Chapter 44 — Forge of the Heavens
⚙ The Call to Innovation
The revelation of the Lumen changed everything.
Across Earth and the colonies, the atmosphere shifted from wonder to vigilance.Factories no longer built for peace; they built for survival.Britannia's engineers, guided by the Church of Innovation, began developing technologies that blurred the line between divine art and science.
In the orbital shipyards above Earth, the first Heaven-Class Warship, Astra Imperialis, floated into existence—a vessel so vast it could eclipse the moon.Forged from lunar alloy and energized by plasma-fusion cores, its surface shimmered with scripture etched in nanosteel.
"Each hull we forge," said High Engineer Annabelle Hayes, "is a prayer written in light."
🦾 Birth of the Celestial Frame
On Mars, deep within the red canyons of New Britannia, research teams worked under the supervision of Empress Elysia herself.There, humanity's newest creation emerged: Celestial Frames—giant humanoid machines powered by quantum aether cores and linked directly to a pilot's neural system.
Unlike traditional machines, these were partially organic—infused with living code that responded to emotion and faith.They were not merely weapons; they were symbols of human will.
Lady Charlotte Pembroke personally piloted the prototype, Seraphim Unit-01.When its systems awakened, the entire hangar was bathed in light.
"It's not just machinery," Charlotte whispered, awe in her voice."It's alive… like it's listening."
🚀 The Age of Expansion
While the warships and mecha were forged, Edward's dream continued through his daughter's governance.Earth itself entered a renaissance: cities became cleaner, powered by infinite solar and fusion grids.Oceans cleared. Forests regrew. Industry became harmony.
The colonies followed suit—• Luna: The Cathedral City of Solis Sanctum glowed like a pearl.• Mars: Terraforming reached its third phase; seas began to form.• Elyndra: The first alien-human universities opened, exchanging knowledge under wary truce.• Europa: The icy moon became the Empire's new energy frontier.
The people called this era The Forge of the Heavens.
But in the deep of space, silent transmissions intercepted by the Britannian Intelligence Agency revealed something terrifying:Lumen fleets were mobilizing.
Their lights, once serene, now burned crimson.
"They've seen our power," said Aurelia Volkova gravely. "And they fear it."
The Empress turned to the stars.
"Then we will show them not fear… but resolve."
The countdown to humanity's first interstellar war had begun.
End of Chapter 44