[1] A Voice from the Stars

  30 minutes before landing on Mars.

  “Noir speaking. Mission’s smoother than I thought. Just thirty more minutes and we’ll be setting foot on red soil.”

  The control center crackled with applause and cheers on the other end. Noir chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “Guess I’ll be writing history today.”

  Then the line went dead.

  “…Hello? Mission Control? Anybody there?” His brows furrowed. Static filled his headset. He tapped the console—no response.

  “What the hell…?”

  The next second, his hands glowed. His entire body surged with light, weightless yet heavy, like being torn apart and stitched back together. And then—

  —Earth.

  Noir stumbled onto cracked asphalt, staring in disbelief. Cities were burning. The skies split open, crimson rivers bleeding across the void. And above, an orb of pure light floated in the rift.

  He froze, heart hammering. This… isn’t Mars.

  All around him, people were screaming, their hands glowing with strange new magic. Buildings collapsed under waves of fire, lightning, and chaos.

  Noir clenched his teeth. “So this is it… humanity’s first step into hell.”

  [2] Present Day – Sparks of Training

  “Focus, Daniel! Don’t just think the magic will obey you—will it!” Victor’s voice cracked across the courtyard.

  Daniel groaned, holding out his hands as crimson sparks fizzled out of control. “I am willing it! It just… doesn’t listen to me!”

  “Magic isn’t a dog,” Leo smirked from the sidelines, arms crossed. “More like a wild beast. Break it or it’ll break you.”

  “Easy for you to say, Mr. Galaxies-in-a-punch.” Daniel muttered.

  Tom’s flames roared to life, blue fire circling around him like a crown. “Like this?” he grinned.

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  Victor gave a rare smile. “Not bad.”

  Jackson, not to be outdone, summoned lightning that burst across the ground. “Ha! Beat that, fireball.”

  Tom snarled. “Want me to burn your eyebrows off again?”

  Selena sighed, threads weaving between her fingers, trying to sew the two idiots apart. Sasha just shook her head.

  Daniel, however, stared at his glowing hands, sweat dripping. Why… why does it feel like mine is heavier than everyone else’s?

  [3] The Lonely Astronaut

  Far from the Academy, Noir crouched in the mouth of a cave. His portals flickered, cutting through space like ribbons of light.

  “Alright… I’ve gotten used to this,” he muttered, stepping through one to appear outside, then back in. “Offense, defense… who knew portal magic could do both?”

  He raised a hand, slashing open a shimmering void. Rocks behind him were instantly swallowed, spat out a hundred meters away in shards. Then, with a twist, he pulled another portal in front of him, blocking falling boulders like a shield.

  “Not bad for an astronaut-turned-magician, huh?”

  But his smirk faded when the air shook.

  From the treeline, hulking figures emerged—twenty Lesser Titans, their grotesque bodies shimmering with hunger.

  “Of course.” Noir grit his teeth. “Dinner time.”

  [4] The Astronaut Bleeds

  Portals flared, cutting Titan limbs and redirecting their monstrous charges. Noir’s breathing quickened, sweat dripping as he teleported from strike to strike.

  But one slipped past.

  A claw tore across his stomach, blood spilling hot. Noir’s knees buckled. “D-Dammit…”

  The Titan loomed, ready to crush him—

  “Flame Hound!” A wolf-shaped blaze tackled the creature back.

  “Lightning Barrage!” Bolts rained like a storm, piercing through Titan flesh.

  Noir’s vision blurred, but he caught sight of three familiar faces.

  Daniel, Tom, and Jackson stood there, shoulder to shoulder.

  Daniel dropped beside him, crimson glow wrapping his hands. “Hang on! I—I practiced this healing thing!” His voice cracked, but warm energy flowed into the wound. The pain dulled, skin stitching together.

  Noir blinked, stunned. “…You? A healer?”

  “Surprise!” Daniel grinned nervously. “Now shut up and let me be cool for once!”

  Tom chuckled, tossing fire like it was confetti. “Man’s about to bleed out and still sasses. I like him.”

  Jackson rolled his eyes, blasting another Titan. “Save the bromance for later, we’ve got monsters to fry!”

  And then Noir’s consciousness faded, their voices dimming.

  [5] A Stranger Among Allies

  When Noir awoke, it was to the sound of crackling fire. Daniel sat cross-legged beside him, looking proud.

  “You’re alive. I totally saved you, by the way.”

  “…I noticed,” Noir muttered. “Where am I?”

  “Safe. For now.” Sasha’s voice cut in, her eyes sharp. “But we need answers.”

  The others gathered, listening as Noir explained:

  His mission to Mars. The sudden teleportation. The day magic was born. His survival using portals. His disbelief at what humanity had become.

  Selena crossed her arms. “So… astronaut, huh? Guess you really shot for the stars.”

  Tom snorted. “And landed right in Titan territory.”

  Jackson smirked. “Worst layover ever.”

  For the first time, Noir allowed himself a chuckle.

  But then Sasha’s smile faded. Her gaze grew distant, her voice almost trembling.

  “Well I need to tell you guys something" trembling in fear "…I saw something.”

  The fire dimmed, silence falling.

  “A vision. Our future. Titans laughing. Blood everywhere. Friends dead. Destruction…”

  The word lingered in the air like poison.

  And somewhere deep in the void, the Titan King stirred.

  End of Chapter 6 ??

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  “The campus is alive with whispers—their strange new team has the city talking. Some call them saviors; others call them a danger waiting to happen. Sasha can’t shake the image of Titans laughing in a ruined dawn; the vision follows her like a bad scent. Noir pushes his portal range at sunrise, testing strengths he still doesn’t trust. Victor requests a closed meeting with the council—his tone polite, his eyes unreadable. Leo trains where no one can see, each punch a promise, not a greeting. Daniel tries to steady the crimson in his palms; the team needs him to lead, but he’s still learning how. The fountain’s teleport geometry flickers—this time the pattern feels deliberate, as if answering a call.Something steps through the rip that is neither Titan nor human; it brings a single, cold warning.”

  “Next time, on Son of Gods—Chapter 7: Echoes of the Rift.”