Keeping on

Two years had passed in the serene sanctuary of Orion Valley. Aurora and Sumi were now seven in appearance. Times of laughter and light still graced the vine-woven halls, but a tedious shadow had fallen lately - like dusk gently stilling children's play. Each member of the little family felt change whispering ahead.

This new phase showed in small ways. Conversations drifted toward reminiscing. Photo journals came out more often, reminding fading memories. Meals gravitated to old familiar comfort foods. Their quiet community had been home so long that contemplating life's next season roused bittersweet sensations.

One sunny morning, Yuna surprised everyone by announcing she had applied to a prestigious technology academy back on Earth, desiring more formal education. The family would sorely miss her bright energy, but were thrilled Yuna felt ready to pursue this independent path.

Her last week on Orion passed too quickly amid tearful meals and reminiscing walks under the violet dusk skies. No words were needed - just hands clasped in silent support. Finally, the bittersweet day came to see her off at the shuttle bay.

"Who knows, maybe I'll start my own intergalactic tech firm someday," Yuna joked through her tears as hugs were exchanged.

Jen ruffled her hair affectionately. "I have no doubt, kiddo. We'll all be cheering you on out there."

Raven swept Yuna into a protective bear hug. "You will shine bright among the stars," he rumbled. "But never forget you have a home to return to."

With a last brave smile, Yuna turned to board the sleek shuttle. But just before the ramp sealed, she rushed back to fiercely embrace the family one more time.

"I love you guys," she whispered, voice cracking with emotion. Then shoulders back, she strode up the ramp purposefully without looking back.

They watched through lingering mists until the shuttle dwindled from sight. An era had ended, but Yuna's brilliant spirit would illuminate fresh horizons. Jen slipped an arm around Liya as they turned toward home and the gentled days yet ahead.

In Yuna's absence, Aurora and Sumi's antics created delightful chaos requiring constant vigilance. Mischief still danced bright in their eyes, but a thoughtfulness had also taken root. Little hands now often helped cook or garden even unprompted. Each dawn they raced to hug everyone, as if sensing time's quiet flow through the hourglass held aloft in a child's wondering hands.

Yet as responsibilities evolved for all, lighter moments unfurled too like exotic blooms. Kaganji and the twins experimented playfully with conjuring illusory landscapes powered by tamed energy wisps from Aurora's collection. Jax taught the girls sports and took Sumi flying, her joyous laughter ringing to the clouds.

Raven relaxed his guard further, smiling more often now and initiating games or story times. Jen and Liya rediscovered simple affections - playing music together, stargazing, long rambling conversations wandering wherever impulse led.

A year after Yuna's departure, they received an unexpected transmission bearing glad tidings. The bright young hacker had progressed rapidly in her studies thanks to singular focus empowering her intuitive gifts.

Already she was contributing key code to her academy's quantum computing projects, drawing acclaim for elegant algorithms. But Yuna's message brimmed mostly with nostalgic memories rather than her accolades. Sanctuary Orion yet pulled at her spirit's tides even across the stars.

Not long after, the family was visited by cheerful wayfarers new to Orion Valley. Sumi was instantly smitten with the nomads' confident teen Emiri who regaled wide-eyed Aurora with thrilling tales of her adventures traveling the cosmos alongside her two laidback dads Ferran and Jace.

Lively discourse flowed during the meal shared with their intriguing guests. When tentative inquiries were made into staying nearby, warm assurances swiftly followed.

After fond farewells to the wanderers, Aurora turned curious eyes to Jen. "Could we ever travel space like Emiri and her dads? I want to see everything!"

Jen smiled and stroked her hair indulgently. "Perhaps someday, dear one. Our journey led us here, but yours may meander far if you wish."

A spark of anticipation kindled in Aurora's expression. Their little bird was ready to someday spread her wings beyond this sheltered nest when the moment felt right.

As weeks passed in tranquil cadence, the valley's radiant summer gave way to spreading autumn hues. The companions were gathered for dinner one golden evening when power abruptly died, casting them in shadow. Emergency lights flickered on moments later as Kaganji hurried down to the flickering generator room with furrowed brow. After a tense hour of tricky repairs by flashlight, stable power finally hummed through the circuits once more.

