Black Orbit

The interior of the emergency capsule vibrated violently as it plummeted into the darkness. The metal screeched with each jolt, and the hydraulic mechanisms struggled to stabilize the trajectory. Gravity fluctuated, making Haruto feel his body pressed against the seat one second and floating slightly the next. Small sparks leaped from a panel above his head, accompanied by a warning beep that echoed through the narrow cabin. Haruto, teeth clenched, felt the violent turbulence shaking his body. He couldn't see anything through the window, only an absolute blackness that seemed to swallow every trace of light. His breathing was heavy, concentrated, waiting for impact.

Suddenly, the opacity began to dissipate. A faint clarity emerged as the capsule broke through the dense dark layer covering the planet. For the first time, he could see the planet's surface. The landscape stretched out in a mosaic of shadows and scattered lights. The capsule was descending at a dangerous speed, streaking through the atmosphere with a trail of fire. The impact was imminent.

When the capsule touched down, the impact was brutal. It bounced violently against the dense vegetation, snapping branches and bending metal structures. Haruto was thrown around inside the cabin, his body slamming against the safety straps as a deafening sound of crunches and explosions filled the space. The capsule spun several times before sliding to a stop with one final dry thud. A sudden silence replaced the tension of the fall. Haruto exhaled, his body still trembling from the adrenaline. The capsule lit up from within, and a mechanical voice announced:

— "Body scan in progress... User integrity confirmed."

The hatch opened with a soft hiss, letting in the air of Eon'thar.

Haruto stepped out slowly, his body still tense and his breathing uneven. His muscles ached from the impact, and his hands trembled slightly as he tried to regain composure. He observed his surroundings, trying to calm himself and analyze the situation. Though it was night, the environment was not completely dark. Above, the planet's covering layer shimmered with multiple luminaries, similar to stars but with an artificial glow that faintly illuminated the surface. The vegetation was strange: a combination of organic and mechanical. Trees with metallic bark and roots that looked like cables extended around him. Some leaves emitted a faint bluish glow, as if carrying circuits inside them.

In the distance, silhouettes of ancient structures emerged from the mist. Some towers still flickered with blinking lights, signs of a civilization that once thrived. Beneath his feet, the ground was a mix of soil and metal, with rusted plates embedded between roots and rocks.

The static sound of his communicator interrupted his inspection. A distorted voice filtered through the interference.

— "Haruto… Haruto? Do you copy?"

It was Kael.

— "The suits' GPS isn't working. I can't locate you. I need you to describe your surroundings," Kael said urgently.

Haruto looked around.

— "There's hybrid vegetation with metallic components. Some emit light. I also see ancient structures with residual energy signals."

— "I don't see anything like that in my position, but tell me, do you see any light source that stands out more than the others?" Kael replied.

Haruto looked up at the sky. Among the mist and artificial luminaries, one shone more intensely, like a beacon in the darkness.

— "Yes, I see it," he confirmed.

— "Perfect. Head towards it. I'll do the same."

Haruto hesitated before speaking. "Do you have any signal from Elara or the captain? Any sign of activity on their frequencies?"

Kael hesitated before answering. — "I haven't received a response yet, but I'll keep trying. Remember your training, Haruto… Don't die."

The communication cut off with a burst of static. Haruto exhaled and looked toward the light. With no other option, he started walking. But then, a deafening buzz echoed in his head. He felt unbearable pressure, as if his skull were about to burst. His vision blurred for a moment, and amid the agony, a voice resonated inside his mind.

— "We have been waiting for you."

It was as if thousands of voices spoke in unison, forming an ethereal and terrifying chorus. Haruto fell to his knees, clutching his helmet with both hands, trying to block out the impossible sound. It lasted only a moment, but it felt like an eternity. His body trembled with a sensation he had never experienced before. When the pain ceased, he was left panting, his eyes wide with fear.

The sound dissipated, but the fear persisted in his gaze. Somewhere else in the universe, at another time, Haruto faced a different challenge.

The same face of Haruto, but now with a serious expression, remained inside a G-force training centrifuge. His helmet was secured, and his body prepared to withstand the intense G-force of the simulation. But for him, it was nothing. His body endured the speeds in almost impossible ways, without showing signs of fatigue. Elara, observing the data from the monitoring console, couldn't believe it. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she analyzed the readings. "This doesn't make sense…" she murmured to herself. How was it possible that someone without specialized training had that level of mental endurance? She could understand it in Kael, he had spent his life training for this. But Haruto… Haruto had been chosen by a direct order from the superiors, without apparent justification.

The sound of another test echoed in the room. Haruto went through the rapid spin disorientation test, maintaining control where others lost balance. Then, in the isolation chamber, he endured confinement without signs of anxiety, his mind operating with relentless precision. In the crisis resolution test under pressure, he solved emergency scenarios in record time, his logic unbeatable even in the most extreme conditions. Now, Haruto was inside a water tank, subjected to a breath control test in high-pressure environments. His heart rate remained stable, even as oxygen started to run out. While other candidates showed signs of anxiety or despair, Haruto simply... continued. Calculating, methodical.

Elara checked the monitors again. "It can't be…" she murmured, trying to rationalize the data. It wasn't that the superiors didn't know what they were doing, they clearly saw his potential. But what unsettled her was something else: Why had no one mentioned this before? Why hadn't Haruto undergone prior training if he had this capability? Something wasn't right.

