Gira had mellowed out after silently enduring an hour of Lucas's incoherent history ramblings. Instead, he watched the grass and flowers dance in the wind, a sea of colors rippling across the fields in a soothing rhythm.
“We’re almost there, Gira.” Lucas said, hearing his own name breaking through Gira’s daze. He pointed toward the distant skyline. “That’s the old port city of Krreat, though population-wise, it’s more of a town these days with how few people there are left.”
“What happened to all the people?” Gira asked absentmindedly, his gaze wandering with the breeze.
Lucas shot him an annoyed look. “Did you pay any attention to what I was talking about for the last hour?”
"Oh, I zoned out,” Gira said, completely unfazed by the vile side-eye Lucas was giving him.
Lucas let out a deep sigh, his frustration evident. “As I explained before, most of the city’s population worked inside the Ordovis Translate. So when the fracture happened...they—they died.” His voice faltered, but he remained unmoving as he kept his eyes on the road ahead. “And before you ask, Translates are like space tunnels. They connect planets and they’re also what prevent temporal dissonance.”
“I have so many questions.” Gira groaned, throwing his hands up in defeat. “So—what’s temporal dissonance? How do Translates connect planets? Seriously, my brain isn’t liking all the new vocabulary.”
Lucas sulked for a second before letting out an exasperated sigh. “Tunnels is a pretty good explanation, if you ask me. Anyway, I can explain all that other stuff later so your brain doesn’t melt. So where was I? Right. When the Shattering happened, almost all the local Translates were destroyed and since half the city was inside the Translate... well you can imagine the damage.”
“You seem to know your stuff.” Gira said, while counting the number of purple flowers he could spot off the side of the road. “Say, why do you know so much about history?”
Luca’s expression brightened a little. "Since you’re so curious, I've liked history ever since I was a kid. I’ve always been fascinated by our world’s mysteries. You know—there’s a gap of 14 million years of unrecorded human history—doesn't that blow your mind?” His eyes widened with excitement as he gazed at the seemingly endless sky.
“That’s a lot of history, right? How are you going to learn all that?” Gira asked, watching strange pink bugs fluttered around each other.
"Normally, thanks to Kyyr, I’d live a couple centuries, which I’m hoping would be enough time to figure something out. It’s just a shame I’m trapped on this little, secluded planet. Unfortunately, I can only dream of seeing what’s out there.” He said reaching out longingly.
“Are there no other ways to leave? Are the Translates really the only way out?” Gira asked, finally turning away from the micro-battle of the pink bugs.
Lucas shook his head. “If I had a spaceship, maybe. But even then, the journey to the nearest planet that wasn’t affected by the Shattering is Morgian-3. It’s 78 million light years away.” He sighed, a hint of longing creeping into his voice. “Funny thing is, that’s where my parents are from. The trip used to only take 11 hours on a Translate starglider. Now... it’s impossibly far.” He lowered his head. “But there’s a lot of history here, you know. Hopefully, by the time I learn it all, there’ll be a way out.”
Gira looked intently at the wound in the sky, marveling at how something so beautiful could wreak such desolation.
"Lucas, do you know what caused that old crack in the sky to form?” He asked, his voice laced with wonder.
“Nope,” Lucas admitted, shaking his head. “There’s plenty of speculation, but all we’re certain of is that something strong enough to scar the universe did it. Whether it was a weapon, a monster, a god, or a freak natural disaster, nobody knows for sure. Not that knowing would really change much of anything.”
“Can’t you guys just make more Translates?” Gira asked, looking over his shoulder.
Lucas let out a weak laugh. “I wish. But there’s only one class of organism known to be able to create such massive burrows through the firmament of reality—True Dragons. And as far as I’m aware, they’re practically extinct.”
Gira’s eyes lit up. “Dragons?”
Lucas nodded, though his expression remained uncertain. “Sometimes I doubt they ever existed. But supposedly, they’re the ones who connected the universe. I’ve even heard there’s a couple of them you can visit.”
“Wow. How big are they? What do they eat? How do they tas—” Gira started firing off questions but was cut off.
“Hold on!” Lucas said, turning back to gesture to Gira. “I don’t know much about them off the top of my head, but I do have a book about them. I can lend it to you some other time.”
“Sweet thanks!” Gira exclaimed, excitement bubbling over.
Lucas glanced at him, surprised. “I’m honestly shocked you even know what dragons are.”
“Hmmm, good point—I wonder why?” Gira muttered, striking a dramatic pose in the back of the cart, looking as if he were in deep thought.
Lucas rolled his eyes. “You have the most selective memory loss for some reason.” He glared back at Gira, clearly irritated by his over-the-top pose.
"Oh, well,” Gira shrugged, easily brushing it off. "Oh, hey, what’s up with that.” Gira shouted, pointing excitedly past Lucas.