Around Aurora's latest conjured campfire that night, conversation turned uneasy for the first time in ages. Their off-grid sanctuary had always run self-sufficiently before. What if more serious infrastructure troubles emerged?

"Likely just an aging part finally failing," Kaganji said reassuringly. "I will run full diagnostics on all systems tomorrow." Still, disquiet lingered. Change whispered ahead once more.

Similar power interruptions plagued them with growing frequency in the following weeks. Kaganji exhausted himself Kindle running comprehensive checks, but no cause could be found. The anomalies defied reason - it was as if reality itself glitched sporadically in their corner of existence.

Raven quietly confided suspicions of interdimensional forces meddling through unintended rifts. Aurora was quick to insist her gifts were tightly controlled now, but uncertainty gnawed. Whatever the source, just keeping vital systems functioning became an endless battle.

The next jolting outage struck during dinner, plunging the family into darkness. This time when emergency power kicked in, screens displayed encryption ransom demands instead of rebooting properly. Frustrated attempts to bypass the virus proved futile.

With no solution forthcoming, they settled in for an unplanned "camping night" Aurora gleefully organized by candlelight. Sleeping rolls scattered across the living room were no grand comfort, but chuckles rose frequently over card games, stories, and trying to eat cold canned provisions as if an expedition. Their little spirit guide kept worries at bay for now.

By morning, the systems had mysteriously restored without any ransom being paid. Jen met Kaganji and Raven's eyes grimly in the kitchen after the girls scampered off to play. Whatever the source of these "attacks", they were escalating. Soon even makeshift solutions might not bridge the gaps. Difficult decisions lay ahead.

The next week brought frightening new proof during an urgent errand in town. Entire swathes of Orion Valley had abruptly been replaced by 404 Error messages hanging nonsensically in space. It took hours before the surreal glitches reverted. People spoke nervously of "fractures" as if solid reality itself was coming unspooled.

That night, Jen quietly confided the growing dangers to Liya beside their moonlit campfire. As much as they cherished this home, he feared staying risked jeopardizing Aurora and Sumi's safety if infrastructure failed irrevocably. With a heavy heart, Liya finally concurred - though it felt akin to losing Eden.

When Jen and Liya regretfully announced the next morning they would need to seek a new refuge, tears flowed but understanding prevailed. Vinü held Cüla close, calm strength anchoring turbulent emotions. Jax clasped Kaganji's shoulder bracingly. A bittersweet era's end had come.

Much arranging was required to relocate the heart and spirit of their family beyond Orion's threatened borders. But planning kept sorrow at bay for now. Nights passed reminiscing and consoling Aurora and Sumi who felt this loss most deeply. How to explain to them the danger they were too young to see? Patience and faith would ease this necessary transition.

The day finally came after long preparations to depart their long-standing sanctuary. Walking the vine-strewn halls one last time, each privately absorbed the memories infused here - both joy and sorrow, wonder and growth. Saying goodbye to such history was not easy.

But Orlando the girls waited eagerly outside, bereft of possessions but still brimming with spirit. Jen managed a smile watching them fidget excitedly, like leaves blowing toward new trees. Every ending promised fresh seasons.

"What adventure awaits out there?" Jen asked, playfully ruffling Aurora's hair.

She grinned up at him, eyes shining. "We'll find the best places ever!"

Her confidence lifted Jen's sadness slightly. They would always carry Orion within, but the cosmos called them onward. After so much quiet, motion felt due.

With final farewell looks, they boarded the shuttle and lifted away from sprawling valley now small below. Somehow it almost seemed relieved to be released from the strange pressures of late. A peaceful meadow waited ahead rather than darkened windows.

Jax slipped an arm around Liya's shoulders as she gazed down misty-eyed. "We'll find our way again," he said gently. "Always have before." Their shared strength yet endured.

Wiping her eyes, Liya nodded and squeezed Jax's hand back. She was grateful beyond words for his solid protective presence after so much change and uncertainty ahead. They would shelter this family whatever storms lay over the horizon.