The sound of running water and lockers opening broke the silence of the locker room. Haruto, methodical as always, dressed with precision, ignoring the glances from the other reserve candidates. They whispered among themselves, chuckling under their breath, making comments about his distant personality. —"Look at him, he doesn't even react," one of them scoffed. —"Is he a robot or what?" added another. The envy was palpable, but Haruto simply ignored them, not fully grasping the intent behind their words.

One of the candidates approached him, feigning friendliness.

—"Hey, Haruto, were you programmed for this, or are you just a defective experiment that turned out better than expected?" he said with a sly grin.

Haruto blinked, analyzing the question, but before he could respond, an imposing shadow blocked the light.

Kael had entered the locker room. His muscular and firm figure contrasted with the towel barely hanging from his waist. His mere presence was enough to silence the group of candidates immediately. Slowly, Kael scanned each of them, his eyes cold as steel.

—"Does anyone have a problem?" he asked in a deep voice.

Silence stretched across the room. The reserve candidates lowered their gazes, suddenly unable to find their voices.

Kael sighed and walked over to Haruto, who had already finished dressing without reacting to the incident.

As they left the locker room, Kael glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

—"You shouldn't let them talk to you like that."

Haruto maintained his impassive expression, not even bothering to respond. His gaze briefly swept over the candidates, but his indifference was enough to make them feel insignificant.

Kael clicked his tongue and ran a hand through his still-wet hair.

—"Ignoring them doesn't matter. People like that gather like hyenas when they sense someone is different. Don't give them the satisfaction of seeing you as an easy target."

Haruto processed his words in silence as they walked down the hallway, illuminated by cold lights.

—"So, you're saying I should answer them?"

Kael smirked.

—"Not with words. With actions. And in that, brother, you've already crushed them."

Meanwhile, in another sector of the base, Elara sat in front of a console, typing rapidly. Her eyes scanned the lines of information, searching for any file on Haruto. However, every attempt ended with the same result: access denied.

She frowned. It wasn't normal for a candidate's file to be so restricted. Not even Kael had that level of clearance.

She tried another protocol, redirecting her search to previous training records, but once again, she hit a digital wall.

—"Who are you really, Haruto?" she murmured to herself, feeling the question grow in her mind.

Elara sighed, rubbing her eyes. She had spent too much time in front of the screen with no answers. Distractedly, she moved the cursor before opening a random file to keep up appearances.

The soft hiss of the sliding door made her straighten up immediately.

—"Another sleepless night, Elara?" Captain Tobias's voice had a relaxed, almost amused tone.

Elara smiled slightly, trying to appear casual.

—"Something like that. It's hard to disconnect when there are so many unanswered questions about the mission."

Tobias nodded, leaning against the doorframe as he skimmed through a report on his tablet.

—"I get it. There are always more questions than answers when we venture into the unknown."

The captain stepped inside with his firm stride, still focused on his tablet.

Feigning nonchalance, Elara turned away from her screen and swiveled in her chair.

—"Captain, have you ever worked with Haruto before?" she asked, her tone seemingly casual.

—"I'd like to get to know my teammates better."

Tobias paused his reading for a moment and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

—"Funny you ask. I was just reviewing some reports on the mission members today. Haruto doesn't have a conventional background. He's an orphan, adopted by a family in a space colony when he was a child. Beyond that, there's not much available information."

Elara nodded, but her mind fixated on one word: adopted. It wasn't a major revelation—after all, Haruto and Kael shared a surname—but what unsettled her was the lack of information about him. Her gaze darkened for a moment before resuming the conversation.

It wasn't surprising, but what stood out was how Haruto's information was being handled.

—"How was his adoption?" she asked, pretending to be merely curious.

Tobias rested his arms on the desk and exhaled calmly.

—"His adoption wasn't a regular case. According to the records, Haruto was found under unclear circumstances before being taken in by Kael's family. There are no details about his biological parents or his life before the colony. All that exists are sealed documents and direct approvals from high-ranking officials."

Elara kept her expression neutral, but inside, her mind was racing. It wasn't just the adoption that intrigued her; it was the total lack of prior information.

If she couldn't access Haruto's data, perhaps investigating Kael would be the key. After all, if Haruto had been placed on the mission without going through the usual selection filters, someone must have made that decision. And that someone wasn't going to leave an easy trail to follow.

Elara averted her gaze from the screen and exhaled slowly. There were still too many unanswered questions, but for now, there was nothing more she could do. She logged out of the console and stood up, carrying with her the growing suspicion that something much larger was at play.

As she walked down the hallway, her mind kept replaying her conversation with Tobias. The feeling that something didn't add up refused to leave her.

But for now, she had no more leads.

In another time, under a different sky, darkness and silence engulfed Kael.

Miles away, on the inhospitable surface of the dark planet, Kael advanced through rocky terrain. His steps were firm, his breathing controlled, but his mind was on high alert. The communicator continued to emit interference, making any attempt to contact Haruto or Elara nearly impossible.

Then, something caught his attention. His eyes widened in surprise.

In the reflection of his helmet, an imposing silhouette emerged from the shadows.

It wasn't human.

His instincts took over. With a swift motion, he reached for his weapon and, without a second thought, launched himself into the attack.