A New Horizon

"Are you two okay?" Razek yelled before rushing in their direction.

"Yeah, I think we're okay. Helaine has an injury on her leg, but it's nothing serious."

"Alright, good." Razek said as he helped Evryn move Helaine faster toward the ship.

"Watch out!" A piece of debris from the ceiling came crashing down nearby, but not close enough to hit them. Smoke filled the air, making Evryn cough.

Before long, they reached the ship's entrance.

The ship's ramp was already lowered, its entrance gaping open like the maw of a beast. Evryn adjusted his grip on Helaine as he and Razek half-carried her up, their boots clanking against the worn metal. The ship's exterior was battered and rusted, the faded markings of its previous owners barely visible beneath layers of grime.

Stepping inside, they were met with a rush of stale, metallic air. The cargo bay was dimly lit by flickering emergency lights, casting long shadows across the cluttered space. Crates were scattered across the floor, some still strapped down, while others had long since broken free, their contents spilled and forgotten. Rusted chains and harnesses dangled from the ceiling, swaying slightly from their hurried movements.

"Wow, this place is a mess." Razek muttered, glancing around. "Not exactly a luxury ride."

Evryn ignored him, shifting his grip on Helaine as they moved further inside. The grated floor rattled beneath their steps, the low hum of the ship vibrating through his boots. Loose wires hung from the walls, sparking occasionally, and dust filled the air.

Ahead, the corridor leading to the cockpit stretched into darkness, the ship's systems barely active. Then, Cyrus' voice crackled through the comms, sharp with urgency.

"Hurry up! We don't have all the time in the world before this whole building comes crashing in on us!"

Evryn gritted his teeth, picking up the pace. They had no time to waste.

As soon as they stepped fully inside, a loud hiss filled the air, followed by the deep groan of hydraulics engaging. The ship's ramp began to rise, its rusted hinges screeching in protest before slamming shut with a heavy clang. A brief silence followed, then a series of mechanical locks engaged with sharp, successive clicks, sealing them inside. 

The sudden shift in pressure made Evryn's ears pop, and a faint vibration ran through the floor as the ship's life-support systems sputtered to life. The dim emergency lights flickered, casting the cargo bay in a sickly glow. 

"Alright, we're in." Razek said, shaking off the tension. "Now let's hope this old thing actually flies."

They heard the Aether engine roar to life, and a shift in the floor beneath their feet made them jerk as the shuttle began to move.

They hurried down the hallway into what appeared to be a living area. 

As they entered the living space, they were greeted by a surprisingly cozy but worn-in room. The dim lighting flickered as the ship's aging systems hummed to life, casting a soft glow across the area. The walls were lined with aged, dark metal panels, but the space felt lived-in, with patches of worn carpet scattered on the floor. A few old storage lockers, some closed and others slightly ajar, lined one side of the room.

At the bottom right corner of the room, a round table with a faded surface sat surrounded by booths, each cushioned with material that had long since lost its vibrant color, now mostly a dull grayish blue. The seats were embedded into the walls of the ship, snug but comfortable, with just enough space for people to sit around and share meals, strategize, or talk. The booths themselves had seen better days, but the metal frames were sturdy, and the worn leather cushions had molded to the shape of the ship's previous occupants, adding an unintentional charm to the space.

Evryn helped sit Helaine down at the end of the booth, lifting her leg to examine her injury.

"Razek! Try to find a med-kit or something to cover this up. I'm going to check on Cyrus."

Razek nodded before scrambling through the area in search of one.

Evryn stood up and headed down the hallway toward what seemed to be the door leading to the cockpit.

He stopped before the door, noticing there was no doorknob, but instead a control panel next to it.

Um, how does one… no. How the hell do you open this? Evryn felt embarrassed just thinking about how he didn't know something so simple.

Screw it. With that, Evryn pushed a bunch of random buttons on the panel, hoping the door would open.

He could feel his embarrassment building and frustration setting in as he berated himself for not knowing how to open the door.

