The Void Hound moved like a shadow across the barren wasteland. It is a sleek, quadrupedal Celestial with an obsidian-black, semi-ethereal body that shimmers like a liquid void. Its glowing violet eyes pierce through dimensions, and its body appears to fade in and out of existence. Jagged, spiked tendrils extend from its shoulders, crackling with faint arcs of void energy. Its long, whip-like tail leaves a trail of shimmering stardust as it moves. Its piercing violet eyes locked onto Captain Aria Kaelstrom, the first human to set foot on the desolate world of Neryon-4. Sweat dripped down her brow as she tightened her grip on her plasma rifle, though she knew it was useless. The creature had already dismantled two drones with a wave of its clawed appendage, its movements fluid and terrifyingly intelligent.
But Aria wasn't here to fight. She was here to make history.
Her breathing steadied as she lowered the rifle, a gesture that felt as unnatural as the creature before her. The Vanguard's mandate was clear, combat if necessary, diplomacy if possible. But no one had ever tamed a Celestial. Not until now.
The Void Hound paused, its sleek, midnight-black body shimmering like a starless sky. Its chest pulsed faintly with light, a rhythm that matched Aria's heartbeat. She felt it before she understood it, a pull, as if the very essence of her being was reaching out to the creature.
"Do you feel it too?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the howling wind.
The Void Hound took a cautious step closer, its massive frame looming over her. For a moment, Aria thought it might strike, but instead, it lowered its head. A faint hum resonated in the air, growing louder until it consumed her senses.
And then it happened.
A surge of energy burst through her body, an overwhelming tide of heat and light that threatened to tear her apart. She screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the bond forming between them. Images flooded her mind, stars being born, galaxies colliding, the Void Hound's own memories of endless wandering, and an aching loneliness that mirrored her own.
When the connection stabilized, Aria opened her eyes to find the Void Hound staring at her with a newfound familiarity. Its once-hostile gaze was softer now, inquisitive. She extended her hand, and it placed its massive head against her palm.
The first bond had been forged.
Aria's visor chimed, the Vanguard's AI sputtering to life. "Captain Kaelstrom, your vitals are, unprecedented. Energy levels… off the charts. What.. is happening"
"I'm fine," Aria said, though her voice trembled with awe. She looked at her hand, now faintly glowing with the same violet hue as the creature's eyes. "We're fine."
In the distance, the horizon glowed as an alien storm began to form. The Void Hound turned its head, growling low, and Aria felt the message in her core "danger".
Together, they turned to face the coming threat, bound as one. this moment then went on to be known as "the first bond", this marked the day in which a pact was formed between humans and celestials.