Lena couldn’t stop staring.

Earth was alive.

Not the dead planet she had been taught about in school.

Not the frozen wasteland shown in old documentaries.

Below the clouds was a world filled with lights.

Cities.

Forests.

Rivers.

And people.

Real people.

Kai pulled her toward the waiting spacecraft.

“Move.”

Lena followed him.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere safe.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because you’re still alive.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Kai smiled.

“You ask too many questions.”

“You hide too many things.”

“Fair.”

They entered the ship.

The doors closed behind them.

The interior was unlike anything Lena had seen in Astra City.

There were no polished silver walls.

No artificial decorations.

Everything looked practical.

Metal floors.

Exposed cables.

Transparent screens.

And enormous windows showing Earth below.

Lena walked toward the glass.

“How did nobody know?”

Kai stood beside her.

“Because the government controls what people see.”

“But satellites?”

“Disabled.”

“Communication?”

“Blocked.”

“Why?”

Kai looked at her.

“Because Astra Cities were never designed to protect humanity.”

Lena turned.

“Then what were they designed for?”

Kai hesitated.

“To protect the people who built them.”

“From what?”

“From us.”

Lena frowned.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It will.”

Before she could ask another question, the ship shook.

A warning appeared.

PURSUIT DRONES DETECTED.

Kai moved quickly toward the control panel.

“They found us.”

Lena looked through the window.

Three black ships emerged from the clouds.

“Are those Astra City ships?”

“Yes.”

“They’re following us?”

“Yes.”

“Can we escape?”

Kai smiled.

“Probably.”

“Probably?”

“Don’t worry.”

“I am absolutely worried.”

Kai pressed a button.

The ship suddenly accelerated.

Lena fell against the seat.

“Kai!”

“Hold on.”

The pursuit ships opened fire.

Blue energy streaked past them.

One struck the side of the ship.

The entire cabin shook.

Lena grabbed the seat.

“That was not okay!”

“I agree.”

Another shot came.

Kai turned sharply.

The ship disappeared into a thick storm cloud.

The enemy ships followed.

Kai smiled.

“They won’t see us.”

Lena looked outside.

“Why?”

“Because this storm is artificial.”

“What?”

Kai pointed toward the clouds.

“Someone built it to hide Earth.”

Lena stared.

“Who?”

“My father.”

---

The ship landed inside a hidden underground hangar.

The doors opened.

Lena stepped outside.

Hundreds of people were waiting.

Scientists.

Soldiers.

Engineers.

Families.

Children.

They all looked at her.

Whispers spread through the crowd.

“That’s her.”

“She’s here.”

“That’s Lena Vale.”

Lena looked at Kai.

“Why are they staring at me?”

He didn’t answer.

An elderly woman stepped forward.

She was wearing a long white coat.

“Lena.”

Lena recognized her.

Dr. Mira Solen.

One of the scientists who had designed Astra Cities.

But Lena had only seen her in history books.

“You know me?”

The woman smiled sadly.

“I knew you when you were a child.”

Lena froze.

“My father?”

Dr. Mira nodded.

“He’s waiting for you.”

---

They entered a large underground facility.

The walls were covered with glowing blue lines.

Machines hummed quietly.

Lena walked beside Dr. Mira.

“Where is my father?”

“At the heart of the facility.”

“Why did he leave me?”

“He didn’t.”

Lena stopped.

“What?”

Dr. Mira looked at her.

“Your father never abandoned you.”

“Then why did I grow up believing he died?”

“Because he wanted you to survive.”

Lena’s eyes filled with tears.

“Survive what?”

Dr. Mira didn’t answer.

They reached a massive door.

It opened.

Inside was a circular room.

A man stood beside a giant transparent screen.

His hair was gray.

His face was older than Lena remembered.

But she knew him instantly.

Her heart stopped.

“Dad?”

The man turned.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then he smiled.

“Lena.”

She ran toward him.

He held her tightly.

She began crying.

“You were alive.”

“I know.”

“Why did you let me believe you were dead?”

“Because if they knew you were my daughter, they would have killed you.”

“Who?”

Her father looked toward the screen.

“The people controlling Astra Cities.”

Lena stepped back.

“Why?”

He activated the screen.

A map appeared.

Astra Cities floated above Earth.

Then the image changed.

Beneath each city was a huge machine.

Lena stared.

“What are those?”

“Energy harvesters.”

“Energy?”

Her father nodded.

“Astra Cities have been draining Earth’s atmosphere.”

Lena’s face went pale.

“What?”

“Every year, they extract resources from the planet.”

“Why?”

“To power the cities.”

She shook her head.

“But Earth is recovering.”

“Because we repaired it.”

“Who?”

“People living here.”

Lena looked at the map.

“So the cities are destroying Earth again?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

Her father became silent.

“Thirty years.”

Lena stared at him.

“Thirty years?”

“And there’s something worse.”

He changed the screen.

A massive structure appeared beneath the northern ice.

It looked like a giant black sphere.

“What is that?”

Her father said quietly:

“The Eclipse Engine.”

Kai entered the room.

Lena looked at him.

“What does it do?”

Her father answered.

“It controls the weather.”

Lena’s eyes widened.

“That’s impossible.”

“No.”

He looked at her.

“That’s why the government created the storms.”

“They control the planet?”

“Almost.”

“Why?”

Her father looked at the screen.

“Because in six days, the Eclipse Engine will activate.”

“And then?”

He looked at Lena.

“Every floating city will descend.”

Lena frowned.

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“No.”

Her father turned toward her.

“They aren’t coming down to live on Earth.”

He pointed toward the map.

“They’re coming down to take it.”

Silence filled the room.

Lena whispered,

“How do we stop them?”

Her father looked at Kai.

Kai nodded.

“We have a plan.”

Lena crossed her arms.

“Of course you do.”

Kai smiled.

“But there’s one problem.”

“What?”

“We need someone from inside Astra City Seven.”

Lena immediately understood.

“You want me to go back.”

Her father nodded.

“You are the only person who can access the city’s central system.”

Lena stared at him.

“What if I refuse?”

Her father looked heartbroken.

“Then millions of people may die.”

She looked at Kai.

“And you?”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Even if we get caught?”

“Especially then.”

Lena smiled faintly.

“You’re crazy.”

“Probably.”

She looked toward Earth.

Then toward the floating city far above the clouds.

Finally, she nodded.

“Let’s go.”

But neither of them noticed the small red light blinking inside the room.

A hidden camera was transmitting everything.

And somewhere high above Earth, the leader of Astra City Seven watched Lena’s face on a screen.

He smiled.

“Let her come back.”

An officer looked confused.

“Sir?”

The man leaned back.

“She doesn’t know it yet.”

He paused.

“Her father built the Eclipse Engine.”

The officer stared.

“But why would he want to destroy Earth?”

The man smiled.

“He doesn’t.”

“He wants to save it.”

Then he looked at Lena’s image.

“And that’s exactly why she must die.”

To be continued…