are alien hybrids, with the remaining 40% being pure aliens. Moments later. The balcony doors opened behind her, letting in a warm breeze. Luma stepped out first, wearing a loose teal jacket covered in delicate silver embroidery. Her short, metallic-blonde hair caught the fading light, and she smiled like she’d just heard a secret. Threi followed, her black coat moving like liquid shadow. She was already tapping away at a slim datapad, her fingers moving faster than most people could speak. Caivox came last, tall and confident, with sharp features and storm-grey eyes that always seemed to challenge the world. Luma: “Tell me we’re actually leaving. I’ve been packing for a week.” Threi: (without looking up) “We’re leaving. The transport’s cleared. I’ve set up a blind route through the outcast territories so the city trackers won’t follow.” Caivox: (grinning) “Unless Sira’s decided to stay here and play future senator.” Sira: (smirking back) “You know me better than that, Caiv.” Luma leaned against the railing, her eyes sparkling. Luma: “Virelia… music, lights, markets you can get lost in. You’re going to love it.” Threi: “And I’ve already marked a few places where we can… acquire some things that aren’t exactly legal.” Sira: “You’re obsessed.” Threi: “You’ll thank me when we need them.” Caivox stepped closer, crossing his arms. Caivox: “I still don’t get it. I know why Luma wants to go, she wants to paint everything she sees. I know why Threi’s coming, she's completely nuts and wants to hack half the city..." Threi: (cuts in) "Merci." Caivox: "But you, Sira… why risk leaving everything?” Sira paused. Her gaze drifted over the glowing skyline. Sira: “Because I’m tired of living a life that was decided for me. I want to write my own story. I want to make my own mistakes. And I want to breathe without feeling like I’m disappointing someone.” For a moment, none of them spoke. Then Luma smiled gently. Luma: “Then let’s get you out of here.” The Plan They talked for hours in the lounge, its glass walls glowing faintly with embedded starlight. Sira: “You three leave in the morning. I can’t go with you. If my father sees us leave together, he’ll stop us.” Threi: “So you’re going alone through the outcast lands? Not smart.” Sira: “It’s the only way. I’ll take a mini-ship and meet you in Virelia.” Caivox: “Then I’ll go with you.” Sira: “No. If you delay, your father will ask questions too. I’ll be fine.” Luma: “Sira, I have heard plenty of scary stories about the outcast lands and sightings of humanoid creatures in it.” Sira: (grinning) “I think I'll be fine, Luma.” Caivox: “This isn’t funny. I don’t want to…” (he trails off, biting back the rest) “…just be careful.” Her gaze met his for a second too long. Sira: “I will. I promise.” The next morning, silver clouds rolled low over the city. On the upper landing platform, Sira hugged each of her friends. Luma’s eyes were bright with excitement. Threi gave a short nod, her version of be careful. Caivox lingered the longest, his gaze holding hers like he was trying to say something he couldn’t. Their sleek passenger craft lifted into the mist and disappeared. Hours later, Sira stood before her own vessel, it was a small, narrow silver ship built for speed rather than comfort. She ran her hand along the smooth hull. Inside, the pilot’s seat fit her like it was made for her. The controls lit with a soft hum as she powered up the engines. She guided the ship away from the city, the skyline fading into the mist behind her. Ahead, the land darkened. The Outcast Lands From the air, the outcast lands looked like scars carved into the planet’s skin. Jagged stretches of blackened soil broke apart under sprawling rusted structures, remnants of alien and human war machines half-buried in dust. Somewhere below, shadows moved between the wreckage. Her scanners flickered, faint, irregular signals. Not strong enough to track, but enough to remind her she wasn’t entirely alone. The deeper she flew, the stranger the world became. Towering stone pillars twisted into unnatural shapes, fused with old metal debris. Rivers ran red under the pale sky, reflecting the broken remains of cities that had never healed. Her thoughts wandered to Virelia, the glowing heart of the alien worlds, a place of culture, politics, and secrets. She’d been there once as a child, holding her father’s hand during a formal gathering. Back then, she’d only seen the polished streets. Now, she wants to see everything for herself again. She tightened her grip on the controls and pushed forward. Whatever waited for her in Virelia, she was ready to face it. The horizon began to glow faintly, the first hint of the city’s distant lights. Sira said to herself. “This is my life. My choice.” The mini-ship surged onward into the unknown. ...
