Prologue

  “Many years ago, a meteor shower swept over the Alignment, bombarding Nexus and its Satellites with countless shards. These meteorites housed crystals, and these crystals carried a variety of powers. Humans called them Fragments. Speed, strength, even access to the elements were all enabled by the newfound power of these Fragments. Using these, mankind was able to propel itself further forward than ever before, and as our science evolved, humanity learned how to create their own Fragments, giving us access to a new plethora of abilities and allowing us to implement them into our technology. Glidercraft, spaceships, and more became all the more common as Fragments solidified their place in society.”

  “Unfortunately, every blessing comes with a burden, and the greed of humans would soon make this a horrifying reality. It was quickly discovered that overusing Fragments could mutate the human body and mind to turn them into mindless monstrosities that people called Fractures. They have only one goal, find and absorb Fragments, and destroy anything that gets in their way.” 

  “As if that weren’t enough, it was discovered that animals could mutate just the same, becoming what’s called a Cryptid. These Cryptids were often far more dangerous than Fractures due to their wild nature, and humanity developed a fear for Fractures and Cryptids alike.”

  “However, humanity showed tenacity and the will to fight for their survival. The Ranger Corps were formed, a type of military force specifically meant for protecting mankind from the threats that are Fractures and Cryptids. Along with Rangers, it was found that certain individuals could actually sense the presence of Fragments, Fractures, and Cryptids. These people are categorized as Seekers, and like Rangers, they found their place in society, collecting Fragments for the sake of the governments they served, or for their own purposes. That leads us to the modern day, were humanity is still able to thrive despite the hardships and dangers they face, all thanks to their use of Fragments.”

  “And that’s the story of the Fragments.” a young man finished before closing a book. This boy had messy, short black hair with some wavy spikes reaching out in practically every direction. He had several, eye-length bangs over his face, with a few on his right and a few on his left while two large ones crossed over each other at the center of her forehead. His emerald green eyes shined with the light of a lantern that also gave his darker skin complexion a warm glow. His name was Enzo Creed and, at the time, he was 18 years old. On that night, Enzo was wearing a simple, white short sleeve, a pair of light gray, linen pants, and brown flip flops.

  Having finished reading the story, Enzo looked off to his right to see a blonde-haired girl sleeping in her bed under the warmth of her pink blanket. Upon seeing this, Enzo managed a soft smile and set the book down on the light blue cover of his bed. Then, Enzo got himself onto his feet and walked over to her to place his right hand on her head.

  “I know you’re too old for bedtime stories, but I always loved reading to you.” he quietly commented. Seconds after he was done speaking, his smile faded, giving way to a worried expression. Still, Enzo took a deep breath and went off to his left, walking toward a door made of chipped, wooden boards held together by two bolted, metal bands. As he approached the door, Enzo looked down at a small Sand Cat loafed on the foot of the girl’s bed. “I know you like stories, too, little lady.” Enzo added as he gently petted the sleeping cat. After a quick pause, Enzo continued on his path until he reached an adobe windowsill. Once he was there, Enzo sat himself down and turned to his right so that he was sitting halfway on the sill, more so out of the house now. 

  Once he was situated, Enzo raised his head up, looking forward to the plateau-dotted, desert horizon, and beyond that, the starry, moonlit night sky. A series of six other planets sat on the horizon ahead of him. As Enzo stared at the Alignment, he watched in awe as a shooting star streak across. As fast as it appeared, it vanished, causing Enzo to quickly close his eyes and pause for a few moments.

  “Aren’t you a bit too old to be wishing on shooting stars?” a feminine voice called from behind Enzo, who’s demeanor showed his embarrassment only for him to chuckle a little. Enzo looked over his right shoulder and saw a smiling, young woman with a lighter skin tone. She had mostly short black hair aside from the two large bangs at the sides of her face. The longer bangs had purple ends, dyed to match the woman’s irises. This woman was wearing a pink, short sleeve with brown, linen capri pants and a pair of black slippers.

  “Hello to you, too, Celeste.” Enzo greeted. Like Enzo, Celeste was also 18 years old. “And I wasn’t making a wish, but I know you were.” he retorted.

  “Maybe I was. I’ll tell you the truth if you tell me what you wished for.” Celeste replied.

  “Well, if I did that, then it wouldn’t come true.” Enzo joked, getting a little laugh out of Celeste and himself. Even after their laughter died down, Enzo kept his smile as he looked at her. “Seriously though, thank you again for coming to look after Alesia. She insists Amira’s all she needs, but that girl will get into anything if you leave her by herself.” Enzo stated.

  “And I wonder who she got that from?” Celeste asked in a rhetorical tone.

  “Certainly wasn’t me.” Enzo sarcastically denied with his hands up to his shoulders.

