Kai felt it the moment he stepped off the shuttle: the familiar, almost oppressive sensation of being surrounded on all sides by towering skyscrapers. Their sheer height seemed to reach endlessly into the sky, forcing his neck to strain if he dared to look for their tops.

The buildings pressed in on all sides, giving him a sense of unbearable tightness. It reminded him of the cities on Velmorra.

Why did humans always have an obsession with massive things? Structures so much larger than ourselves, giants that should inspire fear instead of awe?

Maybe it came from a desire to conquer. To build what was once thought impossible. To defy the laws of physics and nature itself.

Aurelia Prime was the pinnacle of that ambition. Layers upon layers of man-made structures stacked so high and so deep that the original landscape of the planet had been entirely erased.

Kai didn’t like it. He had grown too accustomed to Drakmoor, where you could see the distant horizon stretch endlessly, and from higher elevations, even a glimpse at the gentle curve of the planet.

Here in New Oliver, there wasn’t a single space that wasn’t crammed with movement, sound, and light. Advertisements flashed across digital displays on every building, and crowds swarmed the streets in endless streams of activity. It was overwhelming, and Kai hated the feeling of too much information being thrown at him all at once.

“Where is this archive place?” Kai asked, scanning his surroundings. All he could see were the glowing facades of buildings covered in ads—each one louder and flashier than the last.

Isaac didn’t answer.

Kai turned to find him standing there, staring up, taking in the chaotic grandeur of the city with a smile.

“Where are we going?” Kai repeated, louder this time to compete with the din of the crowd and the constant chatter of commercial broadcasts.

“Oh, right. Just go straight ahead,” Isaac finally said, pointing. “Behind that building up ahead...that’s where the archive is.”

The streets grew increasingly crowded as Kai made his way toward the city center. He brushed past a few people, noting how well-dressed they all were. Their clothes, made from high-quality fabrics, looked expensive—far beyond what most could afford on Drakmoor.

It reminded him of the streets of Velmorra, especially on weekends. Back then, the crowds had been just as thick, and as a young boy, Kai could barely see over the sea of people. He remembered how his dad used to lift him onto his shoulders just so he could get a better view.

All of it crashed down on Kai as he moved through the busy streets, the memories of a past he had tried so hard to escape. A deep sadness settled over him, tightening his chest like a vice.

His vision blurred.

Now? he asked himself. He hadn’t cried—not once—since the day Velmorra was invaded. Life on Drakmoor had left no room for tears, no time to dwell on the past. It had been all about survival, enduring hardship, and moving forward, numb to everything else.

But now, with Eliana and the crew of the Black Swan by his side, the numbness was fading. His emotions, long buried beneath layers of pain and survival, were slowly surfacing.

Luckily, the bustling crowd paid him no attention. Even his striking white hair and blue eyes, which usually drew stares, went unnoticed in this city. There were plenty of others here with similar features, deliberately chosen to express their personalities.

Then, in the crowd, he spotted a tall man with his back turned. For a fleeting moment, something about the man reminded Kai of his father.

His heart skipped a beat as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

The man began to turn, and Kai held his breath. But no—it wasn’t his father. Just a stranger with a similar physique.

Kai exhaled sharply, relief and disappointment twisting in his chest. He was glad Isaac was walking behind him, unable to see his tears. Quickly, Kai wiped his face and pressed forward.

On his way, Kai brushed against someone’s shoulder. He turned instinctively to apologize, only to realize it wasn’t a man—but an android.

He could tell immediately by the mechanical features on its face. Intricate gears turned beneath a thin synthetic layer, controlling micro "muscles" that mimicked human expressions. The craftsmanship was impressive, almost eerily lifelike. The android carried a box in its hands, likely making a delivery.

Before Kai could speak, the android turned to him and apologized first.

"I'm sorry, sir," it said in a polite, almost too-perfect tone.

Kai waved a hand dismissively. "No problem."

