Tauri 31st, Year 55:

- Ophideus from the Black Knights has returned from the underworld, Faeri declared.
- You sure Fa, is he not supposed to have died during the Great War? Styx objected.
Faeri’s predictions, whether they augured good fortune or bad omen, often came true but this time, four sceptical glares were set upon her neck, wondering if her sayings were or were not believable, in one or another case, Ophideus’ return from the dead portended another era of doom, which condemned humanity into exile across the universe all over again.
- Problem, when he’s gone hunting, he never fails to find and kill mercilessly his target. He has proved to be an obstinate mercenary, harbinger of chaos in the past: never, any of his preys have gotten out alive from his fangs once captured.
- Ah! So? Styx queried and restrained a noisy yawn, leaning back in his chair.
- You lazy crow, get hold of yourself! Sylvestre reproached him harshly
- He has set sail to the human world, back to the year of 2055 exactly.
- Sheesh!

May 20th, 2055:

- Gentlemen, are you from the police?
Styx and Lancaster stared blankly at the dazed-looking elderly in her late seventies standstill in front of them, wondering how to introduce themselves.
- Nope, however it would be a long story Madam, Lancaster responded with embarrassment, to their interlocutor who glared at them with suspicion. My name’s Lancaster and my colleague’s Styx.
- Have a seat and tell me more about what’s going on. I don’t even know why and how you’ve got into my flat in the first place.
- We’re actively searching for the men who harassed you earlier today around the area Styx intervened. We’ve been summoned here to carry on further investigation if you may forgive our intrusion.
- If so, I won’t hinder your enquiry any longer. Sadly, I can’t be of any help, I do neither remember anything about their looks nor their circumstances. It feels like I’ve just awakened after a deep slumber as if nothing happened earlier.
- Did they force you to take any drugs?
- I can’t remember either.
- Amnesia pills, Lancaster affirmed arms crossed over his chest. Which means we shall come back to the headquarters to report now Styx, don’t you think?
- I object, we should go and fetch a certain dull rabbit first.
- Free beings travel out of this world Sty, he surely have his reasons for not coming back, Lancaster commented whilst he casted a second class memory spell on Danielle Mc Madonea before summoning a time portal towards the fourth millenary: “At your service Madam, have a nice evening!”

July 13th, 2035:

- Honey, dinnertime!
- I don't want to eat, Isha responded from her bedroom upstairs.
Pissed off by her daughter’s misconduct, Danielle barged in Isha’s room arms crossed over the chest. “Haven’t I told you to get your luggage ready by tomorrow’s morning? We must leave no matter what!” she admonished her offspring with eagerness, eyeing on disapproval at her undone travel bag.
- I’m not going anywhere!
- We have to talk!
- There's nothing to explain.
- There are plenty of other fishes in the sea. You might as well find a better party once arrived at your new faculty.
- Be the gentle, high-educated wife of the vicinity's renown surgeon from a wealthy family background? Not for me!
- He'd make you feel much more happy than this ... this ...
- "This"?
- Failure of a would-be minister, clowning around when he should be studying to make a name in politics!

