The Starborn Prophecy

In the far reaches of the Andromeda Expanse, where celestial storms raged across the cosmic abyss, a lone drifter named Kael Veran piloted his battered starship, the Aether’s Echo. He had spent years running from a past he barely understood, haunted by visions of a dying world and a voice whispering his name through the void.

Kael was a scavenger by trade, a survivor by necessity. The universe was cruel, and those who wandered its fringes either adapted or perished. He had no home, no family—just the stars and the hum of his ship’s worn engines. That changed the day he intercepted a distress signal from a drifting vessel near the Crimson Nebula.

The ship, a derelict research cruiser named Vigilant, bore the scars of a violent attack. Its hull was riddled with plasma burns, and the atmosphere inside flickered with failing life support. Kael hesitated. He had learned long ago that good deeds rarely led to fortune, but something in his gut told him this was different. Perhaps it was the strange pull in his mind, the sense that his arrival was no accident.

With a sigh, he docked his ship and stepped aboard. The air was thin, acrid with the scent of burnt circuitry. Lights flickered along the corridor, casting long, eerie shadows. He moved cautiously, his pulse steady, years of training keeping him sharp. He had expected to find corpses—what he found instead was a woman.

She was unconscious, slumped against the wall, her deep crimson robes embroidered with sigils Kael didn’t recognize. A faint glow emanated from the markings on her wrists, pulsating like a heartbeat. Kael knelt beside her, pressing two fingers to her neck. Still alive. Barely.

As he reached for his communicator, her eyes snapped open—brilliant gold, like molten stars. Her hand clamped onto his wrist with surprising strength.

“You are the Starborn,” she whispered, her voice both desperate and reverent.

Kael frowned. “You’re mistaken. I’m just a scavenger.”

“No,” she insisted, struggling to sit up. “You bear the mark. The universe has called you.”

Before he could respond, the ship’s failing systems issued a shrill warning. Fires erupted along the corridor as the vessel’s core became unstable. Instinct overrode curiosity. Scooping the woman into his arms, he sprinted back to his ship just as the Vigilant detonated behind him, casting debris into the void.

Back aboard the Aether’s Echo, Kael laid her on the medbay table and examined the strange markings on her skin. They shimmered and pulsed in response to his touch, as if recognizing him. He had no idea what to make of it.

The woman stirred, blinking up at him. “My name is Seraphine,” she said. “And I have been searching for you.”

Kael crossed his arms. “For me? Why?”

“Because you are the last of the Starborn,” she said. “And the fate of the universe depends on you.”

Kael exhaled slowly, his mind racing. He had spent years avoiding responsibility, dodging the shadows of a past he barely remembered. But now, the universe had found him. And it wasn’t going to let him run any longer.

Chapter Two: The Forgotten Legacy

Kael couldn’t sleep. The Aether’s Echo hummed softly, but his mind was restless. Seraphine’s words echoed in his head. The last of the Starborn? Fate of the universe? It sounded like nonsense. Yet the symbols on her skin had responded to him. That wasn’t normal.

He found her in the cockpit, staring at the swirling abyss of space through the viewport. She turned as he approached, her golden eyes solemn.

“You have questions,” she said.

Kael leaned against the console. “More than a few. Let’s start with the Starborn. What are they?”

Seraphine sighed. “A lost lineage. A people gifted with the ability to harness the energy of the stars themselves. They were protectors, warriors, and seers. But they were hunted, and now, you are the last.”

He scoffed. “And I suppose you expect me to believe I have some kind of cosmic power?”

“You don’t have to believe,” she said. “The power will awaken whether you accept it or not.”

Kael shook his head. “You’ve got the wrong guy.”

“Then explain why your presence activated my sigils.”

He had no answer for that.

Before he could respond, the ship’s proximity alarm blared. Kael rushed to the controls. A massive warship loomed ahead, blocking their path. The insignia of the Dominion—an oppressive regime controlling vast sectors of space—glowed ominously on its hull.

Seraphine paled. “They found us.”

“How?”

“They have ways of tracking my kind. If they take me, they’ll extract everything I know.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t a hero. He wasn’t interested in saving the universe. But something about the fear in Seraphine’s eyes made him act.

“Buckle in,” he said, gripping the controls.

The Dominion ship fired. Kael’s instincts kicked in as he yanked the Aether’s Echo into a barrel roll, dodging the plasma blasts by mere meters. His ship wasn’t made for combat, but he knew how to fly.

Seraphine closed her eyes and whispered in a strange language. The markings on her skin flared, and suddenly, the ship surged forward with impossible speed.

“What the hell was that?” Kael demanded.

“Our power,” she said. “Yours, too.”

Kael’s fingers tingled where they touched the controls. He wasn’t sure he liked this.

The Dominion ship fell behind, its weapons unable to lock onto them. In moments, they were safely in hyperspace.

Kael exhaled, turning to Seraphine. “We need to talk.”

She nodded. “Yes. Because this is just the beginning.”

To be continued...