8 years ago.
Milky Way Galaxy.
Planet Earth.
Talon Aerospace Agency (TAA) HQ.
...
The distinctive sound of aircraft, spacecraft and all manner of flight-capable machinery taking off and landing permeated the air with a dull resonance—producing a somewhat chaotic melody.
"Is it made of Space Rock?" said a bewildered little boy. "It looks weird, but cool... I guess I'll take it off your hands if you insist."
A few hundred meters away from a runway ordained with dozens of streamlined aircraft one would expect to see in a military base somewhere; stood a short, little boy and a tall woman engaged in a mostly one-sided conversation.
The boy, about ten-years-old, intently gazed at the beautiful, crystalline necklace he held in his hands. From the necklace hung a scarlet-colored gem in the shape of a diamond.
Around the gem that was about four centimeters in diameter; were strange, runic patterns similar to weapons of execution. The boy could only discern what looked like a guillotine and a scythe—the rest was an enigma.
Also on it were engravings of words written in a language the boy had never seen before. At least, he was certain it wasn't among the common human languages he knew of.
'Hm, it looks a bit like Greek and Korean mixed with Chinese?' He thought.
"Do you like it?" said the woman in a tender voice.
"..."
She was a tall beauty, standing at about 183 centimeters. With long-dark, wavy hair and irises that had a subtle red color in them—making her quite eye-catching. In addition, her gaze was sharp and intelligible; reminiscent of a strong, confident person.
The woman was clad in what looked like a streamlined, medieval, gothic-inspired armor set with a sci-fi-touch. In addition, the armor set was a shade of black, with a few red spikes around the shoulder pads and calves.
Embedded on its lustrous exterior were innumerable, tube-like vessels that were pulsing a subtle, red hue every few seconds. The effect was akin to a faint heartbeat—as if the armor was alive.
Standing before the woman was a short, little boy whose features were uncannily similar to her own; with curly-black hair and irises that had a subtle red color in them as well—a tiny mole near the boy's left eye was a prominent feature of his.
The woman's lips pursed into a smile when she noticed how engrossed the little boy was in fiddling around with the necklace in his hands. It was as if he was attempting to solve a profound mystery of sorts—she could tell he liked the gift she gave him.
"... Where'd you get it?" The boy said in a reluctant tone.
She thought the pout on his face was adorable, as he averted eye contact in a desperate attempt at being indifferent. The woman knew this was a habit of his whenever he tried to suppress his emotions or felt uncomfortable.
"I found it in a temple on a frozen planet, during the last patrol. It took a while to get it cleared though... Sorry I missed your birthday again, Peter." She said, sounding melancholic.
It saddened her whenever she wasn't there for him, when it mattered most, but getting to see him safe and happy was worth it.
"I don't mind... I know you've got an important job to do, mom," the boy named Peter said. "So, for how long will you be away this time?"
***
Present day.
Silver Tongue Galaxy.
Planet Molten.
Third Moon of Planet Molten, Dry Oasis.
...
"Hey! Are you still alive down there?" A man's rugged voice resounded. " Don't die on us just yet... You know there isn't a life insurance plan for mercenaries, right? Haha!"
It was easily a 100 metre plunge to the bottom of the creek. Peter could feel his consciousness slowly slip away once more; as he moved back-and-forth between past and present memories.
'I'm back!'
It was the third time that thought had crossed his mind. For how long was he unconscious this time; an hour, perhaps two? Of course, he knew it had to be for a few minutes only at most—but it felt much longer.
Peter wondered whether his life was flashing before his eyes. He knew that apparently; this phenomenon happened because the brain was trying to find a means of saving his life from past experiences and memories—what good was that?
His head felt as though it had been split in two and then screwed in. But he thought that was a good thing; feeling pain meant he was still alive, right?
'Am I dying? Damn, I didn't think it would hurt this much,' Peter thought, desperately hanging on to his consciousness. 'I can't die yet, who's going to look after her?'
He wondered whether he took a wrong turn somewhere in his 17 short years of life—or was he just that unlucky?
This was supposed to be an easy Rank F Quest with a high bounty—not a dance with death!
'What was the damn patrol doing here?!' Peter thought, feeling regretful. He could tell the end was close. 'Noelle, I'm so—'
Soon after, everything went dark.
***
To be continued...