Later that day, Elara, Kaeline, and Elysia gathered around Kaito's bed in the medical bay on the Starlight. The room was thick with worry as they watched over him.
Elysia leaned over Kaito, her hands hovering above his body glowing softly with her golden essence, eyes narrowed in concentration. She let out a breath, her essence fading away as she turned to the other two.
"His essence... it's not flowing correctly. It's disrupted—like it's fighting against itself." She said, her words drenched with concern.
Kaeline, who had been standing quietly by the side, stepped next to the bed. Her tattoos on her arm glowed faintly as she reached out to place a hand over Kaito's chest.
"She's right. His essence flow isn't balanced. It's chaotic, unstable... as if something is interfering with it."
Elara's frown deepened as she glanced down at Kaito, her mind racing.
"That mysterious power he used... it must be responsible. His body wasn't prepared to handle something that volatile." Elara said.
Elysia nodded in agreement, her expression troubled as she continued to monitor Kaito's condition on the numerous medical projections around them.
"I believe you're right. It could be something to do with his human DNA, or maybe something else… Whatever it is, it's far too dangerous for him right now. His essence is slowly recovering to its normal flow, but still…"
Kaeline removed her hand from Kaito's chest.
"He can't use that power again—not until we understand what it is. If he tries to tap into it without control… he'll kill himself." She said, her tone blunt yet laced with worry.
Elara exhaled slowly, her mind already working on their next steps. Kaito was tough, no doubt, but whatever power had surfaced during his fight was beyond anything they had prepared for. The thought of him recklessly trying to use it again made her stomach twist with worry.
"We need to learn more about it. Until we do, Kaito has to avoid using that power at all costs. Elysia, I want you to get with Jinx and create something that can monitor or limit his essence output. Even if it's temporary, it should give us some time to figure out what it could possibly be and his options."
She glanced down at Kaito's pale face, her expression softening with concern.
"We'll figure this out. We won't let him go through this alone."
Meanwhile, deep within Kaito's consciousness, a strange sensation stirred within him. He heard voices… the same voices from the figure in his dream before the tournament, coming from all directions. When he opened his eyes, he saw he was drifting in space. He floated in a sea of darkness as the voices spoke unintelligible.
"I–I don't know what you're saying…" He said.
As if the voices heard him, flashes of images rushed past him.
Cities.
Clubs.
Sporting events.
Family parties.
Humans…
Humans, thriving, prospering and… alive.
"What… is this?" He asked.
The voice grew slightly clearer, until he heard the words of a woman loud and clear.
"Find the truth…find the truth about.. Lyra." She said, her voice fading away, leaving him in silence.
Before he could dwell on it, a star in the far distance went supernova. Then another and another. Every single star in the universe blew up. Before the blinding light engulfed him, he was pulled into another dream that played a memory… a painful memory all too familiar.
A young Kaito stood in the pouring rain, huddled on the cold streets, his small frame trembling. He could still feel the sting of every cruel word, every shove, every bruise.
"Why… why is it always me?" The younger him whimpered on the ground.
He remembered the loneliness, the helplessness that clung to him like a shadow. He had cried for help, but no one had ever come.
His eyes fluttered open. At first, the world was a blur, but as his vision cleared, he realized he was no longer in his memories… he was back—back in the present, in the medical bay.
He blinked in surprise as he looked around him. Every member of the crew was asleep, sprawled out in chairs or leaning on the bed next to him.
His heart swelled and his eyes welled up with tears.
Kaeline, who had been sitting nearby, noticed him awaked and leaned over, smiling softly.
"They never left your side, you know. Not once." She whispered in his ear.
That broke him. His breathing became a struggle. His voice cracked as the tears began to flow down his face, mixing with snot as he struggled to speak.
"Th-thank you… thank you… so much…" He silently cried out.
The sniffles began to wake the crew from their sleep. One by one, they got up, blinking as they took in the sight of Kaito crying his eyes out. Jinx, of course, was the first to burst into tears.
"Oh look at him! You're gonna make me cry too kid!" She said, wiping her eyes dramatically.
Finn smiled with watery eyes, sniffled as he wiped his face. Next to him, Rorik discreetly wiped away a tear.
"Come on man… making us all emotional and stuff."
Elysia knelt beside Kaito's bed, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"You gave us a scare, Kaito dear. But you're okay now."
Even Talon was clearly fighting back tears in the back of the room. She folded her arms across her chest, trying to appear unaffected, but the single tear that rolled down her cheek betrayed her.
"Stupid rookie… always making things dramatic." She muttered to herself so no one could hear.
Finally, Elara stepped forward, placing a hand on Kaito's head, rubbing his rough hair.
"Welcome to the Starlight crew, Kaito." She told him.
Two days passed and Kaito's recovery was swift thanks to Elysia's healing and the crew's constant care. But now, he was standing before the orphanage that had once been his home.
The building stood silent and abandoned. It was still partially taped off from the authorities of Thalos. The wind whistled through the broken windows, carrying with it the memories of laughter and loss. Kaito's gaze lingered on the door, the same door he had walked through countless times, both as a child and as a young man determined to survive and chase his dreams.
At the small graveyard behind the orphanage, he knelt before the gravestones of Farro and the children. His fingers traced the names carved into the stone, each one a painful reminder of the lives that had been cut short.
"I'm sorry… for everything." He whimpered out, tears falling down his face.
He wiped his tears away and stood up. His gaze hardened as he looked out at the graves.
"I swear, I'll find a way to make this right. I'll become the King of the Stars and create worlds where everyone can live in peace… I promise. Goodbye Farro… brats… Thank you for everything."
With a heavy heart, he turned and walked back to the ship where the crew awaited. As the ramp lifted and the Starlight ship began to rise from the surface of Thaloria, Kaito stood at the viewing deck, his eyes fixed on the planet below.
The landscape of Thaloria stretched out beneath them—mountains of steel and glass, purple forests that thrived despite the industrial decay, and the cities that shimmered. The planet, once the only home Kaito had known, now felt like a memory, a part of his story that he was leaving behind.
But as the ship ascended higher, breaking through the planet's atmosphere, the view changed. The vast expanse of the universe opened up before them, stars stretching endlessly in every direction.
"The universe is so big…" He mumbled out, staring in awe at the view.
Elara joined him at the window, her eyes following his gaze.
"It's amazing, isn't it? But we're just getting started."
Kaito turned to her, a small smile on his face.
As they left Thaloria behind, the crew knew that this was a major milestone in their long journey through the cosmos. But as they ventured towards the outskirts of the Sirius star system, shadows loomed on the horizon. Unbeknownst to them… they were being watched.
The same day after his defeat to Elara, Myzen kneeled with his hands chained in front of him inside a dark room on board a ship. His entire face and body bruised and battered from the recent battle. A large screen was black out in front of him. It didn't matter, he stared at the ground in silence.
But that silence was abruptly interrupted by the door slamming open. In walked Adder and two guards.
They walked behind him and stood at attention. Adder leaned over, hovering right next to his head.
"My, my Myzen, you really screwed up huh? Hehehe, I would've never thought I'd have you in my grasp, but now that I do… I want you to show me just how much you can take." He whispered, his words laced with a sick sadistic joy.
The screen in front of Myzen flickered on. Seraphine's face appeared on the screen.
"I told you Myzen, failure would bring severe consequences, didn't I?"
Myzen said nothing, instead he spat on the ground in front of him, his eyes filled with a cold rage as he stared back at her. Seraphine's grin widened.
"I see."
The screen flickered off, leaving Myzen in darkness.