Chapter 6: Starfall

Tiny specks of light dance across the night sky, illuminating lush, verdant leaves. As a soothing breeze passes by, Phin Ardelia finds himself standing in a meadow under the shimmering stars. The tall grass massages his exposed ankles, and the air smelled of an ancient beauty long gone. 

Where am I - 

'AUGH!!' Phin frantically scrambles away from the grassy patch, only to find himself surrounded for miles by vegetation. He screams for help, only to pause in disbelief; the grass wasn't carving angry lacerations into his skin, nor were the flowers trying to strangle him.

And everything's... smaller? he wonders, cautiously bending down to observe a dainty clump of [orchids, they were known pre-Mutation]. The vibrant pink, feared by Scavengers and Botanists alike, almost seems...

Soothing? What is this place...? Phin takes a few tentative steps forward, feeling the grass below succumb to his weight without fighting back. The specks of light descend towards him, hovering before his eyes.

To his shock, they were...

Beetles! Some kind of beetles?! Phin ponders, wracking his brain for information. A bizarre, breathtaking thought passes in his mind. The Pre-Mutation Encyclopedia... I remember reading about these creatures... fire... something to do with fire...

One of the glowing creatures lands on Phin's arm, emitting a warm glow that reminds him of his home's soothing candlelight. 

Firefly! the memory snaps in place, leaving him both exhilarated and absolutely bewildered. Why would there be fireflies? They went extinct. Every single arthropodal species did. Unless...

The fireflies dance merrily around his head, as if encouraging him. And then the pieces came together, a shining epiphany.. 'I'm in the pre-Mutation Earth...' he whispers, sinking to his knees. As tears stream down his face, the soft meadow embraces and comforts him, with its stoic trees, colorful flowers, humming insects... the beauty of it all...

And then Phin realized: I want to be consumed by this place... I want to know all about it. I want to be a part of it - for eternity! He hugs the ground, sobbing quietly as the silky blades of grass caress his face. The stars smile down at him, illuminating his damp face. As tears fall, they glisten in the radiant moonlight, sparkling pearls of an unattainable reality.

Lost in his far-fetched fantasy, Phin suddenly feels an unfamiliar dread invade the corners of his mind. He whips around, scanning his surroundings, and there it was: concealed within the trees, a small, shadowy creature observes in silence. What the hell is that...? I don't remember seeing those in the encyclopedia, Phin wonders, taking a cautionary step back.

The creature, whose body was seemingly constituted of shadowy wisps, stares back at Phin with small, red gleaming eyes. Then it begins to speak:

'Get up, you lazy pig.'

***

Phin opens his eyes to see Tarnin Vesk staring down at him in the dark, a maniacal smile plastered on his face. The shock of his oneiric experience and abrupt transition hits him like a freight train, rendering him frozen - he could only stare back with wide eyes.

'Don't make me drag you out of there, Appraiser. It's a big day,' Vesk growls, cracking his giant knuckles.

'What do you want, Vesk?' Phin mumbles, still half-asleep.

'Oh, wonderful - you're alive.' Vesk claps his hands. 'Today, we're breaking you out of this shithole, the authentic Tarnin Vesk way.'

That snaps Phin out of his haze. He sits up, and even without his glasses, he can see the glee on the Black Market boss's face. I still can't trust this psychopath, but... this might be the only chance I get, Phin decides. I'll go along him, but I won't get my hopes up.

'Alright... so what do I gotta do?'

'Simply follow me, Appraiser,' Vesk smugly replies, with a hint of enthusiasm almost too genuine to be true. He turns to the double-reinforced cell door. 'Open Seed-same.'

As the door slides open with a mechanical hiss, Phin gawks in incredulity. Every other cell lining the corridor remains sealed - it was well before the scheduled morning release. Vesk confidently struts out, gesturing impatiently for Phin to follow.

'How early is it, goddammit?' Phin groans, rubbing his crusted-over eyes.

'Early enough to break you out without eliciting suspicion, you fool. I wouldn't complain if I were handed a free pass to freedom by a handsome, charismatic, muscular man.'

***

Eventually, the duo arrives at the prison's administrative sector, barred off by a massive gate. 

'Wait - why did the night patrol all ignore us?' Phin asks, confused, as a guard passes them with but a mere side-eye.

'Well, they know I'd thrash all of them in a fight.'

Phin chuckles weakly, but the emptiness in his gut lingers. Why was this all so easy?

Vesk claps his hands together twice, and the gate rumbles to life. The towering double-doors part to reveal a sleek, well-furnished lobby antithetical in appearance to the rest of the prison. A Juiced-up man sips coffee in a reclining chair, muscles threatening to burst out of his modern suit.

"Ah! You must be Phin. It's a pleasure to congratulate you on completing your journey here," the man booms, rising from his snug seat.

"W–what's the meaning of this??" Phin stammers, completely bewildered by the jarring turn of events.

"For a so-called genius, you're remarkably slow," Vesk sighs, stepping forward with a smirk."I'm a double agent, idiot."