Alexander Gray

Year 2024 After The Universal Calamity

Human Empire, Sector Two, Milky Way Galaxy

Earth, Central City

~RING~RING~

The alarm clock, signalling the dawn of a new day, made its presence known, doing its job of waking its master.

Alexander Gray raised his tired hands to hit the buzz and end his misery. While he appreciated the alarm clock doing its job, he sometimes found it annoying.

He slowly lifted himself from his sleeping position and sat down on his single bed. Glancing at the morning light brightening up the space, he turned and looked across the room where his younger brother, Aaron, was still fast asleep.

Both he and his brother were in the same middle school. While he was in his final year and about to graduate in a few weeks, Aaron was now in sixth grade and would soon be moving up to the seventh grade. 

'Even the loudness of the alarm did not wake him. I fear for his future,' Alex thought to himself, standing up and approaching Aaron's bedside.

Like any other typical family, Alex cared deeply for his little brother and always ensured he was not mistreated in school.

He himself was subjected to his share of bullies and actively made sure Aaron was not left exposed and vulnerable to being targeted by bullies. 

"Yo, Aaron, wake up." Alex placed his hand on his brother's shoulder and shook him to wake. "Aaron, it's already morning. We should be getting ready."

Aaron slowly stirred awake and looked at his disrupter. "Brother, is it daytime already?"

"Yeah, so let's get ready. I have a field trip today."

Nodding his head, Aaron got up and made his way to their shared washroom. This was an arrangement Alex proposed. As the older of the two, he preferred his brother to clean up before he did. 

This eliminated the need to wait on him as he had little tolerance for long waits. As he waited for his brother to finish up, Alex moved to his desktop, where a rectangular-shaped and sleek wristwatch lay. 

"Hey Xex, what do you have for me this morning?" he asked, and his interactive AI assistant responded promptly. A holographic display popped up, showing the latest news and weather forecast. 

[Good morning, Alex. Today's weather is projected to be sunny and partly cloudy with temperatures reaching a maximum of 28 ºC. Low chances of precipitation, humidity at 67% and wind at 24 km/h.]

[No major news about your interested categories. However, the space station between Earth and Mars reports potential cosmic mana waves from their analysis.]

As Alex listened to his weather forecast and news, he performed some simple exercises to remove the remnants of his sleep.

Living in a world where technology was highly advanced and integrated with magical energy, life across the empire had never been better, save for the universal calamity humanity was shoved into.

"Won't that affect my school trip to Mars?" he asked with slight concern etched on his brows.

The space agency responsible for managing the Cosmic Mana Waves had systems and strategies in place to redirect the Waves if needed; those things could be unpredictable in their movement.

This was no new phenomenon as it had happened countless times, resulting in the loss of numerous lives across the empire. 

It was already a miracle that none of the inhabited planets had been displaced and destroyed.

[Of course not. The wave is expected to pass by the asteroid belt much closer to planet Jupiter.]

The response from his AI assistant alleviated his concerns about the field trip. Had this been situated a bit closer to Mars, the entire trip would have been cancelled. While Alex dreamed of becoming a hunter, he had no wish to be swept away by a cosmic mana wave. 

No one who had ever been swept away had ever survived long. Moreover, when a person was displaced into the cold vacuum of a Sealed Space, the issue became worse.

But that was a matter for another day.

"Huu… very well. Hopefully, nothing happens at all." He resumed his exercise while waiting for Aaron to finish. After a fifteen-minute wait, Aaron was done, and Alex moved in to prepare for the day. 

...…

Alex moved to the eat-in kitchen where his father sat having breakfast and reading the news on his holographic pad, with Aaron beside him also eating. His mother was washing the dishes when she spotted Alex. 

"Good morning, Mom." Alex went to give her a kiss before taking his seat. "Old man, what's up?" He called out to his father with a smug look on his face.

His father, William Gray, lifted his head from his display and responded, "Boys your age should be humbler. And I'm not old, I'm mature."

"Yeah, boys my age would be giving you a headache." Alex shot back with a scoff. "Then again, having kids already puts you in the old category."

Having a close relationship with his family where they could play around like this was one of the most cherished things in his life, and this was where his motivation came from, to become a hunter and relieve the burden on them.

Alex had always been a smart kid who was mature for his age. Although this maturity stemmed from his humble beginnings, it did not alter his perspective on the world. 

"Alright, that's enough banter. Alex, your brother is almost done, and you'd be the reason for running late." Sarah Gray interjected, reminding Alex of his schedule.

His father, on the other hand, was not done, "What about your mom? Isn't she old as well?" he said. But this quickly earned him a glare from his wife. He quietly shrank back into his news pad.

"Mom would be forever young, unlike you." Of course, Alex made sure to earn some brownies from his mother, who acknowledged his words with a sweet smile.

"Son, remember to never be like your elder brother." As a last attempt to gain support, he turned to his youngest. But to his surprise, the reply he received was not what he had hoped for.

"No comment," replied Aaron. This created a crackle of muffled laughter from Alex and his mother.

"Tch, kids these days…," was his only response before focusing on his news. Having had his fun with his father, he quickly finished his breakfast and prepared to depart with Aaron.

Although the last member of the family, Olivia Gray, Alex and Aaron's older sister, was absent, they already knew she was off to work. 

"Okay, we're off." Alex bid farewell to his parents and headed out with his brother.