Chapter 51: The Curtain Falls on Blue Star

[14th April 2024]

As our audacious thief Rey and his so-called trusted ally Aiden entered the main building of the abandoned factory to retrieve something known only as "Zero," the scene shifted.

Sometime later...

Evan stirred.

Groggily awakening from the effects of the drug, his half-lidded eyes blinked against the dim light, struggling to focus. His thoughts, however, spun at full speed.

The surroundings were unfamiliar—definitely not the park where he had last been, watching a video.

Then it hit him.

A man had thrown something at his face, and he'd fallen into a forced sleep.

Had he been kidnapped?

He remembered the recent spike in missing person reports—no contact, no ransom, no return. Just vanished.

His heart pounded.

This wasn't some petty street crime. No, it reeked of something far worse—either a high-profile criminal ring or a deranged psychopath at play.

Evan's instincts screamed danger, yet strangely… the place felt familiar.

Not in this life. But another.

And then he remembered.

This was the very same factory he had to visit.

Relief washed over him. Had fate just helped him?

Just as he was about to activate the hidden device in his sleeve, a sound echoed nearby.

/TAP/… /TAP/… /TAP/… ~~~~~~

Footsteps. Getting louder.

Someone was approaching.

Evan's instincts flared, and he immediately feigned unconsciousness, letting his body go limp.

The tapping halted.

A large shadow loomed over him.

Evan longed to sneak a peek—but he dared not risk being caught.

Then—

"Are you going to open your eyes on your own, or do you need me to do it for you?"

The voice was mocking.

Sht. He knows...*

"Oh, playing tough, huh?""Let's see how long that lasts after I break a few fingers."

The man reached for Evan's hand.

In pure panic, Evan's eyes shot open.

"Ah! So Mr. Actor finally wraps up the scene, huh? That makes my work easier."

The man cracked his knuckles.

Evan looked up, faking fear—but inside, he was composed. He wasn't the same Evan anymore. His memories of a past life made him stronger. Sharper.

"W-Who are you? Why did you kidnap me?" he asked, still pretending to be a scared teenager.

The man chuckled.

"Name's Jacob. Leader of this gang.""Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to involve you, but one of your little friends stole something from me.""Now, both of you get to pay."

Jacob stepped into full view.

He was tall—5'11" of muscle and menace, a deep scar carving across his forehead. He looked like the stereotypical third-rate boss in a bad crime novel.

"Friend? I only have two friends, and neither would steal from anyone! Maybe... maybe you got the wrong guy?" Evan replied calmly.

Jacob squinted at him.

"So maybe we did snatch the wrong kid?"He smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

Then—

THUD!

A punch slammed into Evan's chest, sending his chair crashing backwards.

"AHHHHHH—!"

The pain was real. While Evan's soul had endured pain before, his body hadn't.

He trembled, agony spreading through every nerve.

"Still playing dumb?" Jacob mocked, snapping his fingers.

One of his men pulled Evan and the chair back upright.

"Let's jog your memory. Here's a photo—recognize this guy?"

Jacob revealed a bent photo. It was hard to make out.

Evan's heart dropped.

It was Rey.

'No… if I tell them, they'll hunt down Rey and James. I have to lie. I have to buy time.'

"Sir, his name is... Bator. I've never met him in my life."

Jacob raised a brow.

"Bator, huh?""Strange. I could've sworn his name was Rey."

He unfolded the picture further, revealing Rey and James.

Evan's eyes widened in shock.

Jacob sneered.

"Trying to play hero, huh?"

SMACK!

Jacob's palm collided with Evan's head, knocking him backward again.

'Sorry, Rey... I couldn't protect you…'

Blood leaked from his ear.

Then—darkness.

"Check if he's dead. Let me know."Jacob ordered coldly and walked away.

"Okay, boss," came the reply.

Time passed.

Evan stirred once more. His head throbbed. Vision blurred. But this time, the air was filled with noise—crashing, grunting, fighting.

Two men.

One was clearly Jacob. The other?

A masked figure in a long coat, moving with precision and speed, like a shadow in motion.

He wasn't carrying a gun.

He had a blade, small and deadly—more like a dagger from a game.

Was this a rescue?

Before Evan could react—

CRASH!

The masked man was flung into him, knocking both to the floor.

Evan remained tied to the chair, while the masked figure rose, wincing.

Then it hit Evan.

Something was calling to him.

Not the man. Not the blade.

Something else.

A pull. A voice. Beckoning. Whispering to be claimed.

But he resisted. His instincts screamed at him to ignore it.

Using a hidden blade, Evan began cutting through his bindings.

{A couple of eons earlier~~~~~~~~}

From the shadows above, Rey had been watching it all unfold—his friend getting beaten, interrogated, and bleeding.

He'd been about to jump down when Aiden held him back.

"We need to find Zero first," Aiden urged.

But Rey's heart wouldn't allow it.

He saw Evan pretend not to know him.

He saw him get discovered anyway.

He made his choice.

Rey found the object he believed to be Zero.

Then he went to help Evan.

Just as he was freeing Evan, Jacob appeared.

A battle erupted.

But it wasn't much of a fight—Rey was evading, dodging. Not attacking.

"Draw your weapon!" Aiden yelled from above.

Rey hesitated. He was afraid of using it.

Still, he unsheathed it to protect Evan.

And he got stabbed in the chest for his trouble.

The blow sent him flying—straight into Evan's chair.

Unaware that Evan had regained consciousness...

Evan was already free.

The two men continued to clash.

He turned to escape—but then...

"Wait. Come and get me... I can help you..."

The voice again. Louder. Clearer.

Evan staggered, nearly giving in to the pull.

But his memories stopped him.

"Sorry... not this time."

He turned and fled.

The voice quieted.

Deeper in the factory now, Evan pushed past cardboard boxes and rusted racks.

He searched.

Finally—

There it was.

A small metallic sphere, the size of a fist. A needle-like spike on one end.

The object he'd been told to find.

His ticket out.

He pressed his thumb against the spike.

His blood dripped onto the sphere.

It responded.

A surge of suction. A familiar power.

Mana.

The same energy is invading their world.

The same power that would help him return—to protect those he loved.

The sphere shattered.

A strange pull took hold of him.

Evan vanished.

"Goodbye, my world. I'll be back soon enough."

His last words echoed in the emptiness.

Behind him, Rey lay beneath a collapsed rack, bleeding and still.

Was it his destiny to die? Or would fate intervene?

Only time will tell…

(To uncover Rey's fate, check out my other book—it's just as captivating.)

To Be Continued...

Author's Note:

And with that, the final scene on Planet Blue Star comes to a close.

The main setting of our story—the world that will challenge and transform our characters—is about to be unveiled.

I hope you're ready for what's coming next.

The true journey begins tomorrow.

Goodnight, and thank you for reading. 💫