Chapter-4 : Remnants of the Past : Part-IV

Part -IV The Young Genius

"Umbranik? What are those?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, I guess that's a given taking that you probably haven't gone out much of celllus-2 . Let me explain, so in outer space there are tons of different creatures among which many are generally friendly and don't pose any threat but a few creatures are hostile among which Umbranik lies, they are generally small slime-like creatures and are easy to deal with, but their biggest highlight is that they can evolve, the one you saw was a medium tier one, they normally do not evolve but under some specific conditions they might, as they grow up they get stronger, even a level 4 warrior struggles to fight with a medium tier one, lucky for you I'm a level 5 heh~~~" 

as she said that a smirk appeared on her face , seriously she kind of overestimates herself....

"well ..... That's a lot of information , I still don't get everything but I'll pretend that I do , anyways let's head back."

"yeah I just want to leave this planet now , this is a strange planet firstly it's abandoned, secondly the strange exploding leaf, and now even if the Umbraniks are scattered across the multiverse it's still strange for one to be in an abandoned planet and a medium tier one at that ..... I just want this series of event to end now "

We both agreed on leaving the strange planet of Gusta as soon as we can,

I then started our final preparation before leaving the planet meanwhile Rose was giving the space mobile some final touches.

After what an hour or two, we finally boarded the spacecraft .

Rose turned the engine on , the wings flaps opened as we prepared of the jump off , after a while Rose retuned from her ship's cabin and it looked like that she went to change her clothes back to her combat body suit again, seriously I can't just understand these girls... 

"The engine is on , path is marked , the destination will be reached within 10 hours, hold on to your surroundings tightly as we're about to do the take off in 3.....2.....1.... and here we go~~"

just as we were about to jump off from the Gusta's visibility range , I glanced at it properly this time.

****

Aeric looked back at Gusta as the spacecraft continued to move forward, his eyes widening at the sight. The planet was unlike anything he'd imagined. From this vantage point, Gusta appeared as a vibrant sphere suspended in the void of space. Vast oceans of deep blue covered a significant portion of its surface, with sprawling continents painted in lush green, indicating thriving vegetation.

The northern regions glowed with shades of orange and red, likely due to the unique flora and perhaps some mineral-rich landscapes. Intricate patterns of multicolored spots and lines hinted at diverse ecosystems and the remnants of ancient civilizations or geographical phenomena.

One particular area drew his attention—a large, brown-colored area . It seemed like a barren land in middle of the planet. It seemed desolate compared to the rest of the planet, this mysterious region piqued his curiosity, leaving him to wonder about its secrets.

*****

Soon as the planet was out of the visibility range, the exhaustion got the best of me as I fell asleep , this time though I didn't heard any of that strange voice again.

Celestial Year 2041 October 8

"Waaaah... ughwaaaah!!"

I suddenly woke up to the sound of my little sister Melody's loud cry. Given the unpleasant events of the previous night, it was no surprise that she was upset.

Reaching out my hand to comfort her, I watched as she began to play with it, her cries gradually quieting down. Glancing outside the glass, I saw a gigantic planet, nearly twice the size of Cellus-2, with green landmasses and blue oceans. The light from the planet's dark side, currently experiencing night, reflected beautifully.

Hearing the noise, Rose rotated her seat in my direction. She saw me gazing out the window and said, "Ah, so you finally woke up. We're about to reach our destination in 30 minutes. I'm going to start preparing for a soft landing, so be prepared."

It was indeed the capital planet of our universe, Aurora Prime, right before me.

"We're here, 'Aurora Prime,' the Beacon of the Golden Union Universe," Rose continued. "This is probably the safest spot we could have escaped to, Primary city Nova which is situated in the state of Stellaris is also home to the Esteemed Golden Union Academy so there's nothing to worry for once we get there. Soon, we'll also be meeting your big brother. I contacted him a while ago to explain our situation and arrange a meeting location."

"So, Rose, what do you think happened back there?" I asked.

"On Gusta? I've already told you, there's nothing really out of place about having one Umbranik lurk a plane—"

"COME ON, WE BOTH KNOW WHAT I MEANT TO SAY!" I interrupted, exasperated.

Rose frowned as she explained, "If you're referring to what happened on Cellus-2, I know as much as you do. I was in my sword lessons with Miss Resa when the tremors began. She looked out the window and immediately ordered me to take you and Melody and escape the planet as soon as possible. That was the last time I saw her."

"Hmm..." I murmured

Rose then comforted me, saying,

"I've told you before not to think much on what happened there. I know it's a lot for a seven-year-old to handle, but stay strong."

"Yeah... I must 'stay strong'," I mumbled

Rose looked at me with concern, but I ignored her. Soon, we approached the landing site, and Rose connected to the Starbase radio to request permission.

"We request permission to land on Nova Starbase, ship code 4553-1ku3, awaiting clearance," Rose announced.

"Space mobile code 4553-1ku3, we've verified your ship, Miss Rose Irvine. You are hereby permitted to land on platform 5," came the reply over the radio.

We successfully landed on the ground, surrounded by a highly advanced cityscape with tall buildings soaring up to at least 50 floors, reflecting the noon's light in every direction I looked.

"Unlike last time, we landed safely. I'm glad to return with all my limbs intact," I teased.

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you? It was just because of the engine failure!" Rose who was now carrying my sleeping little sister in her arms protested, continuing to offer excuses until we exited the Starbase.

We took a taxi to the destination where we were supposed to meet my big brother.

"So, where are we going to meet my big brother?" I asked.

"Well, considering the risk, we decided to meet in a forest outside the city of Nova, on the outskirts of the state of Stellaris. It's too risky to meet in the open," Rose replied.

"What do you mean by risky? Do you know something... Rose, is there anything you're hiding from me?"

She ignored me for the rest of the journey. Melody woke up, sitting between us, and reached out her tiny hands, pointing towards the car's window. I looked outside and was amazed by the forest we were heading into. I opened the car window and enjoyed the scenery, the orange evening sunlight bathing the forest's leaves in a warm, golden glow.

We soon arrived at the location. Rose was paying the taxi driver when I spotted a familiar person with blonde hair at a distance, wearing a white vest and green-black track pants.

Yeah, that's definitely him... my big brother, recognized as the young genius and the true successor to father, 'Eric Rifold'.

I ran to him and clung to him with a sudden feeling of relief, perhaps due to everything that had been happening recently.

"Brother Eric... what's going on? When are Mom and Dad coming back?" I asked in a terrified tone.

He hugged me tightly and then replied with a warm smile, "Don't worry. I'm here now. Whatever tries to harm you will have to go through me first, little brother."

As Rose arrived along with Melody, Eric's warm and gentle smile shifted into a serious expression with a regretful gaze. He looked towards Rose and then turned back to me, saying, "Aeric, I'm about to tell you something regarding what happened back on Cellus-2."

"What are you saying? Where are Mom and Dad?! Please tell me!" I pleaded, my voice shaking.

It seemed like Brother Eric was about to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. He walked a few steps away from me, turned his head, and gritted his teeth as he spoke, "Aeric, I'm sorry to say, but Mom and Dad passed away on the night of October 6th..."

To be continued.....