Isha stood up abruptly:
- I dare you to insult Hitori in that manner! What has he done wrong to stir up your anger and your contempt whenever I talk about him with you?
- Don't you answer back to me, insolent! You exactly know what's the problem but you keep ignoring my advice till you'll ruin your career stupidly because of a reckless idiot who is not cut out to become a fine politician devoted to serve his country! Put yourself together, you've already got a long list of pretenders head over heels for you to choose from. What on earth is wrong with you, lucky girl?
- Like I care for money and fame, only to become someone's caged bird in the end. My heart will belong to the one I truly love, whom I deeply trust and respect for who he is provided that he respects me as well.
- All that matters to me is your happiness, however this guy's only going to cause you trouble, even to found a family, if he constantly gets in the target line of the current government.
- Who else has the guts to do so?
- Come downstairs to eat something at least, the meat's getting cold.
- Later', I have to work on my PhD's bibliography tonight if you don't mind.
At eleven when the streetlights were all extinct and the weather had cooled down after a stifling hot summer day, Isha put her work aside and came to the balcony from where she could admire the bay extending beyond the crown of the trees.
“Bzzt~” Indifferent she let her smartphone keep on vibrating inside her pocket till the screen turned blank after a few seconds. She would have to leave too, sooner or later, better do it here and now, she stated to herself looking with nostalgia at the city below.
Her dashboard displayed a new text message when she checked her phone back inside: “Things’ alright, dear?”
- I’ve ... I’ve made my decision ... I ... I should leave town ... by tomorrow...
Entangled in the blankets, Isha held her pillow close to her chest like a shield, curled up on the bed’s edge: “I’m sorry Hitori ... I’m so sorry!”
- Knowing you safe and sound overseas is my sole redemption.
- We never shared anything in common! We never got to live together like any normal couple of our generation! Back then, why have we started dating in the first place, I wonder! she screamed at him, on the verge of crying. Contrite, he kissed her nape with tenderness, his hands caressing lightly her shoulders: “Let... let me go” she stammered between her cries, turning back on his dazzling olive pupils which implored her to stay for the night.
- If I had to, I’d lay down my life for you.
- It does not make any sense if we can’t fulfil our engagement.
- I promise we will, whatever it takes.
- The members of the government were not that stupid by co-opting Danielle and Mathias Mc Madonea today’s greatest physicians in order to assess their leadership. One issue remains, if you decline their offer, you’re sure to be registered in their records as the first public targets, which forces you into exile to escape the dark pits of jail. As their daughter, I’m also at risk so I’ve made my decision. This is probably the last time we see each other in a while.
- I swear you’ll be forever safe by my side.
- Only words.
Hitori’s grasp around her chest lightened, letting go of her waist. He looked blankly at the ceiling for a few seconds: “Do you consider me as an untrustworthy person that much? If so, have I unnecessarily endured the worst for saving your life when you were in trouble against those policemen, huh?”
- Egoistic conception of love. You did what was right to do in the context of an unjustified arrest for questionable motives by the police, that’s all. There is no point in arguing over it again and again, Isha whispered eyes low.
Her face clouded over: “I wish I had not to leave.” She could feel his heart pounding against her nude skin when he wrapped his arms around her breasts. This time, she could no longer fight back, overwhelmed by emotion when he laid his head on her clavicle. She felt her resolve to depart tore up to shreds at the idea of being forced to run away for her life, abandoning cowardly the one she loved so dearly on the side of the road, a path they were meant to follow side by side.
- Come over there, Hitori whispered compassionately, drawing her close to his torso under the blanket, kissing her on the forehead: “If anything, I can’t afford to live on carelessly if I know my loved ones in danger.” Isha nestled her head in the curve of his throat with a pale smile: “Stop playing the hero you’re not in the end” she responded clung to his shoulder blades, their lips bounded together by a passionate goodnight kiss before they fell asleep in each other’s embrace like young lovebirds going out on a midnight date for the first time long after had rung out the curfew.

Tauri 31st, Year 55:

