Chapter 3

  Past memories

  I remember.

  My mother and father fought all the time. Mother didn't care much about me. She left us for someone else. I haven't seen her since I was 10. I can't even remember her face now. My father stayed with me—he never left. He was the one thing I could count on.

  I remember...

  The war, Father and I escaped to Earth, where our ancestors came from. Father was a simple, hardworking man. He moved cargo for a planetary shipping company. Every day he came home tired but still smiling. I felt like I was just a burden to him.

  He died when I was young. I could barely pay for his funeral.

  I remember.

  Discovering my strange powers—making things float in the air. Father's eyes would get big, his voice shaking with fear. "Boy," he would say harshly, "What did I tell you? Never do that again. If the government knows you're a kinetic user, they will tear you from my arms, I've already lost everything else — I cannot lose you too."

  I remember.

  These memories—I keep them buried deep where they can't hurt me anymore.

  *****

  I hear beeping, sounds, just sound, my mouth was covered in some type of medical respirator mask, my body floating in a capsule, I couldn't see anything, all I heard was noise in the background...

  Suddenly a sound, more robotic, a medical droid... "Patient awakening, checking vital systems..."

  I heard another voice... "That's good, he is breathing at least."

  Silence fell, darkness took me again...

  Before I knew it, I was in a medical room. The room was clinically white, almost painful to my adjusting eyes. Holographic monitors surrounded my bed, displaying my vital signs in pulsing blue and red patterns. I could see complex diagrams of my own body floating in the air, certain areas highlighted with flashing indicators that I didn't understand.

  The medical bed beneath me hummed quietly, its surface molding itself to my body while countless sensors pressed gently against my skin.

  I looked up and saw a vast transparent dome revealing the infinite expanse of space.

  When I tried to sit up, pain exploded through every nerve in my body. It felt like millions of tiny ants were crawling under my skin, biting at my muscles all at once. I gasped and fell back against the bed, the pain receding to a dull throb as long as I remained still. Even breathing too deeply sent fresh waves of discomfort through my chest.

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  The door slid open, revealing a medical droid. "Hello," it says. "I will inform the doctor you've been awake."

  "Wait," I said, voice barely working. "Where am I?"

  "You are in the orbital H1 space station near Mars," it says. "I will inform the doctor you have been awake."

  Minutes passed. Finally, the doctor I recognized walked in and looked me over carefully. Before I could speak, he addressed me.

  "Mr. Sato," he said clearly, "our paths cross once more. You have finally returned to consciousness. The devastation you unleashed on Ceres was... most impressive."

  "Your mana," he continued, his voice lowering to a calculated whisper, "is strong enough to destroy entire planets.

  "Mateo," I interrupt, chest tightening. "Where is he?" I demanded with anger, pain in my head intensifying.

  "Were you aware that your associate Mateo belonged to the criminal enterprise known as 8th Street? The theft of imperial minerals constitutes a significant offense against the Crown."

  I pause...

  "I didn't know..." I look at the stars through the glass window, feeling betrayed.

  "Shit!" I said.

  "Let us address your current predicament," he stated, fingers tapping a screen. "Three months ago, you terminated a man's existence."

  3 months? I wonder to myself, troubled by the gap in my memory.

  "Mr. Sato," he continued, "did you know you were someone who could move things with your mind?"

  The memory came back to when I was a child, my head starting to hurt again, like someone hammering from inside.

  "I remember, but not really."

  "You currently stand accused of two significant transgressions—the taking of a life and the failure to register your kinetic abilities with imperial authorities. The discomfort you experience—these periodic disturbances—results from an excess of mana accumulating within your system. Without proper flow of this energy, it will kill you." He leaned closer. "But I have an offer. You are very rare—people with your powers make up only 0.0001 percent of everyone in the galaxy. If you agree to work for me."

  "What if I refuse?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

  "Then I will kill you here and now," he said, with no emotion in his voice.

  I took a deep breath... "Fine, I'm willing."

  "Good, no doubt you would."

  The door slid open. A woman in a rover imperial suit armor came in, bowing her head.

  "My lord... My apology for interrupt—" Before she could finish—

  "Please wait outside!" His voice was sharp enough to make my headache worse.

  The door slid closed.

  "Are you a noble?" I asked, things starting to make sense.

  He smiled slightly. "I am much higher than that. I am the fifth prince of the Imperial House of Kin. My identity is a secret—only known to people who can be trusted completely."

  "No wonder they called you the shadow prince," I said, realizing I was in bigger trouble than I thought.

  He sat down gracefully. "About one year ago, our sensors picked up a message from the Andromeda galaxy—from humanity's first journey between stars. My great-great-great grandfather served as military band pianist aboard that vessel, providing musical solitude during humanity exploration

  "The mission concluded in tragedy. Rather than the hospitable environment promised by initial probes, they encountered a hostile world—punishingly cold, with atmospheric disturbances that rendered their shelters ineffective. We finally intercepted their final communication—Protocol Horizon—the imperial designation for mission failure.

  "The transmission contained something of extraordinary significance—an artifact of non-human design, geometric and alien, adorned with symbols of unknown origin. The recording captured fleeting glimpses of entities moving in the background. We have also identified a recurring signal emanating from that distant world.

  "The Empire now prepares to dispatch an expedition to investigate these phenomena. The undertaking carries extreme risk with minimal chance of return. As you may be aware, we have discovered various structures throughout our galaxy—what many term 'dungeons'—constructed ...by unknown blue-skinned beings with pointed ears. These ancient buildings contain both advanced technology and dangerous creatures that we still don't understand..."

  His yellow eyes stared at me intensely. "Your training will begin in one month." He got up from his chair and left. I was confused about my situation, but grateful to be alive.