Before The Cataclysm

"These flowers look lovely", a girl murmured as she plucked the flowers, bringing them to her nose to catch a whiff. The fragrance brought a small smile to her face. She was enjoying her peaceful moment, but a strange noise interrupted it. 

She scanned the area around her, but nothing seemed out of place. 

"What in the heavens is that sound?" The girl, still curious, whispered. The sound—eerie and unknown—sent a certain chill down her spine. She felt her chest tighten a little with unease.

Before she could even decide to dismiss the sound, something—or someone—falls on top of her.

The sky seemed to ripple for a moment, a tear in the fabric of reality, before Jaxon Altair plummeted through with all the grace of a falling anvil.

"Crap…", he groaned as he stood up. "Note to self: work on landing coordinates".

Confused, the girl looked up and shot a murderous glare to the intruder. The first thing she wanted to do was shout, but the urge to dissolved the moment she laid eyes on him. A young man with an athletic build and most striking eyes she had ever seen stood before her at that very moment. His tousled hair framing a face which made him look both bold and irresistible. She felt her heart flutter as he spoke to her in his low, husky voice: "Excuse me, miss?".

"Y-yes?" she stammered, her cheeks flushing deep pink.

"What year is this?" he asked, scanning the surroundings with keen eyes.

"It's... Age 555, the 333rd Lunar—"

Before she could finish, Altair's face lit up with euphoria.

"Hah! I did it!" he exclaimed, leaping with joy. His voice full of excitement. "I actually traveled back in time! I can't believe I pulled it off!" The self proclaimed genius threw his arms around in joy and

The once cool and enigmatic stranger now appeared more like a raving lunatic to the young lady, leaving her bewildered and unsure how to respond.

"You!" he ordered, pointing at her. "Take me to the capital".

"What the—", the words barely escaped her mouth. "Who are you?!"

"That's none of your business.", he snapped. "Now take me to the capital"

"No", she replied sternly, walking away from him.

"Hey!," he ran after her and grabbed her arm. 

She yanked her arm free. "NO!"

Altair sighed heavily, his frustration growing more and more visible. "What do you want? Money? Is that it? You want me to pay you?"

"No…", she said with a sigh. "Just tell me who you are, what you want… and why you fell from the sky"

"Oh…", Altair rubbed his neck as he shrugged casually. "I'm Jaxon Altair and I'm a time…". He stopped talking.

"You're a what?", she pressed, her gaze sharp.

Altair stood there, frozen. He can't just tell a random person he's a scientist from the future. She'd think he's insane! 'Come on, think, Altair'

"I'm a scientist in the capital", he said putting as much confidence into it as possible. Technically, he wasn't lying. "I was testing out one of my inventions… and it happened to bring me here"

"Right…", the girl folded her arms, one eyebrow raised as she looked at him skeptically. "So you need my help to find your way back to the capital?"

"Precisely", he said with a nod, relieved she didn't ask anymore questions.

"Well", she said stretching lazily. "If that was it, you could have just said so, Mr. Jaxon. I'm Stellar, by the way—Stellar Lortfors"

Altair watched as the pink haired girl adjusted her satchel and tightened the straps on her boots. She gestured to him to follow when she was done and he jogged to catch up.

As they walked, she scoffed lightly. "You're actually pretty lucky. I don't go to the capital often. The hustle and bustle of city life just isn't my style."

'Altair raised an eyebrow. "You don't live in the capital?"

Stellar shook her head with a small smile. "Nope. I live near Sapphix Grove, where the trees are my neighbours and my only worry is whether or not I have enough coffee for the month. When you're out in the wild, you can really take your time and appreciate the work of the goddess"

"By… yourself?", his eyes widened in disbelief. "You live in the wild… alone?!" 

She laughed, the sound melodious, blending with the sound of the rustling leaves. "I've been living alone for almost ten years now." She turned to meet his astonished gaze and giggled. "Oh, come on. Don't be so surprised. Believe it or not, some of us actually like the solitude."

Altair scratched the back of his neck, trying to process everything he just heard. It's one thing to live alone. But to live a forest? That was insane. "Look," he said still scratching his neck. "If you're not comfortable taking me to the capital, it's fine. I'll find a way to get there by myself."

"No, really, it's fine,", she said, giggling. "I have a few errands to run in the city anyway. It was perfect timing"

Their journey continued with random conversations and bursts of laughter. Altair tried his best not to exposed himself too much as they spoke. The last thing he'd want is for his new companion to think he was unhinged.

"You can fight?", Altair blurted out, a hint of disbelief in his voice as she casually dropped that fact mid-conversation 

"Well obviously", she replied, rolling her eyes. She punched his shoulder playfully. "I live in the woods for crying out loud! It's not all peaceful glades and singing birds. The wilderness bites. It bites hard"

Altair's interest was piqued. "Like when?"

