Chapter 28 – Shadows and Truths

Unknown Location – A Faint Awakening

Darkness.

A weightless void.

Rei felt like he was floating in the abyss, his body detached from reality.

Memories flickered in and out of his mind—

A battle. A burst of energy.

And then… nothing.

His fingers twitched. A sensation—cold air.

Slowly, his consciousness stirred.

His eyelids fluttered open.

The ceiling above him wasn't made of metal.

It was stone. Ancient. Covered in glowing symbols that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.

He tried to move—

Pain.

A sharp, searing pain shot through his body, forcing a hiss from his lips. His muscles felt heavy, unresponsive.

Something inside him felt wrong.

Like his very essence had been torn apart and rebuilt.

What… happened to me?

A voice—low, unreadable—cut through the silence.

"You're awake."

Rei turned his head slowly.

A figure stood near the doorway.

Tall. Cloaked in dark, flowing fabric that seemed to shimmer like the void of space.

His presence was... unnatural.

No life signature. No energy trail.

Like he was merely a shadow.

Seyra was nearby, standing with her arms crossed, her emerald eyes filled with caution and barely restrained aggression.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The man tilted his head slightly.

"Not the right question," he replied.

Seyra's grip on her spear tightened. "Then let me ask a better one—why did you help us?"

The agent took a slow step forward, and the air shifted around him.

The man ignored the question.

Stepping forward until his piercing gaze locked onto Rei.

"You," he said, "are Starborn."

Silence.

A long, awkward silence.

Rei blinked. Then frowned.

"What?"

Seyra frowned, too. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

The cloaked man tilted his head slightly, as if surprised by their reaction.

"You don't know?"

Rei looked at Seyra. Seyra looked at Rei. Then they both turned back to the man.

"No," they said at the same time.

The man exhaled slowly, as if coming to a realization.

"Interesting," he murmured. "Then listen carefully—because this will change everything you thought you knew about yourself."

The air in the room seemed to shift, growing heavier with the weight of ancient knowledge.

"The Starborn," the man began, "are the rarest of all celestial beings. They are not simply born—they are forged by the cosmos itself."

Seyra narrowed her eyes. "Forged?"

"Every civilization in the universe speaks of them in myths and legends. Warriors of unfathomable power, their existence transcends mortal bloodlines. Unlike normal Celestial Masters, who train their entire lives to wield the energy of the stars, Starborn are born with it."

Rei stared blankly. "So… you're saying I'm some kind of space god?"

"Not a god," the man corrected. "But something far beyond ordinary mortals."

Rei snorted. "Yeah, right. Hate to break it to you, but I'm just a guy from Earth. You know, blue planet, third from the Sun? No 'cosmic warrior' nonsense, no special powers. Just a human who got teleported here by a damn meteorite."

The man was silent for a moment, as if considering Rei's words.

Then, with a smooth motion, he raised his hand.

A faint, golden glow flickered at his fingertips. A thin holographic interface appeared before him, displaying lines of code and strange energy readings.

A scan.

His eyes flicked across the screen, analyzing the data.

Then, his eyebrows lifted slightly.

"Fascinating," he muttered.

Rei tensed. "What?"

The man smirked. "You say you're just human. But your DNA says otherwise."

The holographic scan expanded, displaying a complex genetic structure—pulsing with multiple colors, layered with symbols Rei didn't understand.

The man observed it for a moment before speaking.

"Your genetic composition is… quite literally impossible."

He tapped a few controls, and the breakdown of Rei's bloodline appeared on the screen.

"Fifty percent," the man murmured, "is Exilence Spatial Mage Bloodline—a highly specialized bloodline exclusive to the Royal Family of Aetheris."

Rei's stomach dropped.

"Aetheris?" Seyra repeated, her voice sharp. "As in the Aetheris? The empire that controls more then half the universe?"

The man nodded. "Indeed."

Rei's mind reeled.

That's… impossible. I'm from Earth. I have human parents. Right?

The man continued. "Twelve-point-five percent is Star Sage Bloodline—a line that only exists among the ancient celestial families."

Rei felt a headache coming on. "Star Sage? Celestial bloodline ? What even—"

"It is a bloodline so rare that even among the highest ranks of the Celestial Order, there are only a handful who possess it. Your genetic markers indicate that you carry 12.5% Star Sage Bloodline—a lineage belonging to those who have ascended through the Starborn evolutionary path: from Star Warrior to Star Lord, to Star King, then Star Sage, and finally, the near-mythical Star Saint. The rest of your heritage is brimming with Celestial energy, meaning your remaining bloodline is from high-ranking Celestial Master families—who follow their own path of evolution, from Celestial Warrior to Celestial Master, then Celestial Lord, Celestial King, Celestial Emperor, and ultimately, the exalted Celestial Saint.""

The man leaned back slightly, analyzing Rei with newfound interest.

"Well," he said, smirking, "I have to say… that's one hell of a background you've got. With a pedigree like this, you must come from one of the greatest celestial lineages."

He studied Rei for a reaction.

But Rei had none.

Because his brain had completely short-circuited.

"What," Rei said slowly, "the actual hell are you talking about?"

Seyra looked completely lost. "Wait—so you're telling me that Rei is somehow connected to the Aetheris Royal Family and some legendary Star Sages? And what's with all this Celestial and Starborn stuff? Star Lords, Celestial Kings—what does any of this even mean?"

"That is what the data suggests," the man said simply and ignored her last part .

Rei let out a hysterical laugh. "Yeah, no. That's got to be a mistake. I'm from Earth! You know, where people have normal jobs and pay rent and don't shoot cosmic energy out of their hands!"

The man gave him a knowing look.

"And yet," he said, "you did exactly that. Back in the ruined city, when you were about to die."

Rei flinched.

The memory of the cosmic blast flashed through his mind.

The raw, burning energy that had exploded from within him.

He had tried to suppress it. To deny it.

But now…

He wasn't so sure.

Rei clenched his fists.

"Even if this bloodline stuff is true," he muttered, "it doesn't explain how I ended up on Earth. If I was from some cosmic royal family, shouldn't I have been raised in a palace or something?"

The man's smirk faded slightly.

"That… is a good question."

A shadow passed over his expression, as if he was considering something deeply troubling.

"This means one of two things," he murmured, half to himself.

"Either you were hidden away on this Earth planet for a reason."

He turned his sharp gaze back to Rei.

"Or someone stole you from your true home."

The room fell into silence.

Rei felt a cold shiver run down his spine.

Seyra, standing beside him, murmured under her breath:

"...What the hell did we just uncover?"

The man smiled faintly.

"Oh, we've only scratched the surface."