Cries. Shouts. Threats. Around her only obscurity remained behind the bars of a four-wall cage, trapped in the anteroom of hell. All to be heard were soldiers’ footsteps trampling down the basement. The sound of their chatter blasted painfully through her eardrums, from afar their jeering laughter resounded strangely sarcastic in the wholeness of the silence. Dissociated pictures, nameless faces flew before her eyes unsubstantial as if these shards of memories did not belong to her, meaningless, holding them prisoner behind her eyelids before they vanished into void, that fearful numb feeling that paralyzed her body and hindered her soul. However, a recurrent dream resurfaced every time she intended to fall asleep in which she met with a faceless stranger who yelled accusingly at the soldiers who tormented her, himself held prisoner by police officers at gunpoint. Every time she awoke abruptly screaming, cheeks overflowed by remorseful tears unable to recall his name. Every time the memory of him faded in the distance, unreachable. She felt dizzy attempting to put her thoughts into order, gradually lost notion of space and time as if jailed inside the black depths of the underworld: “Who am I? Where am I?” Find the answer to these questions obsessed her mind for some reason provided I seem to be in great danger and so I shall get out by any means she thought for herself, trying to break free from her shackles to no avail.
- Don’t even try.
She startled at hearing someone else’s voice for the first time since she had recovered consciousness. “Someone?” Her own resounded so light and feeble, almost extinct after a long and deep slumber. “Welcome aboard to the future, princess.”
“Eh?” When her eyes accommodated to her surroundings, she could perceive an old man’s silhouette leaned back against the opposite wall. “Shame we can’t even introduce ourselves properly.” She crackled a pale smile: “At least we’re together in trouble.”
He let out a raucous laugh, pointing a fingertip at the ceiling: “This pit’s the Black Sun.”
- There’s really no way to escape?
- Fool, want to die?
- Not yet, I guess.
- Then, all we can do is hope for this dumbass to come and rescue us just in time.
- You must have tight grudges against that person.
- Back then, he pretty messed up things to a point of no return!
- That’s how you ended up down there, I suppose?
- Partly yes. Let’s talk about you, why would they capture and hold a damsel in hostage?
- God knows, I wonder about it too!
Her interlocutor shrugged his shoulders: “They must have unreasonable motives.” His eyebrows furrowed over his lightless anthracite irises. He clenched his fists with resignation, looking down at the ground: “Mockery!” he mumbled between his teeth angrily. The silence came again, interspersed by his rowdy snores.
“Lucky girl, you’ve got to spend the rest of your days with a weirdo as sole company until someone’s going to save you from your misery” Isha remarked with bitter. “Be glad you’re still alive for today!” he retorted while sleeping.
Once arrived aboard Odyssea, Styx and Lancaster summoned their colleagues for a crisis meeting:
- The Party has indeed declared war to us. Knowing our strategy, they’re attacking innocent civilians to make diversion but their real goal is quite obvious, find out Odyssea’s location across the universe in order to kill any opposition to their leadership in the egg, Lancaster affirmed.
- In other words, the thousands of exiled earthlings sheltered aboard Odyssea, including us, are in imminent danger of extinction if we remain obstinately neutral by avoiding battle as much as possible, Styx observed leaned back in his chair.
- That’s because we cannot sustain another Great War whatsoever, Sylvestre objected.
- It’s even more troublesome if they modified the past in some way, Zoe added.
- Humanity will be decimated once again if we don’t intervene, someone observed.
- Back on radars, you slacker! Styx responded harshly to the newcomer without turning around to greet him. “Styx, you better...” Sylvestre growled between her teeth, interrupted short by Zoe. Lancaster shrugged his shoulders wearily. Faeri remained silent as usual, expressionless. She looked pensively at the stars beyond the panel windows of the council room then the glassware destiny holder between her hands that emitted a faint blue light from time to time.
- Let’s hope to be awaked soon by the light of dawn.

May 20th, 2055:

Mozart’s Requiem played in the background while Danielle Mc Madonea sat in a long chair on the terrace to drink a cup of her favourite herbal tea, her back resting against a fluffy cushion, her lightless irises fixated on the content of a holographic screen displayed by a pair of thin half-moon glasses she wore for reading since she had started to lose sight gradually from a cerebrovascular accident several years ago.
Nightfall set ablaze the clouds in a panel of blurred shades at the edge of her eyesight. If only she could turn back time to these days, thought she always when she scrolled backwards her memories library searching in particular for a family portrait in which the three of them were reunited.
- At the very least, perhaps I should have listened to your advice Mathias, she murmured for herself turning off her electronic optics. You’re no longer visiting me from time to time like you did before Isha, is work really keeping you busy all day long? She inquired without turning around to greet her own daughter.
- Back then, you denied me the right to live happily ever after like most women aspire to at a certain period of their lives by your selfish prejudices, forced me into assuming a social role that failed to meet my own expectations in order to achieve in your stead the ideal career you never had, why to take back the life you’ve given me!
- Ungrateful girl, what’s the point in arguing about it over and over as if it will for and ever tear us apart? For all I know, I just attempted to prevent you from following the wrong path.
- I disagree with you on the fact leading the political opposition is the wrong path to take, Isha objected. My decision had been long and hard even before getting engaged, she added looking at the now meaningless golden jewel pendent at her left ring finger pensively.
- I doubt so.

