The lighting in the room dimmed, save for the single light in the center and the holograms that were on the table. The black-haired professor cleared his throat before speaking. While professor Tetsuya scrolled information through holographic screens.

  “Allow me to begin. Now where do I start?”

  Isabelle glanced around and asked, “Wait… weren’t there four of us, Professor? Where’s the other girl, Kaitlin?”

  “Um…”

  “The ice cream girl.” Maria commented.

  “She’s… unwell. She’s currently in the hospital, we… don’t know when… or if she’s gonna get better.” He adjusted his sunglasses and looked away, unable to tell her the truth.

  Her red gaze lowered to the floor, “I see…”

  Though the silver-haired woman accepted this, both Maria and Grant clearly saw through his words and realized it immediately. And even Felix and Nero had an inkling that something was wrong.

  “Like I said before, she should have never joined the mission. That’s why… that’s why you must learn these things that we will teach you.” The black-haired professor nervously gulped and felt a weight in his heart.

  “Phoo, is that right?” Maria blew out air towards her bangs.

  “Ahem. You, the ‘children of stars’, have undergone a program known as “The Implementation—”

  “Hell.” Both Nero and Grant spoke simultaneously.

  Felix looked over to them and murmured, “Hell, huh…”

  His eyelids rose up as the memory returned. The vision of a hand reaching upwards to the sky. He took in a deep breath and reached into his shirt, holding the necklace.

  “I understand. It was indeed, “Hell” as you refer to it. And truly, you lot have gone through it, and survived. You were thus rewarded in ways we could never imagine.” Professor Levi lifted his black rimmed glasses.

  “Psychic power, right?” Grant answered nonchalantly.

  “Correct. Now, allow me to explain to you our research so far. You all, as enhanced humans, possess an ability that defies physics. The ability to produce an unknown force dispersed by brainwaves, one that which we believe may be a theoretical fifth force, puts a big question mark on how we understand the universe. In short, allows you to move things with only your mind.” He smiled nervously, like a scientist going mad.

  “If this was a cult, then you’ve already lost my interest.” Grant scoffed.

  “Whatever the case, our abilities… this energy can be boiled down to telekinesis, is that it?” Nero asked.

  “It’s not exactly energy in a conventional sense… but, simply put, yes.” The professor answered.

  “So what, is it like magic or something?” Isabelle asked.

  “No… Magic is something else entirely. This has rules…” Maria chimed in.

  “You’ve dealt with magic before?” Felix turned his head towards his partner with curiosity.

  The dark-haired woman lowered her gaze in response, “I… don’t know… but magic is the only way I could describe whatever that was, I barely escaped with my life.”

  Magic…

  Felix thought to himself. He covered his face as he recollected the events of the previous mission, remembering the trickery his enemy, Moritz Wulfe, used.

  No, that definitely wasn’t magic. It was more like what happened with Natsumi.

  He recollected the moment he first met the obsidian idol.

  A voice spoke up, bringing his attention back to the conversation.

  “I’ve heard from bounty hunters who tell stories about their encounters with magicians… Still having trouble believing in them.” Grant commented, his tone was a mix of surprise and disbelief. The brown-haired man then looked up and asked, “So if it’s not magic, then what did you implant in us give us our powers?”

  “Honestly speaking… we do not know.” Professor Levi answered, while Professor Tetsuya turned to the side, looking at a different holographic interface, as if to avoid looking anyone in the eye.

  Professor Levi continued, “The description for Project ASTRAEA involved developing a genetic altering material by using the DNA samples from various extraordinary individuals throughout the Millennia, creating a compound known as “The Yliaster.” However, we cannot figure out how this anomaly occurred. We initially believed it was an error or miscalculation, but… is among the most incomprehensible of abnormalities that we have encountered thus far.”

  “Ooooh, those are some big boy words…” Maria playfully taunted.

  “The problem is how we cannot observe your abilities until you produce them. They appear to be stored within your brain, but we have no way of detecting your energy until you release them. It is indeed quite a mystery.”

  “Basically, we’re on our own to figure it out?” Grant asked.

  “We intend for all of you to receive training from your senior, David Soldier.” Professor Levi answered.