The days that followed passed in a blur of wary hyperspace jumps keeping coordinates obscure. With systems glitching inexplicably, frequent pauses were needed for Kaganji and Yuna to run remote diagnostics. Thankfully no serious failures hit before they reached their destination - a small dusty planet on the Frontier outskirts where few questions were asked.

The bustling spaceport settlement of Prosperity Junction seemed a hive of activity after tranquil Orion. They secured lodgings at its lone hotel, planning to lay low while weighing options. It was spartan but secure, and blissfully free of reality fractures...for now.

That night after the girls were tucked into bed, the adults convened around the TV running reports of increasing disturbances afflicting ships and colonies across the Frontier fringes in recent months. Somber eyes reflected the screen's flickering unease. Whatever this creeping threat was, staying mobile appeared key to avoiding its pernicious touch...at least until answers were found.

Morning saw them heading to the local diner for breakfast and gossip. The bearded cook redirected them to a corner booth occupied by a handsome cowboy introduced as Shane who seemed to be this settlement's resident gossip and news curator. His relaxed drawl was rich with local flavor as they discussed recent oddities over hearty fare. When asked, they kept their own experiences vague, preferring anonymity.

Afterward, the family agreed keeping on the move between colonies and making use of Raven's safe-houses seemed safest for now. With luck they could continue evading the mysterious instability until its cause became clear. The restaurant television droned on forgotten in the background...until chilling words snapped all eyes to the emergency broadcast alert flashing.

"This...again..." Shane muttered darkly.

The reporter was anxiously announcing mass riots and destruction breaking out across sections of a major city after widespread reality-altering hallucinations drove citizens into panicked violence. Kaganji hurriedly turned off the broadcast as Liya covered Aurora's ears, but the damage was done. Their refuge was far from safe if this chaos spread.

Back in their cramped hotel rooms, anxious debate swirled around Aurora and Sumi's confused questions. What was causing these terrifying fractures consuming more lives daily? Where in the scattered Frontier could shelter be found if this contagion continued spreading? How long could they keep running before one bad jump sent them spiralling into the void?

Jen pinched his furrowed brow. "There must be some answer if we just keep faith. I refuse to believe no hope remains out there." His words steadied their spirits slightly, but grim pragmatism was growing difficult to deny.

In the days that followed, they cautiously hopped between increasingly tense and paranoid colonies where reality seemed only loosely anchored. Each settlement clung desperately to its remaining shreds of normalcy as day to day living became a nightmare. Whatever invisible force was unravelling the Frontier, it was accelerating rapidly.

Landing protocols grew tedious as traffic often had to be diverted due to stations randomly phasing in and out of phase with local spacetime. Once stable flight lanes now eddied with dangerous energy currents and gaping negative space. Shipping accidents climbed sharply as navigational arrays glitched.

At each stop, they gathered frantically whispered accounts of the creeping breakdown in law, infrastructure, even sanity as the nihilistic contagion spread. Wild theories swirled through frightened populations as overwhelmed officials struggled for any answers.

Seeking clues firsthand, Kaganji and Raven finally made an urgent foray into the expanding metaphysical dead zone at the edge of the crawling reality distortion. All they retrieved were garbled readings from the violently churning epicentre before prudence forced a retreat. But the impression left was of a ravenous force mindlessly undoing creation.

Aurora's eyes held horror in the aftermath as fearful colony residents argued whether to stand ground or risk the hazards of space. "Is the whole galaxy going to break?" she asked tremulously.

Jen hugged her and Sumi close. "Not if we hold onto each other. Our family will find a way, I promise." But even his steady voice could not fully mask the ominous portent. Dangers circled ever closer for them all.

The next weeks turned increasingly desperate as colonies debated exodus through now-treacherous space lanes. Prosperity Junction was consumed by chaotically shimmering voids overnight, leaving its shell-shocked residents stranded.

Similar fates befell other communities as the contagion accelerated exponentially. Evacuations turned nightmare amid spreading navigational failures that left ships stranded or blinking randomly out of phase. Each jump became a terrifying gamble they somehow continued beating as lives unraveled around them.

