GAIA

Chapter 13: Stardust Queen

Kyrien woke with a jolt only to realise that it was still dark outside. Giving a small sigh, he relaxed, taking a moment for his thoughts to settle. Too much had happened within a short period of time.

The house was extremely quiet. Kyrien knew that no one had been home since. The lights were all off and it was pitch black outside save for the straggling rays of the remnant moonlight. Kyria had the habit of leaving at least one of the lights of the ground floor. But he had been so exhausted when he got home that he resorted to crawling up the stairs to get to his bed. Taking a few deep breaths, memories of the night before came flooding back.

The Freedom Regalia. Kyrien placed his hand just above his heart. There was a small other heartbeat like no other. It felt foreign but at the same time familiar - like it was meant to be there all along. He knew nothing about the Regalia and there was so much more to learn out there compared to what he knew on the surface.

Kyrien gave himself a good stretch before searching the floor for his jeans and a clean tee-shirt. More than ever, he wanted to control this power. This was his birth right. This was what he had been created for.

Grabbing his coat that had been haphazardly tossed to the ground in his haste to make it to his bed the night before and shut the door behind him. Jolting his sluggish mind a little to recall the route to the facility, Kyrien's speed core ignited from within and at his feet a light glowed faintly. There was a small electric shock that surged through him, eliciting a small gasp from his lips. The Regalia was reacting to him. Warmth spread through his entire body, all the way to his fingertips. Kyrien relished in the warmth before it slowly faded away. It left him feeling rather energised. He had to tell Kyria about this. Perhaps she knew what it meant and could help him activate the Regalia.

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"Get ready." Arcadia braced herself.

The heat emanating from her wings caused the metal walls around them to glow. It was a heat so intense that even Arcadia found difficult to bear. This was the third time she had taken this form since she discovered it during a sparring session with Isaiah. This was the form that took up most of her concentration.

There was no knowing the kind of power that Kyria's Regalia held. The legend of the Stardust Queen was a legend for a reason. When Kyria left the Gaia scene many years ago, it was like she was never there. All evidence of her presence and trail has been erased with her leave. Kyria simply uprooted her entire Gaia existence. All that remained of her were tales that the old Kings remembered and passed down.

Soon, youths began to forget about the Genesis Children and the Regalia. They were content with the regular wars, maintaining their hold on territories and climbing the ranks. The Regalia remained a concept rather than a phenomenon in their minds. The Kings rarely took part in fights, seeking to govern and uphold the laws rather than to participate. They were merely seen as extremely skilled Gaia users. Only a handful of Gaia users who have actually seen a King in battle.