December 21st, 2030:

On December 21st, winter lurked at the corner waiting to strike on the frozen bystanders muffled in their bold winter coats under the sun barely piercing through the clouds. An icy wind blowing from the north battled the street, tore apart the last autumn leaves from the sycamore trees in its trail. Brilliant, colourful decorations hanged at the trunks, snaked around electric wires, shined at the shops’ frontages, wrapping the city in a soft, eerie, almost magical veil of light but this year none were in the mood for celebrating Christmas. Children strolled down innocently the city heart’s shopping mail from shop to shop with their parents who, as for them, paid attention to their surroundings with carefulness, hurried their offspring through the covered walkways, heading back home faster than usual after their weekly groceries. The official radio broadcasted news nonstop instead of Christmas songs, people walked fast past the office avenue their cell phones plugged to their ears muttering raucously under their scarfs, cars and public transports were riding slow the city’s outskirts, WANTED posters popped amidst the ads panels and the traffic boards: life went on, greyish, stiff, monotonous. A rainy snowstorm started to pour down from the clouds, wrapping the buildings and the urban equipment in a whitish, plain mantel of muddy ice.
“ - Hurry home before 6pm, right honey? “
- I’ll get back to you when I’ve arrived at the bus station Mom, murmured Isha looking down at her phone screen when she passed by a group of policemen wearing black raincoats who glared at her wireless headphones suspiciously.
She rode fast her bike across the academic district from the medicine faculty to the nearest bus station, disturbing the city’s ambient, wintery stiffness, listening to classical music at low volume to stop attracting attention from the militia men in black raincoats rumoured to spy on the citizens from side alleyways. Breathless, she took halt near a bench next to the information board in order to check the departure schedule and sighed heavily with resignation: next was in twenty minutes because of the recent snowfall which had fallen during the night, shutting down most of the urban traffic until the city’s staff men had cleaned up and secured the roads.
Exhausted, weary of everything for no particular reason, she took a seat on the wet wood, wrapping tightly her scarf around her neck, breathing small clouds of vapour to warm up her hands. She focused her interest on the medicine book borrowed to the library one hour ago for the holidays, checking regularly her watch, almost forgetting the world around her.
Almost.
At the second her watch stroke 5 pm, she had never thought a single glance upon your shoulder could turn your life upside down in the blink of an eye and found herself rather amused and frightened by how maliciously the wheel of fate played on her its favourite trick. In the rush of after work activities occurred an unexpected encounter frosted in the coldness of December, at the least proper time, happening most awkwardly along the main street from where the eyes of power were watching out your every movement.
He sat on the other side of the bench wrapped in a black-grey winter coat, holding a glass of hot wine between his gloved fingers. Golden-brown, rebellious hair strands peeked out from the synthetic fibbers of a greyish cheap beanie, enlightening his forehead like a crown of sunrays. His face seemed to her familiar although she could not recollect his identity. Covered by large sunglasses – by the way, why was he wearing sunglasses at the beginning of winter, wondered she – his eyes looked carefully at his surroundings as if they were searching for someone or, she realized when she saw a squad of policemen in patrol, figuring how much time he needed to run away from the police but it was already too late for him to escape. He turned ostensibly his back on the street his head burrowed in the folds of his large scarf, so that he made one believe he checked distractedly his phone dashboard for new messages, although the uncovered terror in his eyes revealed he was pretending to look with attention at the screen in order to not being recognized by the officers approaching their position.