Aurora and Sumi found their confidence shaken for the first time by the darkness encroaching. Bedtime conjured fresh fears of vanishing overnight as they had seen befall countless innocents. Parents and protectors felt powerless to shield them from the harsh realities settling in.

Rest came harder for all as each settlement turned more volatile under the strain. Brawls spilled from bars into streets already crackling with tension. Less scrupulous opportunists exploited the chaos to profit off outposts becoming unmoored in every way.

In the frontier outpost of Summerland Port where unnatural auroras now swirled ominously overhead, it seemed this unraveling had reached its tipping point. The planet below rumbled constantly with seismic disruptions as existence itself protested its shredding constraints. Dirty-faced refugees from shattered planets swelled the crowds desperately seeking transport off this disintegrating shore.

Jen and the others planned to risk one final jump from this collapsing nexus while paths yet remained open. But amidst the escalating bedlam, panic set in as frantic hours passed without any sign of Cüla and Jax who had slipped off earlier seeking supplies. Sumi nearly collapsed sobbing when the garbled transmission came through - Jax's voice barely audible begging Kaganji to get them away safely before violent static cut the line.

But any efforts to leave became impossible as all ships were suddenly grounded inexplicably. No explanation or threat was given - as if reality itself had simply rescinded authorization codes and commands universally. They were trapped on this fragmenting world with its terrified multitudes. Even Aurora and Sumi's gifts proved useless against constraints undefined.

That night brought little sleep, instead hushed packing by starlight. If stabilization occurred by some miracle on the cracked planet below, perhaps vital equipment could still be evacuated before the end. At least Aurora and Sumi might have a chance to escape aboard some functional ship if the family could secure passage. It was a slim hope, but all that remained.

When bold knocking came loudly at their hotel door well before dawn, a chill ran through them - had anarchy come calling at last? But cautiously cracking it open instead revealed Jax's battered face trying to force a defiant grin. Cüla was slumped against him, swaying weakly with makeshift bandages staunching her wounds. Raven swiftly pulled them inside to worried exclamations.

As Liya tended their injuries, their tale spilled out in pieces. Barely escaping a black market deal gone bad in the lawless alleys, then brutal clashes with crazed refugees beyond reason, all compounded by spreading reality distortions leaving them lost and disoriented for hours. They had navigated back against all odds through slivers of remaining sanity in this dissolving place. Bedraggled but miraculously still breathing, their battered family was made whole once more.

Jen clasped Jax's shoulder like a drowning man finding purchase after all solidity had withdrawn. "Don't ever scare us like that again, brother!"

Jax's chuckle turned into a pained cough. "Wouldn't...dream of it. Couldn't...miss the end...of the world..."

His flippant words turned leaden as eyes took in the swirling auroras gained dominance outside. The crippled planet's death-throes had accelerated. Its virulent reality cancer would soon pass the point of no return.

In low voices they debated chances of reaching shuttles before the contagion's final surge. Power failures had expanded, grounding all ships indefinitely. Soon even probability's framework would dissolve. But just one working cruiser could mean life for Aurora and Sumi. Their protectors gripped that hope fiercely, the only purpose left.

Hasty farewells were made round the room. Lingering embraces tried to convey what voices could not. Until this stranger arrived cloaked in shadow, they had lived countless lifetimes together. No grim tomorrow could erase that bright woven thread.

They turned to leave just as an ominous tremor shook the building to its foundations. But before desperate steps could reach the door, reality blinked and wisped...and they found themselves no longer in the crumbling hotel, but a stark cavern of unknown origin. No trace of the outside world remained - only empty rock surrounding their shocked group as if exchanged instantly for the space they had occupied.

….

Aurora's panicked cry broke the stunned silence. "Where are we? What happened?" She glanced desperately around the mysterious cavern. They all faced the frightening truth in that moment - whatever force was unraveling existence had won. They were cut off, cast adrift beyond space and time itself.

Jen swept Aurora and Sumi into a fierce protective hold, voice remaining steady for their sake. "I don't know yet, but we're still together. That's all that matters."

The adults exchanged grim looks over the girls' heads. Survival would be a desperate challenge with resources already dwindling and no shelter. But surrender was unthinkable while Aurora and Sumi still drew breath.

