Auralis Haven, Alpine Confederation Zone
New Geneva, European Federation Zone
United Earth Federation
2435 A.D
The rail hissed as its magnetic coils disengaged, slowing into a smooth glide. The translucent hull dimmed to amber transparency, revealing the world outside.
Auralis Haven unfolded like a vision.
The city was suspended between the alpine ridges, built upon tiers of interlocking light-bridges and crystalline platforms. Each structure shimmered as though carved from living glass, refracting sunlight into cascading ribbons that danced across the mountainsides.
Rivers of condensed energy ran through aqueduct channels, their glow pulsing in rhythm with the city's heart. And at the center—like the axis of a radiant crown—rose the Solstice Spire, a towering column of gold-white crystal that connected the upper sky to the valley below.
As the TRR Spur slid into the Haven Terminal, Naia felt her throat tighten at the feeling she got from the city. The air itself shimmered faintly, as if woven from liquid glass. Every breath carried a subtle hum—a vibration at the edge of hearing that resonated in Naia's bones. Her physiology, human and imperfect, strained to process the energy saturating the atmosphere. The entire terminal seemed alive with it.
When the platform gates opened, it wasn't with the hiss of hydraulics but a whisper, a sound like light folding open. A cool, luminous breeze swept through the station, smelling faintly of ozone and crystalline rain. It was crisp and almost metallic, yet invigorating—cleaner, sharper, impossibly pure compared to the dense, recycled air of New Boston. Even the atmosphere itself glowed with a faint pearlescent tint, dense with unseen particles.
"Be careful," Ellira said softly, her tone edged with quiet concern. "The Lumenis levels here have been adjusted to the standards of our original world. Humans sometimes find it… overwhelming at first."
Naia blinked, her bloodline gem flickering faintly in her heart socket.
"I can feel it," she admitted. "It's heavier than air. Like the city's breathing through me."
Ellira nodded. "That's not far from the truth."
Lumenis—the living light of the soul. The word carried weight. It was what the Luminia called the essence that flowed through all things, the same radiant power that their Gems stored and refined. Humanity, centuries ago, had once called it gem energy—a crude and limited term. But when the Luminia revealed themselves during the Revelation Era, they brought with them the true understanding of it: that Lumenis was not mere energy, but a crystallized form of soul essence, a harmonized echo of consciousness itself.
According to Luminian doctrine, Lumenis was the breath of existence—neither purely material nor spiritual, but the bridge between both. Every Gem was a vessel shaped by resonance, holding the living frequency of a being's inner light. It was the foundation of their science, their art, their theology.
Humanity, of course, had redefined it. Mysticism had long fallen out of favor in human civilization; what could not be quantified was dismissed, what could not be replicated was myth. The Luminia's revelation forced a paradigm shift, yet mankind still framed it through the language of physics and engineering. To humans, Lumenis became a power source—an energetic constant measurable through quantum harmonics, used to propel engines, power implants, and enhance weaponry.
But to the Luminia, it remained sacred.
Naia remembered an old human saying, something she'd heard once in an academy lecture: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Looking out at Auralis Haven, she realized that statement had never been truer. The city was technology so refined it had become art—and art so intricate it had become faith. Every structure, every particle of light seemed to exist in perfect equilibrium, obeying laws humanity barely understood.
Ellira exhaled softly. Her tense shoulders eased, the glow of her Luminis crest stabilizing to a tranquil white-gold hue.
"Home," she said, barely above a whisper.
Naia turned toward Ellira, watching the way the Luminian's outline shimmered faintly under the city's ambient glow, her very presence harmonizing with the field around her.
"I can see why you call it home," Naia murmured.
Ellira smiled faintly. "Home is what remembers you. For us, the Haven remembers everything—our history, our failures, and the light we lost when we left our world behind."
The terminal itself was breathtaking. Unlike the mechanical sprawl of Helios Gate Station, the Haven Terminal felt alive. Its walls pulsed gently, their surfaces covered in intricate latticework that glowed with flowing glyphs. Passengers drifted past in near silence—Luminia in flowing attire that shimmered like liquid light, their steps weightless, their faces calm. Their skin was totally different from Ellira's. Their's were crystalline, translucent, shimmering with internal refractions that made them appear ethereal and inhumanely beautiful, with pointed ears.
