You are my brightest star

Chapter 2: Horizons of Hope

The flying car cut through the sky, effortlessly gliding over the Florida coastline. Below, the Atlantic Ocean stretched out in a vast, shimmering expanse, the early morning sunlight reflecting off its surface like thousands of tiny diamonds. On any other day, I might have found the view breathtaking—there was something magical about seeing the world from above, like I was already halfway to the stars. But today, my mind was elsewhere.

The dream still haunted me. Its sharp edges refused to blur, even as the miles between home and the Space Center Academy disappeared beneath the hum of the car's engines. Every few minutes, my fingers would tighten around the controls, my knuckles whitening, as if gripping tighter could dispel the memory of the dream. The sensation of freefall, the loss of control. And that voice—*WE-357*—still echoed in my head, repeating the same awful phrase: "CRASHING, CRASHING, CRASHING." It had felt like a taunt, a premonition I couldn't shake, no matter how hard I tried to focus on reality.

I glanced at the GPS mounted on the dashboard. The countdown to my destination ticked down with each passing mile. Less than two hours. In less than two hours, I'd be at the Space Center Academy, NASA's elite university for aspiring astronauts. A place designed to turn dreamers like me into the next generation of space explorers. A place where my life would change forever.

But with that change came a creeping dread. What if the dream had been a warning? What if I wasn't ready for this? The doubt gnawed at me, eating away at the excitement I had felt for so long. *Get it together,* I told myself, my hands gripping the wheel even tighter. I'd worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to let fear stop me now.

The sky darkened as I flew over a dense stretch of forest, the bright blue of the ocean giving way to lush green below. And then, in the distance, I saw it. The towering spires of the Space Center Academy. They rose out of the forest like metallic fingers reaching toward the sky, shimmering in the sunlight. My heart skipped a beat. This was it.

The campus was unlike anything I had ever seen. It sprawled across acres of land, with buildings designed to reflect the future of space exploration. Sleek silver domes dotted the landscape, connected by glistening walkways. Some structures hovered just slightly above the ground, utilizing magnetic technology to float—a nod to NASA's work with low-gravity environments. The tallest tower in the center, the Command Spire, looked like a rocket about to launch, its pointed top piercing the sky. The sight of it sent a thrill through me, mingled with nerves.

I took a deep breath and guided the car down toward the main gates. As I approached, the landing systems kicked in, gently taking control and easing the vehicle onto a reserved landing pad. The car touched down with a soft thud, and the moment the engine powered down, a voice chimed through the speakers.

"Welcome to the Space Center Academy, Estella lo Rovers." The voice was polite and automated, but the fact that it knew my name sent a shiver down my spine. Everything about this place was efficient—calculated.

For a moment, I stayed seated, staring out the windshield at the academy's main entrance. Students milled about, some alone, others accompanied by family or friends. Everyone looked like they belonged here, like they had been preparing for this moment their entire lives. What if I was the only one who didn't fit in? What if the dream had been right, and I was destined to fail before I even got off the ground?

*Stop it,* I told myself. *You earned this. You belong here.*

With that final thought, I unbuckled my seatbelt and stepped out of the car, my shoes clicking against the sleek, metallic surface of the landing pad. The morning air was warm, a slight breeze rustling my hair as I glanced around. A few other students were arriving, some looking as nervous as I felt, others practically bouncing with excitement. I caught the eye of a girl with short-cropped hair, her NASA jacket slung casually over one shoulder. She gave me a small nod, and I managed a weak smile in return.