《Virtues’ Sacrifice – The Eternal Struggle》 Prologue: The Big Bang The Big Bang A consciousness stirred within the void, slowly regaining awareness an awareness long lost to the tides of time. It began to wake, for the moment had come: the eternal struggle was fated to begin once more. As Creation took form, her essence coalesced around her a luminous force fighting to reclaim all that had been lost. She had to act quickly, to drag the remnants of existence back from the brink of oblivion. Time was short. Soon, it would stirwould wake and come for her once more: the Darkness, the Abyss, the hunger that had hunted her since before time itself. The great cycle of conflict between light and dark, existence and nothingness, was fated to repeat as it always had. Creation knew this. She had seen it before, lived it, endured it. And yet, this time, she vowed to change the outcome. She would forge something new an army, an unyielding force that could endure beyond her own limits. But little time remained. She had to act before it woke. Then, she felt it a vast emptiness stirring at the edges of her awareness. A terrible realization struck her: the Darkness had never truly slept. It had been watching. Waiting. Hungering. And now, Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. it was coming. Panic surged through hercold, consuming but she cast it off. Light flared around her as she gathered her will, focusing it into a single purpose. A weapon. Not just strength. Not just force. Something fierce. With every fiber of her being, she reached into the voidinto all that had been lost and tore it free. It did not descend. It screamed into form A blade of light. A fragment of herself. The Spear of Creation forged anew in defiance of the hunger that had haunted her since before time had meaning. She steeled herself for the battle to come. But no blow fell. The Abyss had never been patient. What had changed while she slept? She reached out with her mindcautious at firstextending her awareness toward the darkness. And found nothing. The Abyss had once been sentient. Twisted, yes. Mad with hunger. But always present. Always watching. Now, it was something else. Not a predator. Not even an enemy. Just an empty husk. She pushed deeper, searching for the threads of what it had once been. There was no madness. No mind. No memory. Only hungerendless and blind. No will. No direction. As if its own hunger had devoured its very self. A drop struck her hand, snapping her back. Nonot a drop. A tear. Her own. Was it pity? No. The Abyss was a monster. It had devoured without pause, without remorse, everything she had ever spoken into being. Everything she had loved it had twisted, corrupted, defiled with its darkness. But still the confusion shook her. It ran deeper than fear a hollow ache in her core, where hatred had always lived. And then came the fury. This was no longer her eternal foe. It was a festering wound. And she would purge it from the very fabric of existence. She poured her essence into the Spear of Creation not carefully, not with restraint but with all the fury, sorrow, and boundless magic her being could summon. The weapon pulsed beneath her grip, its form straining to contain the force raging within. Light bled from its core lashing out in violent blue arcs of plasma, solar flares tearing free from the birth of a star. It wasnt enough. She reached deeper, drawing from the very core of herself, and poured her soul into the weapon. Magic answeredraw and wild, surging forth with impossible speed. Blue lightning wreathed her form, crackling like the chirping of a thousand birds corrupted by wrath, reshaped by fury into roaring thunder. The air burned. Her lungs seared. The Spear grew impossibly heavy its weight crashing down like an anchor forged from collapsed stars. Still, too much power was escaping. She had to contain it. Magic spilled from her hands in fine threads of light, wrapping the Spear in a mesh of luminous control spinning, pulsing, tightening. Each arc of plasma thrashed for freedom, but she forced them to bend, to yield. They had to. She had to see it done. The power swelled. The weight deepened. Until the weapon held all that she was and all that she would ever be. The Spear had become a singularity. The embodiment of creation. Unmoving. Unyielding. Unmovable She would move the universe instead. Struggling to hold the Spears power in check, she closed her eyes and reached out into the vast emptiness that was the universe and seized its great sphere with her mind. Then she pushed. Not gently. Not with grace. But with all the weight of her will. She forced the universe to fold, turning it inward upon itself a topological inversion of all reality. A sphere, everting from the inside out. The fabric of space resisted. It did not want to bend. It pulled backtight as an elastic band drawn to its limit, groaning across dimensions not meant to turn. Her mind burned against the tension. Her thoughts blurred at the edges. Every layer of reality she twisted fought to untwist itself, to snap back into place. But she held. Time screamed. The universe twisted not breaking, but reshaping. The Abyss recoiled. Not in pain, but in displacement. It seemed to surge away not by its own motion, but as distance itself stretched, as she threaded the universe through the eye of a needle, turning it inside out. Farther. Faster. Until it was on the other side of everything as far from her as anything could be. She pushed it to her absolute limit. And then The pressure snapped. The universe recoiled, and in an instant, it slammed back into place. The Spear was gone. And in its place an explosion. A supernova of unfathomable magnitude. A burst of creation. Of matter and light so vast, it did not merely envelop It began. The birth of a universe. The Big Bang. Chapter 1.1: First Contact Chapter 1: First Contact She was moving forward. But not on her own. Soft grass brushed against her bare feet as she walked, the cool earth sinking slightly beneath her steps. The towering trees stretched endlessly above, their emerald canopies swaying with the breeze. Sunlight dappled the forest floor, warm and golden. And yetsomething felt off. She slowed. Then stopped. A sigh escaped her lips as she glanced down at the tablet on her arm. But something about the motion, about the way her body responded, felt wrong. Not clumsy, not foreign, but misalignedlike a song played in the wrong key. The perspective, the movements They werent hers. The body obeyed her will, yet each step had followed a rhythm she didnt recognize. Kira blinkedor tried to. It was someone elses breath she felt in her lungs. This isnt me. This wasnt just a dream. Not a vision. This was a memoryand she was living it from the inside out, like a ghost animating someone elses soul. The realization struck like a jolt of ice through her spine. This wasnt just a dream. Not a vision. This was memoryshe was inside it, experiencing it as though it were her own. But deep in her gut, she knew. These werent her thoughts. These werent her hands. Her lips parted, and a voicesoft, sweetescaped before she could stop it. "Where is that boy?" The voice wasnt hers. A familiar tone answered from the device on her armher arm. "You are close now," the tablets voice said, calm and composed. "But there are others with him." Then, another voice, sharper, more direct, cut through her minddisembodied yet absolute. "We need not be seen by the local children." Before she could react, the tablet responded again, but this time, the voice did not come from the device. It resonated within her, clear and final. "Stealth mode engaged." The tablet vanished. Nonot the tablet. She had vanished. The world remained unchanged, but something inside her shifted. She could still feel the ground beneath her feet, the air against her skin. The sensation of standingof beingwas intact, but she was no longer visible. Her senses, now wholly linked to the device on her arm, expanded beyond her physical self. She could see through the trees, far beyond her natural line of sight, as if the world itself had peeled back to reveal more. The tablet outlined three faint figures, their shapes glowing softly in the distance, like spectral outlines against the dense forest backdrop. Then, in an instant, a faint noise drifted into her earsfirst distant, then too clear. A river, water rushing over smooth stones. Laughter, bright and free. Two children giggling, their voices tumbling together like wind chimes in a breeze. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. This wasnt just technology. This was magic. A power meant to extend beyond sightto stretch across distance, to reach into places too far for her normal senses to touch, pulling sounds from the very air, as if she stood on the edge of another world. Thenanother sound. A wail. Sharp. Frantic. A child crying. Disorientation struck her like a sudden gust of wind, tilting the world on its axis. The ground beneath her seemed to melt away, the soft grass and damp soil dissolving into nothing. A pressure wrapped around her senses, weightless yet crushing, like slipping through the space between dreams. And then The world snapped into place. The river was in front of her. The sound of rushing water was no longer distantit was real, surrounding her, vibrating through her bones. The air smelled of damp earth and sun-warmed stones. The breeze was cool against her skin. She was here. No longer among the trees. No longer a distant observer. She was at the riverbank. Two boys stood at the rivers edge, laughing, their hands stirring the water into splashes that caught the sunlight. As she watched them, strange symbols flickered in her visionwriting, brief and fleetingidentifying them before vanishing just as quickly. They were from the village. One was five, the other eight. Brothers, perhaps. Both were focused on a third childmuch smaller, struggling against the water as they splashed at him, their laughter sharp and teasing. The third boy stood apart, his small frame tense with frustration. His hairblond, almost whiteshimmered faintly in the light, and his eyes, a deep, piercing blue, glowed as if they were alive, locked onto the older boys with an intensity far beyond his years. He was furious. He wasnt crying, wasnt scared. No, his tiny hands were clenched into fists, his breath coming in quick, sharp gasps. He was angry. A tantrum. She should have heard his wails, should have felt the raw emotion spilling from him like a storm breaking over the horizon. But instead, the sound was muffled. Softened. As though a mother were shushing her child, shielding him from the world. Not frustration. Not anger. Bemusement. A smirk crept over her lips before she realized it, amusement curling in her chest like a secret. And then A warmth. It was subtle at first, creeping in like the first touch of sunlight on cool skin, but then it deepened, spreading through her with an almost physical weight. Her heartbeat quickened, her body temperature rising as though she were wrapped in an unseen embrace. This wasnt just observation. She felt itan overwhelming tide of affection, sharp and tender. A love so intense it burned beneath her skin, seeping into her bones. It wasnt hers, yet it was impossible to ignore, flooding her senses until she could hardly tell where it ended and she began. The emotions of the woman whose memory this washer devotion, her tendernesshad become her own. Then she saw it. The boys eyes, still glowing with that