Miss Brooks strode into the classroom, her usual military bearing accompanied by an unusual accessory - a holographic projector. She set it on her desk with deliberate care, her movements precise and measured. "Today," she announced, her voice cutting through the morning chatter, "we're going to discuss history. Specifically, the history that led us to where we are now." The holographic projector hummed to life, displaying a rotating image of Earth.
'Great,' Noah thought, 'another lecture about how we almost lost everything.'
"Nearly a century ago," Miss Brooks began, her fingers dancing across the projector's controls, "humanity's understanding of our place in the universe changed forever. It came without warning - a massive object, later named the Harbinger Seed, breaching our atmosphere like a spear from the heavens." The hologram shifted to show historical footage of the event - a crystalline mass the size of a small city, trailing ethereal energy as it plummeted toward Earth.
"The impact," she continued, her voice grave, "was unlike anything we'd ever seen. It didn't just strike Earth's surface - it burrowed deep, shattering our planet's core like a hammer through glass." The hologram displayed a cross-section of Earth, showing the devastating path of the Seed's descent. "What followed was something our scientists still struggle to fully understand - the release of Void energy."
The display shifted to show swirling patterns of dark, iridescent energy erupting from the planet's wounds. "This energy," Miss Brooks explained, her fingers tracing the patterns in the air, "fundamentally changed our world. It altered the order of life on our planet, giving rise to the Beasts we know today." The hologram showed the first recorded Beast transformations - ordinary animals warped and enhanced by the Void energy, becoming the monstrous creatures that now roamed their world.
"But the Void energy didn't just create Beasts," she added, switching to footage of the first Awakened humans. "It changed us too. Some humans found they could channel this energy, becoming what we now call the Awakened. Our first line of defense against both the Beasts and what would come after."
'Hard to believe it all started with one massive rock,' Noah thought, watching the historical footage with renewed interest.
"The Harbinger Seed," Miss Brooks continued, her voice taking on an edge of steel, "wasn't just a random celestial event. It was a beacon, a marker, a sign to something far worse that Earth was ripe for conquest."
"We later discovered," she said, expanding the display to show a star map, "that this was their method of conquest. Send a Seed, shatter a world's core, release the Void energy, and follow the beacon home. Dozens of worlds, marked just like ours." The map highlighted several planets, each bearing the scars of Harbinger Seed impacts.
The star map expanded, showing dozens of worlds marked with the same dark crystals. "These were their previous conquests. Worlds we later discovered, each one bearing the scars of Harbinger occupation. Some still inhabited by species fighting their own desperate battles. Others..." she paused, "completely devoid of life."
"Humanity's response was unprecedented," Miss Brooks continued, pride creeping into her voice. "For the first time in our history, all nations united under a single banner. The Earth Defense Force was formed, and with it came the greatest technological leap in human history."
The hologram showed the first beast armor prototypes, crude compared to modern versions but revolutionary for their time. "We learned to harness the very power the Harbingers used against us. Beast cores became our salvation, powering weapons and armor that could finally hurt them."
"But Earth wasn't enough," she said, expanding the star map further. "We knew we needed more - more resources, more space, more chances for survival. That's when the colonial program began."
Images of the first colony ships appeared, massive vessels carrying humanity's hopes into the stars. "We established outposts on Mars, then Venus, then pushed further. Each colony was a battle, each victory paid for in blood. But we expanded, survived, even thrived in some places."
The display shifted through various colony worlds - Steel Heart's massive factories, Green Crown's agricultural domes, Crystal Peak's mining operations. 'The names sound a lot more optimistic than the reality,' Noah thought, remembering news reports of recent losses.
"Which brings us," Miss Brooks said, her voice taking on a different tone, "to why I'm telling you all this today."
The class straightened in their seats. There was something in her voice that demanded attention.
"Your upcoming expedition," she paused for effect, "will not be taking place on Earth."
The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by someone dropping their tablet with a clatter.
"Three months ago, our deep space reconnaissance discovered a new planet, untouched by Harbinger influence. After extensive military operations to secure the area, this planet - designated Cannadah - has been cleared for limited exploration."
The hologram showed a new world, one Noah had never seen before. Its surface was a mix of deep greens and blues, with strange geometric patterns visible even from orbit.
'A whole new world,' Noah thought, excitement building in his chest. 'New beasts, new cores, new everything.'
Beside him, Kelvin's fingers flew across his tablet, searching for any information about Cannadah. From his frustrated expression, he wasn't finding much.
"This is why," Miss Brooks continued, "the top 25 third-year students will be accompanying you. This isn't just a training exercise - it's our first youth expedition to another world. The data you gather, the experiences you have, will help shape humanity's understanding of Cannadah."
The classroom buzzed with excited whispers. Space travel! A new planet! It was like something out of the pre-Harbinger entertainment videos.
"Of course," Miss Brooks added, her voice cutting through the excitement, "this also means the dangers will be completely unknown. We have no data on the local wildlife, no established safety protocols, no previous experience to draw from. Every step you take will be into unknown territory."
