Aryan, a weak and skinny boy, was running away from three burly goons. His breath was heavy, and the mixture of dust and moisture burned in his lungs. The sloped alley below—named "Mud and Drain" —was living up to its name. His shoes were caked with mud, making a squelching sound with every step and slowing him down. The soles of his old, torn shoes were almost worn out—they wouldn't last much longer. Behind him, the voices of Rahu and his two thugs echoed, harsh and careless, filled with filthy curses about his debt and "interest."
"Aryan! Stop, you bastard! Your month's installment is overdue!" Rahu's voice boomed like a roar. "We'll find you! Even if you're hiding in your tiny hut!"
Aryan took a sharp turn while running, sending a sharp pain through his ribs. His shirt, soaked with sweat and dust, clung to his thin chest. "One more month… just one more month," he repeated to himself like a broken mantra. "If only I could get that job at the outer city plant… if only I could buy a little more time…" But the word "if" left an emptiness in his gut—deeper than hunger—a sense of helpless despair. Trapped in the filthiest part of the city, where even sunlight seemed to fade after hitting piles of garbage.
He ran toward the Old Tech Towers—a cluster of tall, dilapidated buildings that had once been a hub for electronics manufacturing, now home to junkies, fugitives, and the homeless. The air here always smelled of rusting metal, burnt plastic, and something unidentified and foul. Aryan moved toward the dark entrance of "Tower-C." The gate was missing, replaced by a torn tarpaulin. He yanked it aside and slipped inside.
Inside, it was almost pitch dark, with only faint light seeping through distant windows. The air was still and heavy, dust particles dancing visibly in the dim rays. Aryan pressed his back against a cold, damp wall and pulled his knees to his chest. His heart was pounding against his ribs like a bird trapped in a cage. He closed his eyes. The furious face of Rahu kept flashing before him, which he tried to push away again and again. Then came the image of his mother's worried face—withered like a wilting flower each passing day. She didn't know. She mustn't know. He had to face this alone. He had to.
Suddenly, a faint shimmer flickered in the corner of his eye. Near a pile of trash—where broken circuit boards and rusted pipes lay—something was glowing. A dim, irregular blue light, like a dying firefly. That same childhood curiosity that made him dismantle broken toys awoke again. He stood up, staggering a little, and moved toward it.
The object lying on the ground was strange. It didn't look like a piece of machinery, nor a rock. About the size of a fist, its surface was covered in intricate, curved carvings, with soft streams of blue light flowing through them. It looked like liquid metal but felt solid. It was vibrating, producing a soft hum—not in the air, but directly inside Aryan's bones. He bent down to look closer. No label, no obvious purpose. Just strange. Something like this existing in the filth of the city seemed impossible.
Perhaps driven by desperation, or maybe by the same stubborn curiosity that always got him in trouble—Aryan reached out and touched it.
"Crack!"
It wasn't an electric shock. It was worse. Like a tiny supernova exploded in his palm. A sharp, icy heat gripped his arm, electricity shooting through every vein and muscle. A scream caught in his throat, muffled by the intensity of the pain. The object suddenly turned from solid to liquid, slipping between his fingers and into his palm—like ice melting on hot skin, but a thousand times faster and more violent.
"No!" he gasped, trying uselessly to pull his hand back. Too late. The blue light, now fierce and furious, flowed through his veins, wrapping around his wrist and moving toward his elbow. Like frozen lightning spreading inside his arm. A threat echoed in his mind—a tremendous, non-human scream that wasn't made of words, but pure pain and the essence of some ancient power. Stars burst before his eyes, then spiraled rapidly, pulling him toward a massive, dark portal—where time and space twisted like torn threads.
He felt—not his body, but his very existence—disintegrating into countless particles, each burning with that blue energy. His consciousness, a small remnant of his being, floated in that chaos—frozen in fear, but also strangely drawn to the power consuming him. For a moment—or maybe eternity—he saw a vast, intricate structure, woven from glowing threads, connecting countless stars—an interstellar web no human mind could comprehend. Then…
Terrifying darkness. A soul-shaking silence.
Aryan's eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw—the sky. But not the sky he knew. Not the blue of day, nor the black of night. It was a living tapestry of glowing purple and orange clouds, swirling slowly like jellyfish, merging and separating in hypnotic patterns. Flashes of electric light passed through them, leaving a faint rustling sound with no thunder. The air smelled oddly sweet and sharp—a mix of ozone and burnt banana.
He was lying on his back. He tried to sit up using his hand, but the moment he pressed down, he felt a sharp sting and heard a cracking sound. He looked down. The ground was made of blue, crystal-like material, cracking slowly under his weight like thin ice. The crystals were transparent, with milky white currents flowing inside them. Beneath them… a deep, dark void.