"We should search for water sources first," Kaganji said, pulling out short-range scanners. "This rock must connect eventually to aquifers and caverns."

They set out cautiously, senses alert for any sign of oasis in this lifeless void. The deeper they delved through twisting passages, the heavier the air seemed to weigh - thick and stale like a forgotten crypt. Their footsteps echoed hollowly, no other sound piercing the dead calm.

Just when despair threatened to overwhelm, a glimmer shone ahead through the gloom. Hope leapt as they scrambled desperately toward it until arriving at a subterranean pool fed by crystal-clear streams. Its tranquil beauty seemed impossible in such bleak surrounds.

The parched group dropped eagerly to drink and splash their faces. Even this fleeting respite lifted spirits after wandering the lightless maze. But an anxious thought gave Jen pause as he helped fill makeshift water containers. Where had this lifeline come from in a realm that should hold only oblivion?

Pressing deeper brought answers none wished to accept. The heart of the caverns opened into a vast chamber with abstract alien murals etched on every surface. A personal sanctuary built for one who perhaps wandered eternity alone.

At its centre floated a shadowed being turning slowly as if in deep meditation. Though featureless, its form radiated a terrible power beyond their comprehension. An exile? Or the jailer of their shattered universe?

As they stood frozen, the entity spoke in a voice like stones grinding. "I am Sol. Creation rests in my womb. You trespassed, now you shall nourish."

With that proclamation, reality buckled. The family clung together desperately against hurricane forces battering them. Outside the howling void, they stood sentinel over the frightened girls enveloped in their center. Whatever came, they would shield Aurora and Sumi to their last breath.

But instead of destruction, the maelstrom halted abruptly. Jen risked cracking his eyes open to see tendrils of shadow coalescing before them into the hooded form of Raven, arms outstretched against the entity's power.

His scarred voice rang out above the gale. "You overstep your bounds, Sol! Though dreams turn to ash, hope endures!"

The being recoiled slightly at Raven's rebuke. Its swirling aura contracted as if it too were suddenly uncertain of this confrontation's resolution. Aurora slipped free and stepped forward, eyes shining.

"You took away the stars because you were lonely," she pronounced with innocent clarity. "But my family is kinda like stars too. We want to help."

Light seared outward, blinding in its purity as Aurora extended her small hand toward the entity. The incomprehensible being hesitated, shadows wavering around its cloaked form. When it finally spoke, the grinding force was diminished.

"Long have I guarded the Centre, before light awoke. My children's disharmony required correction." It paused reflectively. "But balance uneasily kept breeds deeper fracture. With care, perhaps fragments may converge once more."

The crushing pressure withdrew from the cavern and they could breathe freely again. Though still wary, a fragile hope took root. Where destruction loomed, now possibilities glimmered.

"Come, a new dawn awaits." Sol's voice held command but also weariness carried alone too long. Aurora slipped her hand into its shifting aura, guiding gently as one would any lost soul needing home's hearth to banish the dark.

Together they ascended through passages now sighing with renewed currents of life toward whatever lay ahead. Jen and the others followed wordlessly, bonded by trauma and steeled for whatever future this broken realm still held. But Aurora's light shone ahead, banishing shadows of hopelessness.

They emerged upon an overlooking ledge as the first tender rays of reborn sun touched the restored landscape. Tears flowed down ash-stained faces at its warming kiss. However faint, creation's song glimmered again.

Jen brushed Liya's cheek gently as she leaned into him, too overcome to speak. Raven clasped Jax's shoulder as they gazed out in reverent silence with the girls held safe between them. Against infinite odds and imbalances life endured. A road yet lay ahead, but they would walk it together under starlight.

Sol remained withdrawn at the ledge's edge, form wavering thoughtfully as it observed this realm stirring anew. Perhaps it too felt dawn's promise, unburdened briefly by another's light.

Then the entity disappeared silently back into deeper caverns to resume its obscure task. But Aurora's voice echoed gently after.

Their group turned to embrace gratefully under the rising sun's tender new glow. However battered in body and spirit, together they had rejected oblivion. A fresh story waited to be written in days reclaimed from darkness.