  “Uh-huh.” Celeste played along.

  “Anyways, I really owe you one for this.” Enzo admitted.

  “Trust me, I already added it to the list of favors you owe me.” Celeste assured.

  “H-How many do I owe you?” Enzo stammered with a slight smile, unsure if he wanted an answer or not.

  “Oh, don’t worry about it.” Celeste brushed off, getting a sigh of relief from Enzo. “For now.” she tacked on with a mischievous smirk, giggling with delight as she watched Enzo twitch timidly.

  “I knew you wouldn’t let me off the hook that easily.” Enzo claimed.

  “Of course not!” Celeste agreed.

  “Look, I’m gonna go get changed so I can leave already. I don’t see this conversation getting any better for me.” Enzo spoke.

  “Alright, I’ll be here.” Celeste responded.

  Some minutes later, Celeste was looking to the horizon with her hands behind her back when she heard the door to Enzo’s house creak open again. Enzo stepped through the doorway wearing a light blue short sleeve covered by a gray, buttoned-up cape with a collar that barely stands up past his chin. A brown sword strap ran from his right shoulder down to his left hip, clipped together over the center of his chest by a silver buckle. Another band branches off from the main one, going toward Enzo’s right hip instead. Enzo’s shirt tucked into a lilac sash that was tied at his left hip, slanting down until it covered his right hip. Beneath his sash, Enzo wore a pair of baggy, black linen pants that tucked into his brown boots.

  “Well? Do I look cool, or what?” Enzo asked with his arms opened and a big smile. Celeste tried to hide her giggling, which left Enzo a bit dumbfounded. “What?” he repeated.

“Yes, Enzo, you look cool.” Celeste assured.

  “Oh, come on, you don’t mean that. I mean, look, I’m even wearing the sash you gave me. I really thought you’d like that.” Enzo argued as he motioned to the mentioned piece of clothing.

  “I noticed, and I like it. There. I said it plain and simple, so now you can’t deny it.” Celeste clarified.

  “Maybe I can.” Enzo replied, dragging the beginning of his response while looking up off to his right. All Celeste did was roll her eyes at him.

  “Shut up, and come on. You’ve gotta get going and I’d like to get some rest.” Celeste suggested. Enzo nodded in agreement before walking with her until they rounded the corner of his adobe house.

  In the offset between Enzo’s house and the one to their right, was a large object covered by a beige sheet that appeared darker in the night. Enzo uncovers it and reveals a machine that closely resembles a dark red dirt bike. Instead of wheels, the bike has horizontal, metal plates and it also has two, rectangular exhaust pipes. The underbody of the vehicle is plated with three, rectangular panels, one slanting down to the right, a flat one, and one slanted up to the right, in that order. Enzo also has two, small, black saddle bags slung on the back of the bike. The paint of the bike is worn, with chips and scratches in several spots, but despite the wear and tear, Enzo gently places his hand on the fuel tank and smiles.

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  “Ya know, Nyles and Sienna both seemed pretty serious when they said they’d take your Glider Cycle to be scrapped if they caught you acting as a Seeker again, especially Sienna.” Celeste recalled.

  “I try to not think about that.” Enzo retorted as his eyes shifted toward Celeste on his left. Celeste answered with a quick hum before her gaze moved back to the vehicle. In the next instance, something a few feet past the bike caught her eyes. Another cloth of the same color is draped over two objects resting next to each other against the house. Upon seeing this, Celeste’s expression sharpens before she starts toward them. Enzo looks to his right as Celeste passes around him, causing him to finally realize what she was going for. “Okay, before you get upset, lemme say-” he tried.

  “Don’t.” Celeste stopped as she walked up to the sheet. She ripped the cloth away, revealing a pair of twin swords standing hilt-up in the sand.

  Both swords have a semi-circular, silver pommel that’s the same size as the handle. Both handles are wrapped in white pieces of cloth that hang down past the blocky, gray handguard and reach halfway down the backs of each blade. Also, there are small, rectangular indents on their left and right sides. The blades curve out from a couple inches in front of the handle, forming a quarter circle that extends the blades outward. From there, each blade runs upward several inches before arcing in to form a half-circle. At the other end of the half-circle, the blades continue up a few more inches before slanting in to form the point. The point goes down a bit until it slightly slants back again, ending the edge of the blade. From there, the back of the blade runs down to the back of the handguard and then down the flat sides of each handle.

  “Why are my swords sitting in the sand like some crappy brooms? What, were you using them to sweep the sand off your doorstep or something?” Celeste demanded while Enzo tensed up with a nervous smile.

  “Uh… Well… technically they’re my swords, so-” Enzo struggled.