- Guess what, who do we have here? inquired mockingly a shifty voice that belonged to their chief of division who eyed on side at Isha, arms crossed over the chest.
His colleagues nodded, barely concealing their satisfaction. Stern, Isha put a bookmark on the page she was reading, stuffed her book into her backpack and unchained her bike. A slender hand grabbed her shoulder:
- Aren’t you Isha?
Pallid, overwhelmed by the fear of being arrested Isha did not turn around, wrapping the lock around the handle.
- Be careful, a price may have been put on your head.
She checked the good inflate of her wheels and mounted on her vehicle, keeping her eyelids half-shut:
- Leave me in peace I have no interest in causing trouble regarding political matters involving governmental affairs.
- Aw, why are you suddenly so strong-headed? Why don’t you come with us to talk a bit?
- I did say I have no intention of taking part in the opposition!
- Quickly said. Come with us.
The mysterious guy wearing sunglasses, who till then had kept silent the entire time, squeezed angrily his hot wine goblet between his fists so tight that it exploded splattering its red, smelly content on the snow:
- You dare bothering an innocent woman? He mumbled. What sense of justice is this?
- Huh, is it me you’re talking to, insolent brat? Has anyone ever taught you to never meddle in someone else’s business? The officer responded in an imperious voice tone to this impertinent youngster who shot glance at him brashly, amazed and angered by his audacity to defy openly a high-ranked officer from the political police.
“ – What is he thinking about, they will prosecute him for rebellion if he stands up to them any longer!” thought Isha, bewildered by his behaviour.
Her charming prince wearing dark clothes, standstill, casted his gaze up to look straight at his interlocutor recklessly from the shadows of his sunglasses.
- Know of your place, young lad, I am the law. Strange that I feel like your face is familiar, who are you?
- Does it matter to know who I am? Think of me as a casual university student going out after class, that’s all.
The officer’s gaze drifted from the young man standing in front of him to an advertisement board on which was displayed a research notice picturing a twenty years old law student that strongly resembled him:
- Is that so?
- Geez, it can’t be helped. I’ll introduce myself to make things clear between us. If you’re the law I’m the heir of the power.
- What nonsense is that?
His interlocutor took off his sunglasses to reveal his olive green eyes:
- You’ll be greasily rewarded to have captured me alive and your higher-ups will compliment your investigating skills to have found me so fast.
- What are you talking about?
- I have to tell them something really important, answered he designating the Wanted poster riveted to the bus coming across the other side of the road. Name: Hitori Kokuboheki. Age: 20. Reward? 100 000$ being dead or alive. This is what the notice says. The one said to be a lazy, careless law student son of the late Prime minister Kokuboheki stands before you and won’t surrender so easily.
- Stop kidding me!
Hitori breathed in and out deeply to remain composed but lost his countenance:
- Do you think I’m kidding? Do you think I would have been selfish enough not to raise my voice when I witness an abusive arrest? My answer is a twice no, I’m not a coward nor an opportunist!
- Well then the young lady can make her way. But you Hitori Kokuboheki you’re under arrest for being a bothersome troublemaker charged for insubordination and public order hindrance.
It sent chills down her spine: Isha complied without objection but something went wrong when she rushed aboard her bus, reprobated by the driver for bringing along her bike which she folded in haste and sat down on a free chair in the rear with relief.
Why was she feeling immensely guilty for escaping safely without rebelling?

