The twin stars pulsed steadily, radiating warmth into the dust and fragments around them. Gu An had passed his first trial of multi-star balance, but the cosmos was far from tamed.
He knelt in the void, reaching out to the particles orbiting his stars. The dust swirled, colliding and splitting. Some pieces clung to one another; others spun away, threatening chaos.
"I need to understand the planets… the orbits… the relationships between energy and matter," he whispered to himself.
It was then that he felt something unexpected: other consciousnesses stirring nearby.
— First Companions
1. Luo Fen — The Observer of Currents
A flicker of consciousness within the dust itself, Luo Fen manifested as a faint glowing silhouette, barely humanoid.
She could sense micro-currents of energy and vibrations within particles.
Role: Guides Gu An in detecting unstable fragments; provides insight into orbital harmonics.
2. Jin Tao — The Gravity Whisperer
A shard of proto-energy that gained sentience from Gu An's first star spark.
Can subtly influence gravitational flows, nudging planets into stable orbits.
Role: Helps prevent planetary collisions and warns of imbalance.
3. Mei Yu — The Seed Keeper
Tiny consciousness embedded in a proto-planet fragment.
Can sense the potential for life and monitor energy fluctuations within developing planets.
Role: Alerts Gu An when a planet is "ready" or at risk; introduces early hints of life potential.
Gu An realized he was no longer completely alone. These fledgling companions were extensions of his will and perception, helping him observe and harmonize his first system.
The First Planetary Orbits
With Luo Fen, Jin Tao, and Mei Yu's help, Gu An began the next stage: forming planets and stabilizing orbits around his twin stars.
Dust clumped into spherical shapes.
Some planets began to rotate, forming rudimentary day-night cycles.
Others were unstable, spinning chaotically, threatening to crash into stars.
Gu An placed a hand on the void, feeling the flows. "Balance," he whispered. "Every planet must find its place naturally. I can guide, but I cannot force."
Luo Fen highlighted unstable fragments with glowing trails. Jin Tao subtly shifted gravity to nudge planets. Mei Yu monitored internal energy, signaling when a world was ready to settle.
Slowly, the system took shape: five planets in stable orbits, three more still spinning wildly.
First System-Level Failure
Despite their efforts, one of the outer planets spun too fast, colliding with a fragment of proto-planet. Energy surged violently, creating a feedback that shook the system. Gu An felt his own energy strain.
"This… is my first system-level trial," he realized.
He reached deep into the proto-system, letting his consciousness blend with the energy rather than dominate it. With Luo Fen's guidance, Jin Tao's gravitational control, and Mei Yu's alerts, he slowly stabilized the outer planet.
The planet survived.
The dust and energy around it rebalanced.
Gu An's companions shimmered faintly, acknowledging the success.
Observation, guidance, harmony… he thought. The universe demands patience, not force.