  Felix turned his head at Professor Tetsuya, and spoke with a voice dripping with animosity, “So this was your goal then? This is why you wanted to create superhumans?”

  Professor Tetsuya took a deep sigh and answered, “There’s a limit to the regeneration of cells. Once that limit has passed, it stops. But as enhanced humans, as espers, you all bypass that limit by an unimaginable margin. Your ability to regenerate is beyond anything humans are capable of, being able to bring back limbs and even damaged body parts.”

  Maria glanced over to Felix and said, “Nothing leaves a scar on us.” The same words she told him during their first mission.

  “Regeneration…” Felix looked at his own hand, remembering a blurry vision of the white beam of light that tore it apart.

  “So we’re like axolotls? Can we come back if our brain is destroyed?” Grant asked.

  “Unfortunately, your ability to heal has limits. A shot to the head or to the heart means certain death. You’re not immortal, but you’re ahead of the game, at least.” He then sighed as he read crumpled the document in his hand, “The point of this project was initially to improve the human body and increase natural longevity. That all changed when made discoveries that the military wanted to capitalize on.”

  “Yes… um. First stage increases the regeneration speed to the point where you can regrow limbs, second stage doubles that, and so forth. I mean, that’s… generally how all of your powers work, according to our calculations. Each stage doubling the power of the last…” Professor Levi tried to explain.

  “Quick question.” Nero spoke up.

  “Yes, indeed, what is it?” Professor Levi responded.

  “Why do our eyes glow?”

  “See, the Yliaster alters your DNA at a fundamental level. It has biologically altered you in a way that allows your irises to become bio-luminescent.”

  “But why?”

  “I… we do not know that yet.” Professor Levi responded in a resigned tone.

  “Is that why my hair turned white? Why didn’t anyone else’s hair turn white?” Isabelle asked the rest of them.

  “I had a little bit turn white, but it made me feel old, so I dyed it.” Grant looked at her and answered.

  She turned to Nero and asked, “What, you... you dyed your hair? Nero, did you dye your hair?”

  “No.”

  “Felix?” She asked once more.

  “No...”

  “Maria?”

  Maria kept silent for half a second before answering, “No.”

  “Only the ones who’ve fully awakened their full potential have their hairs turned white. A full head of white hair denotes that one has reached esper maturity.” Professor Levi explained.

  “Or that we’re in our mid-forties to early-fifties.” Maria scoffed.

  “I took it as a symbol of… moving forward, but maybe I should also dye my hair.” Isabelle mumbled as she combed her hair with her fingers.

  “If it’s any consolation, I like your hair that way.” Felix commented.

  “Ah, thank you.” She smiled at him sweetly.

  Maria rolled her eyes in annoyance at the two.

  “Wait, so by fully awakened, what does that mean?” Grant asked.

  “The rate that it changes the body varies per individual depending on their compatibility to the drug.”

  “My hair turned white after the first week.” Isabelle spoke.

  “Huh? Mine only started to change a month ago.” Grant replied.

  “Hmm, yes, indeed, that makes sense. Because it normally begins with changing the eye color and making it bio-luminescent, then followed by turning the hair white. There are no visible effects on first stage espers. Maria and the rest are, by definition, enhanced humans. Nothing more.”

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  “This all sounds new to me.” Maria expressed genuine surprise before speaking in a low, frigid voice, “To think there’s still so much more.”

  “And enhanced humans… what do you mean? Is it just us getting stronger? Because when I woke up the next day, not only did my eyes start glowing and a lock of my hair turned white, but I felt dizzy. I felt everything around me become… more… much more… it was a lot to take in. I had to stay in bed for a week after what happened.” Grant explained.

  “It doesn’t simply enhance your current abilities. It changes you biologically. It reduces the physical limits and forces your body into its natural peak. Sight. Smell. Taste. Hearing. Strength. Reflexes. All of it is forced to its reasonable peak, just before straining your body.” Professor Levi explained.

  Grant then glanced over to Isabelle with a question ready, “How did you… how was it that you managed to get full access to your power?”

  “I don’t… know… I just felt happy… and slowly it changed on it’s own.”

  The pony-tailed man then placed his palm against his face as he descended in thought.

