Chapter Eleven: Fain

  S.T.A.R.S Medical Bay

  Houston Tx, May 15th, 2036 (The Present)

  A low hum of machinery filled the room, blending with the occasional sharp beeping of monitors tracking vital signs. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air, while the harsh, white light overhead reflected off the cold, metallic surfaces of the medical equipment. It felt suffocating.

  Yozora's eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry as he stared at the unfamiliar surroundings. His body felt heavy, almost as if it wasn’t his own. The sterile brightness of the room stabbed at his eyes. Confusion gripped him. What the hell is going on? He blinked, trying to focus.

  Suddenly, panic surged through him. Where's T? His heart raced as memories of the battle against Jezebel flashed in his mind, haunting him. He tried to sit up, but his muscles refused to cooperate. His legs gave out, and he tumbled from the bed onto the cold floor, the impact jarring him fully awake.

  Groaning, Yozora pulled himself up, glancing at the stark, white walls that surrounded him. Everything was so clean, too clean. The tension in the air felt thick, like an unspoken truth pressing down on him.

  He stumbled toward the hallway, each step labored, his body still fighting the weight of fatigue. “Hello?” His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. “Hello?”

  As Yozora staggered forward, his blurred vision caught sight of medics moving swiftly through the building, their white uniforms blending with the bright lights of the hallway. “I’m in a hospital.” The realization hit him like a wave, but before he could gather his thoughts, a firm arm wrapped around his shoulders.

  “My guy, you finally woke up.” The familiar voice brought him back.

  Yozora wiped his face, his vision clearing just enough to see T.LAC standing beside him. His best friend’s face looked tired, worn, and heavy with the same weight Yozora felt deep in his chest.

  But they both knew what was truly weighing them down—Mara. She was gone. The harsh reality of losing her hit them like a tidal wave, the memory seared into Yozora's mind, playing on repeat.

  “T... she’s gone,” Yozora whispered, his voice breaking. His eyes darkened, the haunting images Jezebel forced into his mind resurfacing. “She seared what she did to Mara into my head. It keeps playing over and over. I wasn’t enough to save her. I’m sorry, T. I’m so sorry.”

  T.LAC swallowed hard, his own pain mirrored in Yozora’s words. His fists clenched as tears welled up in his eyes. “Zora... it’s just us now.” Tears streamed down his face. “I’m sorry too. I couldn’t save her either, but Jezebel will pay for this. She took Mara from me—she took her from us.”

  T.LAC’s voice trembled, but there was a fire burning beneath his words. “After we lay her to rest... we’re going to train nonstop to avenge Mara.”

  Yozora looked at T.LAC, their shared grief hardening. “I agree,” Yozora said, his voice cold but steady. “Not having a solid foundation is why we failed to protect Mara. We’ll dedicate our new training to her.”

  Just as the weight began to settle, a voice cut through the silence.

  “Yozora?”

  Both boys turned, their eyes locking onto Instructor Selene, standing at the entrance of the hallway. Her face carried a mixture of sadness and guilt. “I’m sorry about what happened to Mara...” she began, her voice soft with sympathy.

  Yozora’s expression hardens, his gaze sharp and unyielding. “Instructor Selene,” he says coldly, his voice edged with suspicion. “Why are you here?”

  Selene exhales softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, Yozora, believe it or not, I’m your mother… and I work here. I suppose you haven’t realized it yet.”

  T.LAC’s brows knit together in confusion, his gaze shifting between Yozora and Selene. Yozora, on the other hand, stiffens, his mind suddenly sharpening as he takes in his surroundings with newfound clarity.

  Selene’s voice carries a quiet sadness as she continues, “We’re at S.T.A.R.S.” She offers a solemn smile. “Welcome back.”

  The room feels stifling, the tension thick and suffocating. The sterile hum of medical equipment fades beneath the crushing weight of uncertainty pressing down on them. Yozora and T.LAC remain motionless, their thoughts colliding in a whirlwind of disbelief and unease. The question that had haunted them for so long now refuses to be ignored, burning at the forefront of their minds.

  Yozora’s eyes lock onto Selene, frustration flickering beneath his guarded expression. “Star Crossed—a species created by a secret global initiative called S.T.A.R.S, or Sub-dimensional Tuning and Advanced Resonance Studies.” The words spill from his lips, tinged with both familiarity and hesitation. Faint, fragmented memories stir at the edges of his mind, whispers of a past he can’t fully grasp. He clenches his fists. “What exactly is S.T.A.R.S.?” he demands. “Why are children chosen for this program? Are they just taken at random?”

