"Ladies and gentlemen, Celestial Travelers and Wanderers of the Universe, May I have your attention, please. We stand at the starting of a celestial journey that blurs the boundaries of ordinary space and time. This is an announcement for the imminent departure of the Pandora Express from Station no 1.048596%. I repeat , Pandora express will be leaving Station no. 1.048596% in 8 minutes." The announcement was echoing on the platforms of Starrail Express.
It is 25 November 2036, Humanity has evolved and unlocked travelling the 4th and 5th dimension , The time and space itself. Starrail Express the ultimate creation that made humans, Celestial Travellers. Though the universe is still explored mere 1 percent or 1.048596% to be precise and this is where Pandora Express got its name. Humans are constantly exploring the over growing universe and leaving their footprints.
According to news , Sun will be radiating the largest Solar storm which will render Pandora Express useless for the next few weeks destroying it's Core. The platform was nearly empty and the express was notifying it's departure.
A young boy and girl, their footsteps echoing in rhythm with the approaching departure, raced towards the platform. Aster, tall and lean, his blonde hair that distinguishes him explicitly from the clouds, possessed eyes with star-shaped pupils that glimmered like twinkling stars. Beside him, was Citalia, as attractive as the moon in the night sky, adorned with pale-white skin and intertwined , long blonde hair. Her eyes as empathic as godly gaze, star-shaped pupils that could enchant you.Hand in hand, Aster and Citalia sprinted towards the awaiting coach. The Starrail will be useless for the next few weeks so they had only a few days before they had to completed their project on Star NYMPHS 500.
Aster : I already told you , we should have completed this project before August itself but you are too much of a procrastinator.
Citalia : We still have few days, and it's fine to be honest, Starrail will reach to NYMPHS in about 15 mins, we will still be able to finish it. Don't be too impractical.
Aster : I am just getting very weird vibes, This is my first time seeing Pandora Express empty. Otherwise, it was already filled and we barely used to get any seats.
As they reached the entrance, the metallic doors closed with a loud hiss. A low hum could be heard as it was the initiation of the starrail's engines awakening. Aster and Citalia sitting near the window while Aster was charging his self-defense laser gun.
With a very loud roar, the engines thundered to life, producing a noise as loud as a raging storm. The rhythmic "chook chook" of the train, just like a person's heartbeat, reverberated through the platform. Then, Starrail started overcoming gravity like magic, and the train, with a sudden burst of velocity exceeding 500000 mach(617,400,000 Kmph), lifted off the ground.The platform dwindled beneath them as the Pandora Express ascended into the cosmic universe. The landscape shifted from the familiar grounds of Station no 1.048596% to the vastness of space. As the train was ascending , it reached the speed in light years.
The starrail, now looks like a streak of light transcending space in mere seconds was at the troposphere of NYMPHS 500 in mere minutes.
Citalia : See, I told you, It will only take few hours to take readings and samples and we will be done.
Aster : yeah , you are right! Let's go.
Aster and Citalia waiting for Pandora express's gates to be reopened but something seems dubious. The gates are tightly shutted and not even budging.
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The scene shifts to an empty solitude room. All you could see is the dark air that hung with darkness. The room was having chills of a winter night's embrace. Only a single source of dim light hanging on a wall that casted a distorted shadow of a man. He sitting on his chair with one leg above the other, air of mystery was surrounding him. Wearing a half-jester mask that concealed part of his face, leaving his left eyes and half face exposed. His gaze, so dark, could directly penetrate a person's soul.
Before him lay a chessboard on a table, the pieces arranged as if an old game was continuing.
Looks like he was waiting for someone to continue the game as the opposing chair, was covered in emptiness, waiting for a player yet to arrive. The scene was frozen in darkness and only motion was from the steam into cold air of two delicate tea cups, one on each side of the table, their contents untouched.
With a voice as deep and seductive as the echoes of time, the masked man broke the silence.
Jester : Shall we continue?
His words, like spells of an ancient incantation, echoes through the room where he gazed towards the empty chair. He sipped the tea from cup and moved his pawn.
The white pieces started moving on their own and 2 pawns leaped forward 2 blocks together. The tea in second cup started reducing as if an Invisible entity was sipping it while playing with him.
Jester(with a grinned look) : So Greedy are we? HAHAHA
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Here, back in Pandora express where Citalia was panicking grabbed Aster's hand.
Citalia : What's happening?
Aster : It's not possible. There was still time of weeks for solar storm to arrive. Something is not right. It's too soon.
The speakers in train started malfunctioning and all the machines started sparking.
