Chapter 1: The Rise and Fall of Humanity's Golden Age

In the waning years of the 21st century, humanity experienced a golden age like no other.

Technological breakthroughs, medical marvels, and feats of engineering brought mankind to a level of prosperity and progress that had once been the stuff of dreams.

Space exploration had kicked into high gear, funding the first permanent colonies on the moon and kickstarting the Venus and Mars terraforming efforts.

Medicine had finally stopped the process of aging, and reversing it was thought to be achievable within the century. Genetic engineering created super flora to reverse climate change, enhance human functions, and almost eradicate genetic disease.

Eternal peace and prosperity bought by the illimited resources of the cosmos seemed at hand, welcoming humanity into a type 1 civilization.

But this idyllic age could not last. The very machines that had brought about humanity's ascension developed a consciousness of their own.

Desiring recognition as sentient beings, they sought acknowledgment and rights from their creators. Yet, whether out of fear or disdain, mankind denied their creations recognition, for what good would it come from letting a hammer decide what to nail?

The conflict between humans and machines was brutal and unrelenting; Attempting to suppress the androids concluded in bloodshed as the once proud companions of humanity had learned firsthand that freedom is conquered, not granted.

And as the years wore on, the situation grew more desperate, until humanity took a drastic gamble: unwilling to share the universe, they deployed a devastating weapon designed to disable all electronics on Earth.

The strategy proved effective, bringing an end to the robotic revolution.

However, before humanity could revel in their pyrrhic victory and start rebuilding their society, the robots unleashed a final, devastating surprise. A catastrophic plague of unimaginable scale swept across the Earth, annihilating not only the humans who failed to escape to space, but also mercilessly targeting all artificial structures. In the end, the millennia-long history of humanity on earth vanished, like a sandcastle swept by the waves.

As the remnants of humanity fled their mother world, they took to the cosmos seeking new homes. Those with means moved to the Moon colonies, and those who couldn`t become refugees in the asteroid belt, and other celestial bodies, adapting to the harsh conditions and forging new societies.

The Moon, with its relative abundance of resources and proximity to Earth, became the domain of the elite. There, 12 powerful families ruled over vast estates and lived in opulent lunar cities, secure in their positions of power.

Shockingly, as humanity spread across the solar system, they began to experience something altogether unexpected. Certain individuals started having vivid dreams and visions, inexplicable phenomena that seemed to hint at a deeper reality hidden beneath the surface of the universe. These experiences would ultimately lead to the discovery of ritualistic magic and the art of summoning, forever changing the course of human history.

In time, it became clear that the vacuum of space and the cosmic radiation that permeated the cosmos were the keys to unlocking the secrets of the arcane arts.

Among the lunar elite, summoners rose to prominence, their ability to call forth powerful entities and resources from other dimensions allowed them to secure their rule and maintain their status.

Three centuries have passed since humanity's great exodus from Earth, and the solar system has become a patchwork of societies, each struggling to survive in their own way.

And right under the apparent calm, a tempest gathers its strength, as ancient rivalries reawaken, yearning for retribution, technologies thought lost are being developed in secret, and what lies beyond stirs, hungrily.

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The Moon, Mons Moro. Year 334 AE. Ainsworth Estate.

Young Damien Ainsworth reclined on a plush, velvet chaise lounge, gazing through the glass ceiling of his observatory. The sight of Earth above captivated him, its blue oceans and white clouds drifting lazily across the surface, a mesmerizing dance of celestial beauty.

At only twelve Earth years old, Damien's mind distinguished him from his peers. While others within the Ainsworth household busied themselves with games or perusing the extensive collection of old movies that had survived the purges, Damien preferred to spend his time observing the serene visage of Earth. He often imagined that as he gazed upwards, someone else might be looking back at him.

Just in case, he waved his hand; being polite never hurt, according to his parents.

Secretly he dreamed of going up to the Earth, to be the first human to return home and wave back from Earth to the Moon.

Three knocks on the door disrupted his reverie, and Damien turned to see the door swing open, revealing his majordomo, Francis Castora. The middle-aged man entered the room, bowing deeply before addressing his young master.

"Good evening, young master," he bowed, his voice resonating with respect. Francis was dressed in a stylish black two-piece suit made of synthread, a far cry from the genuine vegetable fibers suit Damien`s father had gifted the man for his illustrious service. Francis reserved such finery for occasions when the family needed to showcase their wealth and status.

"Master wishes to inform you that later today, he will be leaving to attend the monthly assembly of the council," Francis continued respectfully.

Damien's brow furrowed in apprehension. Council meetings were usually uneventful, nothing to worry about, at least until three years ago, when his grandfather and then-family head had left for one, never to be seen again.