Naia caught herself staring. Ellira noticed and smiled faintly.
"They don't like noise," she explained. "Every surface here absorbs vibration—it's designed to keep the flux in balance."
"Flux?" Naia echoed.
"The pulse of the Weave," Ellira said, gesturing around them. "Everything in Auralis Haven is part of it—the buildings, the light, even the air. The city isn't built on energy. It is energy."
Naia's gaze swept across the massive atrium where Luminian architecture met the faint traces of human design—safety rails, embedded scanners, data terminals discreetly tucked beneath veils of light. "So that's why your people call it a living enclave," she murmured.
Ellira nodded. "It's what makes us… different."
As they approached the exit corridor, a security detachment waited—four Luminian guards in silver exo-vestments and photonic visors that emitted faint beams scanning every arrival. When they saw Ellira, they relaxed their stances slightly. One of them placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head in greeting.
"Eren Solé Ellira Solenne," he said in melodic Luminis Cantus. "Vael thera Sae'Luméthra." As a Corporate Dynasty-born human, Naia had grown up learning multiple languages of Earth's past that were currently dead languages. She was fluent in speaking a foreign tongue, and the Luminia language was no different.
Exchange of languages was one of the key benefits that had been agreed upon when the first treaty between mankind and the Luminias. So Naia understood what the Guard had said.
Envoy Ellira Solenne, welcome back to the Haven.
Ellira bowed her head in return, then turned to Naia.
"This is Agent Naia Vasselheim of the GSA. She's with me," she said clearly in English. "GSA authorization, Priority Level Alpha."
The guard glanced at Naia—his gaze unreadable behind the glowing visor—then nodded and gestured them through.
As they walked, Naia noticed the way eyes lingered on her. Not hostile, but cautious. She was an outsider in a city of light—a human walking through the heart of the Luminia's sanctuary during one of the most fragile moments in recent history.
"I see things are just as tense here as it is in New Boston," Naia said in Luminis Cantus. She chose to speak in the Luminia language as a gesture of goodwill, hoping to show the guards she meant no harm.
The reaction was immediate. The guards stopped mid-step, exchanging looks of disbelief. Even Ellira froze, her luminous eyes widening as she turned sharply toward Naia.
"What?" Naia asked, switching back to English. "Why is everyone staring at me?"
"You just spoke… you just spoke Luminis Cantus," Ellira said, her voice a mix of surprise and confusion.
Naia blinked. "Huh? It's not that big of a deal," she said with a light chuckle. "I'm sure you've heard humans speak your language before—just like you can speak English."
Ellira shook her head slowly. "It's not the same," she said. "It's easy for us to learn English, but most humans can hardly pronounce our tongue without breaking its harmony. The human voice just isn't built for it." She paused, studying Naia more closely. "But you…"
Naia raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"
Ellira hesitated before answering, her expression softening. "You spoke it perfectly. No distortion, no dissonance. It sounded… natural."
Naia blinked again, unsure how to respond. "Maybe I just got lucky," she said, though her tone carried a nervous edge.
Ellira didn't reply right away. Her gaze lingered on Naia, thoughtful and uncertain—as if something she had just witnessed didn't quite fit the logic she knew. Naia didn't like the way Ellira or the guards were looking at her. So she cleared her throat, deciding to stick to English for the rest of her stay here.
"So where are we going?" Naia asked.
"We've been asked to bring you to the Tower of Resonance," The Guard said.
****
The hover car carried them beyond Helios station, gliding effortlessly along a ribbon of light that curved into the city. Outside, Auralis Haven stretched outward like a living constellation. The roads weren't made of stone or concrete but of translucent layers of hardened Lumenis, alive with faint currents that pulsed beneath the surface. Each time someone walked across them, soft ripples of light fanned outward—as though the city itself acknowledged their presence.
