Log entry
Log ID: 0126-A1
Location: Sector 2 Centuries A, Planet Vridis
Anomaly Class: Cosmic Class
Anomaly Name: Shifting Horizon
Time of Observation: 06:05 local Planetary time]
Date: Years 3401 CC
"The Shifting Horizon appeared today on the western ridge of Planet Vridis Sector 2 Century A. I was assigned to investigate it, as usual. I knew what the Council expected - a detailed report, a thorough scan, and ideally, a reassuring message that this was just a 'routine' anomaly. However, it never felt routine. Not only did the Shifting Horizon always bring some news or something unique with every appearance. Every time I stood at the edge of the Horizon, this time there was a tug, like someone was calling me specifically. Maybe that's why they keep sending me to places like this. Maybe they know that I see something that no one else can see."
….
….
"This one feels different, though. The air around it felt heavier, the colors more vivid. I can't shake the feeling that today, something will change. Hopefully, I'm wrong."
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Aeden Galahad finished his log entry and saved it, the last few words remaining on the screen. He exhaled slowly, calming down. The Shifting Horizon was a routine occurrence, yet it never failed to scare them. As one of the most talented historians in the Union, he never backed down when faced with anomalies. His experience and intuition helped him determine the right path during exploration, and this time it would be no different.
He stood at the edge of the Shifting Horizon, a surreal boundary where the landscape rippled and shifted as though caught in an endless dream. Watching as the landscape warped and undulated, shifting from dense forest to sprawling desert in a matter of moments, rivers flowed upward into wisps of clouds, and shadows lengthened and twisted in ways that defied logic. Each moment brought a new, strange vista, and the ground seemed to hum beneath their feet. This was no ordinary anomaly; the Shifting Horizon was one of the most infamous on the Council's list, notorious for showing up without warning on planets across the galaxy. Each appearance brought with it an unsettling sense of purpose. Sometimes, it hinted at secrets buried in forgotten corners of the world; other times, it carried omens of disaster.
The Council had learned to approach The Shifting Horizon with caution, knowing that any misstep in its unpredictable territory could spell doom for the unprepared. Scouts and an historian were always sent to investigate and decipher its meaning, tasked with reporting back any hints of its underlying message—whether a clue to hidden knowledge or a shadow of impending destruction.
As an anomaly that only appears at dawn or dusk The Shifting Horizon has always been a 'friendly' anomaly because apart from a few cases where observers lost their way while entering the anomaly, it has never claimed any victims. However, each Shifting Horizon event has always been unique and frightening for the council members, as there is forbidden knowledge recorded in it or visions of future destruction that can appear in anomalies like this.
Today, it was Aeden Galahad's turn to discover the surprise of this anomaly, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this one Horizon Shift held something more than just an ordinary cosmic anomaly.
As he focused, he felt a faint tremor rippled through the ground beneath them, sending a chill up their spine. He closed his eyes, letting his intuition sharpen as they connected with the anomaly's odd rhythm. It feels… strange this time, different from the other anomalies they'd encountered. More ominous, as if the Horizon itself were alive and watching. They took a slow, deliberate breath, concentrating as a flicker of unseen energy pulsed nearby.
Aeden Galahad's ability, an intuitive insight that allowed them to detect anomalies and sense hidden threats, picked up on a warning—a subtle feeling that there was something dangerous in the area. It was the kind of thing a scout from the Cosmic Council might dismiss as "gut feeling," but Aeden Galahad had learned to trust it, even when others couldn't understand.
Just as Aeden Galahad steadied themself, a familiar voice broke through the silence, heavy, dry and mocking. "Don't tell me the great Aeden Galahad is spooked by a shadow."
Ryl Delight, a scout from Cosmic Council, stepped out from behind a nearby tree, the massive man moving with an ease that belied his size. Nearly 195 centimeters tall, his robust build and tan skin marked him as someone who had spent more time under the sun than behind a desk. He was all sharp lines and rough edges, a smirk forever etched onto his face. Today was no exception; he approached Aeden Galahad with his trademark mocking smile, eyes glinting with challenge.