The android gave a small nod before turning back and continuing on its way, blending seamlessly into the crowd.

Ahead, Kai spotted the Archive. He’d never seen it before, but the moment his eyes landed on the structure, he knew.

Unlike the towering futuristic megastructures surrounding it, the Archive was a pyramid-shaped building made entirely of concrete. It stood out starkly against its modern neighbors, looking dated and almost out of place.

Isaac caught up to him, standing beside Kai as they both took in the sight. Isaac’s expression was one of familiarity, like he was greeting an old friend.

“The Archive is the only building that was built on the original level,” Isaac explained. “With every new level constructed, they move the entire building to the top of the latest one.”

Kai furrowed his brow. “Why go through all that trouble? Why not just rebuild it?”

Isaac smiled knowingly. “Because this building is history. Humanity’s past is documented and stored here. Every important chapter of our race is kept in this place.”

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Kai shook his head, his voice low and skeptical. “I’m not sure I believe that anymore. Not after what I found buried in that ship. Not after meeting the True Kin.”

"That's what we're here to find out."

The inside of the Archive was nothing like the bustling, futuristic world outside. The transition was almost jarring. The lobby was quiet, with only a few people scattered across the vast open space.

Kai’s boots clicked against a polished marble floor that reflected the soft glow of the lights above. The four sides of the ceiling were adorned with intricate carvings, depicting historical events and figures. Most of them were unfamiliar to Kai, their faces and stories lost to him.

The entire place looked more like a work of art than a facility for storing history. This wasn’t what Kai had expected at all. He’d imagined rows of computer terminals, racks of humming servers, or even a library filled with shelves of old books. But this? This looked more like an art piece.

Kai glanced around, puzzled, his brows furrowed. Finally, he looked at Isaac, silently asking for an explanation.

Isaac smiled knowingly and motioned for him to follow. "Come on, you'll see."

Isaac led Kai to a narrow staircase that descended to a lower level. Kai hadn’t even noticed the staircase at first. He wondered if it had been intentionally designed to blend in, visible only to those who already knew it was there.

As they walked down, the sound of their footsteps echoed in the enclosed stairwell. The air grew cooler, and soon, the stairway opened into a vast chamber that left Kai momentarily speechless.

Now he understood why this place was called the Archive.

Row upon row of shelves stretched endlessly, towering from the floor to the ceiling. Each shelf was filled with what appeared to be books, their spines neatly aligned, creating an overwhelming sense of order and purpose.

Kai approached one of the shelves and pulled a "book" at random. As he held it in his hands, he realized it wasn’t a real book at all but a data pad designed to look and feel like one. Intrigued, he flipped to a section in the middle. The pages bent softly, mimicking the texture of real paper.

He began reading. The text detailed a famous historical event:

---

In the early days of human civilization, Noah the Great led his forces in a decisive battle against Sanju the Slayer, the feared warlord of the southern kingdoms. The clash, remembered as the Battle of Crimson Creek, was fierce and unrelenting. For days, the skies were filled with the smoke of war, and rivers ran red with blood. But it was Noah’s cunning strategy—luring Sanju’s army into the narrow canyons and ambushing them—that turned the tide. Sanju fell in battle, and Noah emerged victorious, uniting the lands under his banner.

---

He glanced at Isaac, who gave a slight nod, encouraging him to continue. Kai returned his focus to the data pad, skimming a bit further until the chapter ended.

He looked around the room, his gaze traveling over the towering shelves. There had to be millions of these "books", each one documenting a fragment of human history. The sheer scale was staggering.

But as awe-inspiring as it was, a question loomed in Kai’s mind: What were the chances all of this had been forged?

He slid the data pad back into its place on the shelf.

“Follow,” Isaac said, breaking the silence. Without another word, he started walking.

