Chapter 22 – Echoes Across the Stars

Earth – High-Rise Corporate Office, Capital City

The city skyline stretched beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, neon lights flickering as dusk settled over the urban sprawl.

Inside a luxurious office, a well-dressed woman sat at a polished black marble table, her expression poised and professional.

Rei's mother. Elayna Kaelson.

She scanned the documents in front of her with sharp, calculating eyes. Across from her, a foreign client sat stiffly, nervously adjusting his tie.

"You'll find," Elayna said coolly, "that the revised contract is in both parties' best interests. Given the revised economic climate, your company gains expanded distribution, and my client retains exclusive rights to domestic manufacturing."

The client hesitated. Then, after a moment, he exhaled. "I see your point, Miss Kaelson. Very well. We have a deal."

Elayna nodded, closing her tablet. "Pleasure doing business."

They shook hands, and with that, the deal was done.

As the client and his legal team exited the office, Elayna let out a small sigh, pressing her fingers against her temples.

I wasn't even supposed to be here today.

She had planned to stay home on Rei's birthday.

But this deal—this one final negotiation—had forced her to leave.

The weight of guilt pressed against her chest.

Pushing the thought away, she stood, adjusting her black blazer and stepping toward the private elevator.

She had other matters to attend to now.

Matters far more important than business.

Abyssal Rift – Forbidden Zone, Unknown Planet

The air was thick with mist and low gravity distortions, the very fabric of space itself warped in unnatural ways.

Two figures moved cautiously through the dark, cavernous terrain, their hooded cloaks concealing their features.

The first, a tall humanoid male, walked with a sense of restrained power, his presence commanding.

The second, a stocky green-skinned dwarf with long braided hair, trudged beside him, muttering curses under his breath.

The humanoid man broke the silence. "Za'llerr, how much time do you think has passed in the outside world since we left?"

Za'llerr, the dwarf, snorted. "Hard to say. But by my calculations, it should be about eleven Earth years."

The taller man's jaw tightened. "Damn it…"

Za'llerr shrugged. "What's got you so pissed off? It'll only be twelve years total before we can leave. Not like your wife's getting old—she's Aethirisian. They don't age like us."

The air shifted.

The tall man stopped walking.

And in the dim glow of the cave's luminescent walls, his golden eyes burned.

"Don't talk about my wife like that, you idiot." His voice was sharp—dangerously so.

Za'llerr, unfazed, raised an eyebrow. "I'm just saying. You're one of the strongest Celestial Masters in the Order. The space around Earth is locked because of you."

The taller man's expression darkened.

"That's precisely why I'm worried," he muttered. "No one should be able to space-jump near Earth unless they're a Starborn. And none exist outside the Council."

Za'llerr folded his arms. "So what's got you spooked?"

The tall man remained silent for a moment. Then, almost hesitantly—

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I have a bad feeling."

A feeling that something had changed.

And whatever it was—

It was already set in motion.

Earth – En Route to a Hidden Facility

Elayna Kaelson stepped into the black luxury sedan, her mind still occupied with lingering thoughts of Rei.

The driver passed her a sleek tablet.

"Mam," he said professionally, "an anomaly has been reported."

Elayna's heart skipped a beat.

She took the tablet quickly as the car pulled away from the curb, merging into the nighttime traffic.

A few moments later, the partition between the driver and passenger seats slid up, granting her privacy.

Her sharp gaze scanned the report.

High-Level Celestial Energy Detected – Earth.Simultaneous Spatial Anomaly Registered.

Elayna's grip on the tablet tightened.

A deep, unsettling realization settled over her.

Did… did a Celestial Master arrive in the Sol System?

There was no logical reason for one to be here.

Unless…

She exhaled slowly.

No. That's impossible. He wasn't supposed to return for another year.

For the first time in years, a nostalgic smile flickered across her face.

But it was bittersweet.

Her fingers hovered over the screen before she whispered, almost too softly to hear—

"It's been eleven years since you left…"

Her throat tightened.

And Rei—he doesn't say it, but… I know he misses you too.

A moment of silence.

Then, the car slowed, coming to a stop in front of what appeared to be a standard commercial office building.

The illusion was flawless.

But Elayna knew better.

This wasn't an ordinary place.

She steeled herself, setting the tablet aside.

Then, without another word, she stepped out of the car—into the shadows of something far greater than the world believed existed.