The train stopped in silence.
Asterin stepped out into the underground tunnel—dimly lit, the air strangely still. The directions from the letter had led her to a metal door with no markings except a tiny glowing circle. She pressed her palm against it. Cold. It scanned her hand, then slid open with a hiss.
The corridor beyond didn't look like any lab she'd imagined. No white coats, no clean lights. The walls curved like she was stepping into the belly of a ship, dark metal etched with glowing symbols that pulsed gently—as if breathing.
She stepped in slowly, her reflection warping on the black glass floor. In the center of the room hovered a round, glass-like table, faintly humming, with flickering holograms spiraling above it.
"Welcome, Subject A-13,"
a voice echoed around her—soft, smooth, but not human. MOVA.
Before she could answer, the door behind her opened again.
Footsteps. Calm. Measured.
A tall figure stepped in, wearing a dark coat and gloves, hood half down. His eyes—sharp and distant—locked with hers only for a second before flicking away, uninterested.
"Took you long enough," he muttered, tapping at a device on his wrist.
Asterin blinked. "Excuse me?"
He didn't look up. "You're not the only one summoned."
"Unit NOVA-07," MOVA announced,
"Psychological strategist. Selected."
He finally met her gaze—cool and unreadable.
"You can call me Nova. But don't expect me to play nice."
Before Asterin could respond, the door opened again.
A guy with messy curls and a lopsided grin strolled in, multitool spinning between his fingers.
"Yo. This place is giving alien cult energy," he said, glancing around.
"I'm Kael. Tech. Don't touch my stuff."
He flopped onto one of the curved chairs like he owned the place.
Another followed: tall, clean-cut, analyzing everything through glasses that glowed faintly with scrolling data.
"Kalex. Pilot. Stay out of my way," he muttered without looking at anyone.
Lastly, a girl stepped in. Pale skin. Shaved sides, silent steps. She didn't say a word—just looked directly at Asterin with an unreadable expression.
That look unsettled her.
Then came silence.
The table flared with sudden light. A ripple spun from its center—and from the shimmer stepped a man.
Not just any man.
The Scientist.
His coat was sleek, stitched with tech, but his face looked worn. Tired eyes. But aware. Too aware.
"You're all here. Finally."
Asterin stood straighter. "Who are you? Why us?"
He smiled faintly. "You were chosen. Not by me—by it."
With a flick of his fingers, the floating table expanded, revealing a full galactic map. At its edge, a black void pulsed like a heartbeat. The words glitched faintly across the hologram:
QUOR X
"That," he said, pointing, "is not just a phenomenon. It's an echo of something older than time. And each of you—one way or another—has felt its pull."
Asterin frowned. "I haven't—"
But before she could finish, one of the alien symbols on the wall pulsed red.
Kalex stiffened. "That symbol… it changed."
Lights flickered.
MOVA's voice glitched.
The room vibrated with a low, unsettling hum. And then—
BOOM.
A wave of force rippled out from the symbol. For a moment, reality twisted.
Asterin staggered. Her mind flooded with images—flashes she couldn't explain.
Nova screaming.
A planet burning.
Her own face, cracked like glass—half human, half something… godlike.
Then—
Silence.
The table dimmed. The red light faded.
Everyone stood frozen.
The Scientist exhaled. "That... was a warning."
His eyes met Asterin's.
"The loop is waking up. And you're not just going to see it. You're going to enter it."
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