Chapter 1: Prologue
A man who is repairing his spaceship while in space communicates with his superiors through a speaker in his suit. He comments that it is day 586 in space, and starts off his monthly task to inspect the solar panels. He checks each cell, using the meter provided by the ISAG. Once completed, he then has a look around the spaceship, looking for any meteor threats that could spoil his 3 hours of hard inspection work. This is when he sees something.
He asks his command center to tune into his camera and identify a glowing object he sees in the distance. After checking, they inform him that the object is likely made of a material with a refractive index similar to that of a diamond. They ask him to standby and wait for any precautionary measures he might want to follow. He continues his inspection, with the object still under the corner of his eye.
This is when it happens. The object quickly approaches and the astronaut exclaims that it is heading towards him very fast. He struggles with the handles and ropes all around him, but in vain. The exit is 500 meters away from him, and the object will hit him in a few seconds.
He expresses the belief that it is too late, and bids farewell before the communication abruptly ends with the sound of glass shattering and the long radio silence.
Silence hits the command center for sometime, followed by the emergency sirens. Code red has been issued, and the center braces for a new threat they never encountered before. They will give time for grievances, but they have a bigger problem to face at the moment. This could decide the ultimate fate of planet earth.
The little girl jumps off the table, her arms stretched out as if they were wings, declaring to her father that she can fly. The father, with a quick reflex, catches her, and gently places her back on the ground. He gives her an encouraging smile and says, "You're not ready yet, kiddo."
After giving his wife a quick kiss on the forehead, the man tightens his tie and heads out to the International Space Grounds (ISAG), where he will be retiring at the young age of 31. Despite his relatively short tenure of only ten years at the ISAG, he was highly sought after and regarded as one of their most valuable employees.
During his farewell speech, one of his colleagues asks if he still intends to research the Dark Matter Asteroids. Isaac takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment, thinking about his response. He then responds with a firm tone, "It's not my concern anymore. If you want the research done, you can get it done for all I care."
With that, Isaac leaves the ISAG, his usual vibrant green eyes lacking their usual spark. His mind is preoccupied with thoughts of his children, Olivia and Jullian, whom he has been working tirelessly to support. All of his accomplishments and sacrifices have been made with their future in mind, and he hopes that his retirement will allow him to spend more quality time with them. As he drives away from the ISG, Isaac reflects on his past and looks forward to a future filled with new opportunities and experiences with his beloved family.
Isaac and his wife continue their conversation well into the night, discussing the pros and cons of retirement and what it would mean for their family. As they finally drift off to sleep, Isaac can't help but feel conflicted about his decision.
Meanwhile, Robert Surge sits alone in his office, seething with jealousy and resentment towards Isaac Grey. He had worked alongside Isaac on The Project Nightshine, but Isaac had always been the star of the show. Robert had always felt overshadowed by him and now, with Isaac's impending retirement, the bitterness had reached a boiling point.
As he ponders on his hatred towards Isaac, Robert is interrupted by a man who appears from behind him. The man asks if Robert hates Isaac, to which Robert responds with a yes. The man introduces himself as someone who also wants to make Isaac suffer and offers to help Robert with a plan.
Robert eagerly accepts the offer, but expresses concern over how he'll be able to pay the man's brother, who he describes as "dirty, poor, and dumb." The man proposes a plan to make the brother call Isaac out for drinks, with the intention of setting fire to his house while his family is inside.
Despite his initial reservations, Robert agrees to the plan, fueled by his anger towards Isaac. As he watches the man leave, Robert can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction knowing that he'll finally be able to take down his longtime rival.
The next day, Isaac wakes up feeling refreshed and well-rested, something that he hadn't felt in years. He plans to take his kids to the Nearby Zoo, but just as he's about to leave, he receives a call from his long-estranged brother. He hesitates before answering, as it had been 16 years since they last spoke. His wife encourages him to keep an open mind and maybe his brother finally wants to reconcile with him.
Isaac agrees to meet his brother, but he is filled with fear and anxiety about what his brother may want or do. Memories of his brother destroying everything he loved flood his mind, and he can't help but remember the time he convinced his father to let him learn kendo, only to lose due to overwhelming fear that he had from the years of abuse. So he just left to study abroad while his brother later turned to drugs.
During their drive to the zoo, Isaac's son asks him what superpower he would want. Isaac thinks for a moment before answering that he would choose the power to fuse anything, like the game of Giant Alchemy. His son finds the choice odd, but Isaac explains that without limitations, one can lose control.
As they walk around the zoo, Isaac takes pictures with his polaroid camera, the one thing that his brother had allowed him to keep. It was the gift his father had given him before he passed away, and he took it with him everywhere he went. Isaac had always felt isolated, with his mother disliking him and his brother harassing him. His mother remarried shortly after his father's death, and Isaac ended up living with his dad's brother, who was an astronaut and passed away soon after. Isaac then spent endless hours researching, and finally, he was able to leave to study abroad.
Suddenly, his wife interrupts his thoughts, telling him that they had arrived, and it was time for him to meet his brother. It was 8:45, and Isaac had told his brother he would meet him at 9 on 12 30 street. He takes a deep breath and prepares himself for whatever might happen next.
Isaac and Jason look at each other as Jason chuckles, "5 minutes is all I need of your time." Isaac looks at his brother, asking him what he wants. Jason says, "Money. I'm out." He smiles and turns around before saying, "You can shoot him before..." But before he can finish his sentence, the sniper says, "Somebody paid me to get you killed, so I paid somebody to kill you, Isaac. This is a Good Bye."
Isaac stays still trying to comprehend what he just heard, Just then the sniper says, "Sorry boss, somebody paid me more to kill you." Before Jason can react, he's shot in the chest, and the sniper quickly escapes from the rooftop. Isaac is still trying to process what his brother said when he snaps back into reality and panics, thinking about what his brother said. "Shit," he mutters as he starts to run home as fast as he can.
But when he sees smoke in the distance, he stops himself dead in his tracks. He starts slapping himself, hoping he would wake up, but he couldn't. He stopped everything and started walking slowly, hoping even for a second that maybe they made it out. He reaches the building, which is engulfed in flames. He hears a scream and widens his eyes before running into the building. As he tries to make it to the top, it's too late. The entrance to his house is completely blocked off with a wall of fire. He starts to stare into the never-ending flames of agony he just faced. Firefighters reach the top, telling him it's too late, and they take him down.
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