  Selene stills, her mind racing. Things have become complicated. There is so much she can’t reveal—not yet. The truth is vast, tangled, and dangerous. More than that, it is something Yozora was never meant to remember. He and the others had been zeroed, their memories erased to keep certain knowledge buried. But now, faced with his relentless gaze, she knows she must tell them something. At least a piece of the truth.

  She takes a slow, measured breath before speaking, her tone careful yet unwavering. “Let me start by explaining why children are selected.” Her eyes flicker with something unreadable—guilt, regret, perhaps even fear. “The truth is… none of you were ‘selected’ in the traditional sense.”

  Yozora’s breath stills, his body tense as he listens.

  “Every child in the S.T.A.R.S. program wasn’t chosen,” Selene continues, “but created—from donated eggs and sperm, through a very specific process.” She hesitates, choosing her next words carefully. “That process… I can’t fully disclose. But I can tell you this: the donors—both egg and sperm—are… special.”

  Yozora’s eyes narrow, but he says nothing. He waits, expecting more.

  Selene, however, falls silent, the weight of unspoken truths hanging between them.

  "In short," Selene says, choosing her words carefully, "Star Crossed aren’t born in the usual way. You were formed here, in S.T.A.R.S. This is your origin, your home—whether you like it or not."

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Yozora feels a cold knot tighten in his stomach. "By 'formed,' you mean created?" The thought sends an icy shiver through him, cutting through the oppressive heat of the room.

  Selene watches their reactions carefully before continuing. "Things have changed. Children are no longer treated the way your class of Star Crossed was. No more cold white-and-gray rooms. They go to schools out in the city, make friends, play video games… they have more freedom."

  T.LAC's fists clench as he steps forward, his voice laced with anger. "What the fuck does that mean? We’re just lab experiments? Products of some twisted project?"

  Selene meets his glare without hesitation. "No," she says, her voice firm but calm. "You’re more than that, you were created for a purpose."

  Yozora’s frustration flares. "What purpose?"

  Selene exhales, her expression shifting to something more serious. "S.T.A.R.S. is a global covert initiative formed to protect Earth from external threats—and to study ancient artifacts and technologies from a civilization that predates this universe." She hesitates for a moment, then presses on. "Have you ever heard of Roger Penrose’s hypothesis? He proposed that our universe arose from a pre-existing one—that traces of the previous universe were left imprinted on our own. To the outside world, it's an impossible theory to prove. However, S.T.A.R.S. has known this since before what humans call the Great Flood of Noah."

  Yozora and T.LAC exchange a glance, disbelief flickering in their eyes, but curiosity overpowering their doubt.

  “These ancient imprints are the foundation of the S.T.A.R.S. program,” Selene continues. “They hold knowledge, artifacts, and powers beyond human comprehension. The Star Crossed—children like you—were created to be the guardians and protectors of humanity against threats from Portal Gates… or what we call Breach Events."

  T.LAC’s mind races. Everything he and Yozora had been taught in school suddenly feels like a carefully crafted illusion. “So, everything we learned in middle and high school... it was all fake?” T.LAC asks, his voice edged with frustration.

  Selene nods. “For you two, in many ways, yes. The Star Crossed are trained with this knowledge from an early age. The memories were locked away during the Zeroing process, but the truth is still inside you.”

  Yozora stares at the floor, trying to make sense of it all. “Why were we Zeroed, Selene? Why take away our memories?”

  For a brief moment, guilt darkens Selene’s expression. “You asked too many questions—questions that were considered dangerous. After... certain incidents with other Tuners, the decision was made to Zero you.” She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. “T.LAC and Mara were in the clear, but they chose to join you in being Zeroed. They refused to stand by S.T.A.R.S’ decision.”

  Yozora visibly tenses. “So, I was supposed to be wiped clean? Like erasing data from a computer? What could I have possibly done that was so dangerous they had to erase me?” His chest tightens, the weight of realization pressing down on him. “I’m sorry, T. This really is my fault, then. If not for me, Mara would still be alive, and you wouldn’t have had to go through this.”

  T.LAC glances at Yozora, his expression unreadable. “You’d never have let Mara or me go through it alone.”

  Selene’s voice turns grave. “The Star Crossed are special. You were developing powers and understanding at an accelerated rate—faster than we anticipated. But some of the others... they couldn’t handle it. They broke. And after what happened, they decided it was safer to Zero you.”

  She takes a step closer, her tone measured but firm. “You were given a second chance.”

  T.LAC begins pacing, his frustration growing. He turns sharply to Selene. “And what about Mara? She didn’t get a second chance. Her being Zeroed is why she’s dead!”

  Selene’s eyes fill with sorrow. “I know. I’m sorry about Mara... but you must understand. The world of Tuners isn’t forgiving. Yozora had enemies everywhere. The decision was made for the wellbeing of S.T.A.R.S. I know it’s harsh. But when it’s a choice between S.T.A.R.S—the protector of this realm—or Yozora... he’ll always come dead last.”

