Lena barely slept.

All night, she stared through the window of the underground city.

Above her was the world she had known.

Astra City Seven.

Below her was the world she had never been allowed to see.

Earth.

And somewhere beneath the northern ice was the Eclipse Engine.

The machine that could change the fate of both worlds.

At sunrise, Kai found her standing outside.

“You should rest.”

“I’ve spent twenty years being lied to.”

He stood beside her.

“I’m sorry.”

She looked at him.

“Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me everything.”

Kai sighed.

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

He looked toward the distant mountains.

“I was born on Earth.”

Lena frowned.

“I thought you were born in Astra City.”

“That’s what my records say.”

“So?”

“My real parents were resistance fighters.”

“What happened to them?”

“They were captured.”

Lena’s expression softened.

“I’m sorry.”

Kai shrugged.

“I never knew them.”

“How did you end up in Astra City?”

“Government adoption program.”

Lena looked at him.

“So you were raised by the people we’re fighting.”

“Yes.”

“And you became a security commander.”

“Yes.”

“That’s complicated.”

He smiled.

“Very.”

Lena laughed softly.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Kai said,

“You were different.”

“What?”

“When I first met you.”

“You thought I was annoying.”

“I still think you’re annoying.”

She smiled.

“But?”

“But you were the first person in Astra City who looked at the clouds and wondered what was beneath them.”

Lena looked at him.

“You noticed?”

“I noticed everything about you.”

Her heart skipped.

Before she could answer, an alarm sounded.

WARNING. UNAUTHORIZED SHIP APPROACHING.

Kai’s expression changed.

“We have company.”

---

They rushed into the control room.

A large ship appeared on the screen.

Dr. Mira looked worried.

“That’s impossible.”

Lena stared.

“What?”

“That’s an Astra City military vessel.”

Kai stepped forward.

“How did they find us?”

Nobody answered.

Then the screen changed.

A man’s face appeared.

Lena recognized him.

The commander of Astra City Seven.

Commander Adrian Voss.

“Lena Vale.”

She stepped closer.

“How do you know my name?”

Voss smiled.

“Because I’ve been watching you for years.”

Her stomach tightened.

“What do you want?”

“Come home.”

“This is my home.”

His expression became cold.

“Earth isn’t your home.”

“My father is here.”

“Your father is a criminal.”

Lena’s father stepped toward the screen.

“Adrian.”

Voss looked surprised.

“Dr. Vale.”

“You should have stayed away.”

“You know I can’t.”

Voss smiled.

“Six days.”

Lena frowned.

“Until what?”

“Until the Eclipse Engine activates.”

He looked directly at her.

“Then you’ll understand why your father built it.”

The transmission ended.

Lena turned toward her father.

“You built it.”

He nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Her father didn’t answer.

“Why?”

Finally, he said,

“Because Earth was dying.”

“But you just said the engine can control the weather.”

“It can.”

“Then why did you create something so dangerous?”

He looked at her.

“To save the planet.”

Lena shook her head.

“How?”

Her father activated the central screen.

A simulation appeared.

Earth was surrounded by red storm systems.

“If we don’t activate the Eclipse Engine, these storms will eventually become permanent.”

“What?”

“The atmosphere is unstable.”

“Because of the Astra Cities?”

“Partly.”

He changed the simulation.

The red storms began disappearing.

“The Eclipse Engine can restore the planet’s atmosphere.”

Lena stared.

“Then why is everyone afraid of it?”

“Because the engine needs enormous energy.”

“From where?”

Her father looked at her.

“The Astra Cities.”

Lena understood.

“You want to bring them down.”

“Yes.”

“Destroy them?”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“Save the people.”

Lena looked at Kai.

“So we’re not fighting the cities.”

“We’re fighting the system controlling them,” Kai said.

Her father nodded.

“The people living above the clouds don’t know what’s happening.”

Lena felt a sudden wave of sadness.

“They think Earth is dead.”

“Exactly.”

---

That afternoon, Lena and Kai prepared for their return.

They would secretly board Astra City Seven.

Their mission was simple.

Reach the central computer.

Download the city population data.

Disable the security system.

Then activate the Eclipse Engine.

Simple.

At least on paper.

Kai handed Lena a small device.

