Noah was seven when it happened.
It was an ordinary day in his home world, the Asterisk, sunlight spilling through the clouds, the streets of town buzzing with life. He was out with his parents and younger siblings, Touya and Mahiru, enjoying a rare day off. At the park, while his mother and siblings went to pick up snacks, Noah stayed behind with his father, Haruto, happily savoring an ice cream under the shade of a tree.
Then came the explosion.
Screams pierced the peaceful afternoon. A deep rumble shook the ground, and black smoke curled into the sky.
Haruto knelt in front of him, steady and calm despite the panic building around them. "Stay here, Noah. Watch for your mother and siblings. I'll check it out."
Noah nodded silently. His father sprinted toward the source of the chaos.
A rift had opened. A Stellaron exploded through the sky like a crack in glass. From it poured beasts from the Fragmentum, monstrous and howling, spreading their sickness as they surged through the streets.
Some of them made it to the park.
Noah saw a girl the same age as him cornered by a twisted creature, too scared to run. He didn't know her name, and didn't stop to think. He was an Alden. A Genestella. He had to act.
He charged in.
The creature lunged. Noah grabbed the girl and pulled her away just in time.
"Come!" he shouted, dragging her through the grass.
But more beasts were waiting.
They were surrounded. He turned to shield her, body shaking with adrenaline. Even nearby adults were struggling to fight. Noah didn't stand a chance, but he clenched his fists anyway, refusing to back down.
Then pain. One of the beasts struck him. He hit the ground, groaning, but still crawled to shield the crying girl behind him.
The girl clung to his back, sobbing. "Stop it!… you're hurt…!"
Noah gritted his teeth. "I have to."
That was when he appeared.
A man cloaked in faded robes he moved like the wind, lightsaber humming, cutting through the monsters with swift, fluid motions. One after another, the Fragmentum beasts fell.
Everyone around them stood frozen.
No one noticed the final creature sneaking toward the children.
Except Noah.
Panicked, desperate he raised a hand.
The beast flew backward, slammed by an unseen force.
Silence followed. The Jedi turned, eyes landing on Noah.
He stepped forward slowly, voice low but certain. "So… you're the one. The boy the Force whispered about."
Then, turning away, he spoke over his shoulder. "We'll meet again."
With that, he vanished into the city, drawn to the heart of the Stellaron.
Noah barely stayed conscious. The power he'd awakened, unfamiliar and overwhelming, left his body trembling. As the adrenaline faded, so did his strength.
He collapsed, the girl's hand still clutched tightly on his own, shouting at him, then darkness.
-----
"....ah,"
"Noa..."
"Noah-kun!"
Noah blinked awake from his lunch nap, groggy and blinking like someone just rewound him from dreamland. Standing over him, hands on hips and cheeks puffed up in maximum pout mode, was Maria Mikhailovna Kujou, his classmate, and the same girl he saved that time, and apparently now his self-appointed wake-up fairy.
".....Masha?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Mou! Noah-kun, lunch break is almost over!" she huffed, shaking his shoulder like she was trying to reboot a frozen laptop.
"Ah... sorry. I got sleepy after eating. The rice betrayed me." He yawned.
Maria stepped back as he leaned forward slightly. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"?"
"Sorry, we had gym class before lunch. I probably smell like tragic effort," she said, suddenly blushing and waving her hand in front of her face like she could waft away embarrassment.
"No way," Noah said flatly and then, without warning, leaned in to sniff her.
Maria short-circuited.
"See? Still smells like lavender. Consistent branding."
Her entire face went from blush to volcanic eruption. She grabbed her collar like she'd just been exposed to the entire school.
"I-I—W-WASHROOM. NOW!" she squeaked, spun on her heel, and sprinted off in a cloud of emotional panic.
"Huh? But class starts soon...?" Noah tilted his head, hand still mid-air like he was trying to understand what just happened.
Around him, their classmates erupted in whispers like gossip pigeons.
"Did he just—"
"They're basically married at this point."
"Lucky bastard Alden!"
Noah stared at them, baffled. What just happened? Did he miss a memo?
A tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He turned to see Koutaro Satomi, his childhood friend and eternal voice of reason, giving him a tired look.
"Kou?"
Koutaro sighed. "Can you please not hit Masha with surprise nose-checks? You're gonna melt her one day."
Noah blinked. "Ehh?"