(WOOSAN) Written in the stars

The five of them only started to breathe when the dust got out of sight. San and the girl were collapsed on the ground, Yeosang not far from them, and Wooyoung's hand were clutched so tightly onto the ship's levers that they might have blown under the pressure.

The silence of space is deafening. It's even more when everything around you is blowing up. Silent fire, smoke, and ashes. No cries no screams, only heavy breaths of the ship's passengers.

From afar they could see several other ships successfully leaving the crumbled moon, as the pirate's black fleet left in a scenery of blue thunder and dust.

The chaos only lasted for about ten minutes, but those ten minutes felt like ten years.

- What...what just happened? Shakily asked San, still unable to process the event.

- You saved all of our lives. That's what matters. Answered Wooyoung.

- Yeah sure saved our lives of something that was your fault. Said Yeosang

- What? How?

- Well, mister officer, maybe if you smartasses didn't catch Wooyoung in the first place we would have been able to leave Antigone sooner and the Pirates would have never gotten there.

- Oh for the star's sake, Yeosang shut up for once and be grateful. Sorry for him, officer. I'm Yuqi. Said the girl that San rescued. She seemed soft, with her moonlike skin and her ginger curls. But let's talk about the elephant in the room: she couldn't use her legs. Hence why the other girl was carrying her. She didn't seem like less of a fighter, and why would she. Her mere energy was more valuable than a thousand limbs.

San smiled at her, not in the mood for more. - Why are the pirate's appearance and your presence on Antigone linked?

The ship's crew fell silent, and this time not even Yuqi was willing to answer him.

- We wish we could explain, but the truth is we're not entirely sure. We're looking for something and they are too.- said the second girl. A fierce looking blonde. She didn't embarrass herself with the presentations, and San silently thanked her for that. He had caught a glimpse of her name earlier anyway: Soyeon.

- Anyway, said Wooyoung after clearing his throat. Sorry for the trouble. We're not...we're kinda used to it by now but I know how shocking it is. Let's bring you back home. Where do you live?

- On Antigone.

Yeosang audibly sighed. - Okay, who wants to do the therapy session? - He faced his friend's silence, so he went on. - Fine. Officer. The Pirates are not here to save the ecosystems and feed the orphans. They destroy planets, comets, moons, whatever and whoever crosses their path. Why? We don't know. Maybe they're just doing it for the laughs. Anyway, their latest target was Antigone. I am sorry but your house isn't there anymore.

San pursed his lips. So that...this was reality. But it all happened so fast...

- Do you have any relatives we can drop you off to?

- I...I mean I have a father but we won't be able to reach him.

- What? Why.

- He lives on Earth.

« Earth » was not a curse-word, but by looking at the crew member's face you may have thought so. Listen, Earth...That was where humanity was born. Earthlings spent thousands of years wondering if life in space was possible, if it had developed elsewhere. But it hadn't. Well, some bacterias could be found on one or two planets originally, but that was about it. Why you may wonder? Because no planet had all the required conditions? Come on, the universe is vast, of course some had. No, it was because Physics is only controlling about one-half of the Universe's unbreakable laws. « The void is empty or almost, stars explode, everything has a mass. »

And then there was a second force. Ether, shockwaves, fluids, energy, power, it had many names. And Earth had this weird propriety to be incredibly immune to all of this.

Life could only appear in one place: Earth. And in exchange, it must never learn about this...energy.

You could try and scream to who's ready to hear you that magic is real, that people named « bearer » possess some magical abilities out there in the galaxy. But nobody would believe you. And you weren't able to use energy on Earth so you had no way to prove your point.

Humans could live in space, but this knowledge was never uncovered by earthlings. Due to some twisted energy tricks, their telescopes were unable to see space-people. The ships they sent never came back.

That's why Earth was a place avoided by all space-people in their right minds. Precisely why San's father chose to go on this particular planet.

- Well...we didn't find what we were looking for on Antigone and the list of clues stopped there, so it's not like we have any place to go. Hesitantly stated Soyeon. - Earth is not the stupidest place to go than anywhere else. We could use a vacation.

Everybody stayed silent, all staring at Wooyoung who seemed deep in thoughts. But really, what was there to think about?

- A vacation. While the Pirates are out there destroying the galaxy? I mean...sorry, officer but...

- Honestly Wooyoung what can we do about it huh? Not that the idea of spending a joyful trip with His Excellency Officer Choi is enchanting me, but a break doesn't sound bad. I think I can speak on behalf of everybody here to say that we're tired. Said Yeosang.

Both the girl silently agreed. San honestly struggled a bit to understand what was going on, but he made the - very wise - choice of remaining silent.

- Fine, said wooyoung, finally giving up. - Where does your father live, San?

- A part of Earth called Neo Korea.

- Then, off to Neo Korea we go.