Athena gasped, struggling to catch her breath. Her mind was stuck in a tumultuous storm of fear and dread as the masked man's words and actions still resonated in her mind. The violent killing, the faces of her comrades' death—until suddenly, it was drowned out.
"Athena!"
Her father's voice came through the darkness.
"Stay focused. Remember your training. We need you to stay strong."
Like sunlight piercing a storm, his words shattered the grip of fear, grounding her in the present.
Snapping out of her daze, she quickly turned towards the shuttle window.
"Father…" she cried, her hands pressed on the glass.
Suddenly, the shuttle jolted violently, slamming her back into her seat. The g-force pinned her down. As her eyes darted around, her body screamed to shut down, but she wasn't about to give in. Not now.
"Y-you can do this, Athena…" she said. "Just hold on."
Gripping the controls of her shuttle, her gaze locked on the challenging path ahead.
Scattered before her were hundreds of floating mountains known as skylands, each uniquely sculpted by unseen forces into a mesmerizing array of shapes and sizes. Some skylands were crowned with breathtaking cities, their buildings seamlessly interwoven with nature. Thick clouds enveloped them like pillows, and a network of bridges and highways stretched between them, creating a surreal aerial labyrinth.
Suddenly, the shuttle computer spoke, "Warning! Warning! Threat detected."
A shrill alarm followed—"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"
"System… could you show me the threat?"
"Right away."
The display beside her flickered.
"Three unidentified shuttles detected. Distance: 50 meters… 49… 48… 47…"
"That's enough…"
Through the rear camera feed, two small pods came into view—trailing a larger, monstrous vessel. Its silhouette resembled a demonic beast, and it radiated an aura of dark, oppressive energy.
She closed her eyes, reaching out with her senses to feel the energy.
Then her eyes shot open. "What is this power?" she whispered as a chill ran down her spine.
"System, disengage the autopilot."
As control shifted to manual, she gripped the controls and pushed the shuttle to its limits, surging into action.
The shuttle darted between suspended roadways, ascending into the towering maze of the cloud-cradled metropolis. Engines roared, and energy blasts cracked through the air as the enemy shuttle closed in fast.
"Warning!" said the computer. "Approaching restricted zone: the Collection. Entry is strictly prohibited. Navigating through will result in imminent death."
Athena narrowed her eyes. "There's no other way."
Before her loomed the Collection—a cluster of floating islands, a labyrinthine network of densely packed skylands stretched as far as the eye could see. The area was swarmed with a tangled web of bridges and buildings extending out into the path.
The area was infamous: a deathtrap of blind turns, collapsing structures, and zero margin for error. One wrong move, and she'd be swallowed by the abyss below. But it was her only shot at shaking the enemy.
"Ahh!" she yelled, yanking the controls hard as she twisted through the narrow, winding pathways. The shuttle veered sharply, skimming past a massive support pillar by inches.
"That was way too close," she muttered.
Behind her, the demon shuttle closed in. Its weapon systems flared to life, glowing ominously as a high-pitched screech filled the air—charging for a devastating strike.
A prickling sensation crawled up Athena's spine, a wave of dark energy pressing against her like a phantom touch.
"Computer… Please, show me the pursuers."
The display blinked to life, and her eyes widened in alarm. A massive sphere of energy had begun forming at the nose of the demon craft.
Reacting quickly, she flipped a red switch, and the thrusters ignited, propelling her shuttle forward in an instant. The enemy's energy blast followed, but it missed her shuttle and struck the foundation of a skyland, causing a massive explosion.
"Ahh!" she cried out, shielding her face as the shockwave threw her shuttle, spinning wildly into the thick, billowing clouds.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two more thunderous detonations followed.
"Did… did I stop them?" she gasped, scanning the chaos behind her. But the haze was too thick—impossible to see anything clearly.
Then, for the briefest moment, the clouds parted—just long enough for her to catch a glimpse of disaster. A skyland crumbled. A tower fell. People—tiny, helpless figures—plummeted into the void.
Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no… I—I didn't mean to… I'm so sorry…"
Guilt twisted in her chest, but it quickly turned to fury.
