The coordinates remained suspended above the ancient city.

Kaia could not look away.

A planet thousands of light-years from Earth was glowing inside the holographic display.

Blue oceans.

Green continents.

White clouds.

A living world.

And beneath its image was one word:

ORIGIN.

Nobody spoke.

Even the soldiers who had entered the underground city seemed to have forgotten their orders.

Director Marcus Vale stared at the planet with an expression Kaia had never seen on his face before.

Fear.

Not surprise.

Not confusion.

Fear.

Kaia slowly turned toward him.

“You knew about this.”

Vale didn’t answer.

“You knew this planet existed.”

Still nothing.

Elias stepped forward.

“Vale.”

The director finally looked at him.

“We have records.”

“What kind of records?”

“Fragments.”

“From where?”

Vale looked at the ancient city.

“From before humanity’s official history.”

Kaia’s voice became cold.

“Tell me everything.”

Vale shook his head.

“You aren’t ready.”

Kaia laughed bitterly.

“My mother left me a message hidden beneath Mars. I just discovered that humans may have originated on another planet. I think I’m past the point of being unready.”

Vale stared at her.

Then he slowly lowered his weapon.

“Your mother knew.”

Kaia froze.

“What?”

“Dr. Elena Renn knew about Origin.”

“You worked with her?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Twenty-four years ago.”

Kaia’s breathing stopped.

Her mother had died twenty-five years ago.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because she made me promise.”

“What promise?”

Vale looked at the glowing planet.

“Never let you find it.”

Kaia stared at him.

“Why?”

“Because your mother believed the moment humanity returned to Origin, something would follow us home.”

The city suddenly became silent.

Elias looked around.

“What does that mean?”

Vale answered quietly.

“It means we may already be too late.”

A deep vibration passed through the city.

The creatures turned toward the ceiling.

Kaia looked at them.

“What happened?”

The creature’s expression changed.

“The signal was received.”

“By whom?”

It pointed toward the sky.

“By the ones who built the Garden.”

Kaia felt a chill.

“Who built it?”

The creature didn’t answer.

Instead, every light in the city turned red.

An alarm began echoing through the underground tunnels.

The ancient structures started closing.

Doors sealed.

Bridges disappeared.

The creatures began moving toward hidden chambers.

Elias looked at Kaia.

“We need to leave.”

“Where?”

“Anywhere.”

The city shook violently.

A massive explosion came from above.

Then another.

Vale checked his communication device.

“Earth forces are attacking.”

Elias looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because they detected the Origin coordinates.”

Kaia stared at the hologram.

“You said Earth wanted the seed.”

“They still do.”

“Then why attack the city?”

Vale looked at her.

“Because they think the seed has already chosen you.”

Kaia touched the glowing symbol on her forehead.

“What happens if they capture me?”

Vale didn’t answer.

The creature did.

“They will open the Garden.”

“And?”

“It will wake.”

Kaia looked toward the enormous tree.

“What will wake?”

The creature’s eyes turned toward the ceiling.

“The first mind.”

Suddenly, the ground split.

A shockwave threw everyone across the chamber.

Kaia hit the floor.

Elias landed beside her.

The lights disappeared.

For several seconds there was only darkness.

Then a tiny sound reached Kaia.

A whisper.

Kaia.

She opened her eyes.

The symbol on her forehead was glowing.

The voice came again.

Find Origin.

Kaia stood.

“Who are you?”

The answer was barely audible.

Your first ancestor.

Kaia froze.

Then the entire city came alive.

The ancient tree opened completely.

A bright tunnel appeared inside its trunk.

The creature pointed toward it.

“Go.”

Kaia stared.

“Where?”

“To the ship.”

“What ship?”

The creature pointed toward the sky.

A massive shadow passed over the city.

Kaia looked upward.

Something was descending through the Martian atmosphere.

It was enormous.

Far larger than any human spacecraft.

Its hull was silver and black.

No engines were visible.

No weapons.

It simply floated downward.

The creature whispered:

“They have arrived.”

Vale looked at the ship.

“That’s impossible.”

Elias asked:

“What is it?”

Vale’s face had gone completely pale.

“The first ship.”

Kaia looked at him.

“The ship that brought humans to Mars?”

“No.”

He shook his head.

“The ship that brought humans to Earth.”

The vessel descended.

The underground city began opening pathways toward the surface.

Kaia looked at the glowing seed.

Then at the ship.

She knew she had to make a choice.

Elias touched her shoulder.

“Whatever happens, don’t go alone.”

Kaia nodded.

They ran toward the tunnel.

Vale followed.

Several soldiers followed him.

The creatures stayed behind.

Kaia turned.

“You’re not coming?”

The creature shook its head.

“This is your journey.”

Kaia looked back at the city.

“Will I see you again?”

The creature smiled.

“If you survive Origin.”

The tunnel closed behind them.

They emerged onto the surface.

Mars had changed completely.

The red desert was disappearing.