deep, piercing blue, began to shift. A green hue spread from the center, intensifying as if alive, pulsing with power. And then, his small hand began to move, fingers tracing an intricate shape in the air. Magic. Her pulse quickened. Thena pull. Something yanked her forward, as if the world had been ripped out from under her. A violent shiftweightlessnessthen impact. Cold. Water. She staggered, the river biting into her skin, soaking through the fabric of her now-clinging clothes. Droplets splashed and fell around her, the displaced water raining back into the current. The rush of the stream filled her ears, drowning out thought. She was here. No longer an observer, no longer distant. Her breath hitched as her vision steadied, the disorientation fading just enough for her to register what had happened. Her arm was outstretchedreal, solid, undeniably hers. And her fingers were wrapped around the boys wrist. His skin was warm beneath her grip, his pulse fluttering wildly. He gasped, frozen, his glowing blue-green eyes locked onto hers in shock. The other two boys stumbled back, eyes wide with shock. Thenpanic. They turned on their heels and bolted, their screams tearing through the quiet of the riverbank before vanishing into the trees. But the younger boythe one still trapped in her gripdidnt run. His fury didnt waver. Instead, he twisted, his eyes locking onto herglowing brighter now, burning with defiance. His small chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven breaths, his whole body tense, coiled like a cornered animal. They started it! he yelled, his voice breaking with emotion. He wasnt afraid of her. He was furious. Thenshe felt it. A pull. A vast, unrelenting force spiraling beneath her touch. His wrist burned white-hot in her gripnot just from heat, but from suffocating pressure, as if she were holding onto the edge of an abyss with no end. Magic surged from that endless void, pouring into him in a relentless floodtoo much. The air around them warped and twisted, shifting in unseen currents like the eye of a forming storm, while tendrils of raw energy lashed from his arm, wild and uncontrolled. The world itself bent under his power. Her heart slammed against her ribs. He was still pulling it in. More. More. His frame trembled, shaking under the strain, but he didnt stop. Couldnt. If she let go If he released it No. Her grip tightened. Restraining magic Instinct seized her. Her free hand lifted, fingers already curling into a sigil, the shape burned into muscle memory. Her lips parted, breathless words rushing past them. "Containment." Magic ignited. Silver light erupted from her fingers, not to smother his power, but to weave around it, twisting through the tendrils of uncontrolled force spilling from his arm. The threads of her spell coiled, binding, sealingpulling the wild magic into shape before it could shatter the space around them. The air trembled. The pressure built, the world pulling inward as her magic wrapped tighter, sealing, locking the chaotic force into place. Her breath came sharp, her teeth gritted as she anchored the spell. Her magic wrestled against his, pressing, pushing, demanding obedience. The pressure fought back, resisting, writhing, desperate for freedom. The light trembledtightenedthen snapped into place. A sudden cracklike ice fracturing. Then Silence. The wind stilled. The air settled. The magicstopped. Bound. Caged. Contained. Her breath came fast, her chest rising and falling, the lingering pulse of magic still humming in the space around them. But it was over. It was done. The boy wrenched his arm free with a sharp gasp, clutching it to his chest. "Whad you do that for?!" he shouted, his voice shaking with anger. His piercing blue eyes locked onto hersunblinking, fierce, ablaze with defiance. She couldnt leave him here. He had no idea what he was about to unleash. It was too dangerous. A moment later No. She didnt want to imagine the size of the explosion. It was clear nowthere was no choice. She couldnt leave him here. Not anymore. Chapter 1.2: Elysium — The Last Bastion Chapter 1: Elysium The Last Bastion Kira gasped as her eyes snapped open, her body jolting upright while the remnants of the dream clung to her mind like fading embers. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and her breath came in ragged gulps as she struggled to tether herself to the present. She gripped her thermal blanket tightly, trying to still her trembling hands. It had felt so realmore than her usual visions, almost like a memory. A deep, measured voice broke the silence, pulling her back to reality. For a moment, she hesitated, trying to place the sound. "Another vision?" the voice asked softly. Kira nodded slowly. "It felt... different this time," she replied in a voice quieter than intended. She turned toward the source of the sound. Her grandfather sat hunched over the nearby terminala sleek, flat table projecting soft, shifting holograms. In his hand, he cradled an old pipe. The ember at its tip was faint, like a dying star struggling to hold its glow. Even in the dim light, the creases on his face spoke of many hard years. He drew in a puff; the ember flickered for a moment before fading altogether. With a dissatisfied grunt, he drew in a deep breath. Covering the bowl with his thumb, he began a rapid, delicate flutter, gently coaxing the ember to pulse brighter. With each careful motion, its glow grew steadier until, at last, a thin wisp of smoke curled out from the bowl. Only then did he set a stone on the holographic Go board; his eyes fixed on the luminous pattern before him. "You spend too much time with the old texts," he said, taking a few deep puffs from his pipe in contemplation. "Even if you have the sight, what good is it to dwell on the past? The Arks abandoned us nearly a hundred years ago they wont emerge again, not until the cycle begins anew." "But... he didn''t! Even though they said he was deadwhen the Fallen Fleet came for us, when we needed him, he protected us," she said. Her grandfather sighed, rubbing a hand over his face before taking another slow drag from his pipe. There was a heaviness in his gazean old pain that ran deep. "Faust is dead," he said quietly. "Even if that moon emerges from the darkness tomorrow, theres nothing left up thereno tombstone, just a vast crater marking his grave." It was hard for Kira to hear those words; deep inside, she knew he still lived. Yet something gnawed at hera persistent echo of that boy from her vision, his piercing blue eyes locked on hers. Slowly, she rose and made her way to the nearby terminal, flailing her hand above it until its holographic panel flickered back to life. As it powered on, it decided she had hit play on the open holographic archivebut she let it play anyway. A field of red markers bloomed across the projectionmillions of them. Each one a Fallen ship, locked in perfect formation just ahead of the Abyss. The Abyss loomed at the edge of the systema wall of endless black. Vast. Unmoving. Alive. It wasnt space. It wasnt emptiness. It was the Abyss: the ancient enemy of the Arks, the first to exist and the last thing that ever would. It didnt flicker. It didnt shimmer. It didnt waver. It hungered. An endless tide of silence and dread, curling across the map like a beast preparing to strike. It had stoppedbut not out of mercy. It watched. It waited. And just before itdaring to exist in its shadowstood the last defiant stronghold of the known universe: Elysium. The crowning jewel of Ark technology, magic, and innovation. It was a world of impossible scalenot by mass, but by mastery. Its vast interior was composed of artificial gravity chambers, hollow vaults, great oceans, and deep substructures laced with ancient systems few could still understand. At its heart pulsed a singularitya stabilized black hole, tamed and sealed, powering the world from within. In peacetime, Elysium had bloomed with sapphire oceans, endless crops, and cities of lightliving proof of the Arks brilliance. But not now. All that beautythe mountains, oceans, and sprawling citieshad been sealed away, drawn into the storage chambers hidden within the planets dual outer shells. Now, Elysium was cold. Hardened. Its first shell spun with a torrent of mercury at near-relativistic speed, forming a kinetic barrier so dense and volatile that not even the radiation of a nuclear detonation of impossible scale could pierce it. Its outer shell bristled with weapons. Gauss cannons lined the equator, hurling tungsten slugs at near-relativistic speeds. Railguns slid along recessed tracks with mechanical grace, while missile silos cycled relentlessly, primed with everything from high-explosive payloads to multi-stage nuclear warheads. Plasma cannons thrust from armored turrets, their muzzles glowing with superheated energyblunt, brutal, and unmistakable. It was no longer a living world, but a monolith of cold steel and defiance. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Above it, the great ring of captured stars continued its eternal pathtwo arcs of flame locked in high-velocity orbit, sweeping across the planet twice per cycle. With each pass, they cast opposing shadows and shifting light across the armored surface. Time, here, was written in flame. Encircling it all were six moonsimmense, forged, not born. Four moved in perfect geosynchronous orbit along the equator. Two more held fixed positions above the polessilent, motionless sentinels. But these were no mere celestial bodies. They were generatorsthe structural anchors of the Great Barrier. Between them stretched colossal beams of energy, forming an octahedral lattice of glowing blue light. It shimmered across the void like a divine net, alive with pulsing runes and flowing current. Power surged between the moons and Elysiums corea wall of magic, physics, and will holding back the darkness. It was the greatest shield ever built by the Arks. And yet even within the Barrier, the scars of war remained. Debris drifted in the protected space between the moonswreckage from ships, drones, and defense platforms, scattered remnants of earlier battles. The Barrier could not be sustained indefinitely. It had to be cycled. Powered down in moments of heavy combat to allow for fleet maneuvers and full-scale counterattacks. Then reactivated between wavesnot to keep the enemy out, but to give those inside time to breathe. To regroup. To sleep. To survive. Now, the field was still. The Barrier held. But the void inside it was littered with shattered metal, scorched plating, and forgotten deadsilent memorials to every wave that had come before. And Alunethe outermost moon, closest to the Abysssat at the farthest edge of it all. And it was under siege. The Fallen fleet had amassed before it, like a tide of black fire drawn up against the heavens. Thousands upon thousands of warships stretched across the void in layerstight, silent formations that mirrored the lattice around Elysium. A grotesque parody. Their hulls were jagged and asymmetrical, corrupted by the touch of the Abyssarmored in pulsing darksteel and living shadow. They didnt drift. They held position. Waiting for the command. But one vessel stood apart. At the center of the formation loomed a leviathanan ancient Ark warship, once a miracle of stellar engineering, now desecrated and twisted beyond recognition. Its class was unmistakable. A Starsunder. Long ago, it had been a weapon of last resorta Solar System-class Eradicator, built by the Arks to