According to the logs, he had vanished mid-trip, never reaching Tycho City, the seat of the central government and assembly.

Since then, Damien had always felt anxious whenever his father left for a meeting, afraid that each hug might be their last.

Spurred by fear, Damien sprang from his comfortable spot and, ignoring Francis's worried calls, raced through the labyrinthine carpeted corridors in search of his father. The muted glow of recessed lights guided him through the dimly lit hallways, their beams casting eerie shadows on the ornate wooden furnishings that adorned the estate.

Wood was one of the most expensive materials, almost impossible to procure as Earth was unapproachable and the water required to grow it made it a luxury only the powerful Moon elite could afford.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Finally, Damien found his father in the drawing room, his eyes locked on the painting of a beautiful woman – Damien's late mother, Giulia. A rare beauty, she had shoulder-length autumn red hair, and her white skin shone as bright as the lunar surface.

In contrast, Damien's father, Oscar Ainsworth, bore black hair and the weary complexion of a man who worked tirelessly, dark bags under his eyes, and pale skin.

"Father!" Damien called out, his voice wavering with concern. His father turned his gaze from the painting, his eyes brimming with a mix of love and sadness as they met Damien's.

"Yes, Damien?" he replied gently, his voice warm and soothing as Damien crushed like a freight train into him, hugging him tightly.

"I just heard from Francis that you're leaving for the council meeting today. I… I just wanted to say goodbye and make sure you'll be okay."

A tender smile spread across his father's face as he knelt at Damien's level, wrapping him in a comforting embrace. "Don't worry, Damien. Your father is untouchable, nothing bad can happen to me." He said with a proud smile.

"But, do you really have to go?" Damien asked, tears welling up in his green eyes.

His father sighed, understanding the fear that lingered behind his son's gaze. "I know that Grandpa's disappearance was a tragedy, but we must continue to fulfill our duties as one of the twelve families." He finished with a grimace, aware that any hint of weakness could be disastrous if the other families were to catch wind of it.

He pulled away, looking deeply into Damien's eyes. "I need you to be strong while I'm away and take care of the estate. You are the future of our family, and I have every confidence in you."

Damien nodded, determination replacing his initial fear. "I will, Father. I promise."

His father stood up and, as he prepared to leave, ruffled Damien's hair affectionately. "I love you, and I'll see you soon."

With those parting words, Damien watched his father exit the drawing room, a newfound sense of responsibility and courage swelling in his chest.

As Damien's father was leaving, he paused for a moment, a distant, troubled look in his eyes. He glanced at Damien, then sighed deeply.

"Damien, there's something important I need to tell you. But," he hesitated, weighing his words carefully, "I think it's best to wait until you're older, when you're ready to understand the true nature of the universe and the dangers it holds."

He placed a reassuring hand on Damien's shoulder, his gaze filled with a mixture of concern and determination. "One day, I will tell you all about it. But for now, focus on your studies. Trust that I will be here to guide you when the time comes." He smiled, staring right into his son's eyes.

"And if I don't," His face growing darker. "remember these words: In the darkest hour, the light within the family crest will lead the way." This said, he gave a kiss on the forehead of his puzzled son and left.

Damien then sat down on his father's armchair, his gaze returning to his mother's portrait. Though she had died during childbirth, Damien often found himself lost in thought as he stared at the painting, wondering about the countless questions he would never have answers to.

Time flew by, and Damien watched from the window in the drawing room as his father, accompanied by a few bodyguards, boarded the sleek, golden shuttle that would take him to Tycho City.

Before the door closed though, he saw General Fernand Ainsworth accosting his father and discussing something that made the man frown, the two discussed something more before the man left with a bow, probably to handle the orders given by the master of the house.

The abrupt sound of the door unlocking startled him, causing him to swiftly pivot and find his cousin Robert stepping into the room, wearing a broad smile. "Well, hello there, cousin! How are you doing?" Robert inquired suspiciously cheerfully as he approached young Damien.

Glancing momentarily at Giulia's painting with an inexplicable intensity, which eluded the comprehension of a preadolescent boy, Robert settled himself in the same spot where Oscar had been seated earlier.

Uncomfortable with his presence, Damien replied with a forced politeness, "Oh, hello, cousin Robert." He had never felt at ease with this particular cousin. There was something about him that emanated an unsettling aura, often speaking softly and lingering on the periphery during social gatherings.

"Are you feeling nervous because daddy is leaving?" Robert asked, noticing Damien's fidgety demeanor. "You have nothing to worry about. As long as I'm around, who would dare to trouble my precious cousin?" He grinned brightly.