"What…?" His voice was hoarse, his throat dry. He was trembling from the shock of being transported, his palm still throbbing with pain. He looked at his right hand. Where the mysterious object had touched him, there was now a complex, glowing blue mark, shining faintly beneath the skin like a living tattoo. It was warm.
Just then, a roar shook the air. Not an animal's cry, but a deep, mountainous rumble. Aryan turned toward the sound. In the distance, about half a kilometer away, a colossal… thing was flying through the sky. Its body was made of rotating stones—massive gray, brown, and red rocks held together by an invisible magnetic force. Glowing red-orange light leaked from the gaps between them, like molten lava. Where its "head" should be were two enormous, burning coal-like eyes, glaring with rage within the swirling mass of rocks. It drifted slowly through the air, a column-like limb extended downward, releasing beams of energy—where they touched the ground, the crystals vaporized instantly.
Aryan's blood froze. This wasn't a dream. The pain was real. This place was real. And that thing… It was turning toward him. Its burning eyes had locked on him.
"W-where am I?" he whispered, his voice trembling with fear. He tried to stand, but the crystals beneath his feet cracked, and he fell again. Pain shot through his palm. The creature let out another roar, this time filled with rage. It began moving toward him—surprisingly fast for something so massive.
"You're on Vertex Prime, idiot," said a clear, cold, and incredibly calm voice from behind. "And if you don't run now, that Stone Roc will grind you into dust!"
Aryan jerked around, his heart pounding again. A girl stood about ten feet away. She looked about his age, maybe slightly older. Her silver hair, shoulder-length, floated lightly in the strange breeze—as if touched by some invisible current. She wore a sleek silver and blue bodysuit that clung to her athletic frame. In her hands was a weapon—a flexible, nearly six-foot-long whip, made of pure white energy, with one sharp, pointed end. But the most striking thing about her were her eyes—unusual, intense violet, holding no emotion. No fear, no curiosity, just deep, bottomless calm—like a still lake.
"I… how did I…?" Aryan stammered, pointing at his hand with the glowing blue mark, then at the massive rocky creature approaching them, its energy ray scorching the ground barely a hundred meters away.
The girl glanced at his hand immediately, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Stellar Code. Rare. Especially activating like this," she said, a hint of surprise in her otherwise controlled voice. "I'm Maya. You carry a Stellar Code. If you want to live, follow me. Now."
"Stellar Code? Vertex Prime?" Aryan protested, his mind a blur of fear and confusion. "I just touched a thing! I have to go back! My mother...!"
"Your mother," Maya interrupted, her voice sharper now, "will keep worrying about you only if you're alive. You don't have time to argue. Look!"
Stone Roc—Aryan had already accepted that must be the creature's name—was now barely fifty meters away. Its energy ray gleamed like a massive laser, cutting a burning trench into the ground as it advanced toward them. The air screamed as the ray touched the ground, turning the crystals to vapor. Aryan stared at the oncoming destruction. This wasn't a dream. This was death. Immediate, brutal death.
Then, a strange tingling surged in his palm. The blue mark began to glow brightly. Inside him, deep in his gut, a strange warmth began to rise. It wasn't fear. It was… a vibration. A pulsing energy that resonated with the blue light in his veins. Almost unconsciously, he raised his hand—like trying to stop an invisible threat.
Boom!
A faint ripple appeared in the air between him and the approaching energy ray. Like the shimmer over a hot road, but subtler. The ray struck the ground, but just inches from where Aryan stood. The crystals cracked and vaporized—but he remained unharmed. It felt as though the energy ray had hit an invisible, gently warped dome.
Maya's violet eyes widened. "Interesting…" she breathed. "It's already reacting. Gravitational distortion? Pulse? Seems impossible…"
Stone Roc let out a furious roar, angry at having missed its target. It shut down the energy ray and raised a massive section of rock—now clearly recognizable as a giant fist—ready to slam it down on him.
"No time left to break this down!" Maya shouted, her calm demeanor finally cracking. She swung her energy-whip, which whistled sharply through the air.
"Let's go, idiot! Your first lesson starts now. And it's going to be the hardest of your life!"
She sprinted to the right, toward a large, broken crystal pillar. Aryan froze for a moment, eyes flicking between her fleeing form and the massive rocky fist about to crush him. The warmth inside him pulsed, mixing with fear to spark something primal. He forced his legs to move—and ran after Maya.
The massive fist slammed down where he had just been. The impact was tremendous. The ground shook like an earthquake. Huge crystal shards flew into the air, sharp as blades. Aryan screamed as he tried to dodge—but a sharp pain pierced his left shoulder. A crystal shard, sharp as a dagger, had embedded itself deep. The pain was blinding.
"Get up!" Maya's voice echoed. She was beside him now, her violet eyes looking into his, this time with emotion. "This is just the beginning! Stay down and you'll die!"