Above, the skyline shimmered with crystalline towers linked by bridges of suspended light. Air-trams drifted gracefully through photonic arcs, their engines whispering instead of roaring. The entire city seemed to hum—not with mechanical noise, but with a subtle vibration Naia could feel deep in her senses. Her bloodline gem attuned her to frequencies others couldn't perceive, allowing her to hear the resonance that filled the air. It wasn't sound—it was harmony, a low, living symphony that thrummed through everything. For a moment, Naia simply let herself feel it. It was beautiful, being part of it.
She turned to Ellira, seated quietly beside her in the backseat. For a moment, Naia found herself studying the young envoy more closely. Ellira looked different from most Luminia she'd encountered. There was something softer, more human, in the contours of her face—the warmth in her eyes, the way the light touched her skin. The tribal markings along her cheeks glimmered faintly, intricate and symmetrical, and her ears tapered elegantly to subtle points.
Her skin carried a glow, but unlike the photonic or semi-crystalline complexion of most Luminia, Ellira's tone still appeared carbon-based, alive with organic depth. Naia knew she wasn't using glamour; no illusion was masking her form. This was who she truly was—a hybrid of light and life. Even among her own people, Ellira seemed different, as if standing at the intersection of two worlds and belonging fully to neither.
"I can feel you staring," Ellira said, her lips curving slightly.
Naia blinked and looked away. "Sorry," she said. Her eyes drifted back toward the window. "This place…" She trailed off, watching a column of Luminian children ascend a gravity spiral outside. Their laughter rang like soft bells, echoing through the luminous air. "It doesn't even feel real."
"I thought you said you've been here before," Ellira replied, her voice carrying a teasing warmth.
"I have," Naia said. "But only inside the Aegis Citadel. I never took a step beyond the GSA command center."
Outside, the brilliance of Auralis Haven stretched endlessly—a metropolis of over eight and a half million citizens, sixty percent Luminia, thirty-eight percent human, and a rare two percent Gem creatures. The balance demanded structure, and the Gem Security Agency had become essential to that equilibrium, a condition born from the original treaty that bound both species together. Naia had visited the GSA command center once as a child, but she'd never been permitted to see the rest of the city. To her, this was her first true glimpse of Auralis Haven.
"I spent half my childhood in the mothership before I was allowed to come down here," Ellira said, looking out her side of the vehicle. The reflection of the glowing skyline shimmered across her face. "I fell in love with the city the moment I set foot in it."
"The city feels alive," Naia murmured, her gaze following the shifting hues of the buildings as they passed. The entire skyline seemed to breathe, light pulsing through glass and crystal like veins beneath living skin.
"It is," Ellira said softly. "Everything in the Haven is symbiotic. The Luminis Weave sustains us, and we, in turn, maintain its harmony."
Naia smiled faintly. "It's beautiful."
But even as she said it, her eyes lingered on Ellira. The way the light from the passing towers danced over her features gave her an almost ethereal presence—neither wholly alien nor human. It made Naia feel something she couldn't quite name: curiosity tinged with quiet admiration.
The hover car descended deeper into the city, weaving through arcs of suspended light until the glowing districts began to shift from the radiant translucence of the inner quarters to the structured brilliance of the outer rings.
Auralis Haven was divided into four main arcs, each representing a facet of coexistence. The TRR spur station was located within the third arc, known as the Outer Radiant Arc—the district where the corporate dynasties operated under the joint supervision of human and Luminian administrations. And their destination was the Crown Spire District, the heart of the city.
Beyond the Outer Radiant Arc lay the Mid-Harmonic Belt, the civil heart of the city. This was where Auralis Haven truly breathed. Residential towers rose in graceful spirals, their crystalline surfaces refracting sunlight into spectral cascades. Educational institutes and commercial zones were interwoven seamlessly, connected by sleek Lumen trams that glided soundlessly along radiant tracks. Everywhere Naia looked, life moved in rhythm—a balanced mixture of Luminia, humans, and Resonant creatures sharing the same luminous streets.
The Mid-Harmonic Belt thrummed with energy. Vendors lined the translucent boulevards, their kiosks blooming with floating panels that displayed gem-crafted goods—socket converters, resonance charms, distilled lumen-tea in steaming crystal flasks. The air was warm and vibrant, tinged with the faint scent of ozone and citrus from the photonic flora that grew between the stalls.