“This will disguise your identity.”

She looked at it.

“What does it do?”

“For three minutes, every security camera will see you as an authorized officer.”

“And after three minutes?”

“You run.”

She sighed.

“Of course.”

Kai smiled.

“You’ll be fine.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ll be with you.”

She looked at him.

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“Usually.”

She smiled.

“Sometimes.”

They boarded the ship.

As it lifted into the sky, Lena looked back at Earth.

For the first time, she felt like she was leaving home.

---

The ship entered the clouds.

Astra City Seven appeared.

Bright.

Beautiful.

Perfect.

Lena stared at it.

“I used to think this was the safest place in the universe.”

Kai looked at her.

“It was never safe.”

The ship docked.

They entered the city disguised as officers.

Nobody stopped them.

Lena’s heart raced as she walked through the familiar streets.

People were laughing.

Children were playing.

Shops were open.

Nobody knew the truth.

Kai whispered,

“Stay close.”

“I’m here.”

They reached the central tower.

Lena placed the device against the security panel.

A green light appeared.

ACCESS GRANTED.

They entered.

The elevator carried them upward.

Twenty floors.

Thirty.

Forty.

Finally, they reached the control room.

Lena stared at the enormous central computer.

“This controls the entire city.”

Kai nodded.

She connected the device.

The system began downloading.

10%

25%

47%

Then—

ACCESS DENIED.

Lena frowned.

“That’s impossible.”

Kai looked at the screen.

“What’s wrong?”

“It doesn’t recognize me.”

A voice came from behind them.

“I changed the system.”

Lena turned.

Commander Voss stood in the doorway.

Security soldiers surrounded them.

Kai immediately moved in front of Lena.

Voss smiled.

“Hello, Lena.”

She stared at him.

“How did you know?”

“I knew you’d return.”

“You let us come back.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Voss looked at her father on the monitor.

“Because your father made one mistake.”

Lena’s eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“He didn’t tell you the whole truth.”

The room became silent.

Voss looked at Lena.

“The Eclipse Engine isn’t designed to save Earth.”

Lena shook her head.

“You’re lying.”

“Ask your father.”

Lena looked at the screen.

“Dad?”

Her father’s face appeared.

He looked terrified.

“Lena…”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Her father remained silent.

Voss smiled.

“The Eclipse Engine doesn’t just control the atmosphere.”

He paused.

“It controls human biology.”

Lena’s blood ran cold.

“What does that mean?”

Voss stepped closer.

“It can change the human body.”

“How?”

“Your father designed it to make humanity survive on Earth again.”

Lena stared.

“Then what’s wrong with that?”

Voss’s smile disappeared.

“The machine requires a living human interface.”

Lena looked at Kai.

“Who?”

Voss looked directly at her.

“You.”

The room went silent.

Lena shook her head.

“No.”

Voss nodded.

“Your father didn’t bring you here to save the world.”

He smiled sadly.

“He brought you here because the machine was designed around your DNA.”

Lena looked at her father.

Tears filled her eyes.

“Is that true?”

Her father closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

Lena stepped backward.

“You used me.”

“No.”

“You lied to me!”

“I wanted you to have a choice.”

“You never gave me one!”

The security soldiers moved forward.

Kai grabbed Lena’s hand.

“Run.”

They rushed toward the emergency exit.

Alarms screamed.

Voss shouted behind them.

“Stop them!”

They ran down the corridor.

Kai opened a maintenance door.

They jumped inside.

The door slammed shut.

Lena was breathing heavily.

Kai looked at her.

“Are you okay?”

She shook her head.

“My own father designed me.”

Kai held her hand.

“You are not a machine.”

She looked into his eyes.

“I don’t know what I am.”

He stepped closer.

“You’re Lena.”

She smiled sadly.

“That’s enough?”

“For me.”

Their faces were inches apart.

Then suddenly—

the entire city shook.

A massive alarm sounded.

A voice announced throughout Astra City Seven:

“ECLIPSE ENGINE ACTIVATION BEGUN.”

Lena’s eyes widened.

“What?”

Kai looked at her.

“They activated it.”

She touched her chest.

A strange blue light appeared beneath her skin.

And somewhere beneath the Earth, the Eclipse Engine awakened.

To be continued…