  Silence falls over the room.

  Selene exhales, steadying herself. “This is a lot to take in, and I know it’s painful to hear. But it’s the truth you wanted... so I’ll continue.” She folds her arms. “The Star Crossed, even without the Toro, have enhanced minds, reflexes, strength, and abilities far beyond peak human capability. When your friends age and die… you’ll still look eighteen.”

  Yozora’s eyes widen. “So... we’re not going to age anymore?”

  Selene rubs her hands together, as if trying to shake off the weight of what she’s about to say. “Once Star Crossed reach eighteen, they stop aging. Depending on your Tuner Class, you’re essentially immortal.” Her gaze sharpens. “You won’t die from illness or disease. But you can still be killed.”

  T.LAC’s expression hardens. “So, what’s next?” he asks, his voice low.

  The room is thick with tension as Selene lets her words settle. “You’ll be reinstated into S.T.A.R.S as operatives. You’ll take on missions and do what you were created to do.” Her voice is quiet but absolute.

  Yozora and T.LAC stood silent, the weight of everything hanging heavily between them. Despite everything that had happened, they still had to graduate high school. But Yozora had one more question burning in his mind, one that refused to be ignored.

  The question finally dawned on him, connecting the dots between his life at Stars Institute for The Gifted and the hidden world of S.T.A.R.S. He turned to Selene, his voice calm but insistent.

  "Is our high school... the Stars Institute... and the S.T.A.R.S program connected?"

  Selene hesitated, the truth weighing on her heavily. She met Yozora’s eyes, and for a moment, the guilt that had been buried beneath her professional demeanor surfaced. His piercing gaze, combined with the pain of loss, made it impossible for her to evade the question any longer. “Mom, you owe me this much,” Yozora thought, his unspoken plea hanging in the air.

  With a sigh, Selene finally spoke. “Yes... they are one and the same,” she admitted, her voice tinged with reluctant relief.“The Stars Institute for The Gifted monitors those who’ve been zeroed, like you and T.LAC. It’s also a place where we observe humans who might have the potential to tap into the Toro via Resonators, though that’s classified technology.”

  Selene continued, “But for the most part, the Institute is just what it appears to be—a school for high-IQ students or kids from wealthy families. Their parents pay a fortune to send them there, unaware of the deeper connections behind the scenes.”

  Yozora’s jaw clenched as the implications sank in. Their entire high school experience had been orchestrated, manipulated from the start. But before he could voice his frustration, Selene interrupted, her tone softening.

  “Look, both of you,” she said, glancing between Yozora and T.LAC, “You’ve been through a lot these past few days. Focus on graduation. The ceremony for Mara will take place the day after. S.T.A.R.S is hosting her funeral. We say goodbye to our fallen differently than the rest of the world. Mara deserves that honor.”

  Selene’s voice faltered for a moment, her eyes flickering with the regret she tried to hide. “You three were never supposed to be in this situation. An internal investigation revealed a leak within S.T.A.R.S. Someone exposed sensitive information, that revealed the locations to every Zeroed Tuner globally. That’s why Jezebel knew about you, why she was able to find Mara.”

  T.LAC couldn’t hold back his rage any longer. His fists clenched, his voice trembling with fury. “So, this great fucking program couldn’t even protect the very Tuners it zeroed? You left us defenseless, and now Mara’s dead because of it! Yozora and I barely made it out alive. This... this has to be some kind of sick joke!”

  Yozora’s eyes flickered with the same frustration, though he kept his emotions in check. He gave T.LAC a subtle nod, silently agreeing. “T, you’re right,” Yozora said, his voice low and controlled. “But right now, we can’t do anything about it. Let’s focus on getting through graduation... and the ceremony for Mara. Selene, thank you for your time.”

  Without waiting for a response, Yozora turned on his heel, motioning for T.LAC to follow. The tension between them still simmered, but Yozora knew they needed to stay focused. They would have their time to grieve and their time to fight—just not now.

  As they made their way out, Selene called after them, her voice heavy with something Yozora couldn’t quite place.“Yozora, one last thing.”

  He stopped but didn’t turn around.

  “From now on, you may start noticing that people don’t see you as much. Tuners vibrate at a different frequency than normal humans. If by any chance someone does notice you, they’re not just any person—they’re a potential threat. Be careful.”

  Yozora stood still for a moment, letting her words sink in. He finally turned his head slightly, his eyes cold and unreadable. “We’ll be ready,” he said, and with that, he walked away, leaving Selene standing alone in the sterile hallway.

  Hey everyone!

  Noctis Flame, here

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