Origins: The Absolute

Chapter 10: The Arrival

The sun hung high in the clear blue sky, casting warmth and light across the city. A gentle breeze whispered through the trees, and birds sang in the distance. It was a day like any other,a day that should have been peaceful. But a strange unease gnawed at me, a foreboding I couldn’t shake off.

Neela and I were sitting on a bench in Central Park, enjoying the rare lull between our grueling training sessions. Anika played nearby, her laughter mingling with the sounds of the city. Dr. Ward was back at the lab, analyzing data from our latest sessions, his perpetual frown of concentration deepening each day.

“Hey Aza,” Neela inquired my attention, I gave an audible cue to show I was listening, “Do you remember the stories about the past and the seven great nations?”

“Of course I remember,” I answered, my voice relaxed and steady, “History shows us that centuries ago, the seven great nations were separated by vast oceans. Then when Okriummorphite was discovered, researchers found it had morphing and cloning properties, even being able to genetically alter itself to clone substances. Then in the span of just ten years the Okriummorphite spread and connected the seven great nations. After that, the seven great nations declared peace and turned into the super nation Concordia, looking at the facts, Sector 14 was once known as Ghana; a western country once belonging to the great nation once known as Africa.”

“Correct,” Neela exclaimed, “and correct me if I'm wrong, but if I recall correctly. Your family isn't originally from Sector 14 right?”

“That's right,” I confirmed, “Originally my mother Reahti is from Sector 44, which was once called Egypt. Funnily enough part of my name, Nut, originates from there but I've never looked into it. My parents moved to Sector 221 not too long ago while I stayed here for schooling and my internship so I've never asked them about it. All I know is that my mother would always say that the ‘t’ is silent so it sounds similar to the word ‘new’, and although my family originates there, I’ve really only studied Sector 14’s ancient native dialects.”

“Maybe you should call them soon and ask, it seems like it’s special. now, do you know what really baffles me,” Neela asked, I again gave an audible cue as I relaxed my shoulder, “How do our powers actually work, I mean yeah your powers are somewhat unexplainable and the cheep answer for the rest of us would be the Okriummorphite but, how or rather what does it do to actually work?”

I pondered her question, she had a solid point. My powers were thoroughly unexplainable, “I’ve never really thought of that, maybe later I’ll go ask Dr. Wa-” 

The light around us began to dim. I glanced up, squinting at the sky, and my heart skipped a beat. The sun was being swallowed, its light gradually eclipsed by a massive shadow.

“Is that… an eclipse?” Neela murmured, standing up, her eyes fixed on the sky.

I shook my head, my gut twisting with a sense of wrongness. “It’s not supposed to be. Not today.”

The shadow grew larger, blotting out the sun, casting an eerie twilight over the city. Panic spread through the park as people pointed and murmured, fear rippling through the crowd like a cold wind.

I stood, shielding my eyes as I tried to make out the shape. And then I saw it, a monstrous silhouette far beyond Earth's atmosphere, a hulking form that was definitely not the moon.

“It...it's...them,” I muttered, a chill running down my spine. “The Elrandi.”

Just as the realization sank in, a blinding flash of light erupted beside me. I barely had time to react before Xilon materialized, his presence radiating a cold, commanding aura. His form shimmered with a faint, otherworldly glow, casting long shadows across the park.