Aeden Galahad forced a wry smile. "You wouldn't understand, Ryl. Not everything can be seen."
Ryl crossed his arms over his broad chest, his smile widening as if savoring a private joke. "You and your intuition," he scoffed. "One day it'll get you into trouble, you know that?" He gestured to the surreal landscape before them. "Another Shifting Horizon… another one of your hunches. So, what is it this time? A rock that glows? A tree that sings secrets? or another fish that can talk?" His voice carried the amusement of someone who'd seen it all before.
Aeden Galahad frowned at his tone but remained focused. "Mock me all you want, but I think this Horizon's appearance is more than just a random anomaly. You don't have to believe me, but I can feel it."
"This feels like something big, something that will bring about changes that I don't like." he added.
Ryl's smirk faded for a moment, replaced by a more skeptical frown. "Bigger?" He let out a disbelieving huff. "Sounds like you're talking about something like the Ever-Falling Star descent. Not even the Council puts stock in that ancient nonsense."
Aeden Galahad didn't respond, though the mention of the prophecy sent a shiver through them. The Ever-Falling Star descent was supposed to be nothing more than myth, a cautionary tale. But the appearance of the Horizon felt like a warning—something only Aeden Galahad could sense, though even they couldn't explain why.
As they spoke, Aeden Galahad's gaze drifted across the shifting sands and twisting trees, catching sight of something half-buried near the roots of a nearby tree. It was a stone, dark and smooth, carved with a symbol of concentric circles that radiated outward like a starburst. A faint light pulsed beneath its surface, like a heartbeat.
Aeden Galahad knelt down, reaching out, his fingers rubbing the cold stone surface. A sudden sensation flashed through his mind, a flash of insight so powerful it almost stole his breath. The symbol, strange and unfamiliar, seemed familiar, as if he had seen it before.
"What's that?" Ryl asked, crouching beside him, his mocking tone gone as curiosity took over.
"I don't know either" Aeden Galahad murmured, captivated by the symbol's pull. He closed His eyes, letting His intuition guide him, feeling a faint warmth ripple from the stone. But this time, it was more intense, like a call reaching across the cosmos, resonating with a message only they could hear. "It looks like a star explosion somewhat similar to the celestial nexus symbol, but feels more...heavy."
Then, a whisper—faint yet clear—echoed in his mind. The Ever-Falling Star approaches.
Aeden Galahad's eyes snapped open, his heart pounding. The words left a deep, ominous silence hanging in the air.
Ryl noticed their reaction, frowning. "What did you see?"
Aeden Galahad struggled to find the words. "I don't know. But it felt like… a warning."
They turned to look at the world around them, the shimmering plants, the air thick with the scent of something unknown. Overhead, the sky seemed to pulsate in sync with the shifting landscape of the horizon, like a moving canvas.
Something was changing, they couldn't see it, but they could both feel the changes taking place in the shifting horizon.
Suddenly space seemed to be distorted, the sky emitted light that couldn't be there and cracks appeared in the sky.
Ryl scanned the new environment, his usual skepticism replaced by wariness. "I've been through plenty of anomalies, but this one… It definitely different."
Aeden Galahad nodded. "Exactly. There's something here we're not seeing. I think the Horizon's trying to tell us something."
They both fell silent as a distortion passed through the air, bending reality in a visible ripple. Tiny orbs of light spilled from the cracks like fragments of a distant constellation, each one pulsing as if alive. Aeden Galahad doesn't know what he really thinks but he reached out to touch one, and a shiver ran down his spine as a flood of images—flashes of fire, collapsing landscapes, a falling star—seared through his mind in a rush.
"Aeden?" Ryl's voice broke through the vision, and Aeden Galahad blinked, the images dissolving as quickly as they'd come. Ryl looked at him, his normally mocking expression replaced by real concern. "What did you see?"
Aeden Galahad swallowed, the words coming out barely above a whisper. "The Ever-Falling Star… it's coming."