In the cold city of Velmor, the air always tasted like smoke and iron. The world had drowned itself in war long ago, and people now lived beneath the ashes of what once was peace. The streets were cracked, the lights flickered, and at night, even the stars seemed too afraid to shine.
Among the ruins walked a boy — barefoot, hungry, and alone.
His name was Kaito Reikan.
He had no home. No family. Only memories of screams and fire. He remembered the night his parents died — the explosions that tore through their small neighborhood, the sound of his mother calling his name before the building collapsed. After that, he stopped remembering.
Days passed as he wandered through the wreckage, clothes torn and hair matted with dust, until one rainy night changed everything.
A man appeared.
He stood tall, wearing a long black coat, his silver hair gleaming faintly in the dim streetlight. His face was unreadable, his eyes sharp — cold, but not cruel. He looked down at the trembling boy sitting by a wall and extended his hand.
"Come with me," the man said softly. "You don't have to suffer here,I can give you a family."
Kaito hesitated, staring at the stranger. Then, for the first time in days, he reached out,he didn't have any choice but to follow.
That night, the boy who had lost everything was taken in — not knowing that he was walking straight into something far darker than death itself.
The man's name was Dr. Velar. A scientist, as he called himself, though no one seemed to know what kind of science he practiced.
He brought Kaito to a large house at the edge of Velmor — quiet, clean, but eerily lifeless. The house was surrounded by metal fences and old trees that never grew leaves. Inside, it smelled faintly of chemicals.
There were two other children there.
A boy named Ren, sharp-eyed and short-tempered, ten years old. And a girl named Lira, just eight, with soft brown hair and gentle blue eyes that reminded Kaito of the skies before the war.
Dr. Velar said he had adopted them all — "to give them a future," he claimed.
To the children, he was a strange but kind father. He fed them, clothed them, sent them to school while time passed. But sometimes, when the nights grew too quiet, they would wake up to find him staring at them from the doorway, scribbling notes into a small black notebook.
He would touch their arms, their necks, sometimes check their heartbeat and reflexes, muttering to himself.
As children, they thought it was just how grown-ups acted. They didn't understand.
Years passed still leaving together. The world continued to crumble, and Velmor became one of the last cities standing in strong.
Kaito grew stronger. He made his first friend, a boy named Aren, who always picked fights but smiled through them. Life, though harsh, became bearable.
By the time Kaito turned seventeen, the three siblings had become inseparable. Velar remained the same — quiet, always observing. His lab downstairs was locked at all times. None of them were allowed near it.
But one night, curiosity finally pushed Kaito too far.
During dinner, he asked, "Father, what kind of work do you really do?"
Velar looked up slowly. His silver eyes caught the dim light. For a moment, Kaito thought he saw pride — or madness.
"I am a scientist," Velar said calmly, placing his fork down. "The kind who will be remembered long after this world is gone."
Kaito frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means," Velar said, smiling faintly, "that you — my children — will help me change the world."
The words were simple, but something about his tone made Kaito's blood run cold.
Later that evening, Kaito found Ren and Lira outside, whispering near the old oak tree. The night air was heavy, and their voices trembled.
"You love him, don't you?" Ren's voice broke the silence.
"W-what are you talking about?" Lira asked, startled.
"Kaito," Ren said through clenched teeth. "You love him. I see how you look at him."
Her face turned red. "He's my brother, Ren! We can't—"
"We're not blood-related!" he shouted. "You always smile at him, never me. You run to him, not me. Admit it, Lira — you love him."
"I…" she whispered, shaking. "I don't know."
Kaito froze behind the tree, unable to move.
Ren's hands trembled. "I've loved you since we were kids. But you never looked at me, not once. It's always been him. The stray our father brought home."
A stick cracked under Kaito's foot. Both turned — and saw him standing there.
Ren's eyes filled with fury. "You heard everything, didn't you?"
Kaito said nothing. Lira turned away, tears falling down her cheeks, and ran back to the house. Ren followed after her, his footsteps echoing in the night.
Kaito stayed behind, staring at the moon. For the first time in years, he felt like an outsider again.
That same night, Dr. Velar sat alone in the living room, watching the news.
The city was under siege. The neighboring nations had joined forces against Velmor. The television showed burning fields, collapsing cities, and headlines that screamed:
"FINAL STRIKE EXPECTED WITHIN 48 HOURS."
Velar didn't flinch. He only smiled, whispering to himself,
"Then it's time… for the next step of human evolution."
The following day, nothing seemed different. The children went to school, each pretending everything was normal. But when Kaito returned home after school, the air inside the house felt heavier — colder.
Velar was in the kitchen, preparing dinner himself.
As Kaito helped him, the man suddenly spoke.
"Kaito, if you were told that your death could save this country, would you do it?"
Kaito looked at him, confused.
"I don't think I would," he admitted. "I still have things to live for. I want to make you proud, Father."
Velar's expression softened into a smile.
"I see," he said simply.
That was the last time Kaito ever saw his father smile like that.
That night, at 1:25 a.m., Velar gathered them in the living room.
"Put on your coats," he said. "I have something to show you."
Outside, a black car waited. The driver wore a strange mask — red and black, shaped like a skull.
"Dad, where are we going?" Lira asked, clutching her coat.
"You'll see soon," Velar answered.
They drove for nearly an hour through empty roads, the fog swallowing every bit of light. Finally, the car stopped in front of a massive building — a mix of a factory and a laboratory, with pipes steaming into the night sky.
A foul smell hit them — metal, chemicals, and something else. Something rotten.
"Father…" Kaito hesitated. "You said you were a scientist. This doesn't look like a lab."
Velar's tone was calm. "Science takes many forms, my son."
He reached into his coat pocket — and pulled out a black gas mask.
Ren frowned. "Why are you wearing that?"
No answer.
Then came the hiss.
A pale mist filled the car in seconds. The children began coughing, choking on the air. Kaito's heart raced. Panic set in as he slammed the door, trying to break the window. It didn't move.
"Father!" he shouted. "What's happening?! Why are you doing this?!"
Velar's face was unreadable behind the mask. His voice came muffled but eerily calm.
"Don't be afraid. You will understand soon. You are humanity's future."
Lira collapsed first, her small body trembling. Ren followed, eyes rolling back as he hit the seat.
Kaito's vision blurred. He fought to stay awake, reaching toward his velar — the man he once called father.
"Please… stop…"
Velar stood silently, watching them. Then he turned to the masked driver.
"Take them to the chamber," he ordered.
The last thing Kaito heard before the darkness took him was his father's whisper —
"Sleep well, my children. You'll wake up as something greater."
"I don't understand,what is this...?"
End of Chapter:The night the stars went silent.