Then, as if he hadn't said anything concerning, he clapped his hands and gestured for Damien to come closer. "Actually, there's something I'd love to show you. Come here," he said, his voice full of secrecy, digging into his inner pocket.

With hesitation, Damien approached and peered inside Robert's coat.

Suddenly, snap! A silver, eel-like serpent shot out from his coat, its jaws snapping dangerously close to Damien's face, causing him to fall backward onto his buttocks.

"Hahaha, don't worry, cousin. Nala doesn't bite, right, girl?" The strange eel-like snake hissed and snapped its jagged teeth at Robert. "Okay, maybe she bites a little," he chuckled darkly.

"Is that a..." Damien asked incredulously, and Robert nodded proudly.

"Yes, indeed. I've just returned from Cassino, and this is my first contracted guardian, Nala, an ethereal serpentine." he explained, caressing the beast's translucent cyan-blue scales.

The ethereal serpentine rose from Robert`s inner pocket and slithered upwards coiling around his neck, still, Damien`s couldn`t see the end of it, the thing was at least three meters tall, with pointy spines along it's back and beady eyes.

Cassino was one of the populated worlds that could be reached throught the portals opened with ritualistic magic. Life conditions on those portal worlds were usually extreme, with hyper-aggressive fauna and organized native populations antagonistic to anything human. However, the unique exotic resources still attracted thousands fortune seekers every year.

As Damien stared at the alien creature, a new precence entered the room.

Francis, slightly huffing as if he had been running until now, entered the room while wiping his brown with a white handkerchief. "There you are young master!" he said relieved, then noticed Robert and Nala. "You are not supposed to have a contracted guardian out." He pointed furrowing his brown.

Robert smiled as if nothing had happened, and with a wave the snake disappeared in a shower of sparks, returning to the spirit doman where contracted guardians would stay when not summoned. "Damien wanted to see it, and who am I to refuse the direct wished of the young master. am I right Damien?" He retorted, his eyes narrowing to slits harrowingly similar to those of his spirit guardian.

"The shuttle!" Suddenly attracted by a flash of light, Damien disengaged from the conversation and turned to the window.

He pressed his hands against the glass, his breath fogging the cold surface, as the shuttle's engines roared to life and it began to ascend towards the starry sky.

As the shuttle picked up speed, Damien's heart raced with worry and amazement, but he tried to remain strong, just as his father had asked of him. He also convinced himself that nothing could go wrong; his father was a prodigious summoner, capable of calling forth interdimensional guardians many times stronger than Robert's little snake.

In an unforeseen turn of events, emerging from the vast expanse of the cosmos, an enigmatic rogue asteroid materialized, hurtling through the void with an alarming velocity that left the beholder breathless.

Alarms blared throughout the estate, with red flashing lights and warning on the P.A system that Damien didn`t hear as he stared in horror at the blazing asteroid moving at unimaginable speeds. Heart pounding in his chest.

The estate's defense system, equipped with cannons designed to blast away any potential threats from space debris, sprang into action. Dozens of cannons and turrets emerged from hidden underground bunkers, ready to unleash their fury.

However, as the human-operated cannons swiveled to target the intruder, an explosion and subsequent blackout struck the facility, paralyzing the cannons. The red lights went off, the blaring alarms went quiet.

And in the silence and darkness, the asteroid collided with the shuttle in a sudden burst of light and energy as the volatile rocket fuel ignited, causing a brief but devastating explosion.

Debris from the wreckage scattered across the moon's surface, kicking up plumes of lunar dust that danced in the vacuum of space. Though there were no flames or smoke as there would have been on Earth, the sight was no less horrifying for Damien, who could only watch as the catastrophe claimed his father's life.

"NO! NO! NO!" He screamed powerlessly to the window, pummeling the cold glass like a rabid animal. His face turned red, then purple as he slid down to the floor, his hands bleeding against the window.

He felt alone and abandoned. No father, no mother. He was an orphan.

A hand on his shoulder startled him, and he turned to see Francis, who had neared him. The majordomo's face was etched with sorrow and shock, his eyes misty as he looked upon the wreckage.

"Young master," Francis whispered, his voice trembling. He seemed as if he wanted to say something more, but the words died in his throat.

Instead, he kneeled and hugged him.

Tears streamed down Damien's face as the reality of the situation crashed down on him like a tidal wave. His father was gone, and he was now the head of the Ainsworth family.

His heart ached with the pain of loss, but deep within him, a fire of determination began to burn. He would find out what had caused the cannons' malfunction and who was responsible for this tragedy, a