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Chapter 2 - The Voyage Through Darkness

The stars stretched endless and cold.

Across the void, the fleet of Danais vessels glided like shards of crystal fire, their hulls gleaming with the faint glow of Nibiru's dying energy. Each ship carried warriors, scholars, and engineers — the best of a fading empire. And at the heart of the fleet soared the Crownship, flagship of the king's sons.

Within its core chamber, walls hummed with living light. Streams of power coursed through crystal veins, pulsing like a heartbeat. It was here that Eshar and Kael stood apart — together in mission, divided in spirit.

Kael stood tall, armored in red-gold plates that shimmered against the starfield. His spear leaned against the railing beside him, humming faintly. His voice carried the weight of certainty.

"Do you feel it, brother? The silence. The void itself yields to the strong. Out here, only those willing to conquer survive."

Eshar stood opposite him, eyes reflecting the stars. In his hands he held the crystal orb of knowledge, its surface rippling with maps and signals. "Strength alone does not endure, Kael. Knowledge is what binds survival to legacy. This world we seek… it must not be burned before it is understood."

Kael's jaw hardened. "Words. Father should have sent me alone."

"Then you would have returned with ashes in your hands," Eshar replied. His tone was soft, but his eyes did not waver.

Their silence stretched, sharp as a blade.

Beyond them, the crew moved with hushed reverence. Many had never left Nibiru's skies. To drift so far into the abyss was to leave everything known behind. Some whispered prayers to the Star-Mother, others muttered Zerash's name like a curse. For it was his exiled warnings — his forbidden research — that had pointed them here.

The days bled together in the emptiness. The Danais watched their dying sun shrink behind them, until Nibiru was no more than a fading ember swallowed by the dark. Time itself felt fragile in the void.

Then — the silence broke.

Eshar's orb flared, flooding the chamber with light. Across the bridge, alarms chimed in tones of discovery, not danger. The navigator's voice cracked in awe:

"Coordinates confirmed… the world is ahead!"

The void gave way to color.

At first, only a faint sphere in the distance — blue and green, veiled in white mist, glimmering like a jewel in endless night. Closer and closer it swelled, until oceans glittered in the void, continents stretched vast and wild, storms spun like living guardians across its surface.

Gasps filled the chamber. Even Kael's hard eyes flickered with awe.

"Beautiful," whispered one of the scholars.

Eshar's breath caught. "It lives… truly lives. A world untouched. Full of the lifeblood we need." The orb pulsed in his palms, resonating with the planet below as if the two recognized one another.

Kael's voice broke the silence, colder than steel. "A world waiting. Whether it bends willingly or not."

The fleet shifted formation, engines roaring awake. The Crownship led, its nose angling toward the atmosphere. Crystals ignited, trails of white fire cutting across the night.

The descent began.

Flames licked against the hull as the ships pierced Earth's skies. The air tore at them, screaming with heat and pressure. To the Danais crew, it was as though the planet itself resisted their entry, testing their resolve.

Inside, metal trembled. Shields shimmered with molten light. Crew clutched railings, eyes wide with awe and terror.

Then — silence.

The flames eased, giving way to sky. A vast expanse of blue unfolded, endless and alive. Clouds billowed like mountains of white, sunlight streamed golden across the ships, and beneath them stretched a land so rich and green it seemed impossible after the wastelands of Nibiru.

Forests sprawled like oceans of emerald. Rivers gleamed like silver threads. Herds of beasts ran across open plains, their thunderous movement visible even from above.

The Danais whispered as though they had entered a dream.

"By the stars…" one gasped.

"This world is… abundant."

Eshar leaned close to the glass, breath fogging the surface. His voice was hushed. "It welcomes us. This planet… it breathes."

Kael gripped his spear, his jaw tight. "No. It challenges us. Do not mistake beauty for weakness."

The Crownship broke through the clouds, leading the fleet toward a vast valley where mountains rose like jagged teeth. A great river coiled through it, feeding forests and fertile plains. The sensors pulsed — minerals, water, air, all rich beyond measure.

"This will be the landing site," the navigator declared.

The ships descended, shadows streaking across the valley. Engines roared as landing pillars unfurled, crushing stone and soil beneath their weight. The earth shuddered as though awakened from a long sleep.

When the doors finally hissed open, the Danais stepped out.

The first breath struck them like fire — sharp, thick, alive. Air that was heavy with moisture, scented with soil, green life, and distant storms. Some coughed. Others gasped in wonder.

Eshar knelt, pressing his hand to the earth. The ground was cool, alive with vibration. "It speaks," he murmured. "This world… it carries a song."

Kael planted the butt of his spear into the soil, the sound sharp, final. His eyes burned. "Then let it learn the song of Danais."

Behind them, the rest of the fleet landed one by one, their colossal shadows darkening the valley.

And far above, in the vast heavens, Earth's sun blazed — brighter and stronger than the dying star they had left behind.

The Danais had arrived.

Not yet as gods.

Not yet as kings.

But as strangers carrying both salvation… and ruin.

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