destroy stars corrupted by the Abyss. It wasnt designed to win battles. It was deployed when a system was already lostwhen no light could be salvaged, and only containment remained. A weapon so powerful, even the Arks had feared it. Now, it was something else. Its hull was cracked and blackened, armored in dark energy. Massive spires of abyssal growth jutted from its spine like the ribs of some colossal beast. Faint tendrils of the Abyss clung to its wake, pulsing like veins connected to something deeper. And at its heart, the main cannon began to stir. A crimson ring of light spun up around its central axis, pulsing with rhythmic surges of power. One by one, reactor nodes along its body came onlinered lights blooming in sequence, like a countdown to extinction. The ship''s nose turned slowly, deliberately, toward Alune. It wasnt targeting the moon. It was targeting the lattice. Kira watched from the projection, breath caught in her throat. The Starsunders charge was almost complete. This wasnt an attempt to destroy the moonit was a strike designed to collapse the Barrier itself. Once and for all. A great red lance screamed across the void, so fast it outran its own soundless fury. Space seemed to tear in its wake as it hurtled straight for the moon. It struck the Barrier. Not the moonthe shield. The point of impact ignited in a brilliant flare as the blue lattice caught the blow. Arcane sigils pulsed to life, flaring across the shield in concentric rings. For a momentit held. Then the Barrier began to glow red. The beam drilled into it, pressing harder, its heat spidering outward in jagged, branching veinscrawling across the lattice like wildfire trapped beneath glass. And then From Alunes surface, a second beam erupted upward. It surged like liquid lightningfluid, radiant, impossibly fast. Its color burned through the void: not white, not blue, but something betweena volatile current of searing brilliance and raw motion, like starlight poured into a river. It struck the red at the point of contactand for a heartbeat, the two forces locked. The red began to bloom outward againuntil the luminous current surged harder, warping it off-course and shattering it like brittle glass beneath a tidal force. And then Everything flashed white. No sound. No motion. Only annihilation. When the projection returned, the battlefield was gone. There were no red markers. Not a single Fallen ship remained. And Alune It had suffered a devastating impact. Its crust was shattered. Where the surface once stood, there was now a cratera vast, gaping wound carved into the moons face. Nearly a quarter of its mass had been obliterated in an instant, leaving behind a jagged basin so deep it reached ancient, untouched stone beneath. The edges glowed red-hot, molten seams spiderwebbing outward in all directions. Superheated rock had liquefied into glowing rivers, and fields of glass shimmered like fractured mirrors across the blasted surfacecooling, cracking, and curling in on themselves. Debris spun outward in slow, broken arcschunks of the moon flung free, tumbling through space like drifting tombstones. Alune was no longer stable. Its orbit decayed rapidly, its trajectory collapsing. And the Abyss waited. Piece by piece, the shattered remnants of the moon were drawn into its graspswallowed slowly, as though even the darkness was pausing to savor the victory. The attack had been answered. But the moon was gone. The projection remained active, stars shifted, debris drifted out of frame. Seventy years passing in an instant. The playback slowed. A golden arc traced itself across the screenan elliptical trajectory emerging from the moons last known path, curving outward and forward from the edge of the Abyss. At the far end of that arc, a single marker blinked into place. Predicted Reemergence Point: Alune Estimated Arrival: 7 42 hours No signal. No visual confirmation. Only the projected return of masson a path matching the fragmented remains of a celestial body long thought lost. The screen offered no certainty. Just a quiet marker hovering near the edge of darkness Still unresolved. Still waiting. Having indulged her ADD long enough, Kira closed the projection with a flick of her hand. The blinking marker and its projected reentry arc could wait. She connected to ArkNet and initiated her archive query: Ark Child, Found on Outer Rim World. It was a long shotmany Arks werent born on Atlantis, and finding one was hardly newsworthy. Much to her surprise, a result appeared almost immediately: Massive Explosion at the Academy. And then A sharp, searing pain lanced through her right eyea burning heat that spread like fire through her mind. Kira gasped as her vision burst into blinding white then everything vanished. Chapter 1.3: Another Vision? Chapter 1.3: Another Vision? The scent of oil and solder filled her lungs, thick and heavy, while smoke curled lazily along the walls of the cluttered workshop. Tools and scraps littered the bencheshalf-finished mechanisms left in the wake of someone''s latest obsession. At the counter, a boy sat on a stool, propped on one elbow with his chin resting on his hand. His left arm waved absently in the air. Its itchy, he complained, wrinkling his nose as he flicked his fingers. I told you not to pick at the graft, boy! a heavy-set man bellowed, his voice carrying over the hum of machinery. The boy groaned dramatically. I got bored. You tried like a million of em already, he muttered, still waving his arm. The man let out a long, tired sigh. Thena chuckle. Soft. Light. Knowing. Kira stiffened. The sound hadnt come from the room; it curled at the edges of her mind, familiar in a way that made her stomach twist. It wasnt just a voiceit was her voice. "Just let him try a couple more," it mused, distant yet undeniably real. The man hesitated, then turned to her, rubbing his neck. Princess, I really am sorry, he muttered. When theyre this young, theyre always hard to pair. Really, you can leave him here with meI promise Ill return him once were done. At the edge of her vision, messages flickered into existencea stream of notifications from the council. The meeting had already begun. Again she heard it: Ill wait. She replied politely. Turning back to the boy, the old man finally managed to grab hold of his flailing arm. With practiced hands, he began sliding the tablet into place against the newly grafted neural interface embedded in the boys skin. The device resisted at first, its connection stubborn. The old man grunted, adjusting his grip before giving it one final push. A soft click sounded as the tablet locked into place. Its screen flickered to life, casting a cool blue glow across the boys arm. White text scrolled across the display: "Attempting to Interface" Ah, finally! A compatible model, the old man exclaimed, his relief evident. I dont like it, the boy said curtly, wrinkling his nose at the device. The old man sighed, rubbing his temple. Well, we can remove the interface later. But until you can control your magic on your own, its too dangerous to go without a limiter. Do you not remember what happened just yesterday? The boy paused as if recalling the massive explosion he had caused in class yesterdaybut it lasted only a moment. His impatience grew; he scowled at the screen and jabbed it repeatedly with one finger, as if he could force it to move faster. Finally, the device connected with a sharp snap. A soft wave of magic pulsed through the workshop, stirring the air like a ripple on still water. The boys eyes lit up as he yanked the screen closer to his face. A deep, artificial voice hummed from the device, smooth and mechanical: Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Please focus your mana supply. Eager now, the boy wasted no time. He poured his magic into the interface, his face set in determinationthen, in an instant, it was over. In a blink, everything changed. The acrid scent of burnt electronics hit the air, sharp and suffocating. Smoke billowed from the tablet, curling in thick, black tendrils as the screen flickered violently before dying. For a heartbeat, silence reigned. ThenNo, no, NO! the boy erupted. His frustration exploded as he yanked at the smoking device, his small hands gripping its edges as if he could tear it from his arm. His face twisted in rage, eyes wild with the beginnings of tears. Stupid thing! Stupid, stupid thing! he shouted, kicking at the counter as his legs flailed in uncontrolled desperation. His fingers scrabbled at the device, but it wouldnt budgethe connectors remained firmly locked into the neural interface beneath his skin. Before the old man could react, the boy let out another furious yell and began pulling even harder. Stop that, boy! the man barked, stepping forward to restrain him. Youll tear the whole damn graft out I dont care! the boy shouted, wrenching at it again. Its broken! Its useless! Its itchy! I hate it! The smell of scorched metal still hung thick in the air, mingling with the wild, angry heat of his magic as it flaredunstable and unpredictable. Though the device was burned out, it clung stubbornly to what little power remained, with small sparks flickering along its edges. Kira tensed at the mounting chaos. Enough, she said, her voice slicing through the commotion like a blade. The boy froze, as if petrified by her words; his breath came in short, uneven bursts, and gradually, the wild frustration in his eyes subsided. She stepped forward, gently taking his arm. He didnt resist. The anger, the tantrumit was as if it had never happened. With practiced precision, she unlocked the scorched device and pried it free, setting it down on the counter with a dull clatter. The screen remained dark, while wisps of smoke curled from its ruined circuits. Her gaze shifted to the boys arm. The graft was intact, though blood welled at the edges where the skin had strained against the failed device. Kira exhaled softly, pressing her fingertips to the wound. Threads of magic wove beneath her touch, sinking into his skin like strands of golden light. Gradually, the bleeding slowed and then stopped, leaving only faint redness. Silence settled between them. Then, Kira spoke, I wonder Her gaze drifted to her own left arm. Slowly, she lifted it, her fingers brushing over the smooth metal surface, and with a practiced motion, she unlatched it. In an instant, everything went black. Thenshe felt it. A rush of sensation, sudden and overwhelming. Magic, emotions, thoughtsraw and unfilteredcrashed over her like a tidal wave. The world spun, weightless and formless, as if her very being had been unmoored from time. For a fleeting moment, she was everything and nothinga vessel overflowing with a power too vast to contain. Her vision snapped back into focus. Before her stood a womanradiant, regal, almost unreal. A beauty so transcendent it did not belong to the mortal realm. Her presence filled the space, divine and all-encompassing, as though she had always beena force of nature given form. Kira understood now why the boy had frozen, why even his anger had evaporated in an instant. The sheer weight of her presence was immersive, undeniable. There was no resisting it, no ignoring it. This womanwhoever, whatever she wascommanded not just the space around her, but the very air, the very moment itself. Her armor gleamed, impossibly pristine. The metal glowed with a soft, luminous white, catching the light in ways that made it seem almost ethereal. The surface was smooth yet layered, crafted with