"It's mostly the usual run-in," she said breezily. "Last time I went out to pick some wild fruit, a grove boar tried to attack me. Nasty beasts" 

She reached into her bag and pulled out a dagger. Its sleek blade shone as it reflected the dappled sunlight it caught. "Took it down in one blow", she said as she slashed the air with the dagger in a dramatic arc. 

Altair tried to imagine it: a cheerful, pink haired girl taking down a grove boar… by herself. "One blow? You're kidding."

"Dead serious," she said slipping the dagger back into the satchel. "Let's just say, you pick up a few survival skills after living out in the wild for so long."

"Impressive…," Altair studied her physique. She did have the build for it: her frame was nimble but toned, the kind of strength you'd get from climbing trees, hauling supplies and warding off wild animals. Her arms carried a subtle definition and she didn't seem to be imposing in size—rather, her build was quite petite and flexible, built for quick reflexes. Even after spending all the time in the wilderness, there was this grace she carried herself with, her steps purposeful yet relaxed.

"So," she broke the silence. "What about you, Mr. Scientist. Do you fight?"

"Do I?" Altair's mind trailed back to all the times he had to fend off the ADF. "A bit." He finally answered. "I'm not much of the physical combat type. But I'm pretty good with blaster guns and some long range weapons," he said this while imitating holding a gun and firing.

"Cool," Stellar cooed in awe. Her cheeks flushed a bit as she did.

After close to two hours of walking, they finally made it Rexborough, the capital state of Arai. The tall buildings looked down on the people like titans. Towering spires of metal rose among the ancient ruins of the land. Elevated walkways joined buildings and cities, while the streets were alive with vendors and citizens moving in every direction.

The air was full of the sound of commerce—the sound of coins clinking, a battle between the buyer and the seller for a bargain and the constant whir of hovercars as they passed. Stalls lined up in every corner selling all sorts of goods: from food to gadgets to whatnots, you'd find almost everything you'd need in the streets of Rexborough.

This sight scared Stellar, however. She wasn't so used to seeing so many people in one place. Constant 'Sorry' and 'Excuse me' escaped her lips as she bumped into people countlessly in an attempt to manoeuvre through them. When she finally got to a more free place, she leaned against a wall and caught her breath. Altair appeared shortly, but he wasn't as beat as she was.

"Why are you breathing so heavily?" He asked her, confusion and concern in his voice.

"Why… why are there so many people?" She muttered, her deep breath punctuating every word. There was a hint of fear in her voice. Altair sensed it, but he dismissed it as probably a phobia of hers.

"Let's keep going. Where I'm heading is a little far from her," he reaches out and takes her hand. "I'll lead the way this time."

After half an hour, Altair stopped abruptly. Stellar bumped into him. "What gives?" She walked ahead to look him in the eyes. His eyes were teary. "Hey…Are you okay?"

'I never thought I'd see this place again,' he wiped the tears that had formed with the back of his hand. Interstellate Manor was the home he had grown up in. He lived there with Seven's family and his parents. It felt so good to see it again.

"Yeah, I'm good," he finally answered her.

Stellar stood still as she studied him. They hadn't known each other for long, but Altair didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd just cry. She occasionally shifted her gaze from him to the grand manor. She didn't know what was bothering him, but she knew the place meant a lot to him—the fact that he was overwhelmed by emotions from looking at it caught her by surprise, though.

Altair noticed that Stellar still looked worried. "Really, I'm fine. It's just… memories," he murmured, brushing it off.

Stellar was still speechless. She could sense his hesitation, the walls he built around himself. She could tell he was very deeply attached to the manor. She didn't want to bother him with questions anymore, so she just nodded. "If it's too much, let's just leave. You still have to go back to your lab, right?"

Altair took Stellar's hand again. He started walking to the manor. Shocked, she still followed closely, wondering what and who they would meet inside.

Just as Altair got to the staircase, he heard a voice that he knew far too well.

"But Altair, won't it be dangerous?" A voice said.

"Tsk, don't worry, Seven, we'll be fine. Solaris does stuff like this all the time."

Stellar and Altair peered into the alley between the manor and the other building. There were two boys, both quite young. Stellar looked closely at one of them. Then she shifted her gaze to Altair, then back to the boy. "Altair," she whispered. "That boy has the same piercings as you. In the same place too."

Altair, recognising the earrings his dad gave him, shot a faint smile. "Found you."

The teenage boys felt a strong gaze on them. They turned slowly and locked eyes with the strangers. The boy who had the same piercings as Altair looked at him with confused eyes, studying his clothes, face, and eyes. He looked at his ears and noticed the piercings. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he yelled, "You're me!"