Year 7625 S.E., 19th of Januen.
The wind swept over the old rooftops of Waskuna Port, a quiet town by the East Sea. High above the busy streets and noisy market stalls, a boy in a light beige vest sat on a rusted signal tower, looking up at the sky.
They called him Lily Gator.
Yeah, yeah! Don't get it twisted. Just because his name is Lily doesn't mean he's a girl, and just because his surname is Gator doesn't mean he's a walking alligator.
His father thought he'd be a girl. Alas.
Lily squinted at the faint light peeking through thick clouds, a trick of the light, or so the old folks claimed. But Lily knew better. He'd seen it. Just once. A sliver of the forgotten legends.
"One day," he whispered, chewing on a stick of dried fish, "I'm gonna find the Skyless."
Somewhere behind him, the town bell rang three times, and a flock of silver-beaked seagulls burst across the horizon.
Down in the streets, a rough voice shouted:
"Lily Gator! You better not be climbing that tower again!"
He grinned. "Too late, Old Man Gero."
Lily slid down the rusted ladder, landing on a crate with a loud thud. The townspeople didn't even flinch. They were used to his stunts by now.
He weaved through the crowd of fishmongers, fabric sellers, and sailors with sunburned faces, holding his half-eaten dried fish like a sword.
"Oi, Lily!"
Koto,a skinny teen with ink-stained fingers waved from a corner stall. "Did you see it again?"
Lily paused. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."
The boy laughed. "Still chasing clouds, huh?"
Lily didn't answer Koto. He just gave a small smile and walked off toward the shore.
The wind got stronger as he reached the beach. Boats rocked in the water. Nets were spread out to dry. A few sailors shouted at each other while pulling ropes. Some kids played near the waves, laughing and throwing stones.
Lily took off his sandals and stepped onto the sand. It was cool and soft under his feet. The sea breeze brushed through his hair. He liked coming here. It felt calm.
As he walked along the edge, something shiny caught his eye.
It was lying in the sand, half-buried near an old boat.
He bent down and picked it up.
"What is this?"
It looked like a seed—but not like any seed he had seen before. It was gold. It glowed a little, like it had light inside it.
Lily looked around. No one else was nearby.
He turned the seed in his hand. It was warm.
His stomach made a small growl.
"Huh. Maybe it's food," he said to himself.
Without thinking much, like any dumb eight-year-old might do—he popped it into his mouth.
Crunch!
It was crunchy and a bit sour, and metal mixed together.
Lily chewed the seed, swallowed, and made a face.
"Ew. That tasted weirdly…. nice."
He rubbed his tongue with his sleeve, then glanced around. The sun was lower now, painting the sky orange and gold.
"Oh no, the sun's setting! I gotta run."
Shrugging, Lily turned and started running home.
His house was up on the hills above Waskuna Port. A small wooden place with a tin roof and a garden full of weeds taller than him.
He climbed the muddy wall sneakily, a voice called out from the porch.
"Back before dark. That's a first."
His uncle stood there, leaning against the doorway. He was tall and had a strong face, the kind sailors trusted and women smiled at in the market. His dark green shirt was unbuttoned at the top.A cigarette burned between his fingers, but he didn't smoke much—just liked the feel of it.
"Caught you doing something good for once?" he asked with a smirk.
Lily dropped his sandals by the door. "Just walked around."
His uncle raised an eyebrow. "Didn't climb the tower again, did you?"
"No," Lily lied easily.
The man laughed. "Liar. Your hair's full of rust flakes."
Lily ran a hand through his messy hair and made a face. "Oh... oops."
His uncle didn't press further. He turned and walked inside. "Dinner's cold. Heat it up if you want. I'm not your maid."
Lily followed him in, the scent of fried onions and fish filling the small space.
He sat down and grabbed his spoon, ready to attack the cold fish and rice.
"Looks gross," he muttered. "Smells kinda good though."
He scooped a big bite into his mouth—munch munch—and—
FLIP!
Suddenly, he was sitting on the other side of the table.
"HUH?!"
The plate was still in front of him. But the chair? It wasn't his chair.
He looked back. His chair was now upside down and stuck to the ceiling.
"What's going on?"
His uncle walked in, holding his cup of hot tea, already mid-sip.
Lily opened his mouth to warn him.
