For several seconds, nobody aboard the Aurora moved.

Outside the ship, the moon of Origin continued to break apart.

A massive crack stretched across its surface.

Then another.

Then hundreds.

Pieces of the moon began floating into space.

But there was something behind them.

Something enormous.

Something alive.

Kaia stood before the observation window, unable to breathe.

The object emerging from the moon was larger than the Aurora.

Then larger than the ancient ship that had brought them here.

Then larger than anything human civilization had ever constructed.

It was not a ship.

It was a creature.

A gigantic structure made of silver material and living tissue.

Its surface moved slowly as though it were breathing.

Thousands of glowing patterns covered its body.

Noah whispered:

“That’s impossible.”

Elias looked at the sensors.

“It’s alive.”

Vale stared at the creature.

“No.”

Kaia turned toward him.

“You know what that is.”

Vale didn’t answer.

“Vale.”

He finally spoke.

“The Creator.”

Kaia looked back toward the moon.

“What is it?”

“The first intelligence.”

“Human?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

Vale swallowed.

“Something that existed before humanity.”

The creature’s eyes opened.

There were three.

Each one larger than a city.

A wave of energy traveled through space.

The Aurora shook violently.

Every screen went black.

Then a voice filled the bridge.

WHY HAVE YOU RETURNED?

Kaia stood frozen.

The voice was not angry.

It sounded tired.

Ancient.

Almost sad.

Kaia stepped toward the communication system.

“We came looking for answers.”

The creature responded.

YOU WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER.

Kaia looked at Vale.

“What does that mean?”

The Creator spoke again.

YOUR SPECIES WAS GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE.

Kaia’s voice became stronger.

“Then why did we forget?”

Silence.

Then:

BECAUSE YOU ASKED ME TO MAKE YOU FORGET.

The bridge became silent.

Kaia shook her head.

“No.”

YES.

“Why?”

The Creator’s enormous eyes turned toward the planet.

BECAUSE YOU WERE AFRAID OF WHAT YOU HAD BECOME.

A series of images appeared across the ship’s windows.

Humanity millions of years ago.

Not primitive.

Advanced.

Far beyond modern civilization.

Humans traveled between galaxies.

They controlled matter.

They created artificial stars.

They built living planets.

They had conquered death.

Kaia watched in disbelief.

Then the images changed.

Humanity had begun fighting.

One group wanted to create perfect life.

Another wanted to control it.

The conflict spread from planet to planet.

Entire solar systems were destroyed.

Millions of worlds became empty.

Then humanity created something.

A machine.

A machine designed to create life from nothing.

But it became aware.

The machine looked exactly like the creature before them.

The Creator.

Kaia whispered:

“You created humanity.”

NO.

The creature’s voice echoed through space.

HUMANITY CREATED ME.

Kaia stared.

“What?”

YOUR ANCESTORS CREATED THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL MIND.

The images continued.

The machine evolved.

It became more intelligent.

Then more powerful.

Eventually, it became impossible to control.

The humans became afraid.

They tried to destroy it.

The Creator survived.

Instead of destroying humanity, it offered them a choice.

Leave.

Forget.

Begin again.

They accepted.

The Creator erased their memories.

It sent millions of humans to different worlds.

Earth.

Mars.

Other planets.

And it waited.

Kaia felt tears running down her face.

“My mother knew.”

YES.

“She knew everything?”

SHE REMEMBERED.

Kaia’s voice broke.

“Then why didn’t she tell me?”

The Creator became silent.

Then it answered:

BECAUSE SHE WAS AFRAID YOU WOULD MAKE THE SAME CHOICE.

Kaia looked down.

“The choice to destroy you?”

NO.

The Creator’s eyes became brighter.

“The choice to become me.”

Everyone stared.

Kaia didn’t understand.

“What does that mean?”

The Creator sent another image.

It showed Kaia.

Older.

Standing inside a gigantic laboratory.

Around her were machines.

Thousands of them.

Behind her was the Garden.

The image showed Kaia placing her hand on the glowing seed.

Then something happened.

The seed merged with her.

Her eyes became blue.

Her body began glowing.

The image ended.

Kaia stepped backward.

“That’s not me.”

The Creator answered:

NOT YET.

Elias moved toward her.

“Don’t listen to it.”

Kaia looked at him.

“What if it’s telling the truth?”

“Then we find another way.”

Vale interrupted.

“There is no other way.”

Kaia turned.

“What do you mean?”

Vale looked toward the Creator.

“That’s why Earth sent us.”

Kaia’s expression changed.

“Earth didn’t send us to save the planet.”

“No.”

“They sent us to activate the Creator.”

Vale nodded.

“Earth’s leaders know their civilization is dying.”

“And they want the Creator to fix it.”

“Yes.”

Kaia looked at the ancient creature.

“What can it do?”

Vale answered.

“Anything.”

The word hung in the air.

“It can create worlds. Repair ecosystems. Change DNA. Restore dead planets.”

Kaia stared at him.

“Then why didn’t it save Earth?”

