In a vivid reverie, Alex stood in the scarred plain of Planet Molla.
Surrounding him from all sides were the destroyed districts that once brimming with life.
"Wh- Why am I back here...?" Alex's eyes darted anxiously around, panic surging in his heart. In that bewildering moment, his gaze came to a sudden halt, fixating on a captivating figure standing across him.
She had a magnetic allure, drawing not only his eyes but also his very heart toward her.
No matter the distance and time, he would always remember this woman.
Alex quickly reached out his hand and stride forward to grasp the woman he fervently missed, it was his wife with a slightly bulging stomach, "Delilah... Please, it's not safe here. Come to me" He uttered in a hushed tone, dread etched on his face.
But in response, she only smiled with her hand resting on her stomach before turning around.
Upon seeing this, Alex's strides started to become faster.
"Please, come to me! It's not safe here!" He called out once more desperately.
Despite his attempt to reach her, sprinting towards her, the distance between them seemed to stay stubbornly the same. Regardless of how fast he was going, he was powerless to come close to Delilah and his unborn child.
It was then, he held his breath when another figure appeared.
Adorning a pair of crimson eyes and standing on the side, this figure is his younger brother.
Migel, he's the person who lies at the center of the hatred inside of him.
Shooting a smile at Alex, he raised his right hand to point skywards in a graceful manner.
Swish...
Delilah and Alex looked skywards when the two heard a rumbling engine sound and saw a huge battleship blocking the sun. A heartbeat later, one of its canons moved and pointed down at Dellilah, its barrel gradually glowed with a blue light.
"N- No..." Alex whispered silently, his expression drained from all colors.
Gritting his teeth furiously, he glared at Migel who was already smirking evilly at him.
Alex's eyes turned bloodshot at this sight, "Stop it, Mige! Stop it! Don't do this to her, she has been nothing but good to you! She doesn't deserve this!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, begging Migel to stop with his hoarse voice.
However, there was no sign of stopping, Migel's smirk only spread even wider.
It was then he put down his hand again, a signal to the battleship.
Following his command, the laser canon glowed even brighter before shooting a laser beam.
Completely helpless to stop this ordeal, a powerful blasting sound echoed to the surroundings as the laser beam's light enveloped Delilah's entire body. "No... Please let it not be real, I'm begging you" Alex's mind degraded as he begged to nobody.
"Make this only a dream..." He uttered once more in defeat.
...
"NOOOO!!"
Alex's eyes snapped open, his scream echoing through the entire room.
It was a haunting memory of the tragedy on Planet Molla surged back to vivid life, he doesn't seem to be able to forget that moment even for a second. But as he panted that memory away, he realized that he was sitting on a bed inside a small room.
Pausing for a moment, he held his face and assembled his mind.
Sighing lightly while massaging his throbbing forehead, Alex moved his legs over and sat on the edge of the bed. He then glanced down at his body and found that he was okay, it seemed he only passed out.
Inspecting the room, he realized that he and Natalia managed to reach the main spaceship.
Adorning the wall in front of him beside the door is the flag of the Hyperion Empire.
Halves of crimson and metallic blue.
On the center lies a simple black symbol of a planet surrounded by three white holographic orbital rings that rotated around the symbol as if they were made by magic. A flag that represents its unwavering determination, advanced technology, origin, and control over three key domains.
For the room, it was a simple futuristic theme of white and blue.
A seamless white bed, a neon hue on the linings of the wall, alongside holographic decor.
Upon realizing that he had already reached safety, he instantly scoured the room in search of something. It was then his eyes landed on a holographic clock, he quickly grabbed the device that emitted the time and started messing with it.
'Come on, how do I check the current year? Can it only show the time?' Alex pondered.
However, his hand stopped when he saw a reflection in front of him.
Alex put down the device and leaned forward to inspect his body closely, he wanted to know what he looked like right now since he was now hosting Xander's body. But surprisingly, he was not much different.
Staring back at him is a well-built man with black hair that almost covers his eyes.
It seemed he was quite tall too, more than six feet tall at least, and clad in a one-piece crimson jumpsuit made of advanced synthetic materials. His complexion possessed a rugged fairness, an untouched canvas of a knight's body, and a noticeable scar on the lower left of his chin that stretched to his neck.
Also, his eyes are a feline yellow that emits hidden sharpness and composure.
Upon seeing the form he assumed right now, Alex nodded.
It's not as physically developed as I was and also has yellow eyes instead of red. But aside from that, I'm surprised that Xander looked a lot like me in terms of facial structures. He pondered before he turned to leave the room.
Reaching outside, he was greeted with a wide corridor. It was the dorm section.
Along the way across the wide corridor are window walls, facing the dark and empty space.
