Tale of Vanguard

A metal frame can be heard humming with anticipation as it hold the ship above it. Kaelen, Serephira, Thane, and Bastia stood on the ship's upper deck, their eyes were fixed on Prince Raul below. He tossed a beacon outside of the garage. It glowed into a soft blue color. Not long after, with a burst of energy, a swirling gateway appeared in front of the ship, its edges were crackling with power.

Prince Raul then went back into the garage. He expertly working on a large, complex piece of machine that seemed to connect to the ship's core. The machinery whirred and clanked under his touch. Once he was satisfied with his adjustments, he looked up and called out to them.

"Ready?"

Serephira glanced at the others before nodding.

At her signal, Prince Raul pressed a button on the control panel. Instantly, the ship groaned under the force of its engines, vibrating heavily as if struggling against invisible forces. The gateway before them pulsed and widened, pulling them closer.

Suddenly, the prince's face changed, as if he just realized something crucial. His eyes widened in alarm as he looked back up at them, shouting:

"Oh, I almost forgot, watch out for—"

His warning was cut off as the ship lunged forward, catapulted straight toward the swirling gateway.

***

As the ship shot through the gateway, the harsh vibration eased, and a weightless stillness surrounded them. Kaelen, Seraphira, Thane, and Bastia found themselves floating in a vast, boundless expanse—like drifting through the depths of outer space.

They were encased in a shimmering, ethereal current of aether energy, swirling around the ship like a magical river, the energy was humming and pulsing as it stretched infinitely forward, connecting to something unseen in the distance. The ship floated along the current with a steady yet swift speed, guided by forces beyond their understanding.

Kaelen stepped closer to the edge of the ship, gazing into the void beyond the magical current. At first, it looked like they were surrounded by stars—bright points of light twinkling in the endless blackness. But as he squinted and focused, he caught his breath. Those weren't stars.

They were gateways.

Thousands of them, scattered like glittering fragments of light. Each gateway was a window into another realm. Some of the these gateway was swirling with vibrant colors, while others pulsating with dark, ominous energy. Kaelen could hardly fathom the sheer number of realms that existed beyond.

His awe deepened as he realized the sight of what they were witnessing.

"This…this is incredible."

He whispered with a voice that was almost lost in the expanse.

Serephira joined him at the edge, her eyes were gleaming with the same wonder. She murmured to him.

"The Veil... This is the passage between realms."

Not long after, Thane asked curiously.

"Hey... How long are we going to be here in the Conduit?"

He kept his gaze fixed on the endless horizon, trying to distract himself from the odd sensation of floating through what seemed like a vast, magical outer space.

Serephira glanced over her shoulder.

"It's hard to say... probably a few hours, but it could take a day or two. I heard that the currents can be unpredictable."

At her answer, both Thane, and Kaelen—who was enjoying the view a moment ago gulped softly. Thane felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

"A day or two?"

The idea of being stuck in this strange, cosmic space for that long was probably unnerving. Kaelen himself wasn't scared—he had faced danger before—but still, the thought of drifting through the Conduit, surrounded by thousands of realms, made him feel strangely exposed.

"Guess it'll be a long trip then."

Thane murmured to himself, though the slight tremor in his voice betrayed his mixed feelings.

Bastia, overhearing him, smirked.

"You'll be fine. Just enjoy the view. It's not every day you get to sail through the space between realms."

She clapped Thane on the back lightly while her own gaze was still locked on the mesmerizing sight outside.

"Yeah... I suppose you're right."

Serephira glanced at the group, her eyes were shimmering with amusement at Thane's mixture of nervousness and excitement. She smiled softly.

"I think I'll head down to the lower deck, see what the ship has in store. It might be good to check everything's functioning while we're here."

Thane perked up, as if eager for a distraction.

"Yeah, I'll go with you. I'll probably get bored just staring at… well, all of that."

He gestured to the vast, empty expanse outside.

With that, the two of them made their way toward the lower deck, leaving Kaelen and Bastia alone on the upper level.

Kaelen, still leaning against the side of the ship, kept his gaze fixed on the mysterious gateways. The sight was still captivating, as the quiet air settled in, he found himself lost in his thoughts—until a voice broke through his reverie.

"Hey there."

Bastia called out to him with a light and friendly tone as she approached.

Kaelen blinked as he was momentarily thrown by the casual greeting.

"Hey..."

He replied a little awkwardly. He paused, unsure of how to address her. Should he be formal? She is a princess, after all.

Noticing his hesitation, Bastia giggled softly.

"You can just call me Bastia."

She said with a playful smile as she was clearly amused by him.

Kaelen nodded his head, feeling a little awkward.

"Oh, okay."

His mind raced for something to say, realizing that he had never really spoken to Bastia alone before. The first time they met was at the infirmary, where they had exchanged brief greetings, but that was it.

Before he could think of anything, Bastia broke the silence.

"I actually wanted to say thanks."

Kaelen blinked in confusion.

"For what?"

Bastia's expression softened as she looked at him.

"For Serephira. Since you've been around, she's started to smile more and opened up to others a lot more than she used to. I noticed the change, and i figured it's because of you."

Kaelen was taken aback. Could his presence have really made such an impact? He wasn't sure. He did just met Serephira for a short time, but he hadn't thought about how he might have affected her, considering the fact that he never known her before this.

Unsure, Kaelen glanced at Bastia. Hesitated at first, he then asked her.

"What was she like before?"

Bastia leaned on the railing, looking thoughtfully into the distance as she considered Kaelen's question.

"Serephira's always been the reserved and quiet type, you might think it's similar to her sister, but it's really not."

Kaelen raised an eyebrow, curious about the difference.

"Seraphina—she's carefree, almost aloof. She's quiet because she's detached, living in her own world. She never really cares much about what's happening around her. But Serephira… she's quiet for a different reason. She's always been more serious, more guarded. It's like she's carrying the weight of everything on her shoulders, even if she won't show it."

Bastia paused, glancing over at Kaelen.

"If i told the old her that i am willing to helped her on this journey, she'd definitely refuse. She didn't like to rely on anyone, even me."

Her lips curved into a gentle smile.

"But now, it's different. She's letting people in more. I can tell she's still struggling, but it's not like before. She's opening up—bit by bit. And I think you had something to do with that."

Kaelen listened, processing Bastia's words. He found himself thinking back to his moments with Serephira—the conversations, the small smiles she'd given him when they spoke, the trust she had placed in him. Could his presence really have helped her change like this? He wasn't sure how to feel about it.

As Kaelen pondered about Bastia's words, the ship suddenly vibrated beneath their feet, the metal floor was humming with an unfamiliar energy. Both Kaelen and Bastia staggered, instinctively reaching for the railing to steady themselves.

Bastia furrowed her brow, glancing around in confusion.

"What just happened?"

Before Kaelen could respond, something outside the current caught his eye. His gaze was snapped to the swirling space beyond the protective magical stream. Dark shapes were moving in the void—creatures, their forms were barely visible against the backdrop of the gateways.

They were circling the ship.