  Happiness, huh? Psychic power… clearly that has to do with psyche. Is it a case by case basis? What sort of mindset is necessary to unlock our full power. Even if we do, that doesn’t mean we’ll be able to control it, so it’s worth taking it slow. Still, time isn’t a luxury I can afford.

  As those thoughts swirled through Grant’s head, Nero then raised a question, “I’m still curious as to why our eyes glow red, but Felix’s glows blue.”

  “Felix is a fourth stage esper. The only fourth stage we have so far, while the rest of you are all third stage.” Answered Professor Tetsuya.

  “So then, does that mean he possesses more raw power?” Grant asked.

  “And by raw power, you mean the amount of aura we possess?” Nero added his own question.

  “Which would mean it would take more time to merge with him if he weren’t compatible?” Isabelle dropped one more onto the pile.

  “Yes, yes, and yes.” He immediately confirmed the trio’s inquiries.

  “Then… what happens if a fully awakened esper decides to move to the next level?” Grant threw out another question.

  “That’s… I don’t know…” Professor Levi answered.

  Professor Tetsuya quickly chimed in and answered for him, “It would be redundant. Your eyes will change color, and your power will increase greatly. But you have already overcome what was keeping you from being fully awakened, so you will be fully awakened as soon as you take another stage. Although that just means you risk your life one more time, rather than doing it all at once and continuing from there.”

  “Then why did we have to go through each stage?” Nero perked up.

  The black-haired professor cleared his throat and answered succinctly, “Because if you do it that way, it drastically reduces your odds of dying drop.”

  Both Isabelle and Nero’s mouths were left agape.

  “So, it’s like grinding levels first so you don’t die when you max out your stats.” Maria put it in terms that she could best explain.

  “That sounds about right… I think.” The young professor adjusted his sunglasses as he replied with a hint of confusion.

  Grant’s eyes narrowed, “What’s keeping us from fully awakening? What do we have to overcome?”

  “That’s for you to figure out. It took seven years before Felix’s other eye finally turned blue.” Professor Tetsuya explained.

  Nero shot Felix a sly glance, taunting, “Does this mean that you weren’t compatible with it, or that you can’t overcome your own shortcomings?”

  Felix’s eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, but he refused to answer to the provocation.

  “It takes time for the Yliaster serum to bond with the person, and the enormous amount of energy needed time to settle inside Felix. You should now be able to figure out how awaken on your own.” Professor Levi commented.

  “But that still doesn’t answer the different colors.” Grant remarked.

  “It’s tempting to compare the colors Zeta radiation, or aura, as you refer to it, to the color of fire or starlight intensity.” Professor Levi displayed a projection of stars and their range of colors, along with several notes, “But it doesn’t appear to have work on any rhyme or reason. First stages would have no visible physical changes, second stages would have orange eyes…”

  Felix immediately thought of David Soldier as the young professor explained.

  “…Third stages would have red eyes…”

  The red-eyed trio exchanged glances at one another.

  Professor Levi glanced over to Felix, “And fourth stages would have blue eyes.”

  Maria looked at her partner, but the blue-eyed man shot Professor Tetsuya a curious glance, “And what about defectives?”

  “Defectives often have a black sclera that signify a misstep in their biology.” The young professor, Ripley, responded.

  “Defectives?” Isabelle perked up, looking at the old professor.

  “Early generation anomalies that often had uncontrollable outbursts of psychic energy. Stabilizers were unable to regulate them.”

  Grant raised an eyebrow, questioning, “How do we know we’re not defectives? Is the black sclera the only signifier?”

  “The black sclera means you got off lightly. Otherwise, you would be melting from the inside out due to the heat your psychic powers generate.”

  Nero perked up, nonchalantly asking, “Would it leave us bed-ridden and until we succumb to the agonizing pain and heat?”

  “Nero, can you not fearmonger?” The silver-haired woman responded, clearly unnerved, “Professor Tetsuya, what are those stabilizers?”

  “As the name suggests, they help stabilize psychic powers.” The old professor turned his head towards Felix, throwing a bottle of pills his way, “Actually, now that you’ve finally awakened your psychic abilities, it’s important that you have these. They took a while to develop considering you’re the only fourth stage, but they’ll help you deal with potential telekinetic outbursts.”