Human shopkeepers called out mostly in English, their voices sharp and quick against the steady hum of the crowd. Some attempted to speak the Luminian tongue, but their cadence lacked the melodic precision Naia recognized in Ellira's speech. The Luminia responded with voices that shimmered—soft, rippling tones that lingered in the air like faint chimes. The two languages collided and danced through the market, creating a strange, beautiful dissonance that defined coexistence itself.
They passed into the Refraction Row, the main artery of the Belt—a marketplace spiraling upward along the eastern ridge. It was a place where goods from every arc, enclave, and colony found their way. The terraces were made of transparent glass, and beneath the feet of passing shoppers, veins of luminous quartz pulsed and flared in response to motion, tracing radiant trails of color wherever people walked.
It was alive, like the city itself—each movement, each sound, each flicker of light contributing to the grand harmonic resonance of Auralis Haven. Further up the slope stood the Harmony Lofts—residential towers of curved, modular glass tuned to the resonance of their inhabitants. Each building shimmered faintly, responding to the emotional frequencies of those within. From a distance, life here appeared serene: soft lights pulsing gently through the windows, aerial gardens blooming along terraces suspended in the air. Yet beneath the calm surface, Naia could feel the subtle dissonance—a quiet separation woven into the harmony. Humans and Luminia lived side by side, but rarely together. Coexistence, for all its beauty, still felt like a dream suspended just out of reach.
Beyond the lofts rose the Crown Spire District, a citadel of luminous towers fused by arched bridges of pure refraction glass. The air here was thinner, charged with a clean, electric clarity that sharpened every sound and color. Civil life moved at a hushed rhythm—voices softened, footsteps muted against glass walkways. Each tower emitted a low, resonant hum, all linked to the Treaty Axis Crystal housed deep within the Tower of Resonance, the core that anchored the city's balance between both species.
Most who lived here were officials, diplomats, or researchers. Humans in formal gem-woven suits walked beside Luminia, whose garments shimmered like silk spun from sunlight. The faint mingling of languages—measured English tones and flowing Luminian harmonics—blended into a subdued cadence that echoed through the radiant air.
Their hovercar glided to a stop at the edge of the Axis Plaza, a vast circular concourse that lay before the Tower of Resonance. The plaza itself was a masterpiece of symmetry, its surface inlaid with prismatic veins that pulsed in rhythmic waves beneath their feet. Above, suspended high in the tower's crown, the Prism Core rotated slowly, its faceted surface reflecting a thousand shifting hues—like light caught between worlds, forever refracting yet never fading.
Naia and Ellira got out of the hovercar after it parked in the visitor lot, the presence of the tower—and the Prism Core's energy field—pressing down on her senses.
The air felt different here. Denser. The resonance was not the soft, harmonic pulse she'd felt throughout the city, but something heavier—structured, controlled. Each breath carried a faint metallic tang, like static caught in the lungs. The Tower of Resonance loomed before them, its crystalline walls refracting the ambient light into shifting ribbons that danced across the plaza. The slow rotation of the Prism Core high above sent rhythmic waves through the ground, subtle yet impossible to ignore.
Naia paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as she attuned herself. The hum of the field vibrated through her bones, brushing against the Lumenis pathways in her prosthetic arm.
"It's… overwhelming," she said quietly.
Ellira turned to her, her own Luminis crest around her robe glowing faintly in response to the tower's presence.
"You're sensitive to the resonance, aren't you?" She said.
"I can feel the weave patterns," Naia replied. "It's like the air's alive, listening."
Ellira nodded. "That's the Treaty Axis crystal. It amplifies the Weave's equilibrium across the enclave. The Prism Core stabilizes both frequencies—human lattice energy and Luminian Weave pathway. Without it, Auralis Haven would collapse under its own imbalance."
Naia looked up at the rotating core, its mirrored surface splitting the sunlight into prismatic halos.
"And that's what both our worlds depend on," she murmured. "A fragile peace held together by light."
