2.
Science Fiction
In the year 2436, Earth’s skies were no longer blue, but a smoky grey — veiled by centuries of pollution. Humanity had reached for the stars, not
for adventure, but for survival. Captain Zara Nia stood aboard the observation deck of The Horizon, a vessel orbiting the newly discovered planet
Xara-9. The view outside was breathtaking: a swirling ocean of lavender clouds, floating islands covered in luminescent forests, and a crimson
sun sinking below the horizon. It looked like paradise, but Zara knew better. Her mission wasn’t to admire beauty — it was to investigate the
planet’s strange electromagnetic pulses that had knocked out satellite communications for miles. As the shuttle descended, her boots hit soft
moss that pulsed faintly underfoot, reacting to her presence. The air was thick but breathable, infused with the scent of minerals and blooming
alien flora. Around her, the research team began setting up scanners, but something felt… aware. Trees twisted subtly when no one was looking.
Shadows seemed to shimmer in and out of visibility. Zara uploaded initial readings to the system and froze. Life forms were moving —
intelligent ones — just beyond the visible range. Suddenly, her communicator buzzed with static and a distorted voice whispered her name.
“Zara… we remember…” Her blood turned cold. No one on the team knew her before this mission. Who — or what — had spoken? As night fell,
the planet came alive with bioluminescent patterns that formed symbols in the forest floor — symbols matching those found in Earth’s oldest
myths. Panic rose in the crew as one scientist vanished without a trace. Zara knew then: Xara-9 wasn’t a new beginning. It was a return.
Something ancient had waited here, not for exploration — but for reunion. And they had finally come back.