Up ahead, the ghostly city of Krreat loomed ever closer—once a bustling metropolis, now a haunting shadow that stood towering on the horizon. The buildings resembled the skeletal remains of a colossal pyramid forged from intertwining skyscrapers. The sheer scale of the city was overwhelming, its imposing form casting long shadows as a testament to the might of the old port city.
“That’s the old port city of Krreat, and at the very top was where the old Ordovis Translate used to open,” Lucas explained, pointing at the top of the megastructure.
"Wow, it’s huge!” Gira shouted excitedly while bouncing around in the back of the cart. “Do you live way up there?”
"No, most people live in the lower levels. That includes me.” Lucas replied.
“Huh, why? Wouldn’t it be cooler to live around the top?” Gira asked, tilting his head.
Lucas gave an indifferent nod. “I mean, I guess but there’s nothing up there anymore. After the Translate shut down it was abandoned to the machines that still maintain it. It’s also a hassle to go all the way up.”
“That’s lame,” Gira said, sulking. “Can we still visit, though?”
“Sure,” Lucas said nonchalantly. “Though I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s just a bunch of empty, endless halls filled with old machines endlessly cleaning dust.”
“That sounds awesome! I’m definitely going up there.” Gira said with a glimmer in his eyes.
Lucas’s brain loaded an unfortunate realization mid-conversation. “You know… The more we talk, the more you remind me of a tiresome maniac who practically lives up there.”
Gira perked up, grabbing Lucas from behind and shaking him in excitement. “Someone lives up there?”
“Y-yes! C-can y-you p-p-please s-stop shaking me?!” Lucas stammered.
“Sorry.” Gira let go with a sheepish grin. “Can you introduce me to that person?”
“I honestly dread the inevitability of you two meeting. You’re pretty much the male version of her…” Lucas muttered, slumping down in his seat, a cloud of gloom settling over him. “I might start going gray…”
"Wow, another me! That sounds awesome!” Gira exclaimed eagerly, his eyes lighting up as the city loomed ever closer.
Lucas tensed, a knot forming in his stomach as the thought of Gira meeting his childhood—trauma—I mean friend, Aria, took root. The inevitable stress they’d cause him was already giving him a preliminary headache. Why was I raised with compassion? He thought, grimacing at the chaos ahead.
Lucas let out a pained sigh as they approached the checkpoint at the edge of town. The checkpoint was a shabby little building that sat next to the beginning of a poorly maintained road. Under the shade of the slightly crooked roof, a figure lay on top of a fancy motorcycle-looking vehicle. Their spine curved along with the shape of the motorcycle, causing their hips to be raised.
As they drew closer, Gira squinted. "Hey, it’s a curvy lady!” he shouted, getting the lady to sit up slowly. She was wearing a tight white short-sleeve dress shirt with a black tie that matched her sleek, tight black pants, which seemed to meld into her odd shoes.
“Oh no…” Lucas muttered under his breath.
“Oh no, what?” Gira asked, poking his head next to Lucas’s in curiosity.
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“Whaaa—dude, get back down!” Lucas panicked, pushing Gira down into the cart. “Cover your face! You’re a girl now, got it?”
“What? Why?” Gira blinked, confused, as he ignored Lucas’s demands, getting back up.
Lucas’s eyes filled with dread. “That’s Lone Wolf Lena, my infamously single older sister.”
"Oh, neat! You didn’t tell me you had a sister.” Gira said innocently, wide-eyed.
“You don’t get it,” Lucas whispered in horror. “You’re the type of guy she goes for—young and stupid.” His voice trailed off as he recalled the fates of previous victims.
“I’m not stupid!” Gira protested.
“That’s not the problem here!” Lucas hissed, but before he could explain further, Lena hopped off her motorcycle, making sure to show as much of her long legs as possible.
“You were certainly a person, Gira. Good luck.” Lucas said in a defeated tone, seemingly giving him up.
"Heya, little Lu.” Lena called out, her voice bright as she waved. She had similarly blonde hair to Lucas, except for the fact that half her hair was black with magenta streaks sprouting unpredictably. Her messy, high ponytail hung loosely over her shoulder, matching the unruly bangs framing her face. Her eyes were striking—one the same light blue as Lucas, the other a vibrant magenta, like her hair. She flashed a grin that only widened when Gira waved back innocently.
“Hey, big sis... So, uh, I’ve got a friend here with me and—” Lucas started nervously, but was quickly silenced as Lena shoved her meek brother’s head to the side as she set her sights on Gira.
“Well, well, hey there, cutie!” Lena purred, her eyes glinting as she leaned in closer. “What’s your name, age, and blood type?” She asked, her voice dripping with playfulness.