masterful precision; every curve and delicate line flowed seamlessly to fit her form. Every plate moved with purposedesigned for both elegance and battle. Intricate patterns of gold traced the armors edges, subtle yet deliberate, flowing like sacred script etched by unseen hands. The filigree pulsed with a faint inner glow, shifting as if it carried whispers of something ancient, something beyond human understanding. Her gauntlets were finely wrought, each segment interlocking with the next to allow both grace and strength in movement. A cloaka whisper of silver-threaded fabriccascaded from her shoulders, barely stirring even in the unseen currents of energy that pulsed around her. And her eyesdeep pink and luminous, like twin celestial pools reflecting an unseen cosmos. Patterns swirled within them, shifting and evolving with each moment, intricate designs that pulled the soul deeper, drowning it in something both infinite and intimate. Looking into her gaze was intoxicating, as if she carried within her the weight of forgotten worlds and the silent wisdom of eons. Yet there was no cold detachment in her stare. Instead, it held a serene, quiet calmness so absolute it seemed to reach into the very fabric of reality. For a moment, as Kira absorbed this vision, a memory stirred in hera faint whisper of a long-forgotten promise. And then, as if in answer, a voice emerged. A voice, smooth as silk and strong as steel, echoed in her mind. It was unmistakably familiar, yet not her owna disembodied murmur that sent a shiver down her spine. "The AIs name is Pyra," it intoned, the words threading through her thoughts like something half-remembered, yet laden with undeniable weight. And suddenlyawareness crashed into her. A moment ago, her mind had been firmly anchored in the woman before her. But now, everything had shifted. She could see what the boy saw and hear what he heard, yet it was not the same. She wasnt in his body, nor inside his mind; instead, she experienced him through his raw, unfiltered essence. His magic pulsed against her senses, wild and unrestrained, flickering like an untamed flame. His emotions surged in wavesfrustration, confusion, a restless energybut his thoughts, his will, his very being remained elusive, untouchable. Then, as she absorbed this realization, the deep pink glow in the woman''s ancient eyes pulsedas if they were watching, waiting. And thenher vision went white once again. Chapter 2: A Virtue in Nature Chapter 2: A Virtue in Nature Kiras vision gradually faded, its lingering echoes replaced by the gentle aroma of cherry and vanilla, mingling with the low hum of machinery. In the dim light, her grandfather sat in his worn chair beside her, the familiar scent of his pipe offering a small measure of comfort. Noticing her stir, he asked softly, How do you feel? Kira managed a small nod and murmured, I feel fine. Her grandfather shook his head and let out a weary sigh. Taking a long, thoughtful puff from his pipe, he replied in a low, rough voice, Two visions in such a short time even for Ark seers, thats rare. And its hard on your bodyyouve been asleep for nearly the whole day. Panic flickered in her eyes. What about the moon? Has it already arrived? she asked. His grip on the pipe tightened slightly. Not yet. A heavy silence fell between them, thick as fog, as the low hum of the research post filled the pause. Finally, he said, Even if Alune emerges from the Abyss, I think you should stay here. Its too dangerous up there. Kiras eyes flashed with determination. Im not a childIve been trained for this. I can handle it. Her grandfather shook his head slowly, his grip tightening on the pipe. Maintaining an atmosphere bubble under combat conditions is very different from training, Kira. A single moments lapse, and youre exposed to the vacuum. Recreating that bubbleand the oxygen you needis even more difficult. Kira''s jaw tightened, but she met his gaze with unwavering resolve. Deep down, she knew she was meant to be there. The tense moment was abruptly broken by the stations AI, its voice flat and mechanical: "Alert: Long-range sensors have detected a large mass moving within the Abyss. Trajectory analysis and estimated mass yield a 99.47% probability that the object is Alune. Unable to triangulate exact reentry point. Estimated time of arrival: 37 minutes." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Her grandfather stood immediately, his expression darkening as he processed the news. We need to get to the observatory, he said, his voice firm but steady. Kiras heart pounded as the gravity of the situation sank in. In a flurry of panic, she realized she was still in her pajamas. Wait! she cried, but her grandfather didnt pause; he just let out a chuckle as he moved swiftly down the hall. Her heart still hammering, Kira reached for her clothesthen hesitated. Something was off. As she tugged at the fabric, she realized the sweater was on backward, and the back had been knotted tightly in several places. Then she heard itthat barely suppressed chuckle drifting down the hallway. Her eyes narrowed. That old man. He did this on purpose. With a growl of frustration, she thrashed and yanked at the stubborn fabric, her movements erratic and desperate. Finally, with one last forceful tug, she managed to break free, ripping off the backward sweater along with her pajama top. In her haste, the cot wobbled just enoughtoo late, she realized. With a startled cry, she pitched forward, landing hard against the freezing floor. She shrieked as the cold bit into her exposed skin, scrambling to her feet and frantically searching for her robes. He walked out onto the observation deck, making his way to the railing. Pausing for a moment, he leaned against it, and as the airlock pulsed closed behind him, a broad smirk spread across his face. With a confident air, he took a couple of careful puffs from his pipe, lost in contemplationuntil the gentle whoosh of the airlock snapped him back to the present. He could hear her footsteps coming up behind him, and when she finally stopped, she said, That was not funny. He let out a soft chuckle. Im sure I have no idea what youre talking about. Her tone shifted to a pouting, slightly angry mumble. You have to buy me a new sweater. Who designs a sweater you have to tie like a damned corset? he laughed. Two! she yelled back, her frustration mingling with amusement. Finally, he turned to his granddaughter. In that moment, it was as if nature itself held its breath. Kira emerged into the cool night, her eyestwin amethysts catching the starlightgleaming with streaks of blue flickering through them like distant meteors. A gentle swarm of fireflies gathered around her, their soft green luminescence caressing the cascading waves of her hair. Each strand of her midnight-black locks, interlaced with vivid red streaks that glowed like smoldering embers, caught the flickering light as the fireflies began a delicate waltz. Their gentle pulses traced the intricate details of her attirea magical ensemble, a seamless fusion of shrine maiden tradition and combat practicality. The fabric flowed with each breath, accentuating her curves with an almost otherworldly grace. Draped elegantly over her exposed shoulders was a living scarf, its unattached sleeves fluttering freely. As the fireflies danced along its graceful lines, their pulses intermingled with the night, setting the scarf into a rhythmic symphony of deep, resonant blues and shimmering purpleslike a quiet melody woven into the fabric of the dark. Chapter 3: Darkness Beckons Chapter 3: Darkness Beckons Kira leaned against the observatory railing, arms folded, gaze locked on the abyss beyond the glass. Beside her, her grandfather stood in silence, pipe in hand, its ember flickering weakly before fading into embers. The sky was divided. On one side, the Abyss churned, its endless darkness writhing in restless motiondeep indigo bleeding into black, shifting like a living thing. It pulsed, vast and unknowable, a hunger without form. Beyond it, a thin band of stars clung to existence, a fragile corridor of light stretching across the void. Their radiance was distant, small against the devouring dark. It was a sight Kira had known her entire life. And yet, tonight, she hopedno, she knewall that would change. Neither she nor her grandfather spoke. They simply watched. Waiting. Hoping. The silence between them was as heavy as the sky itself. Thenthe darkness shifted. At first, it was subtle. A ripple. A flicker at the abysss edge. A shudder through the voids fabric. Kira exhaled, barely realizing she had been holding her breath. The abyss swelled. Slowly, impossibly, it bulged outward, as if something was pressing against it from the other side. The shadows thickened, fighting to hold their ground. Her grandfather stiffened. The abyss trembledand Alune emerged. At first, the moon was just a shadow pushing against the dark, struggling to break free. A slow, imperceptible shift in the vast nothingness. Then, the writhing shadows began to resist. Kiras heart pounded as the Abyss clung to its prey, tendrils of darkness slithering across Alunes surface, stretching, coiling, grasping. It did not want to let go. But it had to. Bit by bit, the abyss peeled away, its inky mass retreating in slow, agonizing waves. The battle was silent, but she could feel itthe moon struggling forward as the darkness recoiled. Finally, a massive globule of shadow sloughed off, breaking apart like liquid void. The last strands of the Abyss collapsed into themselves, revealing what had been hidden for seventy years. Alune stood bare before them. The sight stole Kiras breath. A gaping crater lay at the heart of the moon, vast and unhealed, as if Alune itself had been hollowed out by something beyond mortal reckoning. She knew this place. Everyone did. This was where Faust had made his stand. Where his fury had torn the heavens apart. Where, in the wake of that cataclysm, only silence remained. Then, as if the void had one last secret to unveil, something new emerged. A crystalline structuretall, jagged, impossibly pristinerose from the depths like a monument forged from the Abyss itself. Its facets shimmered with shifting hues of green, blue, and violet, each pulse defying the darkness that had tried to bury it. A silent tombstone, standing against oblivion. Her grandfather exhaled, the sound heavy with something unspoken. "My God..." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. His voice barely carried, barely more than a whisper. His gaze never left the crystal, the reflection of its glow flickering in his eyes. Kira had seen that look beforebut rarely, if ever, on him. Awe. She hesitated, caught between the raw magnificence of the moment and the weight of her grandfathers silence. His rough beard framed a scowl she had seen a thousand times beforethe kind that masked something deeper than frustration. A memory. A wound. A loss that had never fully faded. Without waiting for an argument, she declared, "I''m coming with you," shattering the observatorys stillness. She spun on her heels and bolted for the corridor, her breath sharp against the cold station air. Her boots pounded against the metal floor, the sterile glow of emergency lights streaking past in her peripheral vision. "You''re bringing a damned mask and an oxygen tank!" her grandfather''s voice chased after her, edged with equal parts exasperation and concern. "Fine!" she shot back over her shoulder, barely slowing. Behind her, the old man sighed and took a long, deliberate puff from his pipe. The ember flared in the dim lighting. "Damn kids," he muttered, shaking his head. "Never think anything through." He exhaled a stream of smoke before trudging after her. Kira reached the shuttle bay in record time, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession. She slammed her palm against the hatch control, her pulse hammering just as loudly as the mechanism''s metallic groan. As the heavy door began its slow descent, she leaned against the shuttles cool hull, letting out a ragged breath. The chill of the metal seeped into her flushed skin, a stark counterpoint to the adrenaline surging through her veins. "Station AI," she barked sharply, eyes fixed on the widening gap. "Initiate a full-spectrum scan of that crystalline structure on Alune and patch the results directly into shuttle seven." In that instant, holographic displays sprang to life inside the cockpit, mirroring the quick-fire pace of her thoughts. With a half-grin and an exasperated roll of her eyes, she added, "And figure out where my grandfather hid my backpackhaul it down to the shuttle bay ASAP." Kira bounded through the shuttle door and slid into the co-pilots seat, her boots clanging on the metal floor. Almost immediately, she tapped the diagnostic controls on the panel, her fingers flying with practiced precision. The diagnostic feed scrolled across the holographic display, and her eyes narrowed as the AI droned on in its characteristically clipped tone: "No atmosphere, ab-sall corruptions level 42.7% recommend calibration of propulsion systems and shield oscillators before departure." Kira couldnt help but let out a dry laugh. "Ab-sall what now?" she muttered, her fingers dancing over the touchscreen. Rolling her eyes at the AIs glitchy shorthand, she added, "Alright, calibrate the ion drive and the shield oscillators." She let out a sigh. "Better do the warp drive as well." A beat of silence passed, and then she barked, "Do it now!" "Understood, beginning field calibrations," the AI replied. The shuttle finally began to hum as the calibrations began. Moments later, the AIs measured tone returned: "Full-spectrum analysis complete. Detected a subterranean structure at the base of the crystalline formation; it extends at least 500 meters into the crater." As the diagnostic data settled, the cockpit transformed into a window to another world. A vivid 3D holographic display materialized before her eyes. The projection rotated slowly, unveiling a labyrinth of shadowed tunnels and intricate energy conduits carved into the crater wallsa hidden realm beneath the dazzling crystal. A bright, pulsing marker highlighted a promising landing site near the structures edge, silently beckoning her to explore its secrets. Kira leaned in, a half-smirk tugging at her lips as she took in every detail. The shuttle''s steady hum vibrated beneath her fingertips, echoing the rapid beat of her heart. In that electric moment, long-forgotten memories and whispered legends surged backreminders of a mysterious presence that had beckoned her since childhood. This was itthe moment she''d been waiting for her whole life. Breaking her concentration, a small drone buzzed in from the rear of the ship, carrying a well-worn backpack. Kira arched an eyebrow. "Where was it?" she asked. In a snarky mechanical tone, the AI replied, "It was under your bed where you left it." She rolled her eyes. "Just drop it on the seat," she said curtly, then added with a wry smile, "and go get a mask and oxygen tank to make the old man happy." The drone didn''t reply, but obediently dropped the backpack on the seat before buzzing out the rear of the hatch. A few moments later, she felt his presence at the edge of the shuttle bay. "Where is that old man anyway?" she said loudly, a small smirk creeping onto her face. Then she felt it, Magic, a spell; no there was many, too many. She darted out the rear of the shuttle and there he washer grandfather. His eyes were closed, his right hand forming a sigil as hundreds of spells twisted around him like living ribbons of magic. Shed known he was powerful, but this it shouldn''t be possible. Her attention then shifted to his left arm, where an ancient Ark AI device pulsed with energy as streams of magic converged, interlacing to form intricate plates adorned with white glowing filigree. One after another, these plates emerged, assembling into a suit of sleek, light blue armour that shone with a soft, otherworldly glow. Her breath caught as the last plate of armor locked into placeuntil a buzzing sound snapped her attention away. The maintenance drone wobbled into view, jerking up and down as if it, too, was trying to comprehend the impossible sight before it. In an instant, her gaze snapped back to her grandfather, who now wielded a newly formed sword along with his armour. "Amazing," she said with a big smile, clapping, trying to pretend the drone didn''t exist. That moment of levity was shattered by a loud crash as the drone flew into the side of the shuttle and careened to the ground. Unbothered, it released its payload, sputtered back into the air, and then flew off. "Without missing a beat, she darted back into the shuttle, grabbing the tank and mask as her grandfather bellowed, ''The station''s maintenance drones are not to be used to fetch stuff!''" Chapter 4: Echoes of the Abyss Chapter 4: Echoes of the Abyss Kira peered through the viewport, a quiet echo of something long forgotten stirring within her. Her pulse quickened as she traced the delicate contours of Alunes surface, its jagged crystalline formations shimmering in hues of deep azure, violet, and emerald greena living tapestry beneath the muted glow of distant stars. The moons fractured terrain pulsed faintly with an inner light, its radiance shifting and flowing as the shuttle descended toward it. The craft settled softly onto Alune, its landing gear making contact with a slender outcrop of crystala ledge that rose like an ethereal balcony, overlooking an enigmatic structure embedded deep within the moons surface. As the shuttle touched down, a resonant hum vibrated through the hull, traveling through Kiras boots and up into her bones. The sensation was neither harsh nor jarring, but deep, a whisper of the power thrumming through Alunes ancient foundations. Time had not eroded this placeit had preserved it, waiting. Kira exhaled slowly, steadying herself. Beyond the shuttles hatch lay the airless expanse of Alunes surface, a place where the slightest misstep meant exposure to the cold void. Raising her hand with practiced precision, she traced the flowing sigils of her spell, whispering, Ethereal Embrace. At her command, magic surged forthliquid light spilling from her fingertips, twisting and unfurling like silken threads. The energy spiraled outward, coiling around her in a slow, deliberate dance before snapping into place. A shimmering, translucent barrier enveloped her, pulsing with faint hues of violet and green. Its surface shifted with the light, refracting in intricate, swirling patterns like ripples across still water. The spell sealed her against the vacuum, forming a protective bubble that would hold her atmosphere intact, shielding her from the emptiness beyond the ships walls. She glanced toward her grandfather. His own barrier was already in place, its glow casting flickering reflections across the shuttle''s walls. With a measured breath, Kira extended her free hand toward him, murmuring, Ethereal Bond. Magic responded instantly. A broad arc of radiant energy burst forth, expanding into a luminous conduit that connected her atmospheric bubble to his. Slowly, it rose, ascending above them in an elegant curve, stabilizing in the space between. The link shimmered with a steady pulse, a tangible bridge through the silent void. Kira eyed the glowing connection and arched a brow. How far exactly will this link allow us to hear each other? Her grandfather smirked, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. About 100 feet, give or take. She let out a sigh, rolling her eyes. Are you sure thats like... 30 meters? His smirk deepened as he tapped the edge of his own barrier. There are no molecules in space, Kira. Sound has nowhere else to go. It just bounces around inside your bubble until the conduit of air carries it to me. She huffed, pretending not to be impressed. I knew that. The familiar banter was a small but welcome distraction from the weight pressing upon them. Even with all their preparation, the vast stillness beyond the shuttles walls was different once you were in it. More suffocating. More real. Her grandfather gave a slight nod and turned back to the ships controls. Begin depressurization. His voice was steady, as if he had done this a thousand times before. The ship responded instantly. A mechanical hiss filled the cabin as the air was drawn away, siphoned into storage tanks. The comforting hum of life-support systems faded, replaced by an unnatural, unsettling silence. No sound. No air. Only the faint vibration of the ships systems beneath their feeta distant, hollow reminder of the fragile world they had just left behind. The hatch slid open without a sound. Beyond it, the expanse of Alune stretched out before them, stark and otherworldly. The crystalline ledge upon which they stood reflected the glow of their atmospheric bubbles, casting ethereal halos of shifting color around them. The surface beneath their feet was glasslike, yet deceptively solid, its smooth planes revealing glimpses of the depths belowdark recesses untouched by light, where shadows curled and twisted with unsettling fluidity. Kira hesitated for a breath, then stepped forward. Her boots met the crystal with a firm step, the sound of contact crisp within the confines of her atmospheric bubble. Though the vacuum of space surrounded them, the protective spell ensured that the familiar noise of her movements remained, an anchor of normalcy in an otherwise alien landscape. The surface beneath her was smooth and glasslike, yet deceptively solid. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The vacuum of space stretched endlessly beyond the ledge, an expanse of nothingness that made everything outside feel eerily distant, untouchable. Yet, closertoo closepockets of writhing darkness clung to the edges of the crystalline path, shifting as though guiding them forward. They pulsed and swayed, not as empty voids but as something aware. Their tendrils curled and unfurled lazily, their movements sluggish yet deliberate, as if tasting the unseen forces that disturbed their restless existence. As they advanced, the darkness crept closer. One tendril slithered forward, pressing against her atmospheric bubble with an eerie, deliberate curiosity. The surface warped beneath its touch. Then, as if burned by an unseen force, it snapped back. Kiras breath caught. She barely had time to process it before she noticed something worsethe slimy residue it left behind. The viscous substance clung to the outside of her bubble, distorting the light as it oozed down in slow, revolting streaks. A cold, revulsive shiver surged through her, and her pulse spiked, hammering against her ribs. Thats disgusting. Wrong. Not just wrongunnatural. The thought coiled in her mind, leaving a bitter, lingering taste she couldnt explain. She forced herself forward, keeping the writhing shadows at the edge of her vision. Every step was measured, heavy with apprehension. The path beneath her shimmered, but the further they walked, the more she realizedit was changing. The glow shifted, responding to them, narrowing in a way that felt less like an illuminated trail and more like a corridor leading them somewhere they were meant to go. Then, emerging from the heart of the formation, the doorway appeared. It was nothing like the crystal around them. It did not glow, did not shimmerit absorbed light. A towering threshold carved from dark, ancient stone stood before them, a stark anomaly in the alien landscape. It was not an accident. This had been placed here. A faint, unsettling magic pulsed from its frame, sending a chill slithering down Kiras spine. She should have been afraid. She was afraid. And yetsomething in her knew this place. It called to her, a force both foreign and familiar. It was him. He was waiting. Deep, intricate etchings lined the doorways surface, runes carved with an impossible precision, suggesting not just artistry, but intent. They pulsed softly, as if in recognition of something unseen, their glow shifting subtly, responding to somethingor someone. Kira hesitated before stepping closer. A deep unease settled in her gut, but she ignored it, raising a hand to the cold, rough stone. The instant she touched it, the door reacted. A low hum resonated through the structure, vibrating through her bones. The surface of her atmospheric bubble rippled as the energy adjusted, shifting around her. The air thickened. Then, the etchings bled to life. Glowing symbols unraveled across the stone, their luminous forms spilling out like ink on water, spreading in twisting, dancing patterns. The writing did not simply appearit revealed itself, as though it had been waiting, watching. Beckoning. Kiras breath hitched. Grandfather she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. Her eyes locked onto the shifting script. Its Abyssal. At that instant, the ancient doorway shuddered to life. A tremor ran through the ground beneath their feet, as if the very foundation of the structure had awoken. The pulsating script surged outward, glowing like veins of molten light, flooding the doorway in a brilliant cascade. It was an invitation. Or a warning. While the luminous script cascaded down the stone, the Ark device on her grandfathers arm sprang to life, its screen flickering as jagged, glowing words formed. Lines of translated text appeared in real time; unraveling secrets long buried in the ancient language. Herein slumbers Faust Thenpain. A white-hot lance of agony tore through her right eye, sharp and overwhelming. Kira staggered, sucking in a breath as her vision swam. With a deep, steadying breath, she anchored herself to the present, her focus returning to the mesmerizing cascade of ancient words and the unfolding translation, even as the Ark device diligently decoded the mysteries before them. No. Not now. She clenched her jaw, fighting it back, pushing against the unwelcome force invading her mind. But it was stronger this time, an abyss opening beneath her thoughts and dragging her down. Darkness swallowed everything. Not just darknessemptiness. A void so thick, so absolute, it devoured even the memory of light. The weight of it was suffocating, pressing against her skin, stretching endlessly in all directions. No sound. No movement. Just the unbearable nothingness. Eternal master of the nine infernal realms heir to Darkness itself Theneyes. Two glowing slits of molten gold split the abyss, shifting like cascading lava. Not just burning, but alive, flowing and restless. They stared into her, through her, into something deeper than flesh, something buried inside her bones. Her breath caught. Bound in sleep by Virtues sorrowful betrayal a gentle torment born of loves anguished compassion Kiras knees wobbled, a sickening nausea rising in her chest as the golden eyes bore into her. The words from the Ark device wove themselves into the vision, spoken yet not spoken, echoing through the vast nothingness. The suffocating weight of the void closed in. She fought against it, struggled to breathe, but it pressed harder, dragging her deeper. No. Focus. Her hands trembled, fumbling down toward her waist. With a sharp inhale, she slammed the edge of her bracer into her gutthe square corner pressing into her stomach with bruising force. A burst of pain shot through her, grounding her, anchoring her back to the present. Break not this silence; awaken not his heart She sucked in a ragged breath, her fingers tightening into fists. For it is Virtues love alone that bars the gates of madness. The eyes in the darkness flared, the molten gold rippling like waves of fire. The voice returneddistant now, fraying at the edges, unraveling like the last embers of a dying flame. You mustnt wake him. The abyss collapsed. Kira gasped into the waking world, the sharp edge of reality crashing down around her. A dull, throbbing ache pulsed in her gut where she had struck herself, but it was nothing compared to the lingering chill that coiled through her veins, settling deep, refusing to leave. Her hands trembled against the rough stone of the doorway as her surroundings slid back into focustoo solid, too real, yet not nearly enough to erase the echo of what she had seen. The glow of the runes still pulsed. The Ark device still flickered. But the words had already sunk deeper than ink on stone. They clung to her, unyielding, unshaken by time, by thought, by breath. "Should he wake he will reclaim his throne and in consuming the Darkness, he himself shall be devoured all that was once cherished shall fall to ruin." Chapter 5: Dealers Choice Chapter 5: Dealers Choice Kira blinked away the lingering haze and forced herself back to her feet, steadying her trembling limbs. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, each pulse a hammer against her chest. Her eyes met her grandfathers, and in that brief, wordless glance she tried to reassure him. Im fine, she said lightly, ignoring her pounding heart. She offered a faint, shaky smile, hoping hed overlook the trembling of her fingers and the pallor she knew had crept into her cheeks. Mostly fine, at least. But the furrow in his brow told her he didn''t believe her. His face was set like weathered stone, yet behind those hardened features raged a tempestraw, relentless, and ancient. There was fury, not the kind that burned fast and reckless, but the kind that had been tempered over decades of war. It was the seething rage of a man who had watched history be rewritten in the blood of those who gave everything to protect it. Kira understood why. She knew the stories whispered in reverence, the legend passed down like sacred scripture: Faustthe last champion of creation, heir to its throne. The warrior who had stood against the Abyss and faced the legions of hell itself. On the day the princess died, his fury had shaken the stars, his grief had split the heavens. When he summoned forth Ragnarok, all of creation trembled in his grasp. And in his final defiance, he had wounded the Darkness itselfan injury so grave that in the 100 years since it had never returned to the field of battle. And yet, this twisted perversion of history stood before them. There was no way her grandfather could accept it. Now, as she watched him, the very air around him began to change. A low, thrumming hum filled the spacenot a sound, but a force, vibrating through the stone, through her bones, through something deeper than flesh. Small arcs of electricity licked at his fingertips, tiny white-hot veins snapping across his arm like cracks forming in reality itself. The light itself bent toward him, drawn into the vortex that was his gathering wrath. Kiras pulse quickened as she saw the energy gather around him, power shed never witnessed him wield. Her muscles tightened, warning flashing through her nerves. She didnt know what he was casting, but every fiber in her being understood one thing clearlyshe couldnt be standing where she was when it hit. Without a word, he extended his hand. And the world shuddered. Magic erupted from him, no longer a mere force, but something alivehis rage, given form. The very air seemed to buckle inward, folding, compressing, as if the weight of his anger alone could crush the ancient structure before him. The pressure surged. Dust and debris lifted from the ground, sucked inward, swirling toward the epicenter of the growing storm. It wasnt just powerit was a reckoning. Then The moment snapped. A detonation, deep and guttural, like the rupture of a dying star. The ancient gateway did not break. It ceased to exist. A single, impossible instant of silencethen an eruption of raw force. A concussive shockwave tore outward, the air itself splitting apart as the massive stone structure detonated. Thick slabs of stone burst into the open night, ripped apart midair before they could even touch the ground. They came apart in a storm of incandescent fury, splintering into jagged, molten fragments. Kira barely had time to brace as they whipped past, searing through the air, carving deep gouges into the crystalline ground. Chunks of burning debris slammed into the valley floor, sending bursts of light cascading in every direction. She saw some shards ricochet off shattered rock formations, their impact sending sparks flying in all directions. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The air warped. She swore she could see space ripple, as if reality itself had fractured beneath the force of the blasta ripple through time itself. And then, as suddenly as it had begun Silence. A shimmering force field coalesced in the air where the gateway once stoodnot a barrier meant to keep them out, but something older, something left behind. It pulsed softly, steady and defiant, as if standing guard over the sanctity of what lay beyond. Without hesitation, her grandfather stepped forward, framed by the barriers luminous glow. "Kiras lungs burned as she pushed herself upright, her chest tight as the ground trembled beneath hernot from the chaos, but from the recompression of space itself. Yet, despite the devastation she''d witnessed, something strange caught her attention. Beyond the threshold, the chamber stood untouched. Not one pillar had crumbled, no dust disturbed. It was as if the destruction had been precise, controlleda judgment that knew exactly what was meant to be erased and what must remain. Her grandfathers rage had done more than destroy. It had purified. A shiver ran down her spine as she stepped carefully over the shattered remnants of the entrance and followed him into the untouched chamber." As Kira passed through the shimmering barrier, a soft beep echoed from the Ark device strapped to her grandfathers arm. The mechanical voice, smooth and precise, filled the air: Atmospheric composition within optimal parameters. Oxygen levels stable. No toxic gases detected. Environment safe for entry. She watched as the atmospheric bubble surrounding her grandfather shimmered, then collapsed around him like dissipating fog, releasing him into the room. Kira stepped forward, mimicking his movements, feeling the cool air settle around her as her own bubble melted away into nothingness, leaving behind only the faintest ripple in the stillness. The chamber stretched before them, impossibly vastlike stepping into the remnants of a forgotten era. Immense tiles, carved from obsidian so black they seemed to swallow the light, spanned the floor, edged meticulously with gleaming