Inertia: Beneath the Starlit Veil

Cyrus POV

Coming back from the Nexus to the physical world felt like leaving a sanctuary crafted solely for you, only to return to rot away in purgatory. In the Nexus, I was weightless, free from everything. Now, in my physical body, I could feel the weight of the world and all its unnecessary burdens pressing down on me. I didn't want this. I missed my old life.

Once I regained consciousness, I saw my father lying back in the boat, patiently waiting for my return. His face showed no worry whatsoever as he stared into the blue sky, dusk beginning to settle.

"What are you staring at, Dad?" I asked.

For a moment, he didn't move or respond. Then, slowly, he turned his focus to me.

"I zoned out... thinking about that day."

Hearing those words, I knew exactly what my father was referring to. I could feel his sadness radiating. I wasn't the only one who had lost everything. I could only imagine what he must have been going through.

"You know, I almost didn't go that day. Your mother asked me to stay home. She wanted us to go to the market together. I remember her saying we hadn't had a family outing in quite some time. She had everything planned." His voice softened, heavy with regret. "But I didn't know how to ignore my duties as the leader of our country and put you two first. I was so close to reaching my goal—or at least I thought I was."

Seeing my father so emotional was unsettling. He'd always been the strong, stoic figure who shouldered the burdens of others. Until now, I didn't think he felt pain or sadness like the rest of us. But that image was a lie. He had to put on a front for everyone else. As our leader—our hero—he wasn't allowed to show weakness.

"It's okay, Dad. It's not your fault," I said, trying to console him.

"It is, though," he replied. "If I hadn't gone searching for that stupid relic, I would've been there to stop the attack. I could've saved everyone, and we would still be a family. I'm sorry, Cyrus… As your father, I wasn't there when you needed me most. I left you to face and witness something no person—let alone a child—should ever endure." His voice cracked, and tears began falling from his eyes. "You don't know how broken I was when I returned. Not only was the search for the relic a failure, but I came back to find everyone I cared about gone. Mutilated. I could only hope that, at the very least, your mother and you had escaped. But the universe wasn't so kind. I found you trying everything you could to bring her back, pleading with her to wake up… And I just stood there, frozen. There was nothing I could do. I failed."

We sat in silence after that, letting each other process in our own way. My father needed to get this off his chest, and truthfully, I had never blamed him. I understood his duties to our country. Everything he did was for the greater good—both for us and the world.

The next morning, my father seemed in better spirits, back to his usual self. Over breakfast, I told him about my experience in the Nexus. I explained what I had seen, my interaction with Dox, and the name of my constellation.

"Pardoxon Constellation?" he said, giving me a skeptical look. "Cyrus, that's not a recognized constellation. I've studied them all."

"Well, that's what the orb said. I don't think Dox would lie, especially since it's a manifestation of my constellation."

"You have a point," he admitted. "It's just... your situation doesn't align with what I know to be the norm."

"Maybe I'm the first to discover this constellation and connect with it," I offered. "The universe is vast. It's not like we've uncovered everything out there."

"I can't deny that," he said, nodding thoughtfully. "I just wish your grandfather Zaire were here. He might've been able to shed some light on this."

As we continued fishing, I changed the subject to lighten the mood. "Hey, Dad, what relic were you and Grandpa Zaire trying to find? Why was it so important?"

"It was an ancient relic capable of providing sustainable, clean energy for our country," he said, his voice tinged with passion. "According to ancient texts, it could convert cosmic energy imbued with solar energy into usable electricity."

"Like a solar panel?" I asked.

"Yes, but on a much more advanced scale. My team and I had been working on this concept for years. If we'd found the relic, we could've made our country completely independent of other energy sources."

"Sometimes I forget you were a scientist when you were younger," I teased. "Maybe it's because of all the trauma I've endured during our training sessions."

"Shut it," he said, smirking.

As he finished speaking, his gaze shifted to something beyond me. I turned to see what had caught his attention. We were nearing the end of the stream. After days of cramped conditions and salty fish, I was eager to get off the boat.

"Looks like you finally get to touch some grass!" my father said, paddling faster toward the shore.

When we arrived, he destroyed the boat, saying we wouldn't need it anymore. The landscape before us was a marshland—wet, unstable, and the complete opposite of the rocky mountain region we had just left.

"Dad, please tell me we're not making camp here," I said, eyeing the ground.

"Relax. We're heading to the nearest town to use their transponder station. We need to contact Grandpa Zaire before continuing to the western border."

After trudging through the marsh, we found a wide road with large delivery trucks heading west. From what I remember this region was known for having poor infrastructure, so the trucks must use the delivery trucks as a source of imports. Staying close to the woods, we followed the road for an hour or so until we reached a town.

As we stepped onto the road, screams echoed in the distance, followed by bone-chilling roars. I turned to my father, and his grim expression confirmed my suspicion.

An astral rift had opened nearby. The people were in danger.