Inertia: Beneath the Starlit Veil

(Cyrus Pov)

During our time here in Adam's town, my father has been unusually quiet and reserved. He often oversees the mining operations, and I suspect it's because he remains skeptical of the cosmic batteries. I could tell during the initial conversation with Adam that my father didn't fully believe him when he claimed there had been no issues with the batteries. I know my father—he doesn't take things at face value, especially when they hold significant meaning to him.

It didn't take long to reach the western side of the town, where the astral gate was stationed. I saw several workers sitting outside, taking a break and refilling their celestial cores to re-enter the astral realm. Some noticed me and waved, while others were too engrossed in their lunch. I asked one of the miners if my father and Adam were currently in the astral realm. After being pointed in the right direction, I headed in.

I needed to make my trip quick since I couldn't remain in the astral realm for long using this method. When I finally crossed over, I sprinted to the cave and saw my father standing as still as a statue, his gaze intensely focused. Adam, on the other hand, was his usual easygoing self.

"Hey, Cyrus! How are you doing, bud?" Adam greeted me, tapping my father on the shoulder to let him know I'd arrived.

"I'm doing well, Uncle Adam. Actually, I came to talk to you," I replied.

"Oh? About what?" Adam asked.

"A couple of days ago, you mentioned wanting us to deal with the rift near town. I was hoping you could give me more information—its location, grade, and the types of astral behemoths inside," I said.

"Oh, right. I was just waiting for you and your father to heal and recover. The rift is a Grade Two rift located in the southern region of the woods near town. As for the astral behemoths, we've mostly seen spear beetles and aurora moths coming out of it," Adam explained.

"Well, that's just perfect," I said with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked.

"I was planning to take it out myself... I need the experience," I admitted, causing my father to break his focus and turn toward me.

"Cyrus, you're not ready to handle rifts alone, let alone a Grade Two rift," my father said firmly. "You're still in the embryonic stage of your core and don't have enough power to defeat it. Besides, you're not well-suited for combating astral behemoths in the air."

I knew my father had a point, but I didn't care. I needed more cores to progress with my resonance to the Paradoxen constellation.

"I wasn't planning to do it all at once," I countered. "I thought we could break it into steps. And I assumed you could accompany me since we have the astral gate."

"I can't," my father said.

"Why not?" I questioned.

"First, rifts operate as their own space-time dimensions until they are closed. I can't simply enter the same spot as you using the astral gate. Second, we can't both enter the rift because someone needs to watch over our physical bodies while we're fighting astral behemoths inside."

"Adam could watch our bodies," I suggested, cutting him off.

"Adam is busy overseeing the miners," my father replied sharply. "Cyrus, you haven't even mastered your first rune yet. You're rushing into things, and your impatience will get the better of you. These aren't challenges to be taken lightly."

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" I shot back. "How else am I supposed to master my rune if I don't practice? I have nothing else to test myself against. Yes, I'm impatient, but I have every reason to be. We're being hunted. I can't sit back and let you handle everything. I've already faced threats stronger than me with no backup, and that's not going to stop anytime soon. Whether you like it or not, I'm taking this into my own hands," I said, storming out of the astral realm.

Before leaving, I released three quick bursts of cosmic energy, hoping my father would understand the hint. I couldn't tell him my full intentions in front of Adam—my father was keeping my unique fate constellation a secret for a reason, and I wasn't about to jeopardize that. I trusted he had his reasons.

After exiting the astral gate, I returned to our living quarters to wait for my father and focused on refilling my cosmic energy reserves.

_____________________

(Ezra's POV)

"Is he alright?" Adam asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"He'll be fine. He just has that fire in him—he's a lot like his mother in that way. Once he sets his mind to something, there's no stopping him."

"I can already tell he's going to be special," Adam said. "The fact that he wants to tackle a Grade Two rift after only a week as a Starbound is insane. But he has a point, Ezra. His growth needs to be accelerated. You're a wanted man, and that puts both of you in constant danger. Powerful enemies are after you, and they won't stop until they get what they want."

"I'm very aware, Adam. I didn't ask for this," I replied, sensing the cosmic energy signal Cyrus had emitted. "If you'll excuse me, I need to have a talk with him."

"Of course. I'll see you later," Adam said.

I immediately headed back to our living quarters and found Cyrus sitting on the floor, meditating. When I entered, he smirked slightly, asking if his act had been convincing.

"Yes—a little too convincing, honestly," I said. "Some of that was true, wasn't it?"

"Maybe," Cyrus admitted. "But I needed to get you to come back. I figured you didn't want Adam to hear what I had to say. But, Dad, why don't you trust Adam with this information? Aren't you close friends?"

"We were, back then. But time changes people. I'm not sure how that time has changed Adam. Also, I'm wary of how Adam came into possession of those batteries. I never told him I was working on them, yet whoever distributed them knows about my work. Only a handful of people knew, and I destroyed every prototype I created."

"So you're just playing nice with Adam to see if he slips up?" Cyrus asked.

"Correct. Now, what is it you wanted to tell me? Does it involve your constellation?"

"Yes," Cyrus said before launching into a detailed explanation of his findings in the nexus. I couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. The same power that made my son extraordinary could also be his undoing. It seemed like no matter what gifts our clan was given, they always came with a double-edged sword.

I mulled over everything he said, taking my time to respond. "Alright, you'll get your wish. I hope you've been watching me when I hunt," I said, breaking the silence.

"Of course," Cyrus replied. "But... is there any chance you could make me a weapon or tool using the celestium around here? You and I both know my powers aren't exactly suited for attacking."

"I bet you'd like that," I said with a chuckle. "But no. This is part of your next step in training. You'll need to figure out your own fighting style."

Cyrus frowned but didn't argue further. I couldn't help but laugh at his disgruntled expression.