silver bands. Each stone was polished to a mirror sheen, reflecting the ethereal flicker of argent flames that danced along intricately carved pillars. The towering structures stood untouched by time, their surfaces pulsing softly with silvery firesilent witnesses to an ancient power preserved. One by one, the sconces flared to life, their silver flames unfurling like nocturnal flowers. The unnatural glow washed over the chamber, but instead of dispelling the darkness, it seemed to deepen the shadows in the far corners, as if the very darkness were resisting, pushing back. Kiras heart skipped. The chamber had no doorsno windows, no exits. Just endless expanses of stone and shadow, walls obscured by an overwhelming void that stretched beyond perception. The entrance they had come through had vanished entirely. The chamber had sealed itself around them as if it had always been meant to trap them. And then, slowly, the shadows before them began to move. Darkness gathered like ink spreading across water, swirling until it took forma mass of shifting shadows solidifying into a presence that loomed with menacing intent. What is it that you seek? The voice resonated through Kiras bones, heavy and ancient. She knew better than to let her grandfather speak first. Steeling herself, she stepped forward from his side, clearly declaring, We seek Faust. The darkness shuddereda chaotic storm of fragmented thoughts flickering with uncertainty. "Why... why would it want this? Such a dangerous thing, yes, yesa dangerous request... but why?" It flickered again, unsure and tangled within itself. "No, no, no... its not oursnot oursnot our concern... What does it want with him? Hm? Hmh?" The words collided and tumbled over one another, a whispering chaos. "None of our business, none... nothing to us... nothing... no... no..." The flickering intensified, erratic sparks of madness scattering wildly. "Butbut if it must... yes, yes, it must... trials three, yes, yes... three!" Suddenly, the madness snapped taut, the voice shifting into an eerie, unsettling calm: "If that is what it seeks, it must take the trials... three." Get on with you, foul creature! her grandfather bellowed impatiently. The shadow shifted, hissing irritably. Owen Lightbringera warrior lost to time itself. How is it that one of the blessed still clings to life? Another sharper voice sliced through, cold and stern, No, it matters not. The Trails Three, yes. Which does it wish to challenge first? Dealers choice, her grandfather replied dryly, defiance coloring his tired voice. The darkness sputtered in scandalized confusion. Cards?! We do not play cards with mortals! A smaller, agitated voice hissed in reply, exasperated, No, you imbecile, it means we choose! Choose? Choose what?! A cacklechildish yet sinisterechoed around them, its sound warping through the chamber. Slowly, the space began to twist, unnervingly fluid, as if reality itself bent and stretched. The air thickened, heralding trials unknown, yet terrifyingly inevitable. Chapter 6: “The Shortcut.” Chapter 6: The Shortcut. The scene unfurls with the deep rumble of stone shifting, walls groaning as if alive. Slowly, a large circular room forms around them, the air thick with tension. The floor is smooth, almost too perfect, while the stone walls are adorned with intricate carvings that pulse faintly with an eerie, dim light. The center of the room holds one stark feature: two massive stone doors, one to each side, flanked by two towering minotaurs. These beasts stand as though theyve been carved from the very mountains themselves, towering and solid, their muscles rippling under taut skin, each one gripping a great battle axe with the ease of a farmer holding a rake. Their eyes glow with an unsettling fire, as if the flames themselves had taken residence inside their skulls. Behind each of the minotaurs, a massive stone door looms, ancient and imposing, a silent sentinel to the trial ahead. The room is unnervingly stillsilent, save for the occasional hum of the air, as if the entire place is holding its breath. Kiras footsteps echo through the cavernous space, the sound unnaturally loud in the quiet, her energy crackling just beneath the surface of her calm composure. From the shadows, a voice begins, low and gravelly, like its been dragged up from the depths of a forgotten tomb. The Darkness, struggling to remember the trials rules. "Yes," it mutters, "you may ask one question of the guards, one question alone. One always lies, and the other always tells the truth; one door leads to the way forward, the other to a trap." Before either Kira or the Darkness can react, the entire room erupts with a deafening BOOM! A violent explosion shakes the very earth beneath them, and debris scatters through the air like confetti at a parade. The minotaurs, who were as still as mountains a moment ago, are suddenly obliterated in a flash of light. Their hulking forms crumble into rubble, their great axes clanging and bouncing off the stone like discarded toys. The gaping crater where the minotaurs once stood only grows, yawning wider with every second, as if the room itself is swallowing the trial whole. The echo of the explosion slowly fades, leaving behind an eerie, uncomfortable silence. Kira blinks, her mind spinning. What? What just happened? She stares at the wreckage, trying to make sense of the chaotic turn of events. She spots her grandfatherremarkably unfazed, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Hey, look," he says, his voice casual as he gestures toward a now-revealed path. "There''s a room down here." Without so much as a second thought, he leaps down into the newly exposed hole in the floor, completely unbothered by the smoldering wreckage around him. He doesn''t even flinch as the air thickens with the remnants of destruction. Kira lets out a sigh, glancing back at the empty space where the massive minotaurs once stood like living mountains. Of course. What else could she expect from a man who had let the raving lunatic pick the trial? The explosion might as well have been part of the show. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The Darkness sputters from behind, its voice growing increasingly exasperated, as if trying to recall lines from an ancient play no one bothered to rehearse. Its words spill out, jumbled and desperate, "Wait, wait! Im supposed to You cant just That wasnt supposed to" But Kira doesnt turn back. The room, the trial, the explosionnone of it matters anymore. The trial is broken beyond recognition, and she needs to catch up with him before he breaks something else. The chaos has rendered everything meaningless. With another deep sigh, she follows her grandfather into the unknown, the echoes of her footsteps blending with the ravings of the Darkness as it tries to remember its lines, alone in the now-silent room above. The room below is similar in construction, its round shape just a bit larger than the one above. The walls rise high, etched with the same intricate carvings that pulse faintly with an eerie, dim light. The floor is smooth, but unlike the previous space, this one seems more expansive, almost unnervingly so. The air is thick, heavy with the promise of something ancient, something powerful. All around them, a maze of openings stretches out in every direction, each one leading deeper into the unknown. Some archways are wide, others narrow, but all are dark, veiled in shadow, as though daring them to choose the wrong path. The dim glow from the walls casts long, twisting shadows that seem to move with the flickering light, making it impossible to tell what lies beyond each opening. Kira glances around, her eyes scanning the vastness of the room. Theres no sign of anythingno traps, no guardiansjust a labyrinth of paths that twist and wind in every direction, some leading upwards, others down, others simply disappearing into the darkness. The walls themselves seem to hum with energy, as if the entire space is alive, watching, waiting for them to make a move. Her grandfather, ever unfazed, steps into the center of the room, his voice breaking the silence. "Well, this is certainly a little more... lively." He chuckles, but theres no real humor in itjust a weary acknowledgment of their predicament. He looks toward the farthest path, the one that disappears into the blackness beyond the glowing edges of the room, then turns to Kira, a familiar smirk playing on his lips. "After you," he says, gesturing toward the maze of openings. Kira closes her eyes, a quiet moment of stillness as she lets her senses expand. She reaches out with her mind, threading her thoughts through the labyrinth around them. One of these pathways, it must lead to him. She can feel them, the pathwaysthey pulse around her like veins in the walls, 666 paths sprawled before her, each leading in a different direction. A tall order, even for her. She begins to unfurl her minds eye, splitting her perception again and again until it becomes a blur of intertwining threadseach one a path, each one a possibility. She sends dozens of her split perceptions forward, down different winding corridors, expanding her reach. The maze begins to unfurl in front of her, a vast, chaotic tapestry woven out of shadows and light. And then, there it is. A room, at last, standing clear and sharp amidst the confusion. Crystal lines the floor, a shimmering blue light cutting through the gloom. In the center, the silhouette of a person is etched into the stones, a delicate figure frozen in time. Her mind snaps to focus, and with a rush of power, she shatters the vision, breaking the tapestry in an explosion of light. Kiras legs give way beneath her. She collapses to the floor, breathless, sweat pouring down her face as the effort of reaching through the maze takes its toll. She stares at the ground, her thoughts racing, the weight of the task pressing on her chest. "Did you see it?" her grandfathers voice cuts through the heavy silence, his tone curious, though laced with concern. The Darkness is here again, as it always seems to be, slipping into the cracks of her mind. Its voice, low and rumbling, grows more insistent as it emerges. "What are the mortals doing in the trap room?" it asks, its words dripping with impatience. "Yes... Yes, it is there. That is the path that leads to him." Kiras breath catches in her throat, the weight of the realization crashing over her like a tidal wave. The roomthe crystal, the figureits a marker, a key. She can feel it, deep inside, pulling her forward. With a tremor, she pushes herself to her feet, her head still spinning. She looks at her grandfather, then back to the maze of pathways that still stretches endlessly before them. The path is clear. Its the only one that matters now. Ark Metric Final Tensor – Sequence 1: M-Theory Ark Metric Final Tensor C Sequence 1: M-Theory While the story unfolds, Ill explain advanced technologies as naturally as possible. But some parts rely on math or physics that just wont fit neatly into dialogueso theyre here, at the end, in this appendix. Think of it as a technical manual pulled straight from the Archive. This entry in particular is going to be a bit difficult, but it will give a realistic way to view many other fantasy or Sci-Fi fictional universes in a way that does not violate any of our currently understood physics. What we need is a simple and unified explanation for many of the complex phenomena observed in modern physics, we will give an explanation of