FLIP!
With a loud SPLOSH, the tea flew out of the cup—upwards—and landed all over his uncle's face.
"GAH! HOT!"
Lily gasped. "Uncle! You okay?"
His uncle wiped his face with one hand, blinking through the steam. "Why you…?!"
Then—
FLIP!
The cup in his hand disappeared.
"Where'd my cup go?"
"Uhhh…"
There was a soft clinking noise. They both looked up.
The cup was now stuck in the ceiling... spinning.
His uncle stared. "What kind of sorcery is that?"
Then it happened.
FLIP!!
With a loud thud, the cup fell on his nose.
"Au…uchh, it's a bad spirit, Lily, run…."
"Bad spirit?" Lily shouted, doving under the table.
His uncle staggered backwards, tea dripping from his forehead to his neck.
"Wait a minute, Why is it only attacking me?!"
"I dunno, uncle, what's going on?"
"Mmmph!" His eyes went wide, "Have you perhaps eaten something strange?"
"Yeah, a golden seed, How do you know that, uncle?"
His uncle turned pale."You fool!That was the legendary Lumyth Seed."
"You're cursed now, Lilyyyy."
"Whaaaaat?"
"When are you going to stop eating random things without even thinking?!"
Later that night, Lily's uncle lit a rusted oil lamp and stomped up to the attic like a man preparing for war.
"I knew this day would come," he grumbled.
Lily followed, still rubbing the sore spot on his head from where the chair hit him during another FLIP! incident. Everything he touched was upside down now—chairs, bowls, the cat.
"Uncle, what's happening to me?"
"Shut up and help me find the book!"
"What book?"
"You'll know when you see it."
The attic smelled like mildew. Cobwebs hung like old laundry. Boxes were stacked high, labeled STUFF, MORE STUFF, and WHY DO I KEEP THIS.
Then his uncle found it.
A dusty leather-bound book titled Lumythollw. No author.
He blew off the dust.
"Been seventeen years since I touched this thing," he muttered. "Didn't believe it myself. I thought it was all a joke."
He flipped it open.
The pages were full of scribbles, doodles, half-sentences, and occasionally, odd facts like "Never trust a goat that can spell" or "If you see the moon blink, run."
Then he stopped on a sketch of the golden seed.
"Found it," his uncle said grimly.
"What is it, uncle?"
There, scrawled in blocky letters:
[Lumyth Seed– Type: Myro- Form- Treshin. Flip]
[Combat skills: Flipping anything the user touches.]
[Winning chances: 95%]
"Look, your seed is called Treshin. Anything you touch can be inverted. Gravity, position, even meaning."
"Woaaaah, that's cool, does that mean I am a superhero now?"
His uncle bonked him with the book.
"Idiot, it's dangerous to have one Lumyth Seed-power."
Lily blinked. "That's... kinda cool."
"What's so cool? You fool, didn't I say it's dangerous?" His uncle shouted and was pissed off.
His uncle spent the next seven days training him at the edge of the hills. They practiced in the garden. Chairs flew. Rocks spun. At one point, Lily accidentally flipped gravity and hung from the tree for an hour while the birds and goats laughed.
But by the seventh day, he had learned to flip a rock mid-air, use it as a springboard, and even flip an entire tree sideways.
"Listen carefully. The Lumyth seed has a cost — the Lumythollow."
"Lumyth…ollow, Ollu, Hollu, Lumythulo... ahhh! I can't even say it right!"
"Take it seriously, you dumbass?" His uncle threw a stick at him.
"Yes, Sir.." Lily sat cross-legged, rubbing the bump on his forehead.
"Lumythollow means the cost of consuming a Lumyth seed. It grants you illogical powers, but it also takes away your lifespan, your aura, your self-control... and your freedom."
Lily scratched his head. "Wait... so I get cool powers, but I die faster?"
"Yes."
"That's dumb!"
His uncle narrowed his eyes. "It's not dumb. It's dangerous."
"But I don't need aura or control! I'll just punch really hard and run really fast!" He jumped to his feet and struck a clumsy fighting pose, nearly tripping over his own foot.
"You'll lose your freedom too, brat," the old man snapped.
Lily paused. "Freedom? Like... I can't play outside anymore?"
"Worse," he muttered, standing up and turning away. "Get some sleep. We start early tomorrow."