  “Mm, no. I made them, so they’ll always be mine before they’re yours.” Celeste denied as she kept her glare locked on Enzo’s eyes. “Now, again, why are they sitting in the sand?” she repeated while slightly lowering her head.

  “W-Well, ya see, uh… Sienna, she, um, doesn’t like it when we leave-” Enzo attempted.

  “Oh, and you clearly care so much about her rules!” Celeste sarcastically played along. “No, but ya wanna know what I think it is, Enzo?” she continued, returning to her serious demeanor as she started walking toward Enzo. “I think you set them out here again, because you, despite my warning, didn’t take me seriously when I said I’d start doubling my maintenance fee.” Celeste figured while Enzo slowly backed up with his hands up in front of his chest.

  “N-No, I-” Enzo stammered until Celeste snatched him up by the front of his cloak.

  “Well, guess what?! Now, I am doubling the fee!” Celeste declared.

  “C’mon, Celeste, don’t be like that!” Enzo appealed as she turned away from him with her arms crossed. “Do I at least still get a discount?” he asked.

  “Absolutely not.” Celeste immediately answered as she glanced over her right shoulder at him. Initially, Enzo deflated a bit, but he refilled with hope and moved around Celeste so that they were facing each other.

  “Okay, how about I take you on a ride through the desert? How does that sound?” Enzo offered, with his enthusiasm as unwavering as her unamused expression. However, Celeste still managed a chuckle before she shifted her weight onto her right leg.

  “I’m gonna assume you were trying to be funny because you already owe me a trip, or did that slip your mind?” Celeste reminded with a slight smirk, knowing she had her checkmate. Enzo managed a short, timid laugh and looked off to his left for a moment as he stammered a bit more.

  “Um… Actually, each trip is a one-way ride, so, uh… ya know…” Enzo made up.

  “Oh, so, you’d leave me stranded?! Is that what you’re saying?!” Celeste concluded with a right step toward him. Immediately, Enzo shook his hands at Celeste and then shushed her. “Don’t you shush me! And try it, I dare you! I’ll crack you over your head with my bow, and then take your Glider Cycle, and sell it for scrap metal!” she added. Enzo nodded along in an attempt to appease her, but was still surprised once she pulled back. “Now that I think about it, that’s not a bad idea. I could sell it and use the money for some new supplies…” Celeste theorized aloud, much to Enzo’s shock. “Or maybe I could melt it down and reform it into some kinda weapon!” she realized, turning Enzo’s shock to dismay.

  “Alright, alright, you win…” Enzo conceded.

  “Yay~!”Celeste celebrated with a double fist pump. Enzo let out a defeated sigh as his head dropped.

  “I’m gonna get outta here before you get any more clever ideas…” he carried on while skulking past Celeste, toward their swords.

  While Celeste was basking in her glory, Enzo grabbed one of the swords with his right hand and put it on his back, attaching the flat of the blade to a magnet covered by his cloak. Then, he took the second sword and stuck it to another magnet at his right hip. Next, Enzo seated himself on his Glider Cycle and flipped the starter switch next to the bike’s throttle. Once that was done, Enzo stomped his right foot down on the kickstart lever, but nothing happened. Enzo tried it another time and a third, but still got nothing. By this point, Celeste had her arms crossed as she gave him an unimpressed look.

  “Hold on a sec.” Enzo insisted as he returned Celeste’s expression. After one more stomp on the pedal, a high whirring sound emitted from the Glider and transitioned to a low humming as the bike lifted itself from the sand.

  “Wow, I’m surprised that thing actually started!” Celeste practically gasped, getting an irritated tick out of Enzo. “Maybe I’ll get that Glider ride after all! But I hope it doesn’t break down on us!” she continued as Enzo hunkered down a bit. “Hey, are you sure it won’t break down on you?” Celeste questioned in an innocent tone over Enzo’s annoyed groan.

  “It won’t!” Enzo firmly reassured. “And you won’t get your ride if you keep talking shit!” he added as he pointed at Celeste with his left index finger.

  “I didn’t even say anything!” Celeste defended with a smile of disbelief.

  “Don’t listen to her, Ruby. She’s mean, and she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. You run fine.” Enzo comforted as he gently pet the bike’s fuel tank.

  “Ruby? Really? That’s what you named it?” Celeste pressed, drawing Enzo’s eyes back toward her.

  “I like that name.” Enzo affirmed with a little smile.

  “And I do know what I’m talking about! I was there helping you look for the parts you needed to fix that piece of junk! That’s why you owe me a ride in the first place! Or did that conveniently slip your mind, too?” she carried on, leaning in over Enzo as she finished with her question. Having no answer, Enzo looked away from Celeste and faced forward in silence, barely keeping a shaky smile. “Uh-huh, thought so. Anything else you’d like me to clear up?” Celeste inquired with a smirk, already knowing what Enzo would say.

