Then the person spoke and said
Arius it is me your older brother Elius Have you really forgotten me?
At that moment Arius breath froze
His eyes widened and his memory recalled the last scene where he saw Elius when he was a young child waving goodbye with tears in his eyes before leaving the planet with the mobile army outside the planet Celestine before everything was destroyed
In a moment seized by emotions
Elius stepped toward Arius with silent steps
Arius could not restrain himself he rushed forward and then
Threw himself into his brothers arms hugging him with all the longing tears and pain he possessed
His arms encircled Elius tightly his tears flowing like a flood
And he burst out crying with a deep voice originating from a heart that bled years of loss
The sky was overcast with clouds and the cold breeze brushed their faces while the ship stood behind them in its majestic presence
The hug between the two brothers was like a moment frozen in time embodying the longing accumulated over long years
Arius tightened his arms around his brother Elius his eyes shedding tears he could not hold back the tears of a child who missed safety and the tears of a fighter who kept fighting for a moment like this
Arius with a voice choked by crying
Brother Elius are you really here? I never thought I would see you again
Elius his voice warm and full of emotion
I am here Arius your brother did not forget you for a single moment Forgive me for being late
While the scene was saturated with emotions a young man stepped forward his features sharp and his gaze full of coldness
Raymos with a sharp and sarcastic tone
Are you finished with this ridiculous emotional moment? Time waits for no one
Arius pulled away slightly from his brother looking toward the speaker while his eyebrows narrowed As for Elius he turned to Raymos with a look of clear reprimand
Elius with a firm but calm voice
Raymos do not be mean He is my brother and I have not seen him for ages Endure a little we did not come to fight
Arius to himself speaking in his mind
Raymos? It cannot be Is it really Raymos? The son of the King of Celestine? That boy who mocked me in my childhood and insulted me? How can he be standing here today!
Arius facial expressions suddenly changed a clear frown appearing on him to take a step back and stand aside without saying a word
Elius sighed and began speaking in a more serious tone
Elius
Arius we did not come just to see you There is a very important reason for our presence here We want to take you with us to a far planet our mission requires your presence
Arius raised his head slowly his eyes still tearful but his features now indicated full attention
Arius
To a far planet? Why?
The third man with them stepped forward his hair greyish white carrying wisdom and mystery in his eyes
Zirion with a deep calm tone
We are looking for something called the Genesis Cube Only one piece exists in this world capable of restoring life to any destroyed planet even the planet Celestine
Arius mouth opened in amazement and he fell silent for a moment unable to believe
Arius
Restoring life? To our planet? Is this real?
Zirion nodded his head confidently
Yes But the Cube is not within reach It exists on a far planet called Akrit
Arius lowered his gaze toward the ground while his heart began to beat violently The name of the planet sounded familiar to him even though he had never visited it before
This was a new beginning and perhaps a beginning of hope that had never crossed his mind
After that Elius explained to him that they had been roaming the entire galaxy and by chance they found information about that Cube but the problem was how they would convince the inhabitants of the planet to let them take the Cube
As soon as Elius finished his explanation a heavy silence hung over the place and Arius facial features gradually changed from confusion to anxiety then to a shock tinged with caution He looked at his brother with a contemplative gaze then took a step back with his eyes filled with countless questions
Raymos broke that silence with a sarcastic laugh and said mockingly
Really? Are we going to start again with dialogues of mercy and understanding? We are not advocates of peace Arius We are the Celestine
Arius glared at him with an intense look and whispered without raising his voice
The Celestine I knew were not this cruel
Elius approached him and patted his shoulder
Brother time changes people and forces them to make difficult decisions The inhabitants of the planet Akrit do not deal with strangers and Raymos is right convincing them will be impossible
But killing is not a solution Arius said with sharpness mixed with pain If we lose our humanity what distinguishes us from monsters?
Zarion interrupted them with a deep voice while looking at a small screen connected to his arm
The equations are clear The planet has no defenses to speak of No armies no offensive technology only primary vital force that cannot stop us
Elius eyes suddenly moved toward the screen on his mobile device on his wrist where the numbers began to change
Strange Elius whispered and frowned a little then turned to Arius with clear surprise You were at a strength of 3 units when we left you but now
He stopped for a moment then raised his gaze to his brother and said
You are now at 3000 units How?!
A slight smile appeared on Arius face but it was tinged with sadness and he said while turning his face away
The method is not important just know that I paid a high price
The three looked at him in silence No one dared to ask perhaps because of the weight of the shadows that appeared in his eyes
But Arius with complete calmness began to focus on them one by one
Internal voice
Zarion 8000 Elius 11000 then this one Raymos 30000!?
How?! He is the same age as me! When when did he become this strong?!
Arius did not show any public reaction He just stood staring at them calmly but inside he was boiling His heart was beating violently not out of jealousy but out of genuine astonishment at what the situation had become
And none of them knew that Arius at that moment was not just watching them with his eyes but he was feeling their powers passing through his consciousness as if it were energy flowing to him without his will
And with every moment of silence one question was forming inside him
If they have reached this level what awaits me?
But what Arius did not say was that he was no longer as he was He felt within himself a new system powers he did not yet understand and secrets he had not fully discovered
But he decided now to remain silent and watch
After all that Arius told them that he agreed to go with them so they could recover their planet from destruction but he asked to go first to say goodbye to his mother and sister before leaving Arius and those with him headed to his house and as soon as they arrived Elius was surprised by the shape of the house in which his brother now lives as it was much larger than their previous house on the planet Celestine So Raymos said with pride
Huh our house on our planet was much larger than this
Arius entered the house and found his mother Yuna watering the plants in the outdoor garden He headed toward her without saying a word then suddenly hugged her She looked at him in surprise and said
My little one what happened to you suddenly?