Her family house was a well-furnished, historical two-stairs building built in old stone situated in the very heart of the city, amidst a prominent garden luxuriant even during winter bordered by a row of non-deciduous flower bushes to hide it from bystanders’ view all year long. A small earth path paved with regular flat stones led to the entrance, a tall, engraved wooden door surmounted by a glass gloriette decorated with intertwined Greek caduceus patterns. The keen interest for travelling of its owners made it a comfy, welcoming home filled with a great variety of unusual objects and surprising treasures coming from all around the world, found by chance, discovered, sometimes bought while moving on from country to country. But that evening, Isha passed by them without looking up, put away her coat in the hall’s 19th Victorian style clothing chest, blasted in the living room to say hello and headed right to her bedroom, dropping her head into her pillow to let her tears free.
She tried to put her thoughts into order but failed, realizing at last she would have been arrested if that young man named Hitori had not intervened to spare her from spending a few years in prison, relieved and scared to be safe and sound for today but this dreadful game of hide and seek with the police would not last forever. She was thankful that he found the bravery to kick against the policemen who were tormenting her but felt a melt of pity and compassion for him who had risked his life for her and was now paying twice the price of his foolhardiness, took in custody for civil disobedience to be incarcerated later after a thorough interrogatory.
Why, just why it always happened like this?

May 20th, 2055:

- Despite your father’s constant reproaches, I’ve been always disapproving your relationship with him for your own sake because staying by the side of a designated outlaw would have continuously put your life in danger.
- How... how can you say such things without even...
- I did it for your safety, honey Danielle responded, a faint smirk painted on her face. While you’re here, would you mind serving me another cup of that tea?
- Sure, Isha responded without a second thought heading to the kitchen.
“Why am I feeling so tense suddenly?” she wondered, grabbing the half-empty kettle on the counter and a teabag. A shadow took shape in the threshold behind her back while she was looking for sugar in the cupboards. “Who’s there?” she asked without turning around. A wrinkled hand silenced her while slender fingers seized hold of her hips, clawed into her soft skin. She thrashed about to break free from her aggressor, in vain. A disgusting, herbal infusion smelling like humus after the rain filled her mouth till she nearly choked up, disabled her senses, paralyzed her muscles bit by bit, numbed by a strong sedative binding her movements. The ceramic pot she held between her fingers shattered astoundingly in its fall, spilling its content all over the tiling.
- Sleep well angel, Mommy will take care of everything for you, whispered shifty lips to her ear, the last words she heard before she blacked out

- Good job Ophideus, remarked the malicious’ voice from the gloom shadows of a tenebrous cloak. I was not expecting less from you anyway.
- Mission accomplished, eh? Ophideus exclaimed victoriously with a chuckle. So easy, almost too easy, but when she will wake up she will have forgotten everything and everyone she used to know. Holding his queen of heart in hostage will surely make it easier for us to get close to them as soon as they will find out about the matter.
- But they never will.
- Of course not.
The echo of their laughter resonated for long after they left, scaring a group of pigeons who fled away from the balcony’s guardrail in a wing rustle. A cell-phone rang somewhere in the emptiness of the apartment, then the silence came again. Lancaster picked up from the ground a shattered photo frame fallen from the chimney: “Crap!”
- Apparently, we came too late Styx observed leaned back against the threshold.
- Damsel in distress, Council of Cosmos to the rescue, I guess. 

Tauri 31st, Year 55:

Good and evil, true or false, rise or fall were the foundations of the world only known hanging on a fragile balance between rebirth and nothingness. After the Second Traumatism, nothing was left but chaos. Darkness all around, as if an everlasting night had descended on the universe dimmed into an overwhelming obscurity even concealing the dying stars’ feeble shine in agony. However, the end of the road could be seen from afar, mankind’s hope for renewal, a mass of rock and ice rotating in convoluted circles outside its orbit amidst Jupiter’s remains, named Calisto.
By the windows a fleet of asteroids sprouted from nowhere, sucked in a supermassive black hole. From the scattering of the ancient solar system was left nothing but a crown of shattered planets gravitating around the Black Sun, a gigantic armoured spaceship.
“Fall out!” ordered the Almighty One’s shifty voice harshly, so did the soldiers in charge of keeping the prisoner under check. He ordered them to resume their patrol, and turned around only when the last of them had left the room, staring down at the man in front of him:
- I’d cooperate obediently if I were you.
A raucous moan resonated from the shadows of a ripped hoodie: “Collaborate my ass” followed by a scream of deep pain when His hand smashed his skull violently into the wall: “Where are they hiding?”

