Soron woke up the next morning and had a moment of panic when he realized he wasn't in his regular room.
Then he remembered. He was on Titon, in the colony of Xanadu, living with five other confused kids and a woman who had either a really good imagination, gone crazy, or was telling the truth. Whatever the case, it didn't make any sense.
There was a compad on the table with a detailed description of everything in Xanadu, the apartment he was currently in highlighted on the map.
When he left his room, he found the apartment deserted, besides Jace, who was just getting ready to head out.
"Ayden and Jax went to explore. Kajin and Airi left with them. No one's really sure where Tyri disappears to, so I wouldn't bother looking for her." he said as he pulled his second glove on.
"And where are you going?" Soron asked.
"To check up on someone."
Soron couldn't help noticing that since his talk with Tyri, Jace looked much happier.
"If I were you, I'd avoid the north side of the city. The place is crawling with lowlifes, and the government's deployed almost the entire law enforcement force to protecting the government building on the south side. In case you didn't figure it out already, they're corrupt." Jace informed him before slipping out the door.
When Soron stepped out the door, he couldn't help wondering what it would be like to grow up in a city like this, with your own species, and no pecking order like in a pirate band.
As he walked the streets, his thoughts went to his latest dream. He had found himself in the same place of shadow that he had seen when he was held captive. Only this time, he had been able to see a path. Several paths, in fact. All had no signs and were made of matte black stone. They went every-which way, snaking through the darkness. This time, though, he had not seen the green-eyed beast. Instead, he had noticed a bright white blur go over his head right before he woke up.
He would have talk to Tyri alone if he could find her. His dreams proved that not everything she said was lies.

In deep space, nowhere near any system, a ship floated in the darkness.
Not an ordinary ship. While most starships were a dull gray or other dark color, white ships were almost never seen. And this ship couldn't simply be described as white. It was blinding white, glowing white, bright enough that from a short distance away it could be mistaken for a star. Most spectators would expect a ship of such brilliance to be graceful, serene, the vessel of gods. But in truth, it was all hard lines and cruel spikes, with red-tinted view ports, looking anything but serene. The metal itself seemed to glow.
On this ship, crew scurried about, doing every task in complete silence. Not even the engines made a sound. Even the inside of the ship glowed.
A man sat on the bridge, in the captain's chair. Others working on the bridge were dead silent as well. This was not caused by fear. These being simply could not speak. The only thoughts in their minds were on doing their assigned tasks. They were completely devoid of freewill.
The man was deep in his own thoughts when a mental spike from one of the drones told him a transmission from his superior was arriving.
The man sighed, deafening in the total silence. He lifted his massive form off his chair and walked the short distance to the communications room.
Once in the room, he stopped on a small platform in the center of the room and bowed on one knee.
"I await your command." he said.
The room seemed to grow brighter, to the point where a lesser being would be beyond blind.
Lord Erinn. The name was whispered by a voice that came from everywhere, deep and menacing. Why have you failed?
Lord Erinn looked up in confusion. "At what?"
The voice took on an angry tone. At destroying Earth, reducing the human race to nothing! Before Erinn could reply, it went on. While those left behind have gone wild, the humans have constructed colonies, hundreds of them, occupied before the cataclysm.
"I have been scanning the galaxy and for sixteen years, it looked like I had succeeded. There were only faint traces of human aura, as while there are hundreds of colonies, only one is large enough to register on star charts, and it is overlooked by all species but humans. The Azkiar recruited three humans with active aurai, but these were nothing compared to the energy levels required for what we are looking for."
And now? it asked malevolently.
Erinn looked pleased with himself. "Two aurai appeared recently, but these have massive readings, almost more than what we were told to expect. And the Azkiar have sent out their recruiter. Upon further investigation, we found three sleeping aurai nearby that if awakened would match the first two, and a sixth one that matches the imprint of an untrained elemental."
The voice sounded pleased itself. Nearby, you said?
"Yes, my lord. All in the large colony I mentioned earlier. Titan."
Deep laughter, the kind that gives nightmares, filled the room, and it grew brighter still. I wonder what would happen if that colony, hmm, how to put this, went out of business?
Lord Erinn smiled.