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30 Battle Lines are Drawn
.Morning light filtered into Lorekeeper Veydrān’s office through the tall reinforced windows, pale and cold, casting long shapes across the metal floor. Veydrān stood by his desk as a sealed data capsule slid open with a soft hiss.The information Prime-Dexūs had promised was here.He didn't sit immediately. Instead, he stared at the glowing interface hovering above the desk. Three primary divisions. Three pillars upon which the coming war would rest. His jaw tightened as he activated the first file._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ | The Surveillance team |_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The words hovered in a bright white text.This team would be the first to step beyond the EDGE in force. Their task was infiltration of the real world. They'll be responsible for mapping terrain, studying alien movement, structures, and patterns without being detected.Recommended number: ten to twenty soldiers.
29 Counter protocol
Aēllion heard Lougard’s words even though Lougard’s voice was low, almost lost beneath the hum of the locked chamber. “What do you mean?” Aēllion asked, stepping closer. “What doesn’t look good?” Lougard dragged a hand down his face, fingers trembling slightly. “I thought I was talking to myself,” he muttered. Then he looked up, his eyes sharp despite the exhaustion. “I can’t override this lockdown without the exact protocol.” Aēllion frowned. “I don’t understand.” Lougard sighed, turning back to the control panel for a moment, then facing them again. “You know the protocol that put this room on lockdown mode. Well every lockdown protocol has a counter protocol. A release command.” Aēllion’s mind clicked into place. “So we need the other protocol if we’re going to get out of here.” “Exactly,” Lougard said. Sira swallowed hard. “And there’
28 Lockdown
The gun pressed harder against the back of Sira’s head.“Before I fry your brain like I did to your comrades,” the man said coldly, “tell me who you’re all working for. And what were you after in this facility?”Sira’s body shook despite her effort to stay still. Fear crawled through her chest, tense and suffocating, but she forced her voice to remain steady.“Fry my brain all you want,” she said. “I’d never tell you anything.”The man sighed, almost bored. “What a stubborn decision you’ve made.”His finger tightened on the trigger.A sudden burst of laserfire exploded through the room.The security drone Marian had hacked earlier swooped in from behind, firing rapidly at the man. He reacted instantly, twisting aside as shots scorched the air where he had been standing. He rolled, fired back, and barely missed the drone’s core.“Now’s your chance, Miss Sira,” Marian said quickly through the comms. “Push the yellow button at the edge.”Sira didn't hesitate.She spun toward the control
27 No time for Hesitations
The hover car cut through the air in a steady glide, its engine humming low and controlled. Neon lights from the city blurred past the windows, stretching into long streaks of color. Inside the car, the atmosphere was tight and heavy, as if the air itself knew something terrible was coming. Sira sat rigid in the passenger seat, her hands clasped together in her lap. Her fingers trembled despite her effort to keep them still. Threi sat in the driver's seat, without speaking, her eyes locked on the road ahead, her jaw set hard. The glow from the dashboard lit her face in sharp lines, making her look even more intense than usual. After several seconds of silence, Sira finally spoke. “What’s your plan?” she asked quietly. “How are we getting Aēllion and Lougard out of there?” Threi didn't look at her. “I know where they’re being kept inside the facility.” Sira’s heart thudded harder. “Where?” “It's called the box.” Sira turned fully toward her. “The box? What does that mean?”
26 A Box Of Memories
.. The last thing Lougard saw before darkness took him was Aēllion collapsing nearby, his body hitting the ground in a limp heap as security drones hovered overhead. Then everything went black Lougard woke with a sharp gasp. Pain flared through his wrists and shoulders as he struggled instinctively, only to realize he was tied to a chair. Thick restraints wrapped tightly around his arms and legs, biting into his skin. His heart slammed against his ribs, fast and uneven. The room was dark and cold. A single bright bulb hung from the ceiling, flooding the space with harsh white light. It buzzed faintly, like an insect that refused to die. And someone was watching him. A man stood just outside the circle of light, his face calm, almost curious. His eyes were sharp and focused, as if Lougard were nothing more than an experiment laid out in front of him. Lougard swallowed hard. His legs began to shake again, the same way they had in the vents, except now there was nowhere
25 Backup Plan
Sira's POV I wasn't too deep asleep when I heard whispering. Careful, low, deliberate whispering. At first, I didn't open my eyes. I laid still on the mattress, listening. Two voices moved through the apartment. One was Threi’s. I would recognize that sharp, cold tone anywhere. The other was Aelly’s, quieter, rough obviously with sleep. They were trying not to wake anyone. That much was clear. My half-awake mind went somewhere stupid before it went somewhere logical. For a brief moment, I wondered if something was going on between them. Threi and Aelly have been spending a lot of time together and I barely understand what they've been up to. No, that can't be right. Can it? The way Threi’s voice softened just a little when she spoke to him. The thought of it made my chest tighten in a way I did not like. Then minutes later, I heard the door open. Then close. Then silence. I opened my eyes fully and stared at the ceiling. Something felt wrong. I sat up slow