  As Felix caught the bottle thrown at him, Maria pointed to herself and asked, “What about me?”

  “The newer generations have no need for this.”

  “Ah, mhm… Who knows? Maybe I might.” She shrugged.

  “Maria, you’re a stage one.” Professor Levi replied.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” She crossed her arms and pouted.

  “Can we wind it back to “telekinetic outbursts?” What’s that?” Isabelle cut through their conversation.

  “It doesn’t concern you new generations.” The old professor scratched his white beard.

  “Maybe it doesn’t, but I’m tired of being kept in the dark. Do our powers just suddenly go boom?” Her hands waved around as she pursued the topic with a slightly frantic voice.

  “Well. I-indeed.” Professor Levi replied.

  “This drug was developed as a means to counteract rampant psychic power.” Professor Tetsuya explained.

  Grant chimed in, “So, these… outbursts — its psychic energy that built up inside and had no way out? Like you said earlier, it melted them from the inside out.”

  “That’s correct.” Professor Tetsuya confirmed with a nod, “The pressure exceeds what the body can endure.”

  The blue-eyed esper scowled, “And you only thought to give this to me now?”

  The old professor returned his focus to Felix, “You didn’t need it until now, and the stabilizer wasn’t perfected until recently. An incomplete formula would’ve caused catastrophic results—especially after what happened to the others.”

  “There were others?” Maria asked.

  “Several before you.” Professor Tetsuya admitted with a hint of grief, “For them, the incomplete formula only delayed the inevitable, putting pressure until it eventually…”

  The room went silent for half a second, but Maria’s eyes only narrowed, her next words cutting through the silence, “How exactly were you able to perfect it?”

  “That... I cannot say.” Professor Tetsuya answered somberly. There was a soft, subtle glow in his irises, revealing the lengths he went through.

  As the tension hung in the air, Professor Levi spoke up.

  “So, are there any other questions?” His voice nervous.

  “... So, let me get this straight. Surviving the implementation, turns our hair white, changes our eye colors and makes bio-luminescent, and gives us… what do you call it, telekinesis?” Isabelle summarized what she understood as concisely as possible.

  “It also forces your body to it’s physical peak, heightens your senses and drastically speeds up the healing process.” The young professor raised his finger.

  “This is a bit too much take in all at once…” She pressed her index fingers to her temples, clearly overwhelmed by the information.

  “Seems clear enough to me.” Maria shrugged her shoulders.

  Nero scratched the back of his head, “Sounds like a fair trade considering we had a ninety-five percent chance of dying.”

  “Ugh… don’t remind me.” Isabelle’s eyebrows curled at the recollection. A single drop of sweat made its way down from her forehead to her chin.

  Grant crossed his arms and spoke up, “I scoffed at the idea of getting super powers from a drug from a made by a shady corporation.”

  He paused for breath, then continued, “Then I was made to watch a girl on fire… stop bullets with that fire, and lift things without even touching them. I thought they were showing me were edited footage or some illusion technology. But after her display, the girl walked up to me and said hello. It was like a scene from a movie.”

  “Did she have red-hair?” Felix asked.

  “Ah, yeah, that’s right. I think her codename was Tundra…”

  “Anastasia Frost.” Nero said.

  “Yeah, her.” Grant replied.

  “So, would you all like to know more? Perhaps our theories the changes in your longevity, or your reproductive processes. Perhaps you’d like to read up on our research papers?” Though those words escaped his lips, Professor Levi nervously hoped that no one would ask any more questions.

  “I… think we’re good.” Isabelle tried to dismiss him, expressing her clear discomfort.

  “Yeah, I do have a question…” Grant perked up and looked at him, “Can you tell me what that place was?”

  “What place?”

  “The one with the ocean.” Grant answered.

  “The sea of stars…” Nero muttered out as he looked at his own hand.

  Isabelle looked at them and responded, “You guys saw that too? Did you guys also…” She said as she reached out her hand upwards.

  “Reach for the stars? Yeah…”

  “I did.” Both red-eyed men nodded in agreement.

  Maria turned to Felix and whispered, “Do you know what they’re talking about, bud?”