Then, suddenly, the door slid open, startling Evryn and making him jump back a little. The cockpit was small and functional, with worn controls and dim lights. A large viewport offered a view of the building burning. while a dusty control panel and a tarnished steering wheel sat in front of the pilot's weathered seat. Cables ran along the walls, some fraying at the edges, giving the space a utilitarian, aged feel. He saw Cyrus sitting in the seat, piloting the ship, holding onto the steering wheel.

"Hold onto something." 

Without hesitation Evryn held onto the nearest thing he could—a strap. 

The ship lurched upward, the engines already roaring to life. Evryn braced himself as the vessel slowly pulled away from the crumbling shipyard. The metal of the ship groaned in protest, rattling with the stress of the takeoff, but the ship's engines hummed steadily. The ground beneath them became distant as they ascended, leaving behind the dark smoke and the fiery remains of the destroyed facility.

As the ship rose, the ascent was shaky, the controls jerking under Cyrus's hands. The walls around them trembled with the ship's movement, cables and panels rattling. Despite the unease, the ship pushed forward, cutting through the haze of smoke and flames. The hum of the engines grew louder, vibrating through the floor as the vessel surged higher, gaining speed.

The remnants of the shipyard faded behind them as they broke free from the confines of the decaying structure, heading into the vastness of the open sky. Evryn could feel the pressure shift as they cleared the top of the building, the ship's engines now humming in a steady rhythm as it pushed toward the vast expanse of space.

The ship's engines roared to life with a deep, throaty hum, shaking the floor beneath Evryn's feet as they began to lift off the surface of Sythar. The night sky outside remained an ink-black canvas, dotted with distant, flickering stars. The ship shuddered as it slowly rose, the edges of the crumbling shipyard growing smaller and smaller beneath them, swallowed by the growing distance.

Through the viewport, all Evryn could see was a stretch of dark clouds, their outlines barely visible against the blackness, and the occasional flicker of distant lightning in the atmosphere. Below, the faint glow of NoxHaven city twinkled, neon lights flashing from the towering structures, casting an eerie, vibrant glow that seemed to mix with the dim, orange hue of the shipyard fires still burning below. The burning remnants of the shipyard were still visible, the flames licking the sides of hulking, ships left abandoned in the yard, adding a surreal glow to the scene. The twisted metal and debris around them were silhouetted against the fiery backdrop, casting jagged shadows on the ship's hull.

The ship's engines roared steadily as they pushed higher, the hum of power vibrating through the vessel. Evryn gripped the strap, feeling his stomach lurch as the ship broke free from the weight of the planet's gravity. The crumbling shipyard below them was now a distant, glowing patch against the planet's dark expanse.

As they climbed, the dense, dark clouds that had cloaked the night sky began to thin, their swirling mass now below them. The occasional flash of lightning seemed to dance within the clouds, casting brief, jagged streaks of light across the ever-growing darkness. The ship trembled slightly as they passed through the last layers of turbulent atmosphere, the hull briefly shaking before settling into a steady hum.

Once past the clouds, the oppressive blackness of space stretched out before them, infinite and untouched. Evryn's breath caught in his throat as the city lights below faded away, leaving only the cold expanse of stars twinkling in every direction. There was a strange, almost peaceful silence, broken only by the low, steady pulse of the ship's engines. The shipyard's fires were now a mere memory, replaced by the cold, crisp void of space. The stars sparkled brighter now, the planet's atmosphere no longer filtering their light, and the dark and grayish hues of Sythar's atmosphere began to fade as they broke through.

Evryn couldn't help but stare out the viewport, his eyes tracing the outline of the planet shrinking beneath them. In the distance, the faint outline of the galaxy stretched out, with swirling nebulae and distant star systems scattered across the dark abyss. He felt the weight of the journey settle around him, the unknown that lay ahead now felt just as vast as the space around them.

Evryn's eyes widened in shock and excitement as he saw the vast expanse of space with stars, the moon, and… "Wait, what is that?"

"Hm? What is what?"

