Inertia: Beneath the Starlit Veil

(Theron's POV)

"How far is the target, Lieutenant?" I asked.

"Sir, it is approximately 200 meters away."

"Perfect," I said calmly. I grabbed my bow and notched my arrow. The target was running frantically through the brush, desperately trying to escape its demise. Imbuing cosmic energy into the bow, I steadily pulled the string, creating as much tension as possible. "You might want to start heading that way to pick the target up, Lieutenant," I said as the arrow released. A reverberating boom echoed as it pierced through the sky.

"On it, sir."

"I'll let the rest of the men know we're having bison tonight," I said, dropping the bow on the roof before proceeding toward the elevator to head back to my quarters.

Once I was back in my quarters, I decided to wash up before beginning my nightly meditation. Afterward, I found myself staring at my reflection in the mirror. Seeing my own reflection was something I loathed. It reminded me of the family I despised so deeply. Every time I looked at the mirror, I saw what they saw: a failure and a weakling. I saw the disrespect I didn't deserve, the life I wanted but couldn't have.

Despite my hatred for my reflection, it was what had kept me motivated all these years. It fueled my focus. Now that I was a general, I could write my own path and claim everything I desired.

After drying my face and putting on my leisure clothes, I finally sat down on my large meditation pillow. Closing my eyes, I slowed my breathing. With each cycle of inhaling and exhaling, I felt my nerves calm and my mind center itself. Without this nightly practice, I was certain I would have killed a few subordinates over their idiocy.

It could have been thirty minutes, maybe an hour, before my meditation was interrupted by my communicator. "Damn, I forgot to silence that thing," I muttered under my breath, instantly reaching for the device to silence its annoying ring. When I picked it up, I noticed the call was from one of our smaller divisions in the southern region of the continent. I quickly answered.

"This is General Theron. Go ahead."

"Hey, General. This is Captain Mica," the man said softly. "I'm calling to report that we've finally located Ezra Solaris."

Hearing that name made me clench the device so hard I nearly snapped it in half.

"Good job, Captain. I'll be on the first craft headed that way tonight. Where did you find him?"

"We found him in the upper region of the mountains, sir. We intercepted him late at night as he was leaving the city center."

"Wait. You engaged with Ezra?"

"Yes, sir."

"How many men did you confront him with, Captain?"

"We confronted Ezra with five men and sent several others to the mountain to eliminate the kid."

"You should have brought an army or waited for backup from myself or another general. You're lucky to be alive, Captain. He is three stages higher than you—a damn Astral Knight! Did you not do your research?"

"Sir, we thought we could use the child as a hostage. We ambushed him because he appeared to be very low on cosmic energy."

"And how did that work out for you?"

"We suffered one death…"

"Only one? You're lucky—very lucky—that he didn't feel the need to dispose of all of you."

"You're correct, sir. We understand now. But… he wasn't the one who killed one of my men. It was the boy."

"So, that young boy passed the Starbirth Trial of the Solaris Constellation?" I asked frantically.

"He passed some sort of trial, but it doesn't appear to be that of the Solaris Constellation, sir."

"What do you mean?"

"When my men approached the child, they could tell his core was undoubtedly in the first stage of a Celestial Core. But he didn't use any abilities typical of a first-stage Solaris Starbound."

"What did he use then?"

"Sir, we don't know at all. The men who fought the boy described feeling immense pressure while fighting him. It became difficult to move normally."

Hearing this, I paused. My mind reeled at the thought of a Starbound at the embryonic stage emitting enough cosmic energy to immobilize a squad of equal rank. He should have been easily overpowered. For him to do this only a few days after awakening his power was terrifying.

After pondering, I finally responded to the patiently waiting captain. "Captain, thank you for this information. But you're not off the hook. I'll give you and your team a chance at redemption. Locate Ezra Solaris and his child. When you do, for the love of god, do not engage with him. Contact me immediately."

"Yes, sir. We won't let you down this time."

"A demotion will be the least of your worries if you fail, Captain," I said before hanging up, not giving him a chance to respond.

After the call, I couldn't go back to meditating. After years of searching, we had finally found that bastard. To think the only reason we did was because he had prepared his son to take on the Starbirth Trial.

I mulled over the information repeatedly. Goosebumps crawled over my skin as I thought of fighting Ezra again. But this time, it would be different. "I hope you're ready, Ezra. When I'm done with you, the tales of the legendary Emperor of the Sun will be no more."

______________

(Cyrus's POV)

Being stuck on a boat for several days while recovering from injuries was one of the most uncomfortable things I had ever experienced. This surprised me, considering we had spent the last few years sleeping on cold, hard ground. My father, of course, was unfazed. He even seemed to enjoy it. I suspected it was because our only real concern was catching food. The river was teeming with fish, making them easy to catch. This allowed me to focus on my recovery.

Now that my once-empty core had reached the embryonic stage, my body healed faster than before. However, the process drained my cosmic energy at a noticeable pace. Adding to the challenge was the fact that we were far from an astral rift leaking energy, making it harder to replenish my reserves. These conditions made me realize how much work lay ahead of me to improve my control over cosmic energy. They also gave me a greater appreciation for how elite my father truly was.

"What are you thinking about, Cy?" my father asked, pulling a solar spear from the water with a flailing fish impaled on its end.

"I'm just ready to get off this boat and get back to training," I said, pulling my gaze away from my reflection in the river.

"How are your injuries? And how much cosmic energy do you currently have in your reserves?"

"My lacerations are almost fully healed. I can move without much pain. As for my reserves, I'm at about half capacity."

"Oh, perfect. Then we can start your next lesson," he said, taking a bite out of a charred fish he had just caught.

I straightened up, excited and eager to learn what he had planned.

"Today, you'll learn something crucial for gaining insight into your Fate Constellation," he began. "You're going to learn how to enter your Celestial Nexus."

"A nexus?"

"The Celestial Nexus is the next stage in your meditation training. First, you learned to meditate to absorb cosmic energy from astral rifts to form your core. Then, you learned how to project your consciousness through meditation, entering a rift. Now, instead of projecting your consciousness outward, you'll enter your astral tattoo."

I couldn't help but look at him as though he'd lost his mind. "You want me to enter my tattoo?"

"Correct. Since you didn't inherit the Solaris Constellation, it's harder for me to guide you directly in understanding your constellation's abilities. The Nexus will deepen your connection with your constellation, eventually giving you insight. Think of it as a training ground for your abilities."

"So… I get to train without physical training?"

"Yes, but this meditation technique consumes a significant amount of cosmic energy," he explained. "Especially for someone in the embryonic stage, who lacks precise control over their reserves. You'll need to plan carefully when to enter the Nexus."

"Understood. Can we start now?" I asked, repositioning myself in the boat.

"I swear, your eagerness is going to be the death of me one day. Can I at least finish my meal first?" my father said, stuffing several more pieces of fish into his mouth. "But… I suppose I can eat later."