Aric leaned back in his chair in Loren's room, casually watching as his friend paced the floor. The scroll was still hidden in the dimensional ring, but before Loren could take it out, Aric couldn't help himself.
"So... if I'm connected to this Galactic Conqueror guy, do you think something crazy might happen? Like a sudden explosion or the sky turning dark?" Aric smirked, clearly teasing, his tone light.
Loren paused mid-step, glancing over at Aric with a thoughtful expression. "An explosion? Hmm..." he murmured, rubbing his chin as if seriously considering the possibility.
Aric's eyes widened slightly. "Loren, I was just kidding," he said, trying to backtrack. "I mean, come on, what could possibly—"
But Loren was already lost in thought, pacing back and forth. "No. You might be right," he said, mostly to himself rather than Aric. "If there's a real connection between you and the Galactic Conqueror, the scroll could react... maybe unleash some kind of energy or... phenomenon."
Aric sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Loren, I was just messing with you. I didn't actually mean—"
"I know!" Loren interrupted, eyes bright with excitement. "Since you might be right, we should test it somewhere safe."
Aric blinked, confused. "Test it? What do you mean, test it?"
Loren didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned and gave Aric a serious look. "Come with me. We must go somewhere away from the estate—just in case."
Aric groaned, slumping in his chair. "You can't be serious..."
Aric stared at Loren in disbelief as his friend rummaged through his things, getting ready to leave the room. "Loren, you're crazy. You know that, right?"
Loren barely paused to acknowledge the comment. "Crazy or not, we can't wait. We need to see what happens; the sooner, the better."
Aric rubbed his temples, trying to process it all. "It's midnight! What could possibly happen right now that can't wait until tomorrow?"
Loren turned to him, his face serious, his eyes gleaming with that familiar spark of curiosity. "If there's a connection between you and the Galactic Conqueror, we can't afford to wait. What if something happens while we're here? What if there's an energy surge or some kind of reaction? We need to be away from the estate—just in case."
Aric sighed dramatically. "You seriously think something's going to explode?"
Loren grabbed the scroll from his dimensional ring and nodded toward the door. "You're the one who brought up the possibility of something happening, Aric. Don't back out now."
With a groan, Aric stood up. "Fine, fine. But if we get caught sneaking around the estate in the middle of the night, I'm blaming you."
"Deal," Loren replied, heading for the door quickly, determinedly.
As they snuck out of Loren's room, the estate was eerily quiet. The usual bustle of activity during the day was replaced with the calm stillness of the night.
Aric glanced at the moon hanging high in the sky, illuminating their path as they slipped out of the Valen estate and made their way to Greenridge Hill.
Greenridge Hill sat just outside the estate walls, a natural stretch of land untouched by the chaos of the reshuffled Earth. It wasn't particularly dangerous—no monsters or hostile creatures roamed the area—but its isolation made it perfect for what Loren had in mind.
The soft breeze rustled through the trees, and the only sounds were the occasional hoot of an owl or the rustle of small animals in the bushes.
Aric and Loren walked silently, the moon casting long shadows on the dirt path leading to the hill. It took them about fifteen minutes to reach the base of the hill, and by the time they arrived, Aric was still grumbling to himself.
"I can't believe we're doing this at midnight," he muttered. "This is insane."
Loren, however, was all business. "This is the best time. We won't be disturbed, and the energy from the scroll might react better in the stillness of night."
Aric shook his head in disbelief. "You're actually serious about this, aren't you?"
"Completely," Loren said, not breaking stride.
They finally reached the top of Greenridge Hill, and Aric plopped down on the grass with a sigh. He looked out at the view—trees and distant lights from the estate, peaceful and calm. "I was just kidding about the explosion, you know. Nothing's actually going to happen."
Loren ignored him, pulling the scroll out of his dimensional ring. The markings on the parchment glimmered faintly in the moonlight, and Loren unrolled it carefully, holding it up for both of them to see.
Aric's earlier teasing faded as he watched his friend carefully handle the scroll. Something about the way Loren treated the object—like it was more than just an ancient piece of paper—made Aric's curiosity grow.
Aric sat up straighter, eyeing the scroll. "So... what now?"
Loren turned the scroll toward him, the faint glow of the markings casting soft shadows on the grass. "Now we see if anything happens when you read or be near it."
Aric felt a sudden tension in the air, a nervous flutter in his chest. He still didn't believe anything would happen, but a tiny part of him—a small, nagging doubt—wondered what if.
What if there really was a connection between him and this mysterious Galactic Conqueror?