Evryn pointed at what seemed to be luminous, flowing ribbons of light, resembling a mixture of auroras and plasma currents.

"Oh, those are Aether Streams. They're massive flowing rivers of energy that traverse the galaxy. In other words, they act like natural highways between planets, allowing you to travel at the speed of light. But it depends on how good your ship is. With the one we're in now, I'm not too sure how long it will take us."

A smile began forming on Evryn's face, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "That's so cool!"

"You've never seen them before?"

"No, I've never been outside of Sythar…"

"I see. Well, that changes today, kid." A small smirk grew on Cyrus's face.

"Some people believe the streams are remnants of gods, while others claim they are living entities."

"So, what do you believe?"

"I don't get caught up in all that divine nonsense. All I know is, they make traveling a hell of a lot easier."

"That's really interesting… I'm going to go check up on Razek and Helaine now, alright?"

"Okay, have fun." Cyrus chuckled softly.

Evryn left the cockpit and headed down the hall to where Razek and Helaine were.

When he entered, he didn't know what to say. What the hell… he thought to himself, seeing Helaine on top of Razek's back, pulling his arm back as he cried.

Evryn hadn't realized how much time had passed. His heart lightened a little seeing them fight—it was familiar, a sign that things weren't as bad as they could be. He hadn't been gone long, but something about the chaos before him made him realize something he hadn't fully admitted to himself. He was growing attached to them. They weren't just companions anymore—they were starting to feel like family.

Evryn was then brought back to reality from hearing Razek cry louder seeing that it wasn't stopping anytime soon, he had to step in to stop if 

"What are you two doing? Helaine, why are you on top of Razek? And Razek, did you even find something to cover her wound or help with it?"

Helaine looked at Evryn with an angry expression. "This asshole kept messing with me after I warned him to stop multiple times!"

"All lies, I tell you, all lies!" Razek protested, but Helaine pulled harder on his arm, making him cry out louder.

Evryn stepped in and grabbed Helaine. "You two, stop it now."

Helaine let out a deep sigh. "Fine, you're lucky Evryn showed up. If he hadn't, you'd have to say goodbye to your arm." She released his arm, letting it fall to the floor.

"You're a lifesaver, Evryn." Razek sobbed, sounding both humiliated and grateful.

"Yeah… Helaine, sit down and let me check on your leg."

Helaine sat down on the booth and extended her leg for Evryn to inspect.

Razek followed Evryn's instructions and got a bandage, wrapping it around Helaine's leg.

Good, at least he did what I said. Evryn thought, a small smile forming on his face.

"If I could, I would heal myself. I'd prefer that over relying on someone else." she said, giving Razek a dead stare.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know?"

"No…?"

Helaine sighed, leaning back slightly. "Those who control Aether well—or who are stronger with it—can heal their wounds on the spot, sometimes even grow back limbs, if it's severe enough. It's just a matter of having enough control to do it mid-fight." She shot Razek another look. "I'm not there yet."

"But besides that… what you pulled off back there. You never told us you could wield Aether."

Evryn froze, unsure how to respond. Yeah, he had used it, but he wasn't sure how. It had just surged through him, like an overwhelming burst of energy.

"Well?" Helaine asked, suspicious.

"I don't know what happened. I saw that you were in trouble, and I just knew I had to save you."

Helaine's eyes widened slightly at his response, a small smirk forming on her face. "Well, thank you. If it wasn't for you, I'm not sure if I'd still be here."

"Ohhh, Helaine has taken a liking to Evryn," Razek teased.

"No, I haven't!" Helaine screamed, about to get up and tackle Razek.

"Helaine." The mood shifted at the sound of Evryn's serious voice.

"Yes?" Helaine raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a way, or some explanation, for how I pulled that off? All my life, I was never able to wield Aether until now."

Helaine looked at Evryn with a concerned yet serious expression. "I'm not sure, but we can probably figure something out. Maybe talk to someone who has deep knowledge of Aether"

"So, like a monk?"

"Yeah."