  “N-No… I’m good… I think I’m gonna go now…” Enzo answered. Celeste couldn’t help but chuckle at both Enzo’s demeanor and how she was able to predict his reply. Seeing Celeste laugh made Enzo smile a bit wider before he put his head down. However, Celeste stopped after some seconds and stood with her arms behind her back as she took some time to look at Enzo, who was busy checking the gauges on his Glider. Her grin gave way to a frown while her eyebrows furrowed upward.

  “Promise me you’ll be safe, okay?” Celeste asked, prompting Enzo to peek to his left at her.

  “Well, hey, if something does happen, I’ve got the swords.” Enzo played off, keeping his smile as he pointed at the sword on his back with his right thumb. Despite his words, Enzo could still see the twinge of concern in Celeste’s eyes and quickly tried to think of what to say next. “Although, admittedly, my other trips through the desert have all gone well, so I doubt there’s much to worry about.” he went on, leading into a bit of laughter in hopes of easing her mind.

  “Yeah… You came back every time, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Celeste tried as she looked to the ground. Upon seeing and hearing Celeste, Enzo’s posture dropped a bit as his eyes reflected her emotion. After a moment, Enzo straightened up and put his goggles on.

  “Celeste,” Enzo called, causing Celeste to raise her head back up. “I can’t promise you I’ll be safe. I don’t think I should, because I don’t know what I’ll run into.” he explained with his sights on the fuel tank. Hearing this only appeared to make Celeste feel worse as her gaze started to drift away from him again. “Instead, I’ll promise you this,” Enzo started, bringing her amethyst irises back on him. “I’ll come back, and when I do, I’ll take you on that desert ride. Wherever you wanna go, however far away it is, I’ll take you there. I promise you, Celeste.” Enzo declared, smiling strong as he looked straight into her eyes. For an instant, Celeste stared at Enzo, seemingly surprised by the conviction in Enzo’s voice, but that soon gave way to more giggling, which led to her bursting out in joy. While Celeste was cracking up, Enzo was left disconcerted. “What’s so funny? I was being serious! And shhh!” Enzo grumbled.

  “Nothing! It’s nothing really…” she trailed off as her laughter died down. “But you should know, I’m gonna hold you to that, Enzo.” Celeste accepted, sporting a sly sneer. Enzo glanced to the ground while giving a low chuckle. 

  “Of course.” he agreed as he nodded his head. With that, Celeste stretched her arms to the night sky before she brought her hands down to cover her tiny yawn. “Yeah, I should probably get outta here. It’s pretty late.” Enzo chimed in.

  “Okay, I’ll see you off then.” Celeste volunteered before she started toward the main road. While Celeste made her way forward, Enzo remained where he was and sat there smiling for a bit. However, Celeste made it to the main road only to turn and see Enzo still in the offset. “What are you doing? You just said you need to get going ‘cause it’s late.” Celeste recounted.

  “Right, right, my fault.” Enzo admitted, keeping his grin as he rode forward and stopped next to Celeste on her right. “See ya!” Enzo claimed with a wave of his right hand.

  “See ya!” Celeste repeated while waving her left hand back. Now that their goodbyes were said, Enzo twisted the bike’s throttle and took it left down the main road. Celeste’s attention followed Enzo as he made his way to the edge of the town. As soon as he was past the village’s limits, Enzo cranked his Glider Cycle to its top gear as he tore off into the open, desert night. Celeste stood, watching while Enzo drove into the shadowy core of one of the planets ahead him, and as she did, that same sense of worry crept back into her expression. Eventually, the darkness at the horizon engulfed Enzo entirely, leaving Celeste alone next to his house. Even though she had lost sight of him, Celeste stayed in place, staring at the area where she last saw him. She took a slow, deep breath as she shut her eyes and opened them again, calming her nerves slightly despite gazing in the same spot as before. ‘Enzo… You’re always so eager to run off on these Seeker trips… You’ve always been like this with Fragments in general, and that’s fine, but you have to understand our concern. I know you do, but… honestly… I want you to understand my concern.’ Celeste thought to herself. Unable to look at the horizon anymore, Celeste tilted her head back so she could stare at the stars instead. ‘Ya know, Enzo… Maybe you made a wish, maybe you didn’t, but I did, and I hope with all my heart that you’ll come back to hear it, even if that means it won’t come true…’ Celeste finished. Once her thoughts were complete, Celeste lowered her eyes to the sand beneath her feet before making her way into Enzo’s house. Celeste shut the door behind her, leaving Sirocco silent until a small gust of wind rolled by.

Prologue - END.