Aryan gritted his teeth. Blood dripped from his shoulder, but fear and pain had filled him with raw, animal-like alertness. He dragged himself to his feet without looking at her. Stone Roc raised its arm again, rocks swirling as it prepared a second strike. It looked like a machine built solely for destruction.
"What is that?" Aryan panted, clutching his bleeding shoulder. Blood seeped through his fingers.
"A creature of Vertex Prime," Maya replied, eyes fixed on the alien beast. "Primarily composed of silicate rock and plasma energy. Its weakness: its core. But reaching it… is nearly impossible." She spun her energy-whip again. "For now, we survive. Let's go!"
She dashed off once more, weaving between crystal ruins, her movements fluid and fast. Aryan followed, pain shooting through his shoulder with every step. The warmth inside him was now a vibration, syncing with his heartbeat. He felt… lighter, as if gravity had loosened its grip. Was it imagination or the effect of the blue mark? The faster he ran, the more the vibration intensified.
Stone Roc continued its pursuit, shaking the ground with its massive steps. It seemed to be playing with them, then raised its fist again—but didn't bring it down. Instead, the rocks separated, and dozens of burning, rock-like spheres, the size of footballs, were hurled into the air—raining down like fiery meteors.
"Split up!" Maya yelled, taking a sharp turn and hiding behind a large crystal pillar.
Aryan tried to turn left, but his injured shoulder slowed him down. One burning boulder flew just inches over his head, the heat scorching his face. Another landed near his feet, sending razor-sharp crystal shards flying into the air. One of them slashed across his thigh. He screamed and fell.
"Idiot!" Maya's voice came from a distance. She was running toward him, her energy-viper glowing. She spun it in a sharp, circular motion, forming a shimmering, shield-like energy dome. Several of the burning rocky spheres struck the dome and shattered.
"Get up!" She knelt beside him, a different spark in her eyes now—maybe irritation, maybe concern. "You have to get up! Staying here is death!"
Aryan tried to rise again, but blood was flowing from his thigh, pain throbbed in his shoulder, and his head was spinning. Stone Roc was now much closer, its burning eyes locked onto them, roaring as it prepared to crush them. It raised its massive hand once more.
Suddenly, the warmth inside Aryan flared. It wasn't just a vibration anymore; it surged like a tide, flowing through his veins, echoing in his mind. Without thinking, he raised his wounded hand toward the incoming rocky fist. The blue mark blazed to life, as if the energy inside had awakened.
He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came. Instead, a wave of blue energy—small, trembling, but clearly visible—emerged from his palm and shot straight toward the approaching fist of Stone Roc.
The blue wave struck the massive alien.
There was no explosion. No flash. But Stone Roc suddenly froze. Its movement halted abruptly. The rocks forming its fist became disorganized, as if an invisible tremor had disturbed them. The red-orange energy leaking between the stones flickered and became unstable. The alien roared, confused and in pain.
"Now!" Maya shouted, a mix of astonishment and urgency in her voice. She grabbed Aryan's arm—he screamed as she touched his wounded shoulder—and yanked him to his feet. "Run!"
She pulled him away through the crystal ruins, putting distance between them and Stone Roc, who was now struggling to reorganize its massive hand, confusion and rage visible in its fiery eyes. Aryan staggered after her, full of pain and exhaustion—but after that wave, he felt an odd emptiness inside. What had he done?
They ran for several minutes, until Stone Roc's roar grew distant and the tremors of its steps faded away. Maya led them into a hollow crystal pillar, a massive one with its top broken off, revealing the strange alien sky above. Inside, the air was calm—only their heavy breathing echoed.
Maya gently helped Aryan sit against the wall. She retracted her energy-viper—it collapsed into a small glowing disc, which she clipped to her belt. Then she knelt in front of him, her violet eyes locked onto his face.
"Your name?" she asked directly.
"Ar… Aryan," he said between gasps.
"Aryan," she repeated, as if testing the name. "You have a Stellar Code. A power. What you just used—that was a Gravitational Distortion Pulse. Very weak, but it was enough. Stone Roc depends on delicate gravitational bonds between its rocks. You disrupted them, temporarily."
"I… I didn't do anything!" Aryan protested, filled with fear and disbelief. "I just… felt something. And it happened. This thing inside me! Take it out!"
Maya shook her head slowly. "That's not possible. The Code has integrated with you. Into your DNA. It's a part of you now." She pointed to his wounded thigh. "I need to treat your injuries. The air on Vertex Prime contains microbes that are lethal to your species."
She opened a small pouch on her belt and took out a metallic device, resembling a stylus. She activated it, and a soft blue light lit up at the tip. "This will hurt a little."
She pressed the device to his thigh. A sharp, burning sensation made him scream—but as the blue light seeped into the wound, the bleeding slowed, and the pain dulled. She did the same with his shoulder. Aryan clenched his teeth, drenched in sweat, but when the device was removed, the wounds had closed, leaving only deep, tender scars.
