Anonymous Unknown

Chapter 1: The Broken Home.

   The shadows danced on the cracked walls of Anonymous's room, mirroring the turmoil within him. He huddled beneath his makeshift fort, a meager defense against the storm raging outside his door. The sounds of his parents fighting were a constant companion, punctuated by the occasional scream or crash.  Anxiety gnawed at him, a familiar monster that twisted his stomach into a knot. He could hear his mother's voice, laced with fear and desperation. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring the already distorted world outside his fort.  Suddenly, the sounds changed. A loud yelp, followed by a sickening slap. Anonymous could not take it anymore. He scrambled out of his hiding place, his ragged breathing the only sound in the tense silence.  There, in the doorway, stood his father. A smear of red stained his cheek, a stark contrast to his usual stoic expression. Anonymous, barely fourteen with a mop of messy brown hair and haunted blue eyes, opened his mouth to speak.  "Dad, what happened?" he rasped. "Is Mom alright?"  His father, a man built like a bull with a perpetually scowling face, let out a heavy sigh. "Anonymous," he growled, the sound sending shivers down the boy's spine. "I told you not to come out of your room. Now get back in there, or else..."  "Or else what?" Anonymous challenged, his voice surprisingly steady for his trembling limbs. He did not have a phone, a tablet, or any of the things other kids had. His father, a controlling man shrouded in secrecy, forbade it.  His defiance only seemed to anger his father further. "Anonymous!" the man bellowed, his face contorting with rage. "Get in your bed! Now!"  "No," Anonymous whispered, his voice barely audible. "I want to know you didn't hurt Mom."  His father lunged towards him, but Anonymous was quicker. He darted past the man and ran to his fort, a place where the shadows somehow felt safe. But this time, the safety was fragile. He grabbed the only weapon he could find – a rusty knife from a discarded toy chest.  "Dad is Mom, okay?" he cried, tears streaming down his face. "If you don't tell me, I'll..." his voice choked with a sob. "I'll hurt myself, and it will hurt your feelings!"  The threat was hollow, even Anonymous knew that. But it was the only power he felt he had in this terrifying situation. But the reaction from his father was unexpected. The man froze, his face a mask of conflicting emotions.  Silence stretched, thick and heavy. Then, to Anonymous's horror, his father's eyes shifted, taking on an unnatural gleam. His skin seemed to flush a faint purple under the dim light.  "Anonymous," his father spoke, his voice a low growl, "put the knife down."  "No," Anonymous whimpered, clutching the knife tighter. "Take me to Mom!"  Suddenly, something snapped within his father. A guttural scream ripped from his throat as he lunged towards Anonymous. But a blinding flash of green light erupted, throwing both figures back. Anonymous landed hard on the floor, his head throbbing.  He opened his eyes to see his father, no longer the man he recognized, dissolve into a cloud of purple dust that dissipated into the air. Panic clawed at Anonymous, his own eyes glowing an eerie green. He scrambled to his feet and ran blindly towards the hallway. There, crumpled on the floor, lay his mother, Monica. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow. Tears streamed down Anonymous's face, mixing with the emerald glow emanating from his hands. He knelt beside her, fear battling with a surge of strange energy coursing through his veins.  "Mom?" he whispered, his voice thick with a mix of terror and desperate hope.  As if responding to his touch, Monica's eyelids fluttered open. Her eyes, filled with a lifetime of worry, met his. "Anonymous," she rasped, her voice weak. "Don't be afraid."  A wave of relief washed over him, battling the confusion gnawing at his mind. "Mom, what happened? Who was that man?"  Monica coughed a dry, painful sound. "He wasn't your father, Anonymous," she whispered, her words laden with a truth that shook him to his core. "He wasn't your real father."  Panic flared up again. "But who was he then?"  "There's no time," Monica said, her voice fading. "You need to find him. The man with the watch."  She reached into her pocket, a silver chain glinting under the dim light. In her hand, she held a small, intricately designed watch with a single button etched with a rocket symbol.  "This watch," she continued, her voice barely a whisper. "It will take you to him. He'll know what to do."  A wave of dizziness washed over Monica. Her grip on the watch slackened, and it fell into Anonymous's hand. He clutched it tightly, feeling a strange warmth emanate from it.  "Mom?" he cried, his voice shattering the silence.  But it was too late. A faint smile played on Monica's lips as her eyes fluttered closed for the last time. Grief threatened to consume him, but a stronger emotion surged within – a mix of rage and determination.  He looked down at the watch, a beacon of hope in the darkness. With a shaky breath, he pressed the rocket button. The room filled with a low rumbling sound, growing louder with each passing second. He looked around one last time, a silent goodbye to the only life he had ever known.  Suddenly, a blinding light engulfed the room. The floor beneath him trembled and gave way, replaced by a swirling vortex of energy. With a gasp, Anonymous was swept away, the watch clutched in his hand, on a journey propelled by grief, anger, and the unknown.  