Chapter 6
In the quiet hallway outside the apartment, Michael hesitated. His heart raced, torn between duty and curiosity. Skipping school was unthinkable, yet the weight of his secret burdened him more than any truancy. He wanted to make his sister proud, but could he live up to her expectations?
With a deep breath, Michael turned the doorknob and stepped inside. The familiar scent of home enveloped him. He headed straight for the kitchen, reaching for a bottle of water. But before he could twist off the cap, his sister's voice cut through the air.
"What happened?" Penelope emerged from the living room, her expression a mix of concern and simmering anger. "You're all tattered up, you didn't attend school, and you came home late. It's already 6 PM!"
Michael's mind raced. How could he explain? He couldn't reveal the truth—that he was part of a race of interdimensional travelers, that he'd witnessed betrayal among his own kind. His family couldn't be involved in this dangerous secret.
"I know I've let you down," Michael said, choosing his words carefully. "But I promise you, I wasn't doing anything out of line."
Njabulo, who had been like an older brother to Michael, stepped forward. "We've known you for years," he said. "I consider you as my little brother. Honesty is crucial. If something happened you can tell us"
Michael's heart clenched. He couldn't risk their safety. "Was I adopted?" he blurted out, his frown deepening.
Penelope's eyes widened. "What?"
"Was I..." Michael hesitated. "I heard something today. Someone hinted that I might be."
Penelope sighed, her gaze softening. "Yes," she admitted. "I was ten when Mom took you in."
Michael's mind raced. If he had powers, surely Penelope would too. But she didn't. He decided to keep his abilities hidden.
Njabulo's stern expression softened. "Listen, Michael," he said. "We may not understand what you're going through, but communication is key. We'll always be here for you."
Penelope nodded. "Whether you were adopted or not, you're family. You're turning 18 soon. All we want for you is nothing but the best. We were really worried you know."
As they hugged him, Michael's mind raced, he knew this was the beginning of something big.
Michael collapsed onto his bed, the weight of impending finals pressing down on him. "I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but..." he pondered, his mind drifting to the enigmatic powers that had become both his burden and his salvation. "No matter what, they're mine. I've got to learn how to control them fully."
As he dozed off, a strange sensation enveloped him. "Huh, what happened to my bed? And why does it feel like I'm inside a body of water?" Michael questioned, disoriented. Penelope's voice echoed through the room, urging him to wake up. But something was wrong—his voice didn't reach her. "What's going on? It feels like I'm in two places at once," Michael mused, his vision shifting between a tropical island and his room.
"Bang!" Michael ran into his room's door as he tried to walk towards his sister leaving the room, catching Penelope's attention. "Huh. Weren't you taking a bath? Hurry up, or you'll be late for school," she stated, unfazed. Michael's confusion deepened. "What just happened?" he wondered as he prepared to go to school.
"Finally, school's over," Michael rushed home, changed his clothes, and locked himself in his room. "I'll be busy today, so don't bother me," he notified his family, securing the door. With snacks, Navi, and his card with 98,000 credits, Michael was ready to teleport to the clinic.
"I'll try out that thing," Michael stated, focusing his mind. His vision shifted, revealing the young man lying on a clinic bed. In an instant, Michael teleported to the young man's location. "I didn't think you'd wait," Michael noted, appearing before him.
"By the way, what's your name?" Michael asked.
"After leaving me here for a whole day, this is what you have to say first?" The young man's frustration was evident.
"Come on, I had family issues," Michael replied, trying to explain.
"Sigh. It's not like I have options," the young man mumbled. "Name's Isaac. What about you?"
"Oh, I'm Michael, but you can call me Mike," Michael replied.
"So... about what you were going to tell," Michael prompted as they finished getting acquainted.
"Don't worry. I'll tell you right away. What do you think I waited for?" Isaac replied, his tone matter-of-fact.
"After a full day of rest, I'm now capable of using my powers," Isaac noted, rising from the bed. "Let me change first." He opened a small portal, pulling out a new pair of clothes. Michael marveled at the display. "Awesome! How'd you do that?" he asked.
"Just wait here," Isaac instructed as he went to change his clothes. Coming back he opened a bigger portal, stepping into it calling Michael to follow along. Michael followed, finding himself in a big building filled with bustling technology. "Where is this?" he wondered aloud, taking in the futuristic building.