This wasn't her fault. The real monster was still out there. And if it was still out there, then she could lead it away.
Her eyes narrowed with resolve.
"This is my chance," she whispered, slamming the throttle forward.
With visibility gone, she relied entirely on the ship's sensors, eyes locked on the flickering data. The world outside became a disorienting blur of gray as she fled deeper into the obscuring clouds.
After what felt like an eternity, her sensors finally confirmed it—the demon shuttle was no longer in pursuit. She exhaled a shaky breath and eased off the throttle. Slumping back in her seat, she let her eyes drift shut, trying to steady the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
But peace didn't last.
The scenes of destruction replayed in her mind like a nightmare on loop. She bolted upright. "Father! I have to go back!"
Her fingers flew across the console, activating the shuttle's radio. Static hissed through the speakers.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called.
Only the unrelenting white noise answered.
"Hello? Please, someone…"
Still nothing.
She shut off the radio and quickly reached for the emergency shuttle phone—but it was dead too. Every attempt at communication failed.
She was completely cut off.
Athena's thoughts drifted back to home—but her father's final words echoed in her mind.
"The world depends on me…" she whispered. "I wonder what he meant by that?"
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter, I have to do this.
Even if she turned back, what could she really accomplish? Whoever was after her wasn't finished—and if they were hunting her, then she would make sure their trail led away from her home.
Far away.
She tapped the controls of her shuttle to enter the coordinates for Aurora.
"Calculating…" the shuttle's computer chimed.
"Course set for planet Aurora. Distance: 129,450 kilometers. Estimated travel time: 57 hours and 42 minutes."
A pause.
"Warning: Energy reserves at 50%. Current levels are insufficient to reach your destination."
Athena's eyes narrowed. "Of course… it can't be that easy…"
Athena reached beneath the dashboard and unlocked a hidden compartment, revealing an energy crystal nestled inside.
Like most advanced tech, the shuttle ran on energy crystals—compact sources of immense energy, vital to nearly every modern machine.
She carefully lifted it out, cradling it in her palm. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, and a gentle hum filled the shuttle as the crystal pulsed with a soft glow. Its light grew brighter and brighter until the cockpit was flooded with a dazzling white radiance. Then, as suddenly as it had flared, the glow faded, leaving behind only a faint blue shimmer.
"Finished," she declared.
Athena possessed a rare and extraordinary gift — the ability to transfer energy from one source to another. This unique skill allowed her to replenish the energy powering her shuttle without relying on spare crystals, a power few could match.
After installing the fully charged crystal, Athena restarted the navigation system. This time, the computer responded with unexpected news:
"Updated route calculated. Estimated travel time: 32 hours."
Nearly half the original estimate.
Athena blinked in surprise. She hadn't just recharged the shuttle—she had supercharged it.
Her ability wasn't just rare—it was extraordinary. Not only could she transfer energy between sources, but the energy she carried was remarkably pure. Unlike most people, whose cores held a blend of both light and dark energy—each dampening the other—Athena possessed only light energy.
Normally, having both types provided greater versatility, allowing users to tap into a broader range of abilities. But it also diluted the power of each. Athena, however, wielded undiluted light. While this limited her abilities to align with that element, the sheer potency of her energy far surpassed the average.
In her case, purity meant power.
"Would you like to depart now?" the shuttle's computer asked.
"I'd rather not."
Athena bit her lip, her thoughts heavy. She inhaled deeply, trying to still the tremble in her chest. Then, with a burst of resolve, she set the thrusters to full power and launched the shuttle upward, piercing through the thick veil of clouds.
As the shuttle climbed, Athena turned for one last look at her home planet. Emotions tangled within her—sorrow, fear, longing—but also something stronger: determination. The world below, once vibrant and full of life, now lay cloaked in smoke and chaos. Buildings burned. Skylands crumbled.
Her chest tightened at the sight.
"I'll find whoever did this… I promise…"
As she continued her ascent, the skylands below grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing from view. The vast emptiness of space surrounded her, and for the first time, she felt truly alone.