Morning came as usual in Lunaris City. Sunlight slipped between the towering buildings, reflecting off their glass surfaces and making the entire city shimmer. The streets were already filled with vehicles moving in an orderly flow, while the aerial transportation lanes began to fill with ships carrying people toward different parts of the city. Above it all, the blue sky of Blue Star stretched endlessly. A cargo ship passed between the buildings. Behind it, a much smaller aircraft followed its designated route. No one stopped to watch. For the people of Lunaris, sights like these were simply part of an ordinary morning. But not for the teenager standing by his bedroom window. Cael Arven was still wearing his pajamas as his eyes followed a ship slowly climbing higher into the sky. He watched until it passed through the clouds. Then it disappeared. Cael remained by the window for a few more seconds. “Where are you headed...?” Suddenly, a woman's voice came from downstairs. “Cael!” Cael flinched. “Yeah?” “Come downstairs! Breakfast is ready!” Cael glanced at the clock on the wall. His eyes widened. “Oh, crap!” He hurriedly grabbed his uniform. A few minutes later, Cael came downstairs with his hair still slightly messy. A simple breakfast was already waiting on the table. His mother, Elira Arven, was preparing drinks while occasionally glancing at the clock. “Five minutes,” she said. Cael immediately sat down. “I still have time.” Elira looked at him. “You say that every morning.” Across the table, a young girl held back a laugh. Mira Arven, Cael's younger sister, was eating her breakfast while watching her brother. “You were watching ships again, weren't you?” Cael paused. “How did you know?” “Because every morning, you stand by the window like some weirdo.” Cael sighed. “I was just watching a ship.” “Heading to The Void?” Cael nodded. Mira immediately smiled. “Are you going there someday, Big Brother?” “Not sure.” “So that's a yes.” “That's not what I said.” Elira placed a drink in front of Cael. “Don't think about spaceships so much that you forget about school.” “I didn't forget.” “What time is it?” Cael looked at the clock. He fell silent. Mira burst out laughing. Cael's father, Rayan Arven, who had been reading the news on the screen built into the table, finally spoke. “If you want to see expedition ships, you can see them from my workplace.” Cael immediately looked at him. “Really?” Rayan nodded. “I sometimes work on ships that come back from expedition routes.” “Have you ever seen a ship going to The Void?” “A few.” Cael's eyes lit up. “How far did they go?” Rayan gave a small smile. “Pretty far.” That answer only made Cael more curious. “Have they ever reached another planet?” “Not every expedition goes that far.” Rayan returned his attention to the screen. “Besides, you're still in school.” Cael looked slightly disappointed. Mira nudged his arm. “When you're older, don't forget to take me with you.” Cael laughed. “If I ever go.” “Promise?” Cael looked at his little sister for a moment. Then he nodded. “Promise.” Elira sighed as she watched the two of them. “You two are already talking about traveling through space this early in the morning.” Rayan simply smiled. “Let them.” Cael said nothing more. But inside his mind, one word remained. The Void. He had heard that name since he was a child. A galaxy so vast that humanity had yet to map even three percent of it. A place that, according to his textbooks, was filled with countless planets, stars, strange phenomena, and possibilities of life that humanity had never encountered. A place he had only ever seen through a screen. Cael stood from his chair. “I'm leaving.” Elira immediately pointed at his hair. “Fix your hair first.” Cael touched it. “Oh.” Mira laughed again. A few moments later, Cael finally left the house. He walked toward the station with his backpack over his shoulders. His home was located in the eastern residential district of Lunaris City, far from the skyscrapers in the city center. The area was quieter, lined with houses, small parks, shops, and transportation routes connecting the residential districts to the rest of the city. Cael boarded the transport heading toward his school. He chose a seat by the window. As the vehicle began moving, the city unfolded before him once again. Towering buildings. Aerial lanes. Bridges. Parks. And the sky. Cael looked upward again. In the distance, a much larger spacecraft was ascending toward the upper atmosphere. It was different from the ships he usually saw. Its long, dark hull was lined with several sections glowing with a faint blue light. Cael watched it with interest. “An expedition?” Someone sitting beside him also looked out the window. “Looks like it.” “To The Void?” “Who knows?” The short answer made Cael fall silent again. The spacecraft climbed higher. Cael continued watching until it finally disappeared from sight. “Someday...” He said it quietly. But this time, he didn't finish the sentence. The transport stopped. The doors opened. “School,” the automated system announced. Cael snapped back to reality. “Oh, right.” He stepped out with the other students. Ahead of them stood a multi-story school building surrounded by a spacious courtyard. Several students had already gathered there. That day was supposed to be no different from any other. Classes. Training. Breaks. Going home. Then repeating it all again the next day. Cael did not know that the ordinary life he was living would slowly lead him toward something far greater. For now, he was simply a Beginner-ranked student with a Wind Affinity. And the only thing occupying his mind that morning was a spacecraft disappearing into the sky. A ship heading toward a world he had never seen. The Void.

Chapter 1 : The Sky Above Lunaris