**Warning! Radiat... Detected! Initia.... Emergency Protocol! Keep Calm! Help is on....**
The warning was not even properly audible because of immense noise. Aster held Citalia's hand tightly while thinking of any possible solution. The voices coming from the speaker started overlapping.
**So Greedy are we? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA** As soon as this voice started echoing through the speakers, the Starrail's engines started moving backward. The core of Pandora Express started converging and the train picked up the velocity of -399,792,458 mach(-493,663,727,138 KMPH). The whole train started disappearing into thin air and threw Aster and Citalia from the train to an unknown land.
The world that unfolded before Citalia and Aster was a miracle of celestial wonders. The sky luminating with three moons and countless similar stars. They found themselves before A Grand castle suspended in the sky, its majestic presence accompanied by large white pillars. The gateway of the castle , adorned with the words "Stellar Radiance" ,looking like a portal to the heavens itself.
The peace was shattered with the entry of an unexpected goddess, a figure of otherworldly beauty with golden iris and red pupils. She emerged through a star-shaped portal wearing a marble-white attire and spoke these words with divine elegance, and a war decree.
The Unknown Goddess : Mortals, your journey ends here. Anyone who dares ascend to Celestia shall be confined or killed.
Citalia, swift and resolute, drew her self-defense gun from her bag.
Citalia (in a demanding and cautious tone) : Who are you? What do you want?
The Unknown Goddess : I am the sustainer of Celestius Exordium and hereby sentence you to perish for trespassing the heavenly lands of Celestia.
Aster and Citalia were in a life and death situation. They both were no fighters but excelled in defence. They pulled out their defense gun and were ready for a battle stance. Yet, what can humans do against the wrath of the gods.
The goddess, without hesitation, seized Citalia, encasing her within a dark red box. The box started shrinking and Citalia was reduced to atoms.
Aster saw that and shouted with his utmost strength, "Citalia!!!!!!"
Witnessing the brutal fate of his lover, Aster leaped into action and rage. He was so mad and didn't even think twice before attempting to defy the divine decree. However, he found himself overpowered by the unknown goddess.
The goddess, with an effortless displayed power, seized Aster by the neck and threw him far from the lofty abode of floating island, leaving him to fall towards an uncertain fate.
Aster was falling towards the ground endlessly, and went unconscious. The floating island, once a Gigantic Castle, now seemed like a small throne sitting in sky.
In this perpetual fall, Aster's mind became a chaos of despair, agony, and anger and went into conundrum while centuries passed and he was still unconscious. His soul was on the verge of breaking and rendered him useless until a voice, as warm and gentle as the flickering flames of candle echoed through his mind.
Unknown voice/Mage S : Let's make an exchange, shall we? An exchange of memories.
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The scene shifts back to the solitude room.
The white pieces started moving on their own and 2 pawns leaped forward 2 blocks together. The tea in second cup started reducing as if an invisible entity was sipping it while playing with him.
Jester(with a grinned look) : So Greedy are we? HAHAHA
Jester uses his black pawn to kill one of the white pawns and removes it from the board and keeps it aside.
The white pawn magically comes back to board at it's starting position. Jester's eyes widened in a mixture of astonishment and amusement as he gazed at the resurrected pawn. His sinister smiled deepened. The chess board started shaking and all the pieces fell to the ground leaving Jester with Vicious serious expression.
Jester : The Mages think themselves to be all knowing. But we alone are wise to the virtue in those acts of folly. In this war, not even a single pawn will be spared. Because on this chess board, "Checkmate" is not where the game ends...
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Myriad and The Celestia
The war has already begun. It is just a continuation of past battles. The gods goaded us with the promise of 7 treasures. Rewards for the worthy. The Doorway to divinity. Yet buried in the depths of this world lies smoldering remains, a warning to those that dare trespass.
"That throne in the sky is not reserved for you."
But mortal arrogation never stops. None will escape the flames.
Prelude : Nymphs among the Stars
Arc I : Zephyrs of Celestial Liberation in Luftland
Arc II : Shanluò's Arcane Stone Contracts
Arc III : Raien's Thundering Pride Across Eternity
Arc IV : Akingam Bodha's Wisdom: Gaia's Gluttonous Whisper
Arc V : Aquitaine's Envious Waters of Cosmic Justice
Interlude : God's Gambit : Threaterics and Harmonics
Arc VI : Motshaba's Celestial Ember of Cosmic Wrath
Arc VII : Ledovaya's Frozen Love: Lust's Celestial Embrace
Arc VIII : Niflheimr's Venturing Melancholy: Abyssal Progression
Arc IX : Nexus Convergence: Myriad and The Celestia
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Next => Chapter 1 : Contract with a Mage
The Chess pieces have been shattered but the board will be reorganised.
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