“My name is Gira; I don’t know my age or my blood type.” Gira replied with complete confidence, his wide-eyed expression pure and guileless.
“Hmmm,” Lena mused, her eyes narrowing playfully as she licked her lips. “Do you have memory loss, cutie?” She asked, her tone teasing yet sharp, as if she were piecing together a puzzle from his appearance alone.
“I don’t think I—” Gira began confidently, only to be abruptly cut off.
“Yesh, and ift's swevere!” Lucas cried out from behind his sister’s palm, his voice muffled but urgent. He shoved her hand away from his face. “I’m trying to get him to Dr. Xizu’s lab,” he added.
“Mind if I tag along?” Lena asked, her eyes focused on Gira with an unsettling interest as she inspected him up and down, the glint of a beast in her gaze.
"No, you creep! You’ve got guard duty, don’t you?” Lucas snapped as he poked his sister’s cheek.
Seemingly ignoring her brother, Lena sauntered up to Gira, leaning in close. “See you later, cutie,” she whispered in his ear, her voice dripping with mischievous intent, her gaze lingering a moment too long.
“See you later, Miss Lone Wolf Lena,” he replied with a trusting smile, completely oblivious to her intent.
“Lu-u-cas,” she spelled, her voice laced with a quiet fury that only Lucas could truly grasp. “We’re having a little chat when you get home, alright?” she added, her tone sharp enough to send a chill down his spine.
“A-alright…” Lucas mumbled, shuddering at his fate.
“I didn’t hear you properly?” Lena prodded, her tone simmering with fury as she leaned in, daring him to respond more clearly.
"YES, BIG SIS LENA!” He shouted, his voice cracking under the pressure as he hurriedly urged Shredder forward, causing the cart to lurch into motion with sudden speed.
Looking back, Gira could see Lena give a little wave as she disappeared in the distance.
"Lucas, you’re pretty mean; your sister was super nice to me! Why were you so afraid?” Gira said, completely unaware that his innocence was at stake.
“Ugh, you’re way too naïve, man.” Lucas said, shuddering at the thought of his sister hitting on Gira. “Although that innocence might end up being your saving grace against her.”
“Saving grace? From what?” Gira asked, with a confused look.
“Let’s not worry about my creepy sister right now,” Lucas said, shaking his head. “We’ve got bigger problems—like getting you checked for brain damage.” His tone was brutally candid.
“Brain damage? ME?” Gira asked, his voice rising defensively as he pointed at himself in disbelief.
“People don’t just lose their memories and wake up in the woods. That’s not normal, at all. You know that, right?” Lucas replied while giving Gira a side eye.
“Really? But my head doesn’t hurt or anything like that.” Gira said, patting around his scalp with both hands, his expression genuinely bewildered.
“I’ve also been thinking... you look well-fed and clean,” Lucas said, his brows furrowed. “The sooner we clear up your memory, the sooner we’ll figure out how you ended up in that forest in the first place.”
“Does it really matter where I came from?” Gira asked, his voice unusually calm and neutral. “I’m actually kind of enjoying not remembering stuff, you know?”
“You’re really not curious?” Luca’s asked, shocked. “ What about your parents? Your friends? Where you came from? Not even your name?”
Gira paused, thinking for a moment, before an awkward, almost hesitant smile crept onto his face. "I have this weird feeling... I don’t want to remember.”
Lucas turned to see Gira’s face, noticing the strange expression playing across it—somewhere between a smile and a grimace. It was an unsettling look that was a harsh reminder of the strangeness and oddity of Gira’s discovery. Was he lying? Who really was this odd, half-naked enigma that he’d brought along? Lucas quivered as the thought crept in—what unsavory truths might be buried within Gira’s past?
Reaching the base of the first massive building that held up part of the megastructure, Gira suddenly broke the silence.
“Can we please make a quick stop here? I really, really, really wanna go up there!” He hollered excitedly from the back of the cart.
“You can go there after we get you to Dr. Xizu. And after we get you ID’d, and you get your shots, and—” Lucas rattled off, sounding exactly like a nagging mother, cutting Gira’s excitement with a laundry list of tasks.
“That all sounds incredibly boring.” Gira replied, his excitement deflating as he frowned, clearly vexed by the growing list of tasks.
“You wouldn’t be able to access any of the buildings without an ID anyway so stop complaining!” Lucas snapped at the whining Gira.
“Meh meh meh,” Gira mocked Lucas.
“If you’re somehow older than me, I’m losing hope in humanity,” Lucas grumbled, his voice heavy with resignation as he shook in despair.
“By the way, how old are you, anyway?” Gira asked curiously.
“I turn 16 this year…” Lucas muttered.
"Wow, is that a lot?” Gira asked while picking at his hair.
