5

The planet Zenithis, once a peaceful place, was now dominated by the shadow of the Hegemony of Astralis. The grand white marble buildings and lush parks had been replaced by military barracks and incessant patrols of armed soldiers. The sunlight struck the surface of the planet, but a heavy atmosphere of control weighed on the air, as if the imposed silence erased the freedom that once reigned there.

Maylan stood in a small dark alley, watching the Hegemony soldiers patrol under the flickering neon lights. He hadn't yet had the time to fully digest what he had just experienced. Kid had been harsh with him after the confrontation, emphasizing that he was far from ready to face the Hegemony alone. Maylan had had a small victory on the field, but he knew it would only attract more problems. The soldiers were already withdrawing their troops from strategic areas to better grid the planet. It was only a matter of time before they discovered who was behind this attack.

— You're not ready yet, Maylan, Kid had said. But I will teach you everything I know.

The Maylan Vessel

After leaving the crowded streets of Zenithis, Maylan plunged into the bowels of his ship, a fast and compact vessel that felt like an extension of himself. The controls were placed right in front of him, and the sound of the engine rumbled in the back of the cabin. It wasn't a military ship, but it had been modified to become a true tracking tool: armed with heavy blasters, stealth devices, and even hacking technologies he had collected over the years.

Behind him, a small storage room was filled with cargo containing weapons, mission plans, and even a few prisoners he had captured in the past. Everything was carefully organized. Maylan had not yet decided what he would do next, but one thing was certain: he no longer wanted to be just a bounty hunter. The Divine Knight's katana that he carried in his heart had transformed him into something greater.

He grasped the katana, drawing it from its sheath with calculated slowness. The blade shone under the lights of the cabin. Every time he held it, he felt an almost divine energy, a silent connection that seemed to call him to a greater destiny. Kid had told him that this katana was the legacy of the Divine Knights, a race of warriors long gone, decimated by the Hegemony. Maylan, however, was not sure what that meant. All he knew was that this katana was a symbol, a latent power he had never fully explored.

Kid's Instructions

Inside his cabin, Kid contacted Maylan via the comlink, a private and secure communication. Kid's stern face appeared on the screen, his blue eyes fixing Maylan with an intense gaze.

— You must find the ancient sanctuaries of the Divine Knights, Kid told him. They are not all destroyed. There are still a few left.

Maylan raised an eyebrow, confused.

— Sanctuaries? Why?

Kid sighed.

— The Divine Knights did not only fight with their katanas. They were connected to the Ether in a way that you and I do not yet fully understand. Their sanctuaries are like reservoirs of power, places where the memory of the ancestors has been preserved, places that hold a part of their knowledge.

Maylan listened attentively, his gaze fixed on Kid's hologram. The knights had left traces of their power behind, but he did not know how much this quest would change his life. Kid had promised to train him, but Maylan had not yet grasped the depth of the path he was embarking on.

— Find them, insisted Kid. — Find them, insisted Kid. ** You will be stronger afterwards. You will be stronger afterwards. I'll be waiting for you on the planet Ekaion. That's where you will find the key to understanding your katana.

The Hunt

Maylan left the planet Zenithis at full speed, steering his ship towards the planet Ekaion, a distant and enigmatic world, often overlooked by the major galactic powers. Kid hadn't specified the reasons why this place was important, but Maylan knew that every move he made brought him closer to a crucial revelation. Maybe the Ether was not simply an energy that the Divine Knights mastered. Maybe this energy was alive, and everything he had experienced so far was just the beginning of a larger quest.

The journey through space was relatively calm, a striking contrast to the tension buzzing in Maylan's mind. He recalled the battle scene against the Hegemony soldiers, the way he had managed to repel the enemy. His hands instinctively tightened around the katana. 

There was still much to learn.

A few hours later, he came into view of Ekaion, a planet covered in a dense mystical forest, whose trees seemed to disappear into a thick fog. The facilities on the planet were minimal, and the majority of the population lived in isolated villages, far from the major cities. The atmosphere was both wild and primitively serene.

Maylan settled near an old temple that seemed to be abandoned, a massive stone structure supporting ancient inscriptions. Everything was silent around him, except for the sound of the wind blowing through the branches. It was here that he had to find the answers.

The arrival at Ekaion

As he exited his ship, Maylan felt a strange pressure in the air, a familiar yet inexplicable sensation. The katana he was carrying vibrated slightly, as if it were reacting to something in the environment. The Ether? He wasn't sure he understood, but he knew he was in the right place.

He walked slowly towards the temple, his footsteps echoing on the ancient stones. He was ready to discover what awaited him inside. This quest, this challenge he had set for himself, was soon going to transform into something much greater. Maybe the truth would finally be revealed. Maybe the story of the Divine Knights would reveal a destiny he had never envisioned.