Call His Name (3)
In the lonely silence of Rifientin, a barren planet shrouded in the heat of shifting climates and the nerve-wracking howls of beasts far in the distance, Azihiro sat in awe. The feeling of hunger in his stomach and the stinging ache from his chapped lips reminded him that he was still very much alive, even if the body he now resided in wasn't his own.
He recalled stories told by the elders of the Jing Clan. Prayers could move mountains, turn tides, and, in the rarest moments, you can call upon the mercy of the Creator.
Even as galactic nations evolved into empires of machines, nanotechnology, and AI-driven civilizations, there were still voices in the dark, strengthened beliefs that in the center of all creation, there remained a power far greater than any code or quantum reactor.
Most called it myth. Folklore from the time when humanity still worshipped stars and offered seeds to the soil. But not the Jing Clan.
No, the Jing Clan had always believed.
And God did not fail him.
Azihiro remembered the fire licking at his skin, the searing heat of death's breath on his back, and the overwhelming despair as his body shut down. In those final moments, he had not cursed his fate. He had only prayed for justice. But God gave him more.
He was alive. In a new body. In a new time. On a new planet. And despite the pain that gnawed at his belly and the fatigue resting on his shoulders, Azihiro was grateful. Even if it took years, he would not waste this gift.
He did not know how long he had passed out after crawling into the broken shelter. He only knew that when his eyes opened again, the sunless sky had turned a deep maroon, and the planet trembled with subtle rumblings, either from underground beasts or distant stormquakes.
His stomach screamed louder than his thoughts. He instinctively searched the clothes he wore, a standard gray attire with tattered seams, nothing luxurious. Not even a scrap of food. His fingers brushed over a small square object hidden inside an inner pocket. He pulled it out.
A cube?
Faded on the edges but meticulously designed. Each square bore a symbol etched in silver. It looked like an ancient child's puzzle.
Azihiro furrowed his brow. What is this?
As he turned the object, the sharp edge sliced the pad of his finger. Blood beaded up, and a drop fell onto the cube. The change was immediate.
The cube began to glow, a low, pulsing light that deepened with every second. Before Azihiro could move, the cube floated from his hand and hovered in front of him. A piercing sensation filled his skull, followed by a voice unlike any he had heard before.
[SOL - Activated Successfully]
[Integrating Compatibility…]
[Compatibility Successful.]
[DNA System Binding…]
[Binding Successful.]
[Welcome to SOL.]
Azihiro's jaw slackened. The voice wasn't external. It echoed in his mind.
What is going on? he thought. What even is SOL?
The cube shuddered and began to shift. Plates unfolded. Gears clicked in strange, seamless configurations. Within seconds, the cube expanded into a small shelter. Its metallic surface shimmered under Rifientin's blood-colored sky. It looked like a house plucked from a painting of Blue Star's ancient cities, compact, polished, and elegant.
Azihiro stared, blinking. "This must be a hallucination," he mouthed silently, forgetting the body he was in could not speak. Still, he stepped forward, his legs wobbling with exhaustion. As he approached, the cube-now-shelter scanned his frame again. A light beamed from the center doorframe, and a new holographic message blinked into view.
[Energy Level: Critical. Nutrition Required.]
[Sanitation Recommended. Opening facilities.]
Azihiro blinked at the screen. It responded to thought alone.
Where is the bathroom? he wondered.
A fresh interface opened in response, a detailed map of the 200-square-meter house. Several rooms were grayed out, inaccessible for now, but a blinking blue dot marked a sanitation pod to the right.
He limped toward it. Inside, a pristine room greeted him. Though unfamiliar in design, it reminded him of ancient bathhouses from the temple archives. A full-body sanitation capsule hummed softly at the center, water vapor swirling like incense smoke.
Azihiro stepped inside. As the pod closed, a warm mist embraced him. Dirt, blood, and ash peeled away from his skin. Even the fatigue seemed to wash off with the grime. For the first time since his rebirth, he could breathe deeply without choking on dust and soot.
He let the pod cleanse him fully, standing in the silence, eyes closed, as if reliving a prayer. He didn't understand what this tool was or where it came from, but it was here. In this body. This life. God had given him more than just a second chance. God had armed him.
After the cleansing cycle finished, a compartment opened beside the pod. A simple robe, light gray, with white trims lay folded inside. Azihiro dressed and stepped out of the pod, now feeling more human than he had since awakening in this world.
Back in the main room, the holographic map appeared again.
[Would you like to access SOL's Core?]
He hesitated. Then nodded slowly.
[Core Access Initiated.]
The walls flickered, and a new hologram appeared, this time of the cube's core systems. Information flowed, solar conversion rates, emergency defense protocols, atmospheric analysis, and one section labeled, "Storage: Gene-Linked Tools."
The cube was more than a shelter. It was a survival hub. More importantly, it responded only to him. Azihiro turned toward a translucent window. Outside, Rifientin's wilderness stretched endlessly, cracked soil and smoldering embers lining the horizon.
He had a long way to go. He had no allies. No resources. But he had a body. A soul. A tool no one else seemed to understand. And a mission as clear as the stars above, justice for the Jing Clan.
"I will not fail you," he whispered silently, fingers clutched against his chest.
The cube behind him softly pulsed with energy as he stared into the distance. It was alive, awakened by his blood, and it waited for his command. Azihiro's rebirth wasn't just a chance. It was a calling. And he intended to answer it.