The swirling vortex deposited Anonymous on a landing pad bathed in an ethereal blue light. He stumbled out, disoriented and nauseous. Towering above him, almost scraping the clouds, was a colossal metallic ship, unlike anything he had ever seen. Smooth curves gleamed under the strange light, and strange symbols glowed faintly on its surface. A hatch hissed open, revealing a small robot with a single, glowing eye in its center.  "Greetings, young master," the robot chirped in a surprisingly cheerful voice. "I am Randy, your assistant and guide. Welcome aboard the Odyssey."  Anonymous stared at the robot, his head still spinning. The events of the previous night felt surreal. "Assistant? Guide? What is this place?"  "This, sir," Randy explained, gesturing towards the vast ship, "is your new home. The Odyssey is a state-of-the-art starship capable of traversing the vast expanse of space."  Anonymous gaped at him. Space travel? Starships? This was beyond anything he could have imagined. He looked down at the watch held tightly in his palm. "My mom," he croaked, his voice thick with emotion. "She said this watch would take me to someone who could help."  Randy tilted his head inquisitively. "The watch is indeed a powerful artifact," he chirped. "But you don't need to go anywhere. With the information embedded within its systems, we can access an extensive database and locate whoever you're looking for."  Anonymous hesitated. "But what about the man who... who hurt Mom? He disappeared into dust. Was he some kind of monster?"  Randy's single eye flickered. "There are many beings out there, young master," he said cautiously. "Some with abilities beyond human comprehension. Your journey will likely lead you to uncover the truth about your past and the man you seek."  A renewed surge of determination coursed through Anonymous. He would not let his mother's sacrifice be in vain. He tightened his grip on the watch, a silent vow forming within him.  "Then let's start," he declared, his voice stronger than before. "Let's find this man with the watch. And maybe, just maybe, some answers."  Randy chirped excitedly. "Excellent decision, sir! Let me show you to the bridge. From there, we can start the search protocols and begin your adventure!"  As Anonymous followed Randy through the corridors of the Odyssey, he felt a wave of apprehension mixed with a flicker of hope. Leaving his world behind was terrifying, but the prospect of answers and a future free from the darkness of his past was a powerful motivator. He was Anonymous Unknown, a boy on the verge of a life-altering journey.  Days bled into weeks as the Odyssey carved its path through the vast tapestry of space. The vibrant nebulae and swirling star clusters provided a breathtaking backdrop, yet the tension within the ship remained palpable. Anonymous spent hours meditating, trying to control the surges of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. The watch on his wrist pulsed with a faint blue light, a constant reminder of his hidden potential.  Dr. Anya, now a temporary resident of the Odyssey thanks to Randy's quick retrieval (a story best left untold), proved to be an invaluable asset. Her knowledge of alien cultures and technology helped them navigate uncharted territories. Randy, however, the loyal companion, aided with repairs and provided comic relief with his quirky observations. He even managed to install a rudimentary training program within the Odyssey, allowing Anonymous to test his newfound abilities in a safe, virtual environment.  One evening, as Anonymous gazed at the starlit expanse, Dr. Anya approached him. Her demeanor was serious, a stark contrast to her usual composed nature. "We're nearing the coordinates," she said, her voice laced with anticipation. "The first Star Wave temple is located on a remote moon orbiting a gas giant in the Andromeda Galaxy."  Anonymous swallowed, a nervous knot forming in his stomach. The thought of encountering something as ancient as the Star Weavers sent shivers down his spine. "What do you think we'll find there?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.  Anya shook her head, her expression unreadable. "The information we have is fragmentary. The temple likely holds some form of training device or knowledge repository. Whether it will be helpful in your quest for control remains to be seen."  Anonymous gripped the watch on his wrist. "I have to try," he said, his voice filled with determination. "I can't let Mom's sacrifice be in vain."  Anya nodded, a flicker of empathy in her eyes. "We all have our demons to face, Anonymous. But you're not alone in this."  The next day, the Odyssey entered the orbit of the gas giant, a swirling mass of vibrant colors. The moon, a barren and dusty rock, hung ominously in the distance. A tremor ran through the ship as Randy expertly piloted them towards the lunar surface.  As they approached, a colossal structure appeared from the dusty landscape. It resembled a giant pyramid, its surface etched with intricate symbols that glowed with a soft, blue light. Anonymous felt a strange pull emanating from the structure, a call he could not ignore.  "This is it," Randy announced, his voice tinged with awe. "The Star Wave Temple."  Anonymous took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. This was the first step on a path fraught with danger and uncertainty. But he had to try. He owed it to himself and his mother's memory.  With a resolute nod, Anonymous disembarked from the Odyssey, Dr. Anya and Randy by his side. Stepping onto the dusty moon, he turned towards the glowing pyramid, his eyes filled with a newfound determination. The journey to mastering his power and uncovering the truth about his past was just beginning.