The next day.
BANG! BANG!
Gunshots cracked through the quiet Waskuna shore.
"A filthy ink stain on my path?!" a voice shouted.
A man stood tall, his coat flaring in the wind, two pistols smoking in his hands. A large hat cast a shadow over his face.
"Pirates…" someone yelled out in panic.
Down below, chaos broke out. People screamed and ran.
"That's Captain Derro of the Derro Pirates—run!"
Derro pointed his gun toward Koto's hiding spot. "That's a death sentence, boy!"
Koto shook with fear. "I-I didn't mean to! I was just refilling my ink bottle and yo—you stepped right into it!"
"Are you blaming me?!" Derro roared.
"Oh no," Koto squeaked. "This is the end of me…"
Just as Derro fired—
"Oopsie Flip—BOINK!"
The bullet flipped midair, spinning right back at Derro and hitting him in the chest.
"That's… Lily's voice," Koto whispered.
"Wha—?!" Derro gasped, clutching his chest.
Lily stood nearby, panting. "You alright, Koto?"
"Lily, what just happened?!"
"Leave it for later. Run, Koto!"
Derro pulled the bullet out of his coat. His face twisted with rage. "A kid… did that?!"
He stomped toward Lily, his boots crushing shells and sand.
Lily stood still, chest rising fast. "Oopsie…"
"You little brat!" Derro barked. "You flipped my bullet! That ain't normal!"
Derro grabbed Lily by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "You swallowed a Lumyth seed, didn't you?! Which one was it?!"
Lily kicked his little legs. "I dunno! It was shiny!"
"That seed belongs to me now." Derro's voice dropped low. "And if you're dead… it comes back to life for me to eat."
Koto shouted, "No! You can't just—!"
BAM! Derro slammed Koto aside with his elbow.
"Koto…"
Lily whimpered. "Uncle's gonna beat you up…"
Derro snorted. "What uncle—?"
CRASH!
A chunk of the dock exploded behind him, water flying everywhere.
A shadow stepped through the smoke. A tall man with glowing eye,and a huge anchor slung over his shoulder.
Derro took a step back. "No way…This Feeling…Could.. Could it be…?"
Lily's eyes lit up. "Uncle!!"
Derro growled, "Who are you? This has nothing to do with you!"
The man said nothing. He just kept walking toward Derro.
"Don't come near me, I've got a bounty of 25 thousand Lennies."
Derro raised his gun. "I'll shoot the brat if you don't back off!"
In the blink of an eye, the man took the gun and crushed it with one hand.
Derro's eyes went wide. "What the—?!"
The man touched the ground with one finger. The dock shook and cracked, splitting the space between Derro and Lily.
He looked at Lily and said calmly, "Cover your ears."
Lily quickly covered them.
BOOM!
A strong blast of wind shot from the man's hand. Derro screamed as he was thrown far into the ocean.
Silence!
The man dropped his anchor with a thud and walked over, knelt in front of Lily. "You okay?"
Lily nodded. "My Oopsie Flip worked!"
"Don't take reckless steps again, fool."
"Thanks Mr." Koto said respectfully.
Nine years later.
The village was quiet. Lily stood on the dock, the small boat beside him rocking gently in the water. He was 17 now, no longer the young boy who had dreamed of leaving Waskuna. His face had matured, but his eyes still carried that same determination.
The boat was small, just enough for one person. Inside, there were only basic supplies: a few days' worth of food, some water, and a blanket. No maps, no tools — just the essentials. The kind of things a boy like him would need to survive on his own.
Koto walked up. He stopped a few paces away, his gaze focused on the boat. For a long moment, neither of them said anything.
Finally, Koto spoke. "You're ready?"
Lily nodded. "I have to go, Koto. I've waited long enough."
Koto sighed but didn't try to stop him. "I know. Just… be careful. The sea isn't kind to anyone."
"I will," Lily said, his voice steady. "Thank you, Koto."
Koto stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. This farewell didn't need words. They both understood.
Lily untied the ropes, pushing the boat away from the dock. As it drifted, he looked back one last time and smiled gently.
The villager's were waving at him, wishing him an adventure full of good luck.
With that, Lily turned the boat toward the open sea. The wind picked up, Lily shouted, "I'm coming…..SKYLESS."