STELLAR RIFT

Late afternoon light burned across the red rocks of Velora’s frontier. Kade stood on a small ridge, watching the empty mining camp below. He’d learned long ago that it was best to stay alone—but tonight, something in the sky made him stay.

A sudden flash ripped through the clouds—bright blue, like pure electricity. Kade’s heart pounded. He gripped the metal spear in his hand and leaned forward. The light crashed into the valley with a thunderous boom that shook his bones.

Dust and smoke rose from the ground. Kade dropped his spear and raced downhill, adrenaline pushing him faster than he’d ever run. When he reached the crater, he froze. In the center lay a strange black shard, glowing with blue energy. Above it hovered a crack in the sky—a glowing tear that pulsed like a heartbeat.

Jett skidded to a stop on his hover‑bike. He jumped off, tools clattering at his belt. His wristpad lit up with odd readings. He checked the time—twenty seconds since impact.

“Better be worth it,” he muttered, grabbing his scanner and rushing toward the glow.

Orin was barefoot in the scrub brush, lost in a daydream. He’d been having strange visions—snatches of voices, flashes of light. When he saw the rift in the sky, his knees wobbled. He sensed something calling him. He stood and walked toward the sound, even though every step made his head throb.

Zane crouched behind a chunk of broken concrete, rifle at the ready. He’d been on patrol when every alarm on the base had screamed. Now he crept forward, scanning for danger. The blast had been huge—he didn’t know what to expect.

The four boys arrived at the crater almost at the same time. Kade was first; Jett and Orin followed, and Zane stayed back, rifle lowered but ready.

The shard in the center hummed. Blue sparks jumped across its surface. The air smelled like burning metal.

Jett raised his scanner. It died instantly. He stared at it in disbelief.

Orin took a step closer. His eyes fluttered shut. “It’s calling me,” he whispered.

Zane eased forward. “Stay back,” he said quietly, voice firm. “We don’t know what this is.”

Kade swallowed. “It doesn’t look friendly.”

Suddenly, the shard sent a bright beam of light up into the rift. The crack in the sky widened, and dozens of smaller openings flickered into existence. Through each, strange worlds flashed—green forests, purple oceans, cities made of living rock.

The wind picked up, lifting stones and dust into the air. Voices echoed all around them—half music, half machine. The boys covered their ears.

Then everything stopped. The rift snapped shut, leaving only a thin scar of light in the sky. The shard’s glow dimmed. The wind died.

They looked at each other in stunned silence.

Jett was first to speak. “What did we just see?”

Orin shook his head, eyes wide. “My visions… They were nothing like that.”

Zane studied the scar in the sky. “Whoever—or whatever—made that wanted us to see it.”

Kade touched the shard’s nearest edge. He felt a faint pulse under his fingers. “We can’t just walk away,” he said. “We have to find out what this means.”

Jett nodded. “If I can build a device to tap its energy, maybe we can control it.”

Orin’s voice was small. “Or maybe it’s controlling us.”

Zane holstered his rifle. “Either way, we have to stick together—and fast. Something big just started.”

Kade glanced at the three boys around him. They were strangers a moment ago. Now, they stood on the edge of something dangerous and unknown.

He straightened. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s see where this leads.”

The shard pulsed once more, as if it understood.

And somewhere deep in the sky, the rift glowed again—waiting.