May 20th, 2055:

“Act up, never give up~...” while humming Naomi checked her make up and put on electric blue circle lenses. At the wall of the backstage lounge a big LED clock indicated 8pm. “- Guys, are you ready? I want you all on stage in 5 minutes for a last rehearsal before the concert!” the NCL’s manager shouted in the speakers.
Naomi got used to celebrity but did not like going on stage only to make money even though they had concluded a juicy contract with a worldwide major company. She kept her eyes mid closed, blindfolded by the lights. Her fingers danced on the strings, her voice ascended on higher notes. She felt her heart beat faster as the show was about to begin shortly. A tiny, shiny bug flew weightlessly in front of her eyes, then it vapored in thin air as if it were never born.
“What was that, an optical delusion?” she wondered, replacing a broken string. She tuned carefully the new chord: “Or bad omen?”

A little butterfly took flight towards the city’s skyline, crawled through tonight’s traffic jam, landed softly on a wild flower bush, its tiny wings sparkling in the light of dusk.
- How long will you sit down on the terrace to admire the sea, Marcus?
- Melancholy, perhaps. That’s how it feels to me Dora.
- Stop mourning about the past, shouldn’t you?
- Guess so, Marcus responded, eyes low to conceal his tears. I’m sorry Dora, I’m so sorry... I should have...
- You should come inside for dinner! Theodora responded harshly arms crossed over her chest. “Oh!” She caught glimpse of something shiny among the roses, a butterfly. The little guy looked like he thrashed about to break free from traitorous thorns when she picked it up between her palms, She felt unexpectedly relaxed for a few seconds, soothed by the sight of its little wings swishing the air. A smile curled her lips as she watched him whirl in the dying sunlight gracefully. Her fingers reached for the thread of blue light fleeting in its trail as if it was going to set off in the time of a blink, with time she learned how to perceive those chords of destiny even without using telekinetic skills. Stupefied she looked up at the tree’s crown then sketched a pale smile:
- It’s about 8pm; let’s go back inside.
- You’re being overly romantic sometimes, Dora.

- This is our last song for tonight, A Lone Bird’s Melody. Thank you for your continued support all this time since the very beginning! Our latest CD’s limited edition is available for sale after the show!
Naomi adjusted her mike under the assembly’s round of heartfelt applauses. Spotlights set on soft brightness illuminated the stage while steamy clouds of smoke plunged the hall into a blue starry fog. She counted silently one, two, three, four as the mist dissipated. Her nails floated hesitantly on the strings: “All this darkness all around swallows me whole...” Her voice hushed quietly through the speakers like a whisper coming from a past long gone. “All the secrets I’ve been hiding... all the years I’ve been waiting... to see you again...” Her hand slipped off the guitar, her voice faltered on missing words. Her fingers grabbed the mike angrily. Once again, she was losing control, in front of all. Five years were not enough. Breathless, she could hardly hold on the last notes higher and higher, tears flowing down her cheeks. There was no need to hide her sadness anymore. She just wanted to see her brother once in five years, only one more time.
- You did it again, Nao’ commented Viktor, the recently hired bassist when the band gathered in the backstage lounge after the concert. You sure, it’s fine to play that song knowing in advance it brings back hurtful memories?
- Watch your mouth Vik, we morally support her but none of us can understand how she feels inside, intervened Melvin, Naomi’s right-hand as co-founder and main guitarist of the Next Century Loners.
- Geez cut the crap guys! No more fighting allowed between you two! Naomi remarked exasperated. By the way I’m fine Melvin, I have to live on anyway. Thanks for your concern though.
- You’re very welcome.