What if the scroll reacted in some way?
"Okay, let's do this," Aric said, his voice lower now, more serious.
Loren's hands were steady as he passed the scroll to Aric. Both of them held their breath, waiting.
"What is this? I can't understand it," Aric said as he tried to read the scroll's contents.
"You can't? According to your father, it's written in an ancient language. Haven't you studied any of it?" Loren replied, curious. It seemed natural to have studied the language for him but not for Aric.
"Then what? I have more important things to do than study other languages," Aric remarked.
"Perhaps you should just continue to stay close to it."
The moonlight bathed the hill in a soft glow, and then, the world felt still momentarily. Aric could feel the cool breeze against his skin and hear the distant rustling of animals, and his heart pounded.
Would something happen? Would there be a surge of power, an explosion, or... nothing?
The air around them remained calm, the scroll still in Loren's hands.
Aric let out a nervous chuckle. "See? Told you. No explosion."
Loren narrowed his eyes. "Let's wait a little longer. There might still be—"
Before Loren could finish, a faint, barely noticeable hum started to fill the air. It was initially subtle, almost like the low energy vibration in the air, and Aric's eyes widened. "Uh... Loren? What's that?"
Loren's grip on the scroll tightened, his eyes lighting up excitedly. "I-I-I... think something's... happening."
Aric's heart pounded as the faint hum around them grew louder, more distinct. He exchanged a nervous glance with Loren, but Loren's eyes were fixed on the scroll, his expression one of pure excitement.
The markings on the scroll began to glow brighter, casting eerie shadows across the hilltop. The air around them crackled with energy, and a soft rumble rolled through the ground beneath their feet.
"Loren... what's happening?" Aric's voice was tight with apprehension.
Loren's eyes gleamed with fascination. "I think... I think we've triggered something."
Before Aric could respond, a sudden, violent tremor ripped through the air. The sky above them darkened unnaturally, clouds swirling into a chaotic storm. Thunder boomed, echoing across the landscape, and the earth beneath their feet seemed to vibrate with raw energy.
Aric's breath caught in his throat as he watched the sky begin to split open. "What in the world is happening, Loren..."
A jagged crack formed, tearing through the atmosphere like the opening of a colossal gate. Light poured from the fissure, illuminating the night sky with an ethereal glow.
As the crack widened, the outline of a gigantic, energy-like figure emerged from the depths of the sky. It was vast and towering, composed entirely of swirling, translucent energy, its form shifting and flickering with every passing second.
"Loren... what is that?" Aric's voice trembled, his voice barely audible over the rumbling sky.
Loren, on the other hand, looked like a child witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. His eyes were wide with awe, and a grin spread across his face. "This is... incredible," he breathed. "The energy, the sheer magnitude of it—it's unlike anything I've ever seen."
The figure in the sky was ethereal, its features indistinct yet powerful. It radiated an overwhelming presence like some ancient entity looking down upon the Earth. Its massive form hovered in the sky, its translucent body shimmering with blue, gold, and white hues.
Suddenly, a sharp, cold shiver ran down Aric's spine. He wasn't alone in feeling it. Novas, especially the higher-ranked ones, were experiencing the same sensation worldwide. They could feel it in their bones—the shift in the very energy of the planet.
Far away, in the private jet en route to Carthadon, David sat up straight, his eyes narrowing as he felt the tremor in the air. His senses were sharp, and his Super Intelligence allowed him to analyze the vibrations rippling through the atmosphere. He glanced at Agustin, who was already staring out the window, his expression unreadable.
The others in the jet, the senior members of the Valen family, exchanged worried glances, feeling the same disturbance. The energy in the sky was unmistakable, and the violent tremors shook them to their core.
"What's going on?" one muttered, a frown creasing his brow.
David remained silent, his mind racing. He knew something happening at home could affect their world's fabric. Could the sky and energy be related to what Loren had done?
***
Back on Greenridge Hill, the energy figure in the sky pulsed with light, sending ripples of energy cascading across the landscape. Aric could feel its sheer power, but Loren—he was completely entranced.
"This is it, Aric," Loren whispered, his eyes excitedly shining. "This is the thing we'll never experience easily in our whole life. We're witnessing something beyond our understanding... Maybe something beyond Earth itself."
Aric could only watch in stunned silence as the ethereal figure hovered above them, its presence so vast and otherworldly that it felt like the air around them was being pulled into its orbit.
For Loren, this was the ultimate discovery. For Aric, it was the beginning of something far bigger than he ever imagined.