Only the Two of Them {Part 3}

Amidst the silence of infinite space, Earth stood with his hand on his ear, speaking in a voice that was quiet yet sharp:

"I am at the ninth planet... What about you?"

Billions of kilometers away, Mars was pressing on his earpiece with his black armored glove. Earth's voice came through clearly, as if he were standing beside him, despite the vast distances between them. Mars answered with the same seriousness:

"Excellent... I am now on the eighth planet. Don't forget the recording code as usual."

No sooner had he lowered his hand, signaling the end of the call, than the latter felt a strange presence. Someone was approaching him, but without any sound of footsteps.

He raised his head to see someone taller than himself, clad in faint blue armor that sparkled with snow-white touches, his eyes glowing with an eerie calmness, like two stars in the darkness of space.

Uranus, president of the eighth planet, stood before him, with a serene smile that never left his face.

Uranus advanced toward him with fluid steps, resembling the flow of waves on an icy shore, and with a practiced movement extended his hand in an unusual greeting. Mars extended his hand in turn, and they shook hands in a manner that combined formality and familiarity, yet carried something mysterious as their fists met midway.

A heavy silence reigned between them like a tyrant, where there was nothing but the sound of whistling winds that echoed between the presidents' armors. Then the hands withdrew slowly.

In Uranus's eyes, Mars saw a strange glimmer, something like an old regret buried beneath layers of ice. While in Mars's burning grip, Uranus felt a slight tremor — not weakness, but as if it were a warning of an approaching storm.

The visitor raised his eyes to contemplate the planet surrounding him. The planet Uranus was immersed in a pure blue unlike any other place, its atmosphere roaring with storms, but its surface was like a frozen work of art, a mixture of shadows and light reflecting a false tranquility.

Soon Uranus bombarded Mars with his endless questions. His words fell without pause like sharp pieces of ice. His wide eyes flashed with the voracity of a truth-seeker, while his long fingers drew incomprehensible shapes in the air, as if trying to capture thoughts themselves from the void.

Since eternity, this president had been naturally curious, a seeker of knowledge, and his sharp mind never let an opportunity pass without attempting to uncover its secrets.

Mars's attempts to catch his breath between questions failed, because Uranus left him no gap for that; he was like a mad scientist before a rare specimen. Even his arched body movements were agitated, raising an eyebrow here, leaning forward there. His state could be described in one word:

Obsession. A frightening obsession with uncovering every secret, knowing everything, decoding the universe itself if he could.

"Wait!" Mars tried to interrupt, but Uranus had already moved on to another question, his voice rising slightly after each question mark in his speech.

But one question made Mars stop the flood of the other's questions:

"How is your moon now?"

Clear hesitation appeared on Mars's features before he answered:

"After we interrogated him... he told me that... Miranda and the rest of your moons were the ones who attacked him."

"Miranda?! My moon?! Impossible!!"

Uranus's words were confused, but his eyes... they were saying something else contrary to the tone of his voice.

Mars noticed that, of course... Uranus wasn't like his brothers, he had always maintained his composure, always hiding his emotions, but now? He was exposed in an unnatural way.

Mars tried to suppress his suspicions and asked, feigning ignorance:

"How? Do you mean that my moon is lying about this news? Where was Miranda at that time?"

The questioner wanted to pressure him more to bring out everything he had.

Uranus's tension increased, he hesitated to respond before saying in a broken voice:

"He... he was here... on my planet... where else could he be?"

But his words seemed scattered, broken like thin glass trying to bear a heavy weight, and with each new question, his pale face betrayed his emotions more — his faded eyes widening then narrowing, his lips trembling then suddenly closing, as if trying to forcibly contain the truth within him.

The scene never changed: numerous questions... and in return, contradictory answers...

Mars, who was analyzing every movement and letter, no longer needed more evidence. The contradictions were enough, the tremors, the stuttering, the fleeing eye glances all pointed to one truth:

This was not the Uranus he knew... this was a wretch desperately trying to salvage what could be saved from the wreckage of a grand lie.

Finally, before leaving, Mars dropped his last bombshell:

"Is Miranda here now?"

"N-... y-... yes.. yes.. he is here, thank you for your concern."

Mars stared at him with disgust, no longer sure of the person standing before him. Then he said with a sentence that made Uranus tremble:

"Can you summon him here?"

He was silent for a moment, but regained his composure, closing his eyes, placing his hand on his chest, then a third voice boomed; sharp and full of loyalty:

"How may I assist you, sir?"

He finally appeared, suddenly emerging from the shadows like a masked specter, his short stature contrasted by a solid form like a diamond rock. His short black hair was like a metallic helmet adhering to his skull, barely visible under the dim lights.

But everything was secondary to that scar — the line that lay beneath his lower lip, gleaming like a sword engraved on his face. It didn't disfigure him, but was a mark that made his already harsh features appear even more beautiful.

Even his smile — if it could be called that — made it stretch like a snake pouncing on its prey.

He finally raised his eyes, looking at Mars, before lowering them again, saying respectfully:

"Master Mars... we welcome you to our eighth planet of the solar system."

Mars had always admired Miranda's measured style of speech, completely different from the reckless Deimos.

His greeting was friendly, but Mars didn't want to waste time and asked him directly:

"Have you heard about the Phobos incident?"

Miranda didn't hesitate, answering confidently:

"Yes, Master Mars... and I visited him afterward as well."

But Uranus, who was watching the conversation as a third party, suddenly changed his expression upon hearing Mars's response:

"Where were you at that time? Don't be surprised, it's just a simple check."

Miranda put his hand on his chin thoughtfully, then proceeded to answer in the same serious tone:

"I was on... Neptune's planet! I was with Lord Neptune's moons on an exploratory mission in the Kuiper Belt."