  “I… think so… yeah. I remember being there a few times.” Felix replied as the vision in his mind distorts, fluctuating between the sight of the starry night sky in the sea, and the fiery sight of the hell he went through during the implementation.

  “I’m… afraid I don’t know what you mean.” Professor Levi replied, unable to answer.

  Professor Tetsuya interjected and explained, “David and Anastasia once said that after the implementation, they found themselves surrounded in an endless sea, and above them was the night sky. That they reached for it, and then they woke up. Other than that, we have no information.”

  “Well, there you have it. But we’ll look into it if you like… So, any other questions?” Professor Levi muttered nervously.

  “How many people… died in these experiments?” Isabelle asked with a distraught expression.

  Nero glanced downwards with a vicious glare.

  Felix’s eyes widened as he heard Isabelle’s question. His breathing grew heavy, and a glowing blue mist began to radiate from over him.

  “Calm down, bud.” Maria placed her hand on his shoulder. “We’re fine. You’re fine.”

  Professor Levi placed his hands in the pockets of his white coat. His voice caught stuck in his throat, unable to answer the simple question laid out for him, “I suppose that… I’ve told you… all of the information we could… indeed.”

  “Indeed. You have.” Felix looked at Levi with a somber blue gaze, to which he had swallowed nervously.

  All of them stood up, except for the panicked Felix. Maria stretched out her arms upward, while Isabelle extended hers to Felix.

  “Are you okay?” She asked.

  “Ah… y-yeah. Thanks.” He answered as she took her hand as he stood up.

  As the lot of them got out of the room, leaned against the wall was Chief, with her hands in her pockets, “So, are your questions answered?”

  “Chief? You’re back quick.” Maria asked.

  “I just needed to check on something, so what have you learned?”

  “Too many things to recount.” Isabelle answered with an exhausted sigh.

  “And the rest of you?”

  Nero interjected and lifted his fist, “While the average Elite Agent could probably dent or put a crack on the wall, with psychic power, we can—”

  “Stop! Stop. If you say you can shatter the wall with a punch, we believe you. Just... we don’t need any unnecessary expenses...” Chief yelled in a panic.

  “Ah… okay.” Nero responded with a disheartened tone.

  “Well, I have an errand to attend to, as per someone’s request.” Chief then eyed down Isabelle with a sharp scowl.

  Isabelle swallowed and scratched the back of head as she gave the chief an awkward smile.

  “Felix, I’m arranging a meeting for you soon.”

  “Meeting? With whom?” Felix gave her a puzzled look.

  “You’ll find out. Now prepare for your next mission. As for the rest of you, you are dismissed.”

  The three red-eyed espers gave their goodbyes and branched off from Felix and Maria.

  “Bye.” Isabelle waved.

  “See ya later, pipsqueak.” Nero added.

  “I’ll be looking forward to working with you, Felix Aster.” Grant gave a wide smile and left last.

  As they exited the door and left their view, and the two headed back as well.

  “So, what do you think of them?” Maria asked.

  “Isabelle’s nice, Nero’s a jackass and Grant… he’s…”

  “Up to something?”

  “I was gonna say sketchy.”

  “Pfft… who isn’t sketchy in this place?” She shrugged with a carefree giggle.

  “I—” Felix paused, “You’re one to talk with how much you scurry around in the background like that.”

  She grinned and boastfully asked, “What are you gonna do, stop me?”

  Felix shrugged his arms and responded, “Nah… I trust you.”

  Her eyes widened and she looked away as her cheeks turned slightly red, “Idiot.”

  As soon as the red in her face faded, she looked over to him once again and asked, “So, what was this magical sea of stars you guys were talking about?”

  “I don’t know… it’s all very blurry, but… it all felt so real. I don’t remember reaching out my hand like they did, but yeah… I still have faint memories. What about you? What’s this about you fighting magic?”

  “I… don’t… I remember hearing the waves in my ears, but… As for fighting magicians… that’s… I don’t know either, it’s all too… foggy.” Maria’s eyes furrowed, blinking rapidly as she tried to remember.

  Felix placed his hand on her head and smiled reassuringly, “There’s no point lingering on it. Let’s go get some coffee.”

  ~