Dark Nine ❈ Dark Nine Universe Bk1 ❈

Chapter Two

Planet: Dark Ninth, Species: Kors, Population: 9, Designation: A Peaceful Eden

This place was truly a shadowed paradise, with the green of the plants being dark, sparkly, tending toward purple, reds and some blues but mostly greens. The moss on the rocks was bright silver. The architecture was probably hundreds of thousands of years old.

The Dark Ninth Palace is not guarded, because there are no enemies.

It was just propped up on a hilltop with little wind, and every side showed the expansive planet-wide forest system.

I do wonder how such a civilisation got to this point, especially when I see the ruins of a much larger city, expanding out into the forests beyond.

In other words, there used to be more than 9 male specimens of the Kor species, but somehow they are all that was left?

I hadn't wandered very far, a little nervous to explore when I wasn't familiar with untamed wild nature on this scale before.

I sit on one of the boundary walls, legs dangling over as I just soak up the forest beyond.

The sky is full of stars, a neighbouring galaxy lights up a lot of the sky. The major light source however are the three moons lined up in a perfect straight axis. They all look equal in size to Earth's moon.

The gravity was slightly denser than Earth, so I felt the way every movement I took was slowed down slightly. It was nothing I couldn't get used to, though.

When I was 12 and ate the Jace herb from this planet, the superpower I was open to receive at puberty, was influenced by that herb.

Not only did I never get sick again, I had Enhanced Instincts. It was probably useless and intangible to others, but for me, it just meant I was always right when I sensed something coming my way. I could prepare to avoid danger, whether it was from another person, or sensing a natural disaster.

It purely served my own selfish defences.

Super powers for human kind were always in a few categories, enhances senses, such as eyesight, taste, smell, etc. Or you could choose speed or strength enhancements. For me, I guess I was spiritually enhanced.

It made sense, then, that I was somehow matched perfectly with a Kor.

They were deeply instinctual and so was I.

I still couldn't really comprehend how they mated with females and consumed them afterwards. That concept is so creepy it makes my skin crawl.

But to be fair, the universe was very, very strange, and it was just the way their own evolution unfurled... I guess?

Below me is a path into the Dark Forest.

Behind me is the Dark Palace.

It was steep, that's the best way I could describe it. The steps were too tall, the height of the walls was too high, the structure was very rectangular, with no turrets or pretty feminine architecture, almost like a prison honestly. It was too masculine, but the beauty was brought in from the nature, which crawled over everything and brought in dim glittery light and a soft touch.

I find comfort in the sense that I don't feel threatened; and I can trust my Enhanced Instincts on that at least.

It was the logic in this place that was scaring me.

I was a female and a potential mate – but technically I could only be a mate if I was willing. As Mars said, they did not chase.

So... very logically... I just had to resist and deny the Kor Mars.