Kai and Isaac continued their journey deeper into the Archive. For a place housing so much invaluable knowledge, it was eerily quiet. Kai hadn’t seen a single person reading or even browsing the shelves. The emptiness gave the place an almost surreal atmosphere, amplifying the echo of their footsteps.

As they passed a section labeled Starships, Kai’s eyes widened, and his pace slowed. The shelves were filled with books—data pads, he reminded himself—on the engineering, design, and history of spacecraft. He nearly stopped, captivated by the sheer volume of information.

And why wouldn’t he be? Information was a priceless commodity among the stars. Transmitting a single letter-sized document between systems via relay satellites took at least two days—and that was only for the major planets. Smaller colonies and moons lacked access to these networks entirely, relying on couriers to transport information physically. But courier services were prohibitively expensive, thanks to the astronomical cost of quantum fuel.

This was why books had been so expensive on Velmorra and practically nonexistent on Drakmoor. Knowledge, in space, came with a hefty price tag.

“Kai?” Isaac’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. It sounded distant, echoing down the aisle. “This way.”

Snapping out of his reverie, Kai quickly jogged to catch up.

Isaac stood before a heavy concrete door embedded seamlessly into the wall. It looked ancient, its surface worn smooth with time, yet well maintained, no mold, no cracks on the surface.

Kai’s eyes landed on the bold “Do Not Enter” sign plastered on the concrete door. He glanced back at Isaac, silently questioning him with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” Isaac said with a shrug, feigning innocence. “I never said the Archive was going to just let me copy its data for free…”

Kai shook his head, a dry smirk forming. “So,” he said in a mocking, overly polite tone, “how may I assist you in this clearly well-thought-out and illegal endeavor?”

Isaac grinned, undeterred. “Well, this door is locked behind multiple layers of security measures. It’s got a very advanced coding system that...”

“Get to the point,” Kai interrupted, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one else was around.

Isaac sighed. “Just keep watch for me.”

Kai rolled his eyes but nodded, positioning himself a few steps away from the door. He crossed his arms and kept his senses sharp, listening for footsteps or any signs of approaching trouble. Meanwhile, Isaac crouched down in front of the door, pulling a small device from his suitcase.

“Let’s see just how tough your security is,” Isaac muttered as he began working on the lock.

Lucky for them, the Archive wasn’t exactly a popular tourist spot. Kai stood guard in the empty space, glancing around occasionally while secretly wishing Isaac would hurry up.

At the far end of the hall, he heard faint movement—laughter, light and playful, belonging to a teenage boy and teenage girl. Kai’s body tensed as he focused on the sound, his enhanced vision scanning the direction it came from. But nothing appeared.

The laughter continued, teasing and carefree. The boy said something, his words muffled and indistinct, followed by the girl’s higher-pitched giggle.

Kai rolled his eyes, annoyed. A couple? Really? He shot a quick glance at Isaac, who was still hunched over the lock.

Kai just wanted this over with so he could get back to the Black Swan. There, Eliana was waiting for him, and he wanted to see her more than anything else.

Soon, he told himself.

The laughter faded. He heard their footsteps retreating up the stairs. Well, that was quick, he thought, relaxing slightly.

“Done,” Isaac said, standing up and tucking the device back into his suitcase. Kai caught a glimpse of its contents—various tools, devices, and among them, a pistol.

Isaac motioned to the door. “Try it.”

Kai approached and gave it a push. The door swung open with surprising ease, far lighter than its massive size suggested.

“Go in, I’ll close it,” Isaac said hurriedly.

Kai stepped inside, scanning the dimly lit space as Isaac followed.

Isaac placed the suitcase on the floor and turned to close the door. But then he froze.

At the far end of the aisle, between two rows of bookshelves, a man stood. His silhouette was large, his gaze fixed directly on them.

Isaac’s eyes widened. Without a word, he shoved the door shut, the lock mechanism reengaging with a soft click.

Slowly, Isaac turned to Kai, his expression tense.

“I think we’ve just been spotted.