They approached the security checkpoint at the base of the tower. Human officers in black-and-silver GSA uniforms stood beside Luminian wardens draped in photonic robes, both sets of personnel moving with quiet precision. The blend of technologies was seamless—holo-terminals of human design interlaced with floating glyphs of Luminian origin, translating data in real time between languages of light and code.
"Identification," a GSA officer requested, voice firm but polite. His visor flickered as he scanned Naia's wrist socket, the gold veins of her gem pulsing faintly beneath the light.
"Agent Naia Vasselheim," she said. "Special clearance, under Director Varrin's order."
The officer glanced at the holo-screen, then nodded and turned to Ellira.
"Envoy Ellira Solenne," she said softly, placing her palm over the scanner. Her signature flared across the interface—a luminous glyph shaped like interwoven rings.
The checkpoint lights shifted from amber to blue, signaling approval. "Clearance confirmed. Welcome to the Tower of Resonance," the officer said.
As they stepped past the gate, the atmosphere shifted again. Inside, the Tower's corridors glowed with translucent light veins that pulsed in rhythm with the Prism Core's heartbeat above. The hum of resonance filled every corner—not mechanical, but alive, as though the structure itself was breathing.
Naia's gem vibrated faintly, its light syncing with the field. "It's harmonizing with me," she said quietly, flexing her fingers.
"It does that to anyone with a strong lumen signature," Ellira replied. "But you… It's reacting stronger than usual."
They exchanged a look that lingered for a moment longer than either expected.
Then, a voice broke the silence.
A Luminia woman approached from the far end of the corridor, her steps as fluid as light on water. She was dressed in the formal robe of an Envoy—woven with faint strands of gold filament that shimmered whenever she moved. Her brown hair fell in sleek, straight lines past her shoulders, and though her form was human-like, her skin retained the ethereal luminescence of her kind. Delicate tribal markings curved along her cheeks, glowing faintly beneath the ambient light, and her pointed ears framed a face of serene poise.
She had the kind of beauty all Luminia seemed to possess—otherworldly, symmetrical, untouched by time.
"You must be Agent Naia Vasselheim and Envoy Ellira Solenne," she said, her tone smooth and melodic. "I'm Representative Nelly Sorye. I've been assigned to escort you to Representative Malcolm's office."
Naia raised an eyebrow. She had expected resistance—delays, excuses, perhaps the usual diplomatic wall that came whenever humans tried to dig too deep into Luminian affairs. But the woman's openness suggested either confidence or control. Transparency, Naia knew, could sometimes hide more than it revealed.
Still, she kept her expression neutral. "Thank you," Naia said.
"Of course," Nelly replied, inclining her head politely before turning down the hall. "If you'll follow me."
They fell into step behind her as she led them toward the lift conduits that spiraled upward along the Tower's inner wall. As they moved, Nelly's voice took on a measured, professional cadence—soft enough to be pleasant, firm enough to command attention.
"The Tower of Resonance is divided into five administrative tiers," she explained as the lift ascended in a column of pale light. "Each tier corresponds to one of the core harmonics of the Treaty Axis. The lower floors handle civic management—trade, immigration, and energy regulation. The middle floors house research divisions, including resonance stability and flux-lattice integration studies. The upper tiers—where Representative Malcolm worked—are reserved for diplomatic affairs and classified archives."
Naia watched the glowing structures pass beyond the transparent lift walls. "And the Prism Core controls all of it?" she asked.
"In a way," Nelly said. "It doesn't control—it moderates. The Core harmonizes human and Luminian energy signatures across the enclave. Every decision made in this tower is echoed through it."
Ellira glanced at Naia, sensing the faint curiosity that flickered in her expression. "It's a living network," she explained quietly. "Our version of a soul for the city."
Nelly smiled faintly at Ellira's words. "An apt description, Envoy Solenne."
The lift slowed, and the light around them dimmed to a soft amber hue as the doors opened onto the Upper Administrative Floor. The corridor beyond was lined with crystalline partitions and silver-inlaid panels that reflected their movements like ripples in water. At the far end, an arched doorway pulsed faintly with containment seals.
"That," Nelly said, gesturing toward it, "is Representative Malcolm Hynes's office. It has been sealed since the day of the incident."