Green plants covered the ground.

Silver trees stretched toward the sky.

Streams of clear water flowed between them.

The planet was becoming alive.

But above them, Earth military ships filled the sky.

Hundreds.

Their weapons were active.

Elias looked upward.

“They’re preparing to fire.”

Kaia stared at the enormous ancient ship.

“Then we need to move.”

They reached the Aurora.

Its systems were damaged but functional.

Noah was waiting inside.

“You took your time.”

Kaia almost laughed.

“We had a few problems.”

Noah looked through the window.

His smile disappeared.

“What is that?”

Kaia didn’t answer.

The ancient ship hovered above them.

A beam of light came from its underside.

It struck the Martian surface.

A circular portal opened.

Inside it was darkness.

Then stars.

Millions of them.

A direct passage through space.

Elias looked at Kaia.

“That’s a wormhole.”

Kaia nodded.

“Where does it lead?”

She looked at the Origin coordinates.

“There.”

Earth’s military ships began firing.

Energy weapons crossed the sky.

The ancient vessel did not react.

Its shields absorbed every attack.

Vale entered the bridge.

“We have thirty seconds.”

“Until what?”

“The Earth fleet will launch nuclear warheads.”

Elias looked at him.

“They wouldn’t.”

Vale gave him a bitter smile.

“They will.”

Kaia stared at the portal.

“Can the Aurora enter?”

Noah checked the systems.

“Maybe.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“It’s all I’ve got.”

Kaia looked toward Earth.

For the first time, she saw the planet differently.

Not as humanity’s home.

But as something dying.

Millions of people were living there.

Children.

Families.

People who had no idea what was happening.

She turned toward Vale.

“If we find Origin, can the Garden save Earth?”

Vale hesitated.

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying.”

He looked at her.

“I don’t know if it can save Earth.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because your mother believed Origin could save humanity.”

Kaia stared at him.

“And you?”

Vale looked toward the portal.

“I believe your mother was usually right.”

The first nuclear warhead launched.

It crossed the sky.

Kaia made her decision.

“Take us through.”

Noah activated the engines.

The Aurora accelerated.

The ancient ship opened the portal wider.

The nuclear warhead entered the atmosphere behind them.

Elias shouted:

“Faster!”

The Aurora crossed the threshold.

Everything disappeared.

For a moment, there was no sound.

No light.

No gravity.

Kaia felt as if she were falling through an endless ocean.

Then—

light.

The ship emerged.

Kaia opened her eyes.

Outside the window was a planet.

Not a hologram.

Not a vision.

A real planet.

It was enormous.

Blue oceans covered most of its surface.

Green continents stretched beneath white clouds.

But something was wrong.

There were no cities.

No satellites.

No aircraft.

No signs of technology.

The planet looked untouched.

Beautiful.

Ancient.

Alive.

Noah whispered:

“Is this Origin?”

Kaia looked at the navigation screen.

The system confirmed it.

ORIGIN — PLANETARY CLASS: UNKNOWN

Then another message appeared.

HUMAN LIFE DETECTED.

Everyone froze.

Elias stared at the screen.

“How many?”

The computer began calculating.

Then stopped.

The number was impossible.

8,700,000,000.

Kaia’s eyes widened.

“Eight billion?”

Noah whispered:

“That’s more people than Earth.”

The screen changed.

A new message appeared.

WELCOME, CHILDREN OF EARTH.

Kaia stared.

Then another message appeared.

YOU HAVE BEEN AWAY FOR 4,000,000 YEARS.

Nobody moved.

Four million years.

Humanity had not come from another world centuries ago.

It had come from another world millions of years ago.

And somehow…

they had forgotten.

Suddenly, the planet’s surface lit up.

Thousands of lights appeared.

Cities.

Hidden beneath the forests.

Ancient cities that had been waiting.

Kaia felt tears fill her eyes.

A voice came through the ship’s communication system.

It was her mother’s voice.

“Kaia, if you have reached Origin, then I am already gone.”

Kaia closed her eyes.

“I am sorry you had to learn the truth this way.”

The message continued.

“Earth was never our first home.”

A pause.

“Origin was.”

Another pause.

“And we did not leave because we wanted to.”

Kaia opened her eyes.

Her mother’s final words echoed through the bridge.

“We were sent away.”

Kaia looked toward the planet.

“By whom?”

The communication system answered with silence.

Then the entire planet began to shake.

A massive structure rose from beneath one of the oceans.

It was larger than any human city.

Larger than any spacecraft.

A voice emerged from the planet.

Not through the speakers.

Through space itself.

THE CHILDREN HAVE RETURNED.

Kaia stared at the screen.

Then the voice continued.

AND THE CREATOR HAS AWAKENED.

The planet’s moon cracked open.

Something enormous began emerging from inside it.

Kaia realized they had not traveled to Origin to discover humanity’s past.

They had traveled there because something had been waiting for humanity to come back.

And now it was awake.

To be continued…