“NO?” Lucas snapped, clearly baffled by the question.
“You sure? You nag a lot so I assumed you were getting up there.” Gira teased, twirling a strand of his hair with a mischievous smile.
Lucas was a momentarily taken aback, his teeth grinding together in frustration (this is a bad habit).
"Say, how old’s your sister and friend you mentioned earlier? Oh, and that, Dr. Xizu too!”
“My sister is 18, Aria is my age—well, she’s already 16, and I’m pretty sure I’d get shot if I asked Dr. Xizu her age.”
“Oh wow, I hope I’m not too old. Gives me more time and all that.” Gira mused, his eyes wandering as he studied the intricate underside of the megastructure above them.
“I wouldn’t stress about dying of old age. Even with the low amounts of local Kyyr, most people end up living a couple hundred years on average.”
"Oh, swell, then I’ll gladly enjoy my time.” Gira said, scrathing his stomach listlessly as he studied the oddly empty streets around them. “By the way, where are all the people? I don’t see anyone around.”
“That’s because most people live near the edges of the city because of the sunlight,” Lucas explained. “Back when we first entered the underside of the old port structure, we could’ve taken a turn and hit an active area, but Dr. Xizu’s is on the other side of town. It’s just faster to cut through the underside.”
“Makes sense.” Gira nodded, his eyes looking at the twinkling lights that lined the underside of the city.
"Plus, it would’ve been real awkward hauling your half-naked ass around the residential parts of town,” Lucas muttered under his breath.
“What?”
“Uhh, anyway, we’re almost there.” Lucas said quickly, changing the subject as he pointed at a building that had its lights glowing warmly through the dim surroundings.
As they approached the building, Lucas guided Shredder to a stop, parking the creature beside the entrance. As the sun began to set, the warm light from outside the structure spilled in, contrasting with the shadowy streets around them. Without a word, Lucas hopped off, stretched, and made his way to the back, rummaging through the boxes and bags. After a moment, he pulled out a strange contraption—a folded metal device with intricate hinges. With practical ease, he unfolded it and set it in front of Shredder.
“What’s that?” Gira asked as he watched Lucas walk over to a faucet that poked out the side of the building.
“It’s a trough,” Lucas explained while filling a bucket with water. “Shredder here doesn’t eat like normal animals. He feeds off Kyyr in the atmosphere, but he still needs water to stay hydrated.”
“He feeds off Kyyr?” Gira asked, tilting his head in confusion.
“Yup,” Lucas replied, pouring water into the trough. “He’s a type of autotroph.”
“Autotroph?” Gira repeated, his hair twitching as the unfamiliar word hung in the air.
“Autotrophs are organisms that produce their own food using things like light, water, Kyyr, carbon dioxide, and other fun chemicals. Autotrophs can be divided into three categories: photoautotrophs, chemoautotrophs, and kyautotrophs, and tend to be regarded as producers at the base of any healthy ecosystem. So in short, Shredder here can make his own food from Kyyr, which turns into inorganic chemicals that he uses to fuel his body.” Lucas explained, his tone matter-of-fact, as he finished filling the trough.
Gira nodded along, his face blank, despite the confident look he tried to maintain. “Right…” he muttered, distractedly picking at his hair. He glanced over at Shredder, who seemed content with his refreshing treat. “Totally makes sense,” he said, giving a firm nod, though it was obvious the explanation had clearly gone over his head.
Lucas glanced up, squinting at Gira. “You didn’t get any of that, did you?”
“Not really,” Gira admitted with a sheepish grin, scratching his cheek. “But, to be fair, why would you give me such a complicated answer? You really do suck at explaining stuff.” He said, giving Lucas an exaggerated look of disappointment.
“Seems like a you problem,” Lucas shot back with a smug smirk. "Anyways, let’s get going before Dr. Xizu closes her office. “ He gave a quick glance toward the building, already gearing up to continue.
"Umm, actually,” Gira began, glancing at the water trough. “Seeing all that water made me kinda thirsty. Think I could have a sip?” He flashed a hopeful grin, rubbing his stomach for effect.
“You can get a little paper cup in her office.” Lucas replied, his energy running low.
After filling up Shredder’s water, Lucas turned toward Gira and motioned him toward the entrance. “Alright, let’s go. But seriously, try and cover yourself down there,” he added, giving Gira a pointed look. “And one more thing—PLEASE, for the love of everything that is good, don't do anything stupid. Got it?” His smile was strained but there was a mildly threatening edge to it that made Gira blink in confusion.
“I’m serious,” Lucas continued, his voice low. "Dr. Xizu might be weird too, but that’s not an invitation to create more chaos with her.”
“I haven’t even done anything?” Gira gasped dramatically.
Lucas shook his head as they both approached the entrance.