Naia exchanged a brief look with Ellira before turning back to Nelly. "Then let's see what he left behind."
Nelly nodded, and with a graceful motion of her hands, traced a series of glowing sigils into the air. The seals along the doorframe flared, concentric rings of light folding inward before dissolving into particles that faded like dust motes. A soft hiss followed as the chamber unlocked, and the doors parted with a gentle hum.
Inside was a spacious office—larger than Naia expected. The walls were smooth and bright white, their surface alive with a faint photonic shimmer that made the air itself seem to glow. Rows of shelves lined the walls, filled with databooks—thin crystal spines pulsing with stored information. A wide desk sat near the center, its surface perfectly ordered, as though its owner might return at any moment.
The room's calm, serene atmosphere felt out of place. After the chaos of New Boston and the tension surrounding the bombing, the stillness here was almost unsettling.
Naia stepped inside, her boots making a soft sound against the luminous floor. "What did Malcolm Hynes actually do here?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. "I know he was involved in the Gem Access Treaty negotiations, but what exactly was his role?"
Nelly folded her hands as she stepped closer to the desk, her expression thoughtful. "Malcolm was an adamant supporter of the integration program between our peoples. He believed true peace would come only through cooperation—shared science, shared technology, shared power. Even before he was appointed a Representative, he had been working with the Luminia Concord on developing synthetic socket implant technology. That was his primary project."
Naia frowned slightly. "Synthetic sockets," she repeated. "I've heard about that." Her gaze dropped to her prosthetic arm, the lattice veins beneath the skin pulsing faintly in response to her Lumenis field. "House Celestex released the synthetic socket line two years ago. They even signed licensing contracts to sell them to your people."
"Yes," Nelly said, inclining her head. "Malcolm was instrumental in that arrangement. With synthetic sockets, our kind can finally channel Gems safely, much like humans. It was a breakthrough in interspecies compatibility—one that bridged the biological divide."
Ellira moved closer to one of the shelves, fingertips brushing over a databook's smooth crystalline surface. "I remember hearing about the early prototypes," she said softly. "They were unstable at first—too much Luminis energy caused feedback loops in the socket's conduit system."
Nelly gave a faint, approving smile. "You're well-informed, Envoy Solenne. Malcolm worked tirelessly to resolve that instability. He believed that once the Concord achieved parity in socket integration, it would mark the first true step toward unity. He said it would 'erase the boundary between light and flesh.'"
Naia's eyes narrowed. "That's a poetic way to describe rewriting biology."
Nelly glanced at her. "Perhaps. But for Malcolm, it wasn't just science. It was philosophy. He thought that only by sharing the same conduits—the same resonance pathways—could we ever understand one another completely."
Naia turned away from the desk, her gaze sweeping the spotless room once more. "And yet, the man who dreamed of unity was killed in an explosion designed to tear both our worlds apart."
The air between them went still for a moment. The faint hum of the photonic lights was the only sound.
Ellira looked up from the shelf, her golden eyes reflecting the soft radiance of the room. "It doesn't make sense," she said quietly. "If he was this valuable, why kill him? Who would gain from his death?"
Naia didn't answer. Her prosthetic fingers flexed, the faint glow tracing along the socket seams like threads of molten gold. "That's what we're here to find out," she murmured.
Naia and Ellira spent the next hour combing through Malcolm's office. The room remained unnervingly immaculate—too perfect, as if someone had scrubbed not just his records but his presence. Databooks lined the walls like silent witnesses, their crystal spines pulsing faintly with archived light. Ellira sifted through them one by one, scanning pages of treaties, correspondence logs, and project notes. Naia moved between shelves and drawers, checking his personal lumenpads and encrypted drives, looking for anything out of place.
In the end, they found nothing. Every file, every record, every datapad painted the same picture—Malcolm Hynes: idealist, visionary, diplomat. A good man working toward coexistence between species. Too good.
"There's nothing here that tells us why anyone would want to kill him," Ellira said, setting down a tablet containing notes on the Gem Access Treaty. She exhaled, her voice heavy with frustration. Much of the data she recognized—she had worked with Marienne and Malcolm on parts of the same project. There was nothing new, nothing incriminating.
