The lecture hall was half-lit when Riven arrived late.
Screens floated midair, displaying solar flares and orbital diagrams.
The topic was known — offworld memory fields and quantum ley anchors.
Riven didn't listen.
He stared at the corner of the room where the wall shimmered slightly.
Not a glitch.
A pull.
Like something behind the metal wanted out.
---
After class, Lyra caught up to him in the corridor.
She leaned against the railing overlooking the central dome and tilted her head.
"You see it too, don't you?"
Riven didn't lie.
"I don't think it's supposed to be there."
"Then why can we both see it?"
He didn't answer.
Neither did she.
---
That night, Riven's mission was simple:
Collect mutated spore fragments in Zone C.
What he brought back wasn't just spores.
It was a pod — cracked, faintly glowing.
When scanned, it flickered gold.
The academy didn't question it.
But the scanner paused.
And in the silence, a name was stored.
Elyon.
---
Later, Instructor Juno flagged the mission log.
[Mission Complete – 15 CR Awarded – Flag: Archive Anomaly]
She stared at the final scan report.
The golden pulse had left a residue.
One word.
"Return."