From the looks of it, the spaceship already exited Planet Sion 2T's atmosphere and possibly headed back to Planet Dolotov where the academy is located. With the appearance of the Type-4 Beast, the academy might've decided to change the location of the Trial.
But then again, it's understandable as there might be a planet-wide phenomenon.
It would be safer to conduct the Trial somewhere else.
Coursing through to the end of the corridor Alex eventually found himself in a spacious common area, where dozens of aspirants wearing the same outfit as he is are relaxing and bantering about the Type-4 Beast that appeared before.
Hmm... I thought it would be stricter. But It seems aspirants haven't gotten the treatment yet.
None of them realized his arrival and he decided to look around the place.
I've fought countless times against a spaceship belonging to the Hyperion Empire such as this, but I've never really gone inside a functioning one. So this is what it looks like. Alex pondered while taking in the view of a functioning spaceship's interior.
Alex couldn't help but compare this spaceship with the one in Adudal Principality.
One stark difference that he recognizes is the aesthetics, the battleship he was in now is sleek and utilitarian with its advanced technologies while the one from the Adudal Principality is more mystical and ornate with rune engravings and mana crystals.
While he was looking around, an aspirant came rushing into the common area.
It grabbed Alex's attention as he glanced at the aspirant.
However, to his astonishment, the aspirant is a familiar figure—Casper, searching intently for someone amidst the bustling scene. It didn't take long for their eyes to lock, and with an infectious excitement, Casper immediately jogged over to him.
"Xander!" Casper waved his hand and smiled in disbelief.
Recognizing Alex as his savior, it was not a surprise for him to be this much excited.
Stopping before him, Casper then looked at him intently with his starry eyes, he seemed to still be in a state of disbelief to see Alex standing inside the spaceship, "I can't believe it, I thought you were not going to make it, but here you are! I'm so glad you survived..."
Considering that no aspirants managed to do this, his reaction is understandable.
"Quite a close call, but yeah, I'm alive" Alex replied leisurely.
But this makes Casper pause, the peculiar light in his eyes becoming guilty in a matter of a second. "I didn't expect you to sacrifice yourself for me like that, I really don't know what will happen to me without you"
Upon hearing this, Alex puts on an acute smile in response.
I didn't even mean to sacrifice myself, though... that was an accident. He thought silently.
"Please, if you need anything, I'll be happy to help!" Casper bowed deeply.
Alex didn't dissuade him from doing this as it would be improper for someone who is expressing their gratitude. But then, his eyes flashed when he remembered that he did need an answer.
"For starters, do you know what year is it?" He asked.
Despite getting stronger being the utmost priority right now so that he could exact his vengeance, knowing the year is also a crucial matter if he wants to create a plan in order to take vengeance on Migel.
Casper frowned when he heard this, but he replied anyway, "It's the year 10,381"
So ten long years have elapsed since the Hyperion Empire's attack on Planet Molla. Migel and the others have definitely matured during this time. I had foreseen this, but a peaceful life for ten years, I don't condone it... However, it matters little now. I shall swiftly put it to an end for you, little brother.
Alex's eyes glistened fiercely, the elapsed time served more surprise at his appearance.
Even the thought of Migel's reaction made his blood boil.
It would be akin to seeing a ghost, and that would be Alex's motivation going forward.
"Do you still need a medical checkup? Maybe you should check if there's any damage to your brain. How could you not remember the year?" Casper decided to blurt out his thoughts, seeing that Alex seemed to have his mind somewhere else entirely and not here.
Upon hearing this, Alex waved his hand, refusing to get another medical checkup.
Just as he poised to continue, an instructor, Ms. Joselyn in a distinct uniform approached, catching both their attention. In unison, Casper and Alex saluted her and stayed that way until she gestured for them to be at ease.
"Aspirant Xander, follow me" Ms. Joselyn instructed sternly with a strict gaze.
Not wasting a single second, Alex answered, "Yes, ma'am!"
Leaving Casper behind with a frown on his face, Alex followed Ms. Joselyn from behind as she led him through the corridor and arrived inside a room with a square-shaped big glass table at the center displaying intricate interfaces.
Ms. Joselyn went over to her seat while Alex stayed standing upright across the room.
Clasping her hands together, she observed Alex closely.
It stretched for about a full solid two minutes that felt like an eternity, the room is completely soundproof and thus silent, which intensifies the tension inside. But even then, Alex doesn't seem to be troubled by this at all.
Having been a captain himself, this is also one of the tactics he used to create false tension.
Now that I'm on the receiving end, I can see why it always worked.
Alex usually used this tactic if he wanted to make his ship's crew tell him the truth, this false tension is usually enough to make most crews spill the beans. So roughly, he already knows where this is going.
"So, Aspirant Xander, mind enlightening me about the fate of your squad members?"