Naomi drove fast across the boulevard by car to a wealthy residential building situated ideally nearby the city heart crowned by a verdant private park. She owned a well-furnished snug flat on the third floor accessible by a glass elevator. Dazed she grabbed a box of pasta in the fridge and poured cold water in a cooking pan then switched on the hi-fi system to play relaxing orchestra music.
How things have gone wrong so badly?
She felt relieved that the world had been saved just in time. Yet, it looked like the new world was hanging on a fragile balance, a delusional feeling of safety and comfort. Esteemed economists and politicians independent from the temporary regime established to form a new democratic government in the long term were even worried about the global world expansion: natural resources would soon be lacking to welcome everyone, wars were declared to obtain rights for exploiting arctic snow pits in order to produce water, some developing countries suffered harshly from the global warming always the first victims of major disasters. Ruling over the Federation was the Aftermath Republic, the wealthiest country of the after world influent in both worldwide conflicts and money affairs. There is a place for everyone on Earth if we save on natural resources long enough was their motto, sadly the leading party had their hopes too high even if everyone wanted to believe they were more than simple idealists. Finding safety, guaranteeing prosperity was all people could ever asked for but it was not enough to make them feel happy: they needed something else, something priceless even economical growth and urban development policies could not buy for them.
Some might say they lived happily in their comfy homes without a worry about their lives endangered anymore, lost in the middle of the ocean, unbeknownst to them, it was just the beginning of the end.

Tauri 31st, Year 55:

- Dozing off Livi! Slowpoke, get your ass right there, right now!
- What’s the matter Sty? You scared me!
- Breaking news from the Galactic Safety Committee! A fleet of Black Knights is in approach towards Odyssea!
- War again... An endless circle of destruction and rebirth... why to take arms in order to maintain peace? Zoe Da Livia mumbled between her teeth. Annoyed she hurried through the corridor leading to the assembly room preceded by her comrade the hot-tempered Styx Van Hellson. “They found him.” Styx answered emotionlessly. “You know what it means, right?” Zoe shrugged her shoulders: “We’ll have to fight!”
- I disagree!
- Control yourself Lance!
- Here you go, yet again Styx observed when the two barged in the hall that looked rather like a wild jungle ravaged by a hurricane than a regular council office result of another dispute between their companions, Sylvestre Floralès queen mother of nature and Lancaster Mc Maelstrom weather commander who had the ability to control weather, summon raging storms out of the blue when infuriated as he was now, pointing an accusing finger at Sylvestre:
- Even trying to negotiate with them is purely reckless! What can we do against a thousands men army armed for war, unless provoking the third greatest loss of humanity? Huh?
- You know it well! Sylvestre responded. They will...
- Their goal is clear enough, isn’t it?
- Come down Lance, Syl, we can’t assert that Chronos is still alive based on mere rumours from their channels! Styx intervened
- Always late you two! Lancaster admonished them when Styx and Zoe crawled throughout the room among the vegetation. Where’s Judge?
- God knows, Styx replied coldly. Never there when needed, that’s for sure.
Unconcerned, Sylvestre snapped her fingers. Around them, wild bushes and climbing plants stopped growing, withered, transformed into a pile of shattered dead leaves before they collapsed to ashes. Then, the companions settled at the four cardinal points around a glassy conference table for their weekly meet-up when all of a sudden a fifth person burst in their conversation, summoned to the audience through a teleportation portal. When the light dissipated, a little fairy going by the name of Faeri Dei stood in the middle of them, her face masked under an auburn veil. She casted her eyes up at the assembly, holding carefully a shiny compass  between her hands, wrapped in an eerie silver dress seemingly too large for her:
- War is knocking at the door, once again. 

A part of Lost Echo's plot line is set in the fourth millenary, starting in 3000 after Earth collapsed due to a Second Traumatism, then the new governors have established a calendar based on the twelve Zodiac signs starting from Year 1 and forth. The table below will show you how are divided days and months, also their respective names. Basically, it represents the time of a Zodiac year.

Most of them I will not probably be using but I thought I should make a proper timeline prior to the story itself for you to understand what's going on :)

Inspired from: List of constellations