Arius was crying and whispered to her
Mother I will leave for some time please allow me
Yuna looked at him with tenderness and said
My son have I ever refused a request of yours?
Arius replied while still crying
No you have never refused me anything before
Then Yuna turned and looked at the three young men standing in the back and asked him
But who are these?
Arius replied
They are acquaintances of mine I will go with them somewhere and I will return soon
At that moment Lina came out of the house then said with concern
Arius? Why are you crying? And who are these?
Arius called her and approached her then hugged her as well and said
I will miss you you fool
Lina asked him with tears in her eyes
Where are you going?
He replied to her while smiling in his sadness
To a far place but I will return I promise both of you
And while he was standing hugging his family Raymos shouted from afar with a sarcastic tone
Come on you emotional one we are in a hurry!
Lina looked at him sharply and said
Shut up you little one! Do you not see that we are saying goodbye to my little brother? You useless shorty!
Raymos froze from embarrassment while Elius and Zarion burst out laughing at him loudly
After that Arius says goodbye to his mother and sister and promises them that he will not be late and they head to the location of the ship and go out of the planet heading to Akrit
In the dim atmosphere of the spacecraft where majestic silence prevails faint sounds flow amidst the whistling of the engines The stars twinkle through the cockpit glass as if watching the journey that carries them toward an unknown fate
Zarion with a calm and focused voice while monitoring the data screen
One month remains before reaching the planet Akrit The journey is long but we must be ready
Elius sighing with an understanding tone
It is fine as long as we get there that is all that matters
Then Elius turns his gaze to Arius with clear curiosity and interest
Arius what exactly happened on that day? On your planet I cannot imagine the details
Arius closes his eyes for a moment as if gathering painful memories then begins with a broken but firm voice
Everything was burning the houses the streets the people everything was collapsing before our eyes We tried to escape me my father my mother and our sister Helen We left the house in a final attempt to survive
Silence hangs over the ship heavier than the void between the stars
Arius continues feeling the weight of the words on his chest
But there Baryon He appeared suddenly and stood before us My father tried to stop him he fought him until the last breath but he died He died while trying to protect us
He stops for a bit his eyes shining with tears not yet shed then continues with bitterness
As for Helen she disappeared through the plate that we brought from the blacksmith that day My mother was trying to escape with me far away but Baryon caught her and cut off her head in front of me
His voice trembles and the pain almost explodes his heart
She died while smiling at me asking me to escape to live Brother I could not do anything
Silence wraps the place and it seems as if the void in the ship has become thousands of times heavier Each of them feels the weight of the pain and the magnitude of the tragedy that Arius suffers in his sad silence
Elius suddenly froze and his face frowned as he said with clear bitterness
Elius
If I were there at that time I would have finished that monster
From the back Raymos voice intervenes with sarcasm and cruelty
Raymos
There is no use in talking Elius Baryon is not ordinary my father told me about him a long time ago He said he is a massive cosmic creature no Celestine nor any creature can defeat him If you were there you would have died too you successful one
Zarion with a precise look directs his speech to Arius
Zarion
Arius tell me how were you able to survive and escape from there?
Arius stares into the void for a moment then answers with a calm voice carrying the weight of what he went through
Arius
In fact I was saved by an unknown person who was completely masked He put me in his ship and threw me outside the planet after that the entire planet exploded before my eyes
He stops for a while before adding
I did not know what happened after that I regained consciousness to find myself on planet Earth in an unknown forest
The atmosphere in the ship is shrouded in heavy silence each of them absorbing the strange survival story and each of them thinking about the upcoming adventures
Raymos throws himself on his back seat and sighs with fatigue then says with a worn-out tone
Raymos I will stop thinking for a bit just let me sleep maybe tomorrow will be clearer
He presses the automatic rest button and closes his eyes slowly Zarion turns toward the control panel activates the autopilot ensures everything is under control then mutters
Zarion Nothing will happen tonight I need some rest too
He lies down quietly in his place and falls asleep after a few moments
The scene Elius sits alone on the edge of the ship looking from the window at the extended space
He turns toward his brother Arius who sits silently in the opposite seat
Elius calmly I will leave you for some time it seems you need to be alone
He stands up and leaves toward the lounge cabin Arius breathes slowly looking toward the floor with thought and suddenly a transparent window glowing with a faint blue color appears before him
Progress System Special Message
A special training field has been opened on the occasion of reaching level 50 You have one month to develop An entirely isolated environment will be provided
Arius is amazed and replies in a faint voice
Arius But how do I train inside a narrow ship? There is not even space to stand freely
The system window begins to expand and opens a compressed energy gate overlooking a vast dark space resembling the void with no walls and no end
System The Void Room has been created an absolute isolation field not connected to reality Special for level 50 users and above
Arius eyes shine with amazement then he smiles while muttering with excitement
Arius This is wonderful It is my chance to be stronger to be ready
He steps inside and closes the door behind him
After a short time passed Elius returns to the main seats
He looks around and does not find Arius He stands to check the corners then notices a carefully folded paper over the seat
He grabs it and opens it to read
Elius do not worry I am fine I will return within a month Wait for me I am closer than you imagine Arius
Elius falls silent for a while then smiles a small sad smile
Elius with a low voice You always do things I do not understand but I trust you brother
He sits quietly watching the space from the window feeling that something great is forming in the shadow