Inertia: Beneath the Starlit Veil

(Cyrus's POV)

Sitting in the boat, I focused all my concentration on not getting distracted by the back-and-forth swaying of the current. It took some time, but I finally managed to calm my mind by concentrating on my breath. As I exhaled, I felt my core brim with energy, synchronizing with my thoughts.

"I think I'm ready, Father," I said, my voice steady as I tried to maintain both my focus and the circulation of cosmic energy.

"Alright. This is where things might get tricky," my father replied, his tone calm but serious. "You're going to attempt two things at once."

I nodded but stayed silent, focusing on his instructions.

"I want you to imbue cosmic energy into your tattoo," he continued, "but don't activate your ability fully. Just channel enough to get it humming. Does that make sense?"

Listening intently, I visualized the cosmic energy leaving my core, traveling through my astral veins, and dispersing into the rest of my body. Gradually, I directed the flow toward my tattoo. I slowed my breathing and concentrated until I felt a faint hum.

"Good. Your tattoo is glowing, but I don't sense the resistance of your ability. That's perfect," my father said with approval. "Now, I want you to expand your consciousness and project your astral body. Once you're in your astral body, connect with the energy emanating from your tattoo instead of an astral rift."

I followed his instructions again, focusing my mind. Just as I prepared to send my astral body toward the tattoo, something unexpected occurred. Above the tattoo, a distortion began to form. It resembled an astral rift but spiraled in a way that reminded me of a galaxy.

"You see it now, don't you?" my father asked, his voice breaking through my focus.

I couldn't respond—my physical form remained silent as my astral body hovered closer. Without hesitation, I directed myself toward the distortion and entered.

When I crossed the threshold, I found myself in a vast, floating expanse of shifting starfields. Stardust islands hovered in the void, each pulsing faintly with cosmic energy. The air was thick with vibrations that resonated through me. Two of the islands stood out immediately. One had a large glowing sphere floating above it, while the other displayed an intricate construct resembling diverging pathways made of crystallized energy. Beneath me, a shimmering pool of stardust caught my attention.

"How am I supposed to gain insight here?" I wondered, taking in the breathtaking landscape.

As my astral body drifted closer to the glowing orb, I felt an almost magnetic pull. Resisting it seemed impossible. Standing before the orb, I noticed it pulsated like a beating heart, and its presence felt alive—sentient.

"So, we meet again," the orb said, its voice resonating within my mind.

"You can talk?" I asked, startled.

"I can do much more than talk, human."

"Well, excuse me. It's not every day a glowing orb starts a conversation. So… what exactly are you?"

"I am the constellation you are bonded with," it replied.

"What should I call you? Do you have a name?"

"I have no name. I am the manifestation of the Pardoxon Fate Constellation within your Nexus."

"So, my constellation's name is Pardoxon? Good to know," I said. "My father told me this space is where I gain insight into my power. How do I do that?"

"By increasing your resonance with me."

"Alright. And how do I do that? You're not exactly giving me much to work with, big guy."

The orb pulsed with what I assumed was amusement. "Within your Nexus, there is an island that contains your Stellar Pathway. To increase your resonance, you must complete a Resonance Trial."

"How do I start this trial?"

"Follow me."

The orb floated toward the island with the intricate pathways, and I followed. Up close, the structure was far larger than it had appeared. At its base was a single glowing node, dim but distinct, from which all the diverging pathways branched.

"Place your hand on the node," the orb instructed.

I hesitated but sensed no malice from it. Tentatively, I touched the node, allowing a stream of cosmic energy to flow from my core.

What happened next stunned me. The node expanded, its light spreading like a slow, controlled explosion. When the glow subsided, a familiar symbol appeared within the node: the rune for gravity, the first mark in my astral tattoo. Smaller nodes branched out from this central symbol like a nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons.

"These must represent the different ways I can manipulate gravity," I thought. The smaller nodes were dim, except for one that faintly glimmered.

"Do you see the faint white glow of the central symbol?" the orb asked.

"Yes. What about it?"

"It signifies that you have not mastered this concept. When the symbol turns magenta, you will know it is mastered. Now, place your hand on the smaller node that has a faint glow and imbue it with cosmic energy."

I hesitated again, unsure of the orb's intentions, but its calm reassurance settled my nerves. "This is your space. I am here to guide you."

"What's the worst that could happen?" I muttered before touching the smaller node.

As I imbued it with energy, my surroundings shifted. I was transported to the shimmering pool of stardust I had noticed earlier.

"What just happened?" I asked, bewildered.

"You have been sent to the Pool of Reflection," the orb explained. "This is where your Resonance Trials take place. Prepare yourself—your first trial will begin shortly."

Before I could ask more, the stardust within the pool began to rise, glowing brighter as it ascended. The particles coalesced into cosmic entities, each forming humanoid shapes. They arranged themselves in a line, the first about five meters from me, with each subsequent figure spaced another ten meters apart.

"To pass this trial, you must expand the range of your gravity field to the farthest target," the orb instructed.

I frowned. My current maximum range was only about one meter. Worse, I had just enough cosmic energy left for a single attempt. I didn't want to find out what would happen if I ran out of cosmic energy in here.

"I don't think I can complete this trial right now," I admitted.

"Understood. We will resume later," the orb said. "Do you have any other questions about the Nexus?"

"Yes. Why are all the other islands empty?"

"You will discover their purpose after completing additional trials and advancing your core to the next stage."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but wonder what my father's Nexus looked like. If mine was this awe-inspiring at the embryonic stage, his must be beyond comprehension.

"Alright. I'll figure it out when I get to that point, I guess. But before I leave, I'm giving you a name. It feels too awkward talking to something nameless. From now on, you're Dox."

"Thank you," Dox replied, its tone carrying a note of amusement.

"No problem. I'll see you later. I'm almost out of energy," I said, drifting back toward the distortion. Taking one last look at the breathtaking expanse of my Nexus, I exited and returned to the physical realm.