Uranus froze in place. He didn't even try to hide his confusion, but Miranda didn't look at him, continuing his speech steadily.

Mars was content to raise his hand in a dry gesture, cutting off the conversation before it fell heavily to his side. He didn't wait for a response, didn't even turn around. His heavy footsteps on the icy ground were like the tolling of a death knell.

Even Uranus didn't attempt any reaction, he just looked at his moon with a long gaze that could express everything, but anger? No trace of it.

"What are you trying to hide? Or is the right question who are you trying to protect?"

Mars whispered to himself as he headed toward his space gate.

———⟡ ☽ ⟡———

Earth slowly lowered his hand from his ear, his eyes scanning the place as if searching for something or someone.

Neptune was supposed to be here, but he hadn't come. Strange... no matter how late, he wouldn't ignore attendance like this.

He looked around carefully, and the dark blue light enveloping the place gave him a vague sense of discomfort.

If his planet was called the Blue Planet, what should Neptune's planet be called, which had always been different from other celestial bodies — its cold aura surrounding the president of the third planet, as if hiding secrets in its depths that extend endlessly.

Earth didn't waste any more time, but headed directly to Neptune's headquarters. The huge gate, adorned with silver decorations reflecting the planet's light, opened slowly before him, like a warning of what was to come.

And as soon as he took his first step, he found him there... right behind the door.

Neptune stood as if he was about to leave. His eyes met Earth's after he raised his head, before smiling a small smile — more of a courtesy than a welcome.

"Oh, hello Earth!" he said in his deep voice. Even his wide gray eyes showed surprise, then he continued:

"What brings you here?"

Earth felt a sharp pang of doubt, and raised his eyebrow in surprise. Since when did Neptune not expect his arrival? But he didn't — and wouldn't — show his suspicions.

Neptune, with an unexpected reaction, tried to turn the matter into a light joke, taking advantage of his laugh that echoed in the spacious hall, but it didn't pass unnoticed by Earth, who took note of this observation.

"What were you doing here? Were you about to leave?"

Earth asked directly in his calm tone, but his eyes were studying every move the other made.

Neptune answered quickly, without hesitation:

"I was going to visit one of my moons."

Earth didn't notice any confusion in his answer — he was calm as usual. But still, something wasn't right... so he decided to change his plan upon hearing that the moon he was going to visit was Triton, this name that Earth had wished to meet since Phobos uttered it:

"In that case, I'd like to visit him with you."

Neptune showed no objection, but agreed immediately.

The two crossed the small gate, whose bright light contrasted with the darkness of the place when crossing it, and found themselves on the surface of the moon.

Triton was standing there, the one Neptune pointed to, talking to someone else. Triton sensed his master's X-Politas, so he turned immediately, as did the other.

Earth didn't need an explanation to realize that they were from Neptune's remaining seven moons... out of fourteen.

He lowered his gaze slightly, and a sad smile passed over his lips as he whispered to himself, recalling memories of the painful past:

"I... hate this number."

Neptune asked Sao, the moon that was beside Triton, to leave. He didn't hesitate but left immediately without uttering a word.

Earth stood, following the conversation between the president and his moon with interest, avoiding intervention... Until he heard those words that shook his entire being:

"Regarding the Phobos incident, sir..."

Earth changed his position, approaching a step unconsciously, his eyes fixed on Triton who seemed more serious than usual. As for Neptune, he showed no reaction, while his moon continued:

"I obtained permission from Lord Mars to examine the site of the battle he fought with a group of cowardly Uranus moons."

Earth's eyes widened slightly, his mind reanalyzing every word spoken.

"Uranus's moons? How?"

"Very good! Did Mars's moon tell you about the perpetrators?" Neptune asked,

in his usual calm tone, then suddenly turned toward Earth who was trying to hide his shock, asking:

"Is it true that Uranus's moons are the perpetrators? I completely forgot about it."

Earth nodded in affirmation, but inside he was in a state of utter chaos.

The conversation continued as usual, but Earth could barely hear what was being said. Triton's words stuck in his mind, repeating themselves over and over.

After a while, Earth excused himself to leave, trying to maintain his composure.

Neptune agreed, saying calmly:

"I'll see you after twenty Kai at the meeting then."

Earth moved away, but his focus wasn't with him. The truth that was beginning to form before him was more disturbing than he had imagined...

———⟡ ☽ ⟡———

And finally... after a journey filled with deception and mystery, they met in an oasis that seemed like the most beautiful thing in the universe.

A place that seemed as if time had stopped there, where greenery extends as if without end. The golden sun casts its rays through the leaves of giant trees, drawing intertwined shadows on the faces of the two people standing in the shadow... the shadow of that huge thing that touches the sky with its arms.

Earth and Mars stood face to face, separated by a few steps.

In Earth's eyes, Mars saw the spark of challenge he had known since eternity.

As for Mars's red gazes, they showed Earth an unwavering determination.

Then, as if moving as one body, words sprang from their throats in wonderful and strange harmony at the same time:

"The possibilities have narrowed..."

A passing wind moved the yellow tree leaves before the next sentence was uttered:

"Only the two of them remain."

But the irony was in what came after.

Earth, with his green eyes, whispered a name like lightning:

"Neptune.."

Mars smiled before saying in his sharp voice, like the sound of swords cutting:

"And.. Uranus."

For the first time since the investigation began... they disagreed.

In that quiet place, where there was nothing but the rustle of leaves and the distant roar of waters, the new battle began... but it differed from its predecessors in one thing:

"If we have to doubt our brothers, who is left for us to believe in?"

— End of Chapter —