Chapter 3: Sparks in the Blood
Year 10002 | Xintian Station, Mid-Sector Transit Ring
Li Junhao's lungs burned. He ducked into a narrow maintenance hallway, barely wide enough for one person. His heart pounded louder than the alarm screaming across the station. Every step he took echoed like thunder in his ears. His hands scraped against rusty pipes, leaving streaks of blood—but he barely noticed.
All he could think was: Run.
Behind him, the heavy thuds of security robots grew louder. Cold metal. No kindness. No mercy.
He turned a corner and nearly crashed into two cleaning bots. The small machines beeped in protest, but Junhao darted past them, vanishing into a tangled maze of dim tunnels. Even the guards didn't patrol this part of the station.
His legs moved faster than they ever had before. It wasn't just fear. Something inside him had changed. His body felt lighter, stronger—like his muscles already knew how to leap, twist, and react before his mind gave the command. Every motion felt sharp, controlled.
The Core.
Whatever had fused with his chest was still there. He could feel it—like a quiet fire curled beneath his ribs. It pulsed gently, not painful... but alive. Aware. Watching.
Junhao suddenly dropped into a crouch. He sensed something nearby. A strange ripple in the air, like the station itself had exhaled wrong. A patrol? No... not that.
Then he heard a voice.
"You're not very good at hiding, you know."
He spun around, fists clenched.
A girl stepped out of the shadows. Her jacket was worn, covered in faded military patches. A cracked visor hid one eye, and thin wires coiled around her arm like living threads. She looked young—his age, maybe—but her eyes were sharp. Like broken glass.
"Who are you?" Junhao asked, voice rough from running.
"My name's Veyra. I followed the energy burst," she said, tilting her head. "You're the one who woke it up, right? The Core."
Junhao took a step back. "I didn't mean to. I was just—"
"Mining?" she interrupted, smirking. "Yeah, I figured. Well, now you're a walking signal. Half the station's chasing your energy trail. Sky Tier wants you. Black Helix probably wants you. Maybe even worse."
"Why?"
Veyra tapped the side of her head. "Because you lit a flare in the middle of empty space, dummy. A Celestial Core hasn't bonded with anyone in ten thousand years. That kind of light doesn't just disappear."
She paused. The teasing faded from her face.
"It attracts things. And not all of them are human."
Above Xintian Station | Oraphim Herald-Class Ship
Nyxai hovered silently before a giant star map. Her body—shimmering silver, woven with living light—shifted as data streamed into her mind. A glowing pulse spread outward from Xintian, like fire curling through the void.
"The Spark has ignited," she whispered.
Behind her, other Oraphim stood like statues, still and silent, except for the soft glow in their eyes.
One finally spoke. Its voice was two musical notes woven into one. The air seemed to hum with it.
"Shall we intervene?"
Nyxai closed her eyes. "Not yet. Let the humans fight over him. Let the boy run. The Core will test him first."
She reached toward the map, touching the glowing point that marked Xintian.
"And when the test breaks him… we'll be there."
Xintian Station | Lower Elevator Shaft
Back in the forgotten guts of the station, Junhao followed Veyra through a crumbling elevator tunnel. The walls were webbed with dead wires and old graffiti. She moved quickly, confidently—like she'd lived in these shadows her whole life.
"I don't trust you," Junhao muttered.
"Good," she replied without turning. "You shouldn't. But I'm the only one not trying to shoot you right now. So maybe be smart and keep walking."
They reached a sealed hatch. Veyra scanned it with her visor. With a soft click, it opened.
Inside was a tight room lit by flickering orange lights. The air smelled faintly of burnt electronics and old processed food. Maps, cracked data tablets, and empty ration packs were scattered everywhere.
A secret hideout.
Junhao stepped inside carefully. "What is this place?"
"Home. Kind of." Veyra dropped into a chair, boots on the table like she owned the place. "I've been waiting for something like this. For you, maybe."
Junhao sat down slowly. His body ached all over, every muscle throbbing after the escape. "Why me?"
She looked at him. Her smirk faded. Her voice was quiet.
"Because the galaxy is about to go dark... and maybe you're the match."
End of Chapter 3