LOVE AND DEEPSPACE

BEGINNING

The First Mission.

The moon, a spectral disc, casts long, skeletal shadows across the gnarled trees of the forest. Crystal’s head throbbed, a dull echo of the battle against the Wanderer. The acrid scent of ozone and scorched earth still clung to the air. She sat up slowly, disoriented, her dark uniform rumpled and torn. The darkness was absolute, save for the ethereal glow filtering through the canopy. Then she saw him.

A young man lay sprawled a few feet away, his silvery-grey hair a stark contrast against the dark earth. He was unconscious, his pale face almost luminous in the moonlight. His dark jacket, though similarly dishevelled to her own, spoke of a similar profession – a Deepspace Hunter. Crystal cautiously approached, her hand instinctively reaching for the energy pistol holstered at her hip.

He was strikingly beautiful, almost androgynous, in a way she found both intriguing and unsettling. His delicate features, usually obscured by the shadows of his hair, were clearly visible now.

She knelt beside him, checking for a pulse. Weak, but present. Relief washed over her, quickly followed by a surge of curiosity. Who was this man? How had he ended up here? She examined his attire – the same Hunters Association insignia, albeit on a different branch, adorned his jacket. A self-employed hunter, she noted from the lack of any specific branch markings. He wasn't from UNICORN.

As she reached for his pulse again, his eyelids fluttered open. His eyes, the colour of a stormy sea, met hers. He blinked slowly, his expression utterly devoid of emotion, a neutral mask that somehow felt more unnerving than a display of fear or anger. He looked at her, then at his surroundings, a flicker of something, confusion? Crossing his face before it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Where…?" he murmured, his voice a low, almost melodic whisper. 

The question hung in the air, unanswered. Crystal, still wary, replied, "A forest. We were both attacked, I think. By a Wanderer."

He nodded, the movement almost imperceptible.  He sat up, his movements surprisingly fluid despite his apparent exhaustion. He looked at his hands, then back at Crystal, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment longer than politeness dictated. Then, with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the universe, he leaned back against a tree trunk and closed his eyes. He was asleep again, almost instantly.

Crystal stared at him, a mixture of annoyance and fascination swirling within her. This was not how she envisioned her post-mission debrief. She sighed, running a hand through her own hair, the dark strands catching the moonlight. This was going to be a long night. And she still had no idea who this mysterious, emotionless hunter was.

The forest floor was cold, the pre-dawn chill seeping into Crystal’s bones. Hours had passed.  She’d considered leaving Xavier to his slumber, but a strange sense of responsibility kept her rooted to the spot. Then, he stirred. This time, there was no languid awakening. He was instantly alert, his eyes snapping open, the calm mask gone, replaced by a focused intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.

He moved with a speed that belied his earlier lethargy, his hands already reaching for something – a weapon, she realized, as he drew a sleek, energy blade from a hidden sheath. He was preparing for battle, and he wasn't even looking at her. Crystal was taken aback by this sudden transformation. This was not the sleepy, almost ethereal young man she'd encountered hours before. This was a hunter, sharp, deadly, and utterly focused.

Before she could even question him, the forest floor trembled. A guttural roar ripped through the silence, followed by the sickening crunch of branches and the earth shaking violently. A Wanderer, larger and more menacing than any she'd faced before, burst from the undergrowth. Its form is shimmered with an unnatural, iridescent glow, its Metaflux energy crackling with raw power. Crystal barely had time to raise her pistol before the creature lunged.

The attack was swift and brutal. Crystal barely managed to deflect the initial blow, her energy pistol firing wildly. But the Wanderer was too strong, too fast. Just as its clawed hand reached for her, a blur of motion intercepted it. Xavier.  His energy blade sliced through the air, a precise, deadly arc that severed the Wanderer's arm. The creature roared in pain, giving Crystal the opening she needed to escape its grasp.

The fight was fierce, a brutal ballet of energy blasts and flashing blades. Crystal fought with the honed skill of a seasoned hunter, but even she was outmatched by the Wanderer's sheer power. Xavier, however, fought with a terrifying efficiency, his movements economical, precise, each strike flawlessly executed.

He moved with an almost supernatural grace, his blade a silver streak in the dim light. Finally, with a desperate lunge, he plunged his blade into the creature's heart. The Wanderer dissolved into a shower of shimmering Metaflux, leaving behind a rare, pulsating orb of pure energy. Crystal gasped, her eyes wide with awe and a hint of greed.

"That's… a rare Protocore! From a high-rank Wanderer!" she exclaimed, rushing towards the orb.

But Xavier was already there, his hand hovering over it. With a swift, almost imperceptible motion, he made the Protocore vanish.

"Wait!" Crystal cried, "That's incredibly rare! We could have…"

He didn't even look at her. He turned, his silvery hair catching the first rays of dawn. His expression was once again that impassive mask.

"Farewell," he said, his voice devoid of emotion, and then he was gone, disappearing into the trees as silently as he had appeared.

Crystal stood there, stunned, the silence of the forest broken only by the whisper of the wind rustling through the leaves. She was left alone, with nothing but the lingering scent of ozone and the memory of a mysterious hunter who had saved her life and then vanished without a trace.