Across the room, Naia sat on one of the sleek white chairs near the corner, flipping through a dossier Nelly had provided on Malcolm's personal life. Her expression was unreadable. "It looks like the UEF gave him free rein with his diplomatic projects," she said slowly. "That kind of autonomy isn't common. Especially not for something as politically volatile as the Gem Access Treaty."
"Malcolm had influence," Ellira said. "He believed in the treaty more than anyone. Sometimes he made it seem like he wanted it to succeed even more than we did." She smiled faintly, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I thought it was… commendable, for a human."
Naia leaned back, tapping the edge of the file against her leg. "Hmm. It's too clean."
Ellira frowned. "Too clean?"
Naia looked up, her gaze sharp. "Yeah. I trust my instincts more than paperwork—and they're telling me something is missing. Malcolm was a top researcher for House Celestex before becoming a diplomat. A man with that kind of record doesn't just walk away from a successful scientific career for politics unless there's a reason."
"Maybe he wanted to do something more meaningful with his life," Ellira offered. "Maybe helping build a better world was more fulfilling than the lab."
Naia shook her head. "No. I know these types of people—scientists who live for discovery. They don't abandon their work when they're close to something groundbreaking. And from what I've read, Malcolm was one of those people. So why leave House Celestex?"
Ellira's brow furrowed. "What are you suggesting?"
Naia stood, pacing slowly toward the desk. "I'm saying that corporate dynasties like Celestex don't just let someone like him walk away freely—especially not with the kind of proprietary research he had access to. No one leaves with secrets that valuable."
Ellira's voice dropped. "You think House Celestex is involved in this?"
Naia stopped, resting a hand on the back of the chair. "I don't know yet. But I do know one thing—we've only seen half the picture. His time at Celestex isn't mentioned anywhere in these files."
At that moment, the door slid open with a soft hiss. Nelly Sorye entered, her calm expression unchanged. Naia turned toward her, standing straight.
"Representative Sorye," Naia said. "Is it possible to access any records on Malcolm's time with House Celestex?"
Nelly hesitated. "House Celestex?" she repeated. "I'm afraid not. The UEF only authorized clearance for his diplomatic work. Anything from his research career falls under Celestex jurisdiction."
Naia nodded slowly, her tone steady but edged with certainty. "That's what I thought. Meaning if we want the truth, we'll have to get it from Celestex directly."
"I doubt they'll cooperate," Nelly said carefully.
Naia allowed herself a brief, humorless smile. "Yeah, I doubt that too. But we'll try anyway."
She glanced over at Ellira, who was already gathering the datapads they had reviewed. "C'mon," Naia said. "We'll head over and make contact. I'll send word ahead to announce our inquiry."
"Sure," Ellira said, falling into step beside her.
"Where to?" she asked as they reached the door.
Naia looked back once at Malcolm's spotless office, her expression tightening. "Aegis Citadel," she said. "If Celestex knows anything, that's where we'll find it."
****
There, rising from the alpine bedrock like a citadel of two worlds fused, stood the Aegis Citadel. It was both fortress and city: a colossal hexagonal complex girded with photon-deflective towers that gleamed like prisms under the sun. The walls shimmered with active defense grids, while beneath them, industrial avenues connected to crystalline platforms that pulsed with Luminian light. The structure embodied the uneasy harmony of Auralis itself—human steel and discipline woven seamlessly with Luminian radiance.
It was the human heart of the Haven, and for Naia, the most familiar—and perhaps safest—place within this luminous world. The hovercar slowed as it approached the checkpoint that marked the entrance to the GSA fortress. Twin security pylons projected an amber barrier across the lane, scanning the vehicle's identification codes in a cascade of shifting glyphs. The Luminia guard in the front seat transmitted their clearance through a palm scan, and a moment later, the barrier dissolved into mist, allowing them through. They entered a corridor of dense fog—part natural condensation, part atmospheric shielding. The vehicle's lights cut through the haze, revealing the silhouette of the Aegis Citadel ahead.