"You can call this my personal lair," Isaac replied, and robot maids greeted them. Michael couldn't help but retort, "Aren't lairs for bad guys?"
"Just take a seat," Isaac said, and Michael settled down. The questions burned within him. "So, you want to know our origin, is that it?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah, and why did you use a portal instead of teleporting? And where did you get your new clothes? Can I do it too?" Michael bombarded Isaac with questions.
"Woah. Slow down," Isaac chuckled. "Let me start with the basics first."
Rewrite this to the format of a light novel 'As Isaac began to explain Michael sat attentively "First of all we are Astrochrons, a race of beings that possess the ability to traverse through space-time itself, well to be more specific among our kind 2 out of a 1,000 possess these powers and the rest can be classified as what you might call superhuman." Isaac explained "Yeah but, why did I teleport and you used a portal" Michael interrupted "I'm getting there aren't I" Isaac stated "Anyway, what I told you is true but there are exception. There are the noble class and common class. The common such as myself, the 2 out of a 1,000 that I talked about generally have the same powers as I, all Astrochrons possess Stellium a primordial cosmic energy intune with the very energy of the universe. You can divide common folk into two categories the naturals and the gifted, as I said natural don't possess the power to travel through space-time but us gifted do we can manipulate space-time and create interdimensional gateways and travel freely, we can also use our powers to create our own small pocket dimensions where as you've seen we store things as well as manipulate energy to an extent. Those of the noble class however are slightly different not only do they possess a vaster amount of Stellium but they not only have the same abilities as common folk but they possess what we call law a power that corresponds with reality granting them the ability to manipulate parts of reality itself there are 8 noble families among Astrochrons and they're the rulers of Astrochronian Empire in universe 58 and each of the eight noble families has a unique law it holds, crossbreed of these families is prohibited to keep the balance in power they are call the eight Dukes as their Dukal families there are also 10 other noble families but those dont possess any law they consist of highly talented common class folk who were acknowledge for their abilities and given noble ranks. Some among the gifted common class leave and settled in different dimensions." Isaac finished explaining '
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**Chapter 26: Cosmic Origins**
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As Isaac began to unravel the secrets of their existence, Michael sat attentively, absorbing every word. The room seemed to shimmer with and the weight of their shared destiny hung in the air.
"First of all," Isaac began, "we are Astrochrons—a race of beings that possess the ability to traverse through space-time itself. To be more specific, among our kind, only 2 out of every 1,000 possess these powers. The rest can be classified as what you might call superhuman."
Michael's mind raced. "Yeah, but why is it that I've only been teleporting, and haven't been able to used portals like you did?" he interrupted, eager for clarity.
"I'm getting there, aren't I?" Isaac replied, his gaze steady. "Anyway, what I told you is true, but there are variations. There are the noble class and the common class."
Isaac continued, explaining that common Astrochrons—like himself—shared similar abilities. They all possessed the Stellium, a primordial cosmic energy resonating with the very fabric of the universe. But within the common class, there were two categories: the naturals and the gifted.
"Naturals," Isaac clarified, "don't possess the power to travel through space-time. But us gifted—well, we can manipulate space-time, creating interdimensional gateways, and travel freely. We can even create our own small pocket dimensions. You've seen how we store things and manipulate energy to an extent."
Michael's mind reeled. "And the noble class?" he asked.
"Ah, the nobles," Isaac said, his tone shifting. "They're different. Not only do they possess a vaster amount of Stellium compared to us, but they also have what we call 'law.' It corresponds with reality itself, granting them the ability to manipulate parts of reality. There are eight noble families among the Astrochrons, rulers of the Astrochronian Empire in Universe 58. Each family holds a unique law. Crossbreeding among these families is prohibited to maintain the balance of power. We call them the eight Dukes, representing their Dukal families."
"So there's 8 noble families?" Michael pressed.
"There are ten additional noble families," Isaac explained. "They don't possess any law. Instead, they consist of highly talented common-class folk who were acknowledged for their abilities and given noble ranks. Some among the gifted common class leave and settle in different dimensions." Isaac paused, as he recalled his past.