"What… what was that?" he asked, touching his thigh in astonishment.
"Basic biological repair," Maya replied bluntly. "Now listen, Aryan. You're on Vertex Prime. This planet is a death trap for you. The air contains thin but toxic elements for your lungs. Water is rare and mostly contaminated. And those creatures… you've only seen one. There are many."
"How do I go back?" Aryan demanded, desperation in his voice. "That Stellar Code! Can it send me back?"
"Maybe," Maya said, her eyes returning to their emotionless calm. "But it requires control. Training. Which you don't have. Right now, you only have two options: die here… or learn. Learn how to survive. How to fight. How to use your Code."
Aryan looked up at the glowing sky, breathing in the alien air, which tasted sweet and sharp—like metal. He thought of his mother—alone and worried. He thought of Rahu and the debt. Of the filth and hopelessness of the muddy gutters. Then he thought about the dangerous power he had just felt against Stone Roc. The vibration. Was this his path? Was this the chance to change everything?
"If I want to learn," he said quietly, his voice still trembling but now carrying a newfound firmness, "how can you help me?"
Maya looked at him, something calculating in her violet eyes. "I can teach you the basics. How to survive. How to fight. How to understand your Code. But…" she paused, "…there's a price."
"Price?" Aryan asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Information," Maya said, her voice lowering to a whisper. "Your Code is rare and unique. When you use it, when you engage... I need to watch. Record. Understand how it works."
Aryan looked at her with suspicion. She wasn't just a Good Samaritan. She had her own agenda.
"And what if I refuse?"
Maya shrugged, a cold, indifferent gesture.
"Then you might die within the hour. Or maybe in the next ten minutes. Vertex Prime isn't generous. And there are predators like the Darkus who can smell new Code carriers from miles away. He'll rip your Code from you and leave your body to rot."
"Darkus?" Aryan repeated, feeling a chill at the name of this new threat.
"Another one like you," Maya said, her voice taking on a dangerous tone. "But older. Stronger. Much more ruthless." She stood and looked out toward the entrance of the crystal cavern. "Your answer, Aryan? There's no time to waste."
Aryan felt his wounds, now just scars. The blue mark pulsed in his palm. He looked up at the terrible yet beautiful sky that was not his home. Die or learn. Slavery or… something else. Something he had never even dared to dream of.
He took a deep breath. The alien air stung his lungs. Then he lifted his head—there was a spark in his eyes now, one that hadn't been there before. Filled with fear, but also resolve. "Teach me," he said. His voice still trembled, but less so. "Teach me how to survive."
A mysterious smile briefly flickered on Maya's lips—then vanished. "Then it begins. First lesson: breathing. Vertex Prime's air has low oxygen but high toxic traces. You have to control your breath. Count each one. Inhale through the nose, slowly. Use your diaphragm." She demonstrated once—her chest rose and fell in a perfectly controlled rhythm. Aryan tried, but his body was shaking from shock and fatigue. The air burned his throat.
"Second lesson: your senses," Maya continued. "The physics here are different from your world. Gravity is lighter, but air pressure fluctuates. Air currents can shift violently. Keep your feet grounded. Listen to the wind. Smell the air."
Aryan focused on the environment—the faint crackle of crystals breaking, the distant roar of some unknown creature, the sweet metallic scent in the air. Everything felt heavy.
"Third, and most important," Maya's voice hardened, "Your Code. When you sent out that pulse—what you felt was your intent. Your fear. Your will to survive. The Code is a tool, but the fuel comes from within you... from your emotions. Find that vibration. Feel it. Connect to it." Aryan closed his eyes. He focused on the throbbing pain in his palm. Remembered the warmth, the wave. It was still there—buried under the fear and exhaustion. A vibration… like life, like power. He tried to reach it.
Suddenly, Maya's head snapped up. Her eyes narrowed. "Too late!" A figure had appeared in the distant sky. It wasn't as massive as Stone Roc, but it was moving fast—a giant alien with metallic wings, cloaked in black skin, and on its back, a rider. Even from afar, Aryan could feel the oppressive presence of the figure. A cold spark ran down his spine.
"Darkus," Maya whispered. For the first time, her voice betrayed genuine fear. She activated her energy viper—it flared to full length. "Lesson's over, Aryan. Now just run! Run as fast as you can. And feel your Code—your life depends on it!"
She yanked him to his feet. And then, into the blazing alien landscape of Vertex Prime—where a flying predator now hunted him—Aryan began his second life. He ran from a new terror, with a mysterious ally beside him, feeling that strange power pulsing inside him... the one that had carried him from mud to stars. The struggle had only just begun, and he couldn't even imagine how terrifying—and how deep—it was going to get.