this here that will allow us to neatly incorporate multiple universes into the same timeline; while simultaneously making it very easy for people to understand how theoretical technology or even magic could work without breaking any of the rules like Einstein''s special relativity or conservation of matter. In order to do this, we are going to have to talk about a couple complicated things first. In short, our universe is a spherical object like a planet, but extremely large. We are going to assume that all matter in the higher dimensional space orbits a fixed point. This makes a lot of sense as thats how solar systems work in our visible universe. You have a star and all the planets orbit the star. At the center of each galaxy there is a super massive black hole called a quasar and all the the solar systems orbit it in circular motion. This is the exact same idea just higher dimensions, so the orbital path is no longer a circle its something called a geodesic. We then say that all these directions of motion in the higher dimensional space occur at a fixed radius from the center and at a constant speed, namely c or the speed of light. Of course, this motion takes place outside of our perceivable 3+1 dimensions as its literally our universe, the spherical object that''s moving around this fixed point in the higher dimensional manifold. Think of a star and two planets orbiting it at the same radius and same speed, but at different points along this orbit. If you were on one of these planets and somehow couldnt see the star; that circular motion in the higher dimensional space would be unobservable to you. In fact it would be like the other planet is just sitting still relative to you and that neither you or it are moving at all. If you were to go back to this higher dimensional space though and say move one of the planets so it no longer lined up at the same height or z coordinate as the other planet. Now this circular motion would result in a different angle between the two planets orbits and you would be able to observe this relative movement of the other planet with respect to you. This may seem very strange, but it allows us to bypass all the complexities of things like Einsteins special relativity and there is a nice mathematical argument for resolving both this occurring and everything working the way that it does in our universe as we know it. So, What exactly is a Universe? Imagine that our observable universethe stars, planets, and galaxies we see in our familiar 3+1 dimensionsis not the entire story. Instead, it is a projection of a much richer, higher-dimensional reality. In this framework, every fundamental particle moves along natural paths (geodesics) at the speed of light within a vast, curved space. Matter and antimatter are not separate substances; they are different excitations of one underlying quantum field, intrinsically entangled and dancing together in this deeper realm. What Is a Manifold? A manifold is a mathematical space that, on a small scale, appears like ordinary flat space but can have a complex, curved structure overall. Think of the Earths surface: when you stand on it, it feels flat, yet viewed from space, you see a curved, spherical shape. In our model, the higher-dimensional manifold is the stage on which all fundamental physics occurs. Envision this higher-dimensional manifold as being centered around a fixed, immutable pointa kind of cosmic core that anchors the entire structure. Every motion in this space is defined relative to this central point, much like every orbit on a spinning disk is measured from its center. This fixed point imposes a natural order on the manifold. Imagine an onion. An onion is made up of many thin, concentric layers, each one enveloping the next. In our model, the center of the onion is this fixed point and each layer of the onion represents a different universea 3+1-dimensional braneembedded in the higher-dimensional manifold. Our observable universe is just one of these layers, a thin shell located at a specific radius from the central core. Just as the layers of an onion are fixed at different distances from the center, each universe occupies its own well-defined slice of the higher-dimensional space. Other universes exist as additional layers of the onion, each at a different radius. For example, one layer is our human universe and the matter in that universe is required to abide by certain rules or physics. Where another layer (closer to or farther from the center) could host a realm with particles that behave with respect to more exotic physicsfor example a magic realm could be a universe that is simply governed by a different set of physical principles. In this model, each universe exists as a thin layerlike a sheet wrapped around the core of a cosmic onion. But within each layer, there''s a deeper symmetry: matter and antimatter occupy the same locations, but on opposite sides of the layers surface. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. If you imagine the shell of a sphere as paper-thin, antimatter exists on the "outer" side while matter resides on the "inner" sidemirrored across the shell but never directly interacting. From within the universe, this separation is imperceptible; the two appear as distinct, opposing particles. But from the higher-dimensional perspective, they are simply two excitations of the same field, curved around the same geometry, always aligned but divided by the thinness of dimensional perspective. Its worth noting that in this model, all particles move at c in the higher-dimensional manifold. The reason why anything, but massless photons appear to move slower in our universe is because part of their motion projects into the mirrored antimatter face of the shell. Photons, by contrast, are aligned entirely within our 3+1D slice, so their projection preserves that full c-vector. This could explain, naturally and geometrically, why massive particles can never quite reach the speed of lighttheyre simply not moving in a straight line from our perspective. Of course, this assignment is relativethe roles could just as easily be reversed, with matter on the outer side and antimatter within. Personally, it just makes more sense to me that matter would be on the inside, since we perceive ourselves as existing on the outside of things we should be on the inside of the spherical shell. Then again, my brains a bit brokenso pick whichever version feels right to you. Despite the differences in their observable properties, all these universes share the same higher-dimensional origin and are governed by similar underlying dynamics. This may sound like nonsense, as we are claiming our universe is basically a spherical shell in higher dimensions and somehow results in the 3-dimensional universe as we perceive it. In some sense though, this is exactly what theoretical physicists do. They work with these higher-dimensional spaceswhether in M-theory or String Theoryoften starting with a 12-dimensional real vector space. From there, they mod out by equivalence classes, which is just a fancy way of saying: they identify different points in space that behave the same way under certain transformations, and then they choose exactly one representative from each group. The resulting structure is what we call a fieldnot the kind you grow crops in, but a mathematical object that lets you define consistent rules for interaction, symmetry, and behavior. Which is not some special abstract thing in any kind of a grand sense; they are looking at something a lot more basic, an underlying structure. You know at least one field yourself, the real numbers its governed by two operations addition and multiplication. Yes, we are talking about something as basic as 1+1 =2 and 2*2= 4 they have two operations just like the real numbers, but instead of using numbers they use particles Which is basically just a complicated way to say they try to find a set of rules that will explain the behavior of all our known particles and how they interact with each other in our universe in a way that doesnt contradict how anything else works. They call these Logically Consistent Models, which is just a polite way of saying my abstract nonsense agrees with itself. I mean, these are the same people who will, with a straight face, tell you that 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + = C1/12, and then call it regularization (Thats abstract nonsense for: please, God, make the infinities go away.) It really isnt a field you get into because you like sanityits a field you get into because reality is clearly a poorly-documented edge case. It turns out though that there is a whole bunch of different ones that physicists have found that could work in theory and since there is an infinite number of elements in this field; well, its a wholly pointless endeavor, but many of us spend their days thinking about abstract nonsense and this is the proverbial hill physicists have chosen to die on so to speak. Since all of these different fields are essentially abstract nonsense, we formulate a model based on simplicity. The interpretation given here uses a central mathematical insight called Gausss Theorema Egregium to explain how everything we observe in our universe could be the result of much simpler, more Newtonian like mechanics from a higher dimension space. This theorem states that the intrinsic curvature of a surface (the way distances and angles are measured on that surface) is determined solely by its metric and remains unchanged under isometric coordinate transformations. In other words, even if you change the coordinates or how you describe a surface, its fundamental curvature stays the same. This is what allows us to resolve the issue of us perceiving our universe as this large spherical object, when it is in fact more like a spherical shell in the higher dimensional space. Basically, when the simple constant-speed motion in the higher-dimensional bulk is projected onto our manifold. The projection works much like a shadow: although the full object is moving at c, its shadow reveals only a part of that motion in our universe and it gives us a very simple way to describe all that complicated behavior. This complex behavior we observe in our universe emerges naturally in the higher dimensional model and this Theorem allows us to reconcile what''s going on in these two very different looking spaces by telling us that there is a change of coordinates for every object, in every position in our universe that allows both of these to occur simultaneously without breaking any math. There are some caveats, of courseyou do need enough dimensional wiggle room to pull off the coordinate transformations that make this all work. But no matter your favorite flavor of abstract nonsensebe it string theory, M-theory, or F-theoryyouve got more than enough extra dimensions lying around to get the job done. I want to be clear: this doesnt prove anythingbecause that was never the goal. What it offers is a framework we can build onone with no obvious way to be proven false. And if it cannot be proven false, then we can ask ourselves: what if? And that, in itself, is a truly wonderful thought. For those of you interested in how futuristic technologies could work I will do my best to give simple explanations in a natural way throughout the story without intermixing to much technical jargon, but I will give a concise explanation of how each technology works in this appendix for those that are interested.