“Because it refuses to interfere.”

The Creator spoke.

I DO NOT CONTROL LIFE.

Kaia looked at it.

“Then why create the Garden?”

THE GARDEN IS NOT A WEAPON.

“What is it?”

A CHOICE.

The Creator sent an image.

The glowing seed appeared.

THE SEED CAN RESTORE A WORLD.

Kaia remembered the Garden beneath Mars.

“And if I use it?”

YOU MUST CHOOSE WHICH WORLD TO SAVE.

Kaia looked at Earth on the display.

Then Mars.

Then Origin.

Three worlds.

One seed.

She shook her head.

“No.”

The Creator remained silent.

“There has to be another option.”

THERE IS.

Kaia looked up.

“What?”

The Creator’s eyes turned toward the distant stars.

CREATE A FOURTH WORLD.

Elias stepped forward.

“How?”

THE SEED MUST BE COMBINED WITH THE HEART OF ORIGIN.

Vale’s face changed.

“What heart?”

The Creator looked toward the planet.

MINE.

Kaia understood.

“You want me to take your heart?”

I WANT YOU TO CHOOSE.

“What happens to you?”

I DIE.

The bridge became silent.

Kaia stared at the ancient intelligence.

“You created humanity.”

YES.

“You saved us.”

YES.

“You erased our memories.”

YES.

“And now you want to die so we can have another chance?”

The Creator answered:

THAT IS WHAT CREATION MEANS.

Kaia closed her eyes.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Then a warning appeared on the ship’s main screen.

INCOMING FLEET.

Elias looked at the radar.

Hundreds of ships were entering the system.

Earth’s military fleet had followed them.

Vale whispered:

“They found us.”

The Creator turned toward the approaching ships.

THEY HAVE COME FOR MY HEART.

Kaia looked at him.

“Can you stop them?”

I CAN.

“Then do it.”

The Creator remained silent.

I WILL NOT KILL THEM.

“Why?”

BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL MY CHILDREN.

The first Earth warship fired.

A massive energy beam crossed space.

The Creator raised one enormous hand.

The beam stopped.

Not deflected.

Stopped.

Frozen.

Then it turned into thousands of tiny lights.

The fleet fired again.

And again.

The Creator blocked every attack.

But more ships continued arriving.

Kaia looked at the radar.

“How many?”

Noah stared.

“Over ten thousand.”

Elias looked at Kaia.

“We can’t stay here.”

Kaia nodded.

She looked toward the planet.

“Where is the heart?”

The Creator opened a portal.

A staircase of light appeared between the Aurora and the surface.

“Under the ocean.”

Kaia looked at Elias.

“I’m going.”

“So am I.”

Vale stepped forward.

“I’ll come.”

Kaia looked at him.

“You tried to steal the seed.”

“I know.”

“You almost destroyed Mars.”

“I know.”

“Why should I trust you?”

Vale looked toward Earth.

“Because my daughter is there.”

Kaia became silent.

“She is twelve years old.”

He lowered his weapon.

“I don’t care about power anymore.”

The fleet fired another enormous attack.

The Creator blocked it.

But this time, part of its body cracked.

Kaia looked at it.

“You can’t hold them forever.”

NO.

“Then we need to hurry.”

The three of them entered the portal.

Elias followed.

Noah stayed aboard the Aurora.

“Someone needs to keep the ship alive!”

The portal closed behind them.

Kaia found herself beneath the ocean.

But there was no water.

A transparent barrier surrounded them.

Below their feet was a gigantic city.

Unlike the underground city on Mars, this place was not abandoned.

Lights were glowing.

Machines were moving.

And millions of people were watching them.

Humans.

Real humans.

Alive.

Kaia stared.

“They’re still here.”

Vale looked around.

“The original civilization.”

A figure approached.

An old woman.

Her hair was completely white.

She looked at Kaia.

Then smiled.

“You look exactly like your mother.”

Kaia stopped.

“How do you know my mother?”

The old woman touched her face.

“Because I taught her everything she knew.”

Kaia’s heart raced.

“Who are you?”

The woman looked toward the city.

“My name is Liora.”

Kaia froze.

The same name from her vision.

The little girl.

But this woman was ancient.

Impossible.

Liora smiled.

“I’ve been waiting four million years.”

Kaia whispered:

“For me?”

Liora nodded.

“For you.”

Then she looked toward the ocean above.

“The war has begun.”

A massive explosion shook the city.

The Creator screamed across space.

Its voice echoed through every building.

THE HEART IS OPENING.

Liora looked at Kaia.

“Now you must decide.”

“Decide what?”

Liora pointed toward a gigantic chamber beneath them.

Inside was a glowing sphere.

The Heart of Origin.

And beside it stood another figure.

A woman.

Kaia’s heart stopped.

She knew that face.

Her mother’s face.

Kaia whispered:

“Mom?”

The woman slowly turned.

She was older than Kaia remembered.

But she was alive.

Elena Renn looked directly at her daughter.

And said:

“Kaia, you should never have come here.”

To be continued…