Thalora

Chapter One: Arrival

Alyssa Tan had always hated space travel.

It wasn't the zero gravity, the claustrophobic ship compartments, or even the fact that she had to spend the entire journey from her colony world in a cryo-pod. It was the dreams. Every time she went under, the same nightmare.

A flash of bright white light. A feeling of drowning. Then, the cold.

She blinked her eyes open as the cryo-pod hissed, releasing its seal. The frosted glass lid lifted, and she sat up, groggy but functional. The transport ship's interior hummed softly around her, the last of the passengers waking up from their cryo-sleep. A row of Academy recruits stirred, blinking in the artificial light, some still shaking off their sleep.

She rubbed her eyes and climbed out of the pod, stretching her sore muscles. Thalora Academy—her new home. Her chance to start over. Or at least that's what she told herself.

"You good?" A voice came from her left.

Alyssa turned to see Lucas, a boy with tousled blond hair and an ever-present smirk. She'd met him briefly during orientation, a quick introduction in the cold metal halls of the transport. He had the kind of charm that grated on people but never seemed to bother him.

"Yeah, I'm good," Alyssa muttered. "I think."

Lucas grinned. "Good, 'cause we're about to enter the most intense experience of our lives. You ready?"

"Does it matter?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Gotta psych ourselves up, though, right?"

The transport's automated voice echoed through the ship as if on cue.

"Approaching Thalora. All passengers, please prepare for landing."

Alyssa turned and caught her first glimpse of the Academy through the ship's large windows. The planet below glowed with deep blues and greens, its surface dotted with bright clusters of lights from the sprawling complex that was Thalora Academy.

Her stomach clenched.

This was it. The place where the best of the galaxy were trained. Where they were turned into leaders—future warriors, generals, diplomats, scientists. That's what they told you, anyway. Alyssa knew better. Nothing was ever as perfect as it seemed.

As the ship descended toward the landing bay, she thought about the last few weeks—leaving behind her old life on Colony Seven, saying goodbye to the streets she'd grown up on, the people she swore she'd never miss - except for one person.

Her mother.

For a moment, flashes of her raced across her mind. Her big brown eyes, curly hair, big smile, and the warmth of her hugs were stolen from her ten years earlier when she was only six years old. She could still hear her mother's sharp screams as she helplessly tried to defend herself from the Belaaki raiders who invaded her home. 

The promise of a fresh start was tempting. But the nightmares... those had followed her.

And here, on this distant planet, it felt like she was being drawn to something. Something she couldn't explain.

The transport landed softly, and the passengers began shuffling toward the exit. Lucas stepped beside her, a grin still plastered on his face. "Nervous?"

"No," Alyssa said flatly, though her hands were cold, clenched into fists. She didn't want to admit that she felt watched, even before she stepped off the ship. It was the same feeling she'd had every day since her recruitment. As if someone—or something—had been waiting for her.

The exit ramp lowered with a hiss, and the recruits entered the hangar's cool, artificial light. Alyssa looked up. The Academy's towering buildings loomed over them, glass and steel reflecting the planet's pale, violet sky. Students in black and silver uniforms moved in groups, heading to different parts of the massive campus.

"We're really here," Lucas said, his voice tinged with excitement. "We made it."

Alyssa barely heard him. Something pulled her attention—a faint glow in the distance, barely noticeable against the sky. She squinted. For a moment, she thought she saw something move in the shadows beyond the buildings. A figure. Watching.

She blinked, and it was gone.

"Tan! Lucas!" A sharp voice cut through the air. A woman in a black uniform, her hair pulled tight into a severe bun, marched toward them, a datapad in hand.

"Welcome to Thalora," she said briskly. "I'm Officer Evelyn Vazquez, your orientation guide. You'll follow me, no questions. Understood?"

Lucas gave Alyssa a sideways glance, his smirk fading. Alyssa nodded, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. Something felt wrong here. She didn't know what, but the unease settled into her bones like cold water.

As they followed Officer Vasquez through the Academy's pristine corridors, Alyssa felt the sensation again—that creeping feeling of being watched. The walls were too perfect, and the halls were too quiet.

They passed a glass wall onto one of the Academy's training fields, where students practiced combat drills with sleek, high-tech weapons. Beyond that, she caught sight of the distant ruins—the ancient remains of the Eldarii civilization that had once thrived on Thalora.

It was only for a second, but something about the ruins made her pause.

"You'll get used to it," Vasquez said, her voice cutting through Alyssa's thoughts. "Thalora has a way of feeling... overwhelming at first."

Alyssa said nothing, but the uneasy feeling didn't go away. She glanced over her shoulder as they reached the main hall.

The figure she'd seen before was there again, standing in the shadow of the ruins, watching her.

This time, Alyssa didn't blink.