Skyscrapers and towers stood tall in the sky, darkening the horizon, their peaks lost in the clouds. Stars shone like heaven above—not the scattered, dying stars of the Deep Slums, but bright, deliberate, arranged as if someone had designed the sky itself.
The network of glowing EL roads was complex—a web of light stretching between buildings, connecting towers that touched the atmosphere. Neon lights painted the cities below in shades of blue, purple, red, and pink. Billboards everywhere, flashing advertisements for things most citizens would never afford.
The planet of the Upper Spires was clean.
Digitalized.
And it was the only eco-planet—beautiful trees lined the streets, gardens bloomed on rooftops, parks stretched for miles between residential sectors. Nature and technology, merged into something artificial but beautiful.
On one of the highest executive towers, Percy walked down the hallway.
She was dressed in a red short gown that hugged her curves, a thick veil of fur draped around her shoulders. Her long golden coily hair cascaded down her back. Her face gleamed with beauty—sharp cheekbones, full lips painted dark, eyes lined with something that made her look both regal and dangerous.
Her red heels clicked against the marble floor.
Click. Click. Click.
Attendants followed her—women in sharp suits, their faces blank, their eyes forward. Guards flanked them, dressed in the black and gold of the Valdrex Empire, of which the Survey Corps was its central faction. Their boots were silent on the polished floor. Their hands rested on weapons that hummed with stored energy.
They reached a door.
It parted silently.
Percy passed through.
The large room glittered like a royal palace.
Chandeliers hung from above—crystals catching light, scattering rainbows across the walls. The furniture was expensive enough to buy worlds within. Art from dead colonies hung in gilded frames. A fireplace crackled somewhere in the shadows.
But it was quiet.
No music. No conversation. Just the soft hum of climate control and the distant whisper of wind against glass.
A man stood still near the window.
His back was to her.
Percy stopped. Waited.
"Sorry to inform you, but..."
The man's voice was low. Careful.
"Prince Dorian is missing."
Percy blinked.
Her expression didn't change. Her posture didn't shift. But something flickered behind her eyes—fast, too fast to read.
"What type?" she asked.
"We don't fully know." The man turned slightly. His face was hard. His jaw was tight. "Another colony was said to have hacked into our network. No trace of them. No footage."
He paused.
"We are now vulnerable. We can't act."
Percy was silent for a long moment.
Then she turned around.
"OK." Her voice was light. Dismissive. "I hope he survives."
She sighed—like it was nothing.
Like a prince disappearing was just another Tuesday.
"I will leave that up to Boss." She walked toward the door. "I have done my best."
Her heels clicked against the marble.
Click. Click. Click.
The door closed behind her.
The man stood alone in the glittering room, staring at the place where she had been.
The Deep Slums — Road
Kael jogged down the broken pavement.
His breath came in steady rhythm. His boots cracked against the concrete. His headset hung around his neck, glowing faintly. His hoodie was pulled back, revealing his face—calm, focused, empty.
Calvin ran beside him.
His chest was heaving. His face was red. His headband was crooked.
"Gosh, man." Calvin panted. "How did you beat those guys?"
He sucked air.
"For the fact that you are definitely a newer hunter than me..." He glanced at Kael. "Wait. Did you get a massive kill or what?"
Kael didn't look at him.
"Nothing like it."
Calvin frowned.
"Whoa. That's strange." He kept running. His deep pink hair flowed with the wind. His headband fluttered. "Guess not everyone has the same fate after all."
He blinked.
His violet screen appeared in the corner of his vision.
[4 Speed Biogenes]
[2 Defense Biogenes]
Calvin sighed.
"You were right." He looked at Kael. "We will be leaving for the Mid-Spires tonight."
Kael kept jogging.
"So you are now aware?"
"Sure." Calvin nodded. "I was informed by Tracy."
His voice dropped.
"But that place is dangerous. More dangerous than you think."
He sped up slightly. Matched Kael's pace.
"Imagine—four years ago, before the destruction of the Deep Slums. The detonations. The gunfights. The wars. Chips killing you and decaying your brain."
His voice rose.
"It's dangerous."
Kael said nothing.
Calvin kept going.
"I really have an eerie feeling about this."
Kael turned his head. Looked at Calvin for a moment. Then faced forward.
"It's better," he said.
His voice was flat. Calm.
"I would prefer an ugly, beautiful human world than a safe, silent universe."
Calvin looked at him.
Then front.
They ran in silence for a while.
"Hey."
Calvin's voice was softer now.
"I've never asked you this question before, but..."
He hesitated.
"You know. Do you have a past?"
Kael didn't respond.
"Of course you do," Calvin continued. "But you never say anything. It seems... it must be really painful."
Silence.
Kael didn't make a noise. Didn't look over. Just kept jogging, his boots hitting the pavement in steady rhythm.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Calvin looked at him again. Longer this time.
"Guess it's painful." His voice was quiet. "Sorry for asking."
Kael ran.
The stars above the Deep Slums watched in silence.
Then—
"I don't know my past."
Calvin's head snapped toward him.
Kael's face was blank. His eyes were fixed forward.
"I can't remember them." His voice was low. Flat. Empty. "And I fear remembering. That's the only thing that can make me fear."
He paused.
"But all I know is..."
His jaw tightened.
"If I was in hell, I would be happier than the fear of my past."
He kept jogging.
Calvin stared at him.
The words hung in the air between them—heavy, cold, wrong.
Calvin didn't know what to say.
So he said nothing.
They just kept jogging down the road, side by side, under the stars that didn't care.
End of Chapter Fourteen.