Six colossal bastion towers loomed from the alpine plateau, connected by skybridges forged from luminous alloy. Their external armor plates were inlaid with resonant gems that shimmered beneath the surface, giving the metal a living, chromatic pulse. At night, those embedded gems radiated faint waves of Lumenis energy, turning the fortress into a beacon of light and authority. At the center of it all rose the Helios Tower—the citadel's heart and command nexus.
It speared into the sky higher than any other structure in Auralis Haven, its crown wrapped in glowing energy conduits that spiraled like threads of sunlight. Within it lay the nerve core of the fortress—the command hub, reactor control, and tactical operations center of the entire GSA presence in the enclave. The hovercar descended toward the visitor platform, gliding past defense drones and patrol mechs before settling into the designated bay. As the doors opened, the crisp alpine air swept in, carrying the faint scent of ozone and photonic discharge.
A guard awaited them, his armor reflecting both light and shadow. Without a word, he gestured for them to follow. Naia stepped out first, her gaze lifting toward the towering structure that dominated the skyline. Even after years of service, the Aegis Citadel still managed to impress her—it wasn't just a fortress; it was a declaration of strength. They followed the guard into the corporate atrium, where the tone shifted from military austerity to polished grandeur.
The hall stretched high above them, lined with banners that hung in perfect symmetry—each representing one of the major corporate dynasties that operated under the GSA's oversight. Naia's eyes traced the crests as they passed: Aurion, Celestex, Chronostone, Mirage, and finally, her own—Vasselheim. The sigil glowed faintly against its black and gold backdrop, the sight stirring a quiet mix of pride and unease in her chest.
A human attendant waited for them inside the vast atrium, standing poised beneath the glass canopy that overlooked the Aegis Citadel's internal courtyard. The woman wore the official uniform of House Celestex—a deep green suit embroidered with silver filaments that curved into spiraling branch patterns, the corporate dynasty's emblem. Her crimson hair was tied neatly into a high ponytail, and her polished demeanor reflected the corporate precision Celestex was known for. She was roughly Naia's height, her gaze sharp but courteous.
"Agent Vasselheim," the woman said with a professional smile, though her tone carried a hint of practiced regret. "My apologies. Had we known of your visit several hours in advance, I would have saved you the trouble of making this trip."
Naia's eyes narrowed slightly. "I sent word ahead," she said. "You received it. So what's going on?"
The attendant's smile didn't falter. "You know precisely what's going on. As someone affiliated with a corporate dynasty yourself, you understand our boundaries. Celestex cannot disclose proprietary data, especially regarding projects or personnel under sealed contract. Representative Malcolm Hynes's work here falls under such classification. Only those with direct authorization from the Board—or a secured UEF order—can access his files."
Naia folded her arms, her prosthetic hand gleaming faintly under the atrium's light. "Please don't make me go through the trouble of getting a warrant," she said evenly.
The woman tilted her head slightly, her smile hardening into corporate neutrality. "Of course, if you wish to pursue a warrant, that is entirely within your rights, Agent Vasselheim." Her tone made it clear she didn't expect one to arrive anytime soon. "Otherwise," she added, inclining her head in polite dismissal, "I do hope the rest of your day proves more… productive."
With that, she turned crisply on her heel and walked away, her footsteps echoing softly against the marble-like floor of the atrium until she disappeared behind one of the glass partitions.
For a moment, only the hum of the Citadel's energy conduits filled the silence. Ellira looked around at the towering green-white pillars and faintly glowing vines that crawled along the walls—living architecture mixed with human geometry, elegant yet sterile.
"What was that supposed to be?" Ellira asked, frustration breaking through her usual composure.
Naia let out a quiet sigh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Exactly what I was expecting."
Her tone was flat, but her eyes told another story—a mix of irritation and resolve. She'd dealt with corporate diplomacy before; it always came with that same veneer of politeness wrapped around a wall of refusal. Celestex wasn't just hiding something—they were protecting it.
Naia glanced at the sealed doors leading deeper into the complex, the emblem of spiraling branches glowing faintly upon them. "They're covering their tracks," she muttered. "And whatever Malcolm knew, it started here."
Ellira looked to her, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Then what now?"
Naia's lips curved into a faint, determined smile. "Now," she said, "we find another way in."