But even this warning couldn't dampen the enthusiasm. Noah felt his pulse quickening at the possibilities. 'Unknown territory means unknown opportunities,' he thought, already imagining what kinds of cores he might find.
"More details will be provided closer to the expedition date," Miss Brooks concluded. "For now, I suggest you all pay extra attention in your survival classes. The skills you learn might be the difference between life and death on a world where humanity has never set foot."
As she began their regular lessons, Noah could barely focus. His mind kept drifting to the image of that strange new world, its surface patterns unlike anything he'd seen before. Beside him, Kelvin had given up on his search and was now frantically taking notes, probably already planning what equipment they'd need.
'A new planet,' Noah thought, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. 'Now that's going to be interesting.'
___
The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the academy's courtyard as four students gathered after class, the excitement from Miss Brooks's announcement still buzzing in the air. Kelvin sat cross-legged on a bench, his fingers dancing across his tablet.
"Well, this is frustrating," he muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "The basic stuff is all public domain - atmospheric composition, preliminary gravity readings, orbital patterns. But anything actually useful?" He shook his head. "The space exploration server's locked down tight. Even thinking about trying to crack that gives me a headache. Need at least a third-gen technopath for that kind of work, and I like my neural pathways un-fried, thank you very much."
Lila leaned against a nearby tree, her blonde hair catching the sunlight. "Maybe we should focus on what we can control," she suggested, crossing her arms. "Like the fact that we're absolutely terrible at working together. Last expedition proved that pretty clearly."
Cora snorted, adjusting her school blazer with practiced efficiency. "The split-up was the smartest thing we did," she said, fixing Lila and Noah with a pointed stare. "Though some people needed constant babysitting to stay breathing. Not naming names, but..." She let the implication hang in the air.
"Actually, I'm with Lila on this one," Noah cut in, stepping between them before the familiar argument could escalate. "Look, Miss Brooks made it clear - we're going to be stuck together for this whole session. And this isn't just some training exercise anymore. The marks from this exploration could make or break us."
He paced a few steps, thinking out loud. "Plus, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of 1A and 1C looking down on us. That first expedition..." He shook his head. "Being ranked below 1C was embarrassing. Thank goodness they cancelled those results."
"There's something else we need to consider," Noah added, stopping his pacing. "The top 25 integration. Whether we like it or not, we're probably getting a new teammate. Someone who could either make us stronger or..." He left the alternative unspoken.
The group fell silent, each contemplating the implications. The dynamics between the four of them were complicated enough - throwing in an unknown element from the top 25 could either be exactly what they needed or a complete disaster.
"Look," Noah said, breaking the tension, "we can figure this out later. Right now, I need to hit the restroom. But think about it - we've got a chance to do something no other students have done before. Maybe we should try to do it right this time?"
As Noah headed off, the remaining three exchanged glances, each knowing he had a point. The question was whether they could actually pull it off.
----
Inside the bathroom stall, Noah closed his eyes and mentally whispered, 'Domain,' .
A familiar sensation washed over him as darkness enveloped his consciousness, the mundane academy bathroom dissolving away into his personal space - a tranquil grove bathed in perpetual twilight. Bioluminescent flowers dotted the landscape, their soft glow mixing with the ethereal light filtering through the canopy above.
But what caught his attention wasn't the familiar scenery - it was the small, excited figure bounding toward him with all the coordination of a newborn puppy. Nyx, barely the size of a house cat, scrambled across the grass on stubby legs that seemed too short for its body.
The baby dragon's scales shimmered with an iridescent black that seemed to catch and reflect the grove's ambient light, making it look like a piece of living night sky.
"Hey there, little one," Noah said softly, kneeling down as Nyx approached. The dragon chirped - a sound somewhere between a bird's trill and a cat's meow - and headbutted his knee affectionately. Its tail, already showing signs of the deadly spikes it would one day possess, wagged with uncontained enthusiasm.
Noah couldn't help but smile. When he'd first hatched Nyx's egg, he'd expected many things - power, ,maybe even danger. What he hadn't expected was for the fierce creature of legend to act like an overeager puppy every time he visited. The way Nyx looked at him with those luminous eyes, full of pure joy at seeing its 'Papa Dragon,' made something in his chest tighten.
"Miss me?" he asked, reaching down to scratch under Nyx's chin. The dragon's eyes closed in contentment, a low rumble that might one day become a fearsome growl currently sounding more like a purr. "You're getting bigger," he observed, noting how the dragon's wings, while still too small for flight, had grown noticeably since his last visit.
He knew he couldn't stay long - someone might notice his extended bathroom break - but these moments with Nyx were precious. Soon enough, they'd be venturing to Cannadah together, and who knew what challenges awaited them there? For now, though, he could enjoy this simple moment with his unlikely companion, this deadly creature that looked at him with nothing but trust and affection.