Morning arrived slowly over Nuracity, the shining capital of Nora. The first rays of sunlight slipped across the tall glass towers and wide sky bridges, painting the city in warm shades of gold. From high above, cargo ships drifted toward the spaceport like quiet giants, their engines humming softly as they prepared to land.
Nora was not an ordinary planet.
Across the Nexion Solar System, it was known as the medical heart of the galaxy. The forests of Nora were filled with rare medicinal plants that are not found anywhere in the galaxy. that could cure many impossible diseases. Scientists, Healers, patient, traders and many more from distant worlds travelled here every day, hoping to discover something new—or to save a life.
At the middle of Nuracity stood the planet’s pride: the Great Heal Center, a massive medical complex where thousands of specialists worked day and night. People from across the galaxy arrived with hope in their eyes, trusting that somewhere inside those towering halls, a cure might exist.
But while the city was famous across the galaxy, most of Nora remained wild and untouched. Vast jungles stretched far beyond the reach of the city lights. In those forests, rare herbs grew beneath thick canopies of ancient trees, hidden from easy discovery.
And deep within those forests lived a boy named Aary
Aarya’s home was a small village a few hours away from Nuracity. Compared to the massive city, the village was quiet and simple. Wooden houses stood along narrow dirt paths, and the air always carried the scent of wet soil and forest leaves.
Aarya lived there with his mother.
Their house was small but comfortable. It stood near the edge of the jungle, where the trees began to grow thick and tall. Every morning, Aarya would wake before sunrise and step outside for a few minutes, just to look at the sky.
He had always loved the sky.
Even as a child, he would lie on the grass at night and stare up at the endless darkness filled with distant stars. Each tiny light felt like a mystery waiting to be explored.
“Aarya!” his mother called from inside the house.
“Coming!” he replied.
He stepped back inside, grabbing a quick breakfast. His mother handed him a small food pack.
“Don’t wander too far today,” she said. “The jungle has been strange lately.”
Aarya smiled.
“The jungle is always strange.”
His mother shook her head but smiled back.
“You know what I mean.”
He did know. The jungle could be unpredictable. Wild animals, sudden storms, unstable ground—there were plenty of dangers.
But Aarya had been exploring those forests for years.
“I’ll be careful,” he said.
“You always say that.”
“And I always come back.”
That answer seemed to satisfy her, at least for now.
Aarya stepped outside and climbed onto his small herb-collecting vehicle. It wasn’t anything fancy—just a compact transport with scanning tools attached—but it was perfect for moving through the jungle.
With a quiet hum, the vehicle rolled forward along the narrow forest path.
The deeper he travelled, the thicker the jungle became. Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, creating shifting patterns on the ground below. Strange bird calls echoed from far away, and insects buzzed lazily in the warm air.
Aarya activated his scanning device.
The screen lit up with plant readings.
“Let’s see what we find today,” he muttered.
The scanner beeped softly as it detected medicinal herbs nearby. Aarya stepped off the vehicle and began collecting them carefully, placing each sample in a small storage container.
He worked quickly but patiently. Experience had taught him which plants were valuable and which ones were dangerous to touch.
A few hours passed quietly.
Everything felt normal.
Until the sky suddenly flashed.
Aarya froze.
A streak of bright light tore across the sky above the jungle.
“What was that?” he whispered.
The object moved incredibly fast, trailing smoke as it cut through the clouds. A few seconds later, a distant explosion echoed across the forest.
The ground trembled slightly.
Aarya stared in the direction where the object had disappeared.
“That… looked like a ship.”
Curiosity took over immediately.
Without wasting time, he jumped back onto his vehicle and steered toward the crash site.
Branches snapped as he pushed through dense vegetation. The air smelled faintly of smoke the closer he got.
Then he saw it.
A spacecraft lay half-buried in the forest floor.
The hull was blackened and torn open, as if it had slammed into the ground at terrible speed. Small flames flickered along the damaged exterior.
Aarya’s heart started racing.
“Someone could still be inside.”
He ran toward the wreckage.
The ship’s door had partially broken open during the crash. Smoke drifted out slowly.
“Arya—think,” he muttered to himself. “If the engine explodes…”
But he couldn’t just walk away.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.
The interior lights flickered weakly.
Panels sparked along the walls, and pieces of metal lay scattered across the floor. The air smelled of burnt circuits and fuel.
“Arya…”
A weak voice echoed from deeper inside the ship.
Aarya turned quickly.
“Hello?”
He followed the sound into the main cabin.
A man lay slumped against the wall, badly injured. His uniform was torn, and blood stained the metallic floor beneath him.
Beside him sat a small robot—no larger than a backpack—with glowing blue eyes.
The robot turned toward Aarya immediately.
“Biological life detected,” it said calmly.
“Good,” Aarya replied nervously. “I think.”
The injured man opened his eyes slightly.
“You… you’re not one of them…”
“No,” Aarya said quickly. “I live nearby. I saw your ship crash.”
The man tried to sit up but winced in pain.
“Easy,” Aarya said. “You’re hurt.”
The man looked at the robot.
“Astro… status.”
The robot responded instantly.
“Pilot condition critical. Multiple injuries detected.”
“That’s obvious,” the man muttered.
He looked back at Aarya.
“I don’t have much time.”
Aarya frowned.
“Don’t say that. I can take you to Nuracity. The heal center there is—”
“No.”
The man’s voice became serious.
“They must not find me.”
“Who?”
The man slowly pointed toward a metal case lying beside him.
The box was small but heavily secured, covered with strange symbols Aarya had never seen before.
“You must take this.”
Aarya blinked.
“Wait… what?”
“Take the box,” the man repeated, his voice weaker now.
“What is it?”
The man shook his head.
“I cannot explain everything now. But listen carefully… that box cannot fall into the wrong hands.”
Aarya hesitated.
“Why me?”
“Because… you were the first person I saw.”
That answer wasn’t very comforting.
“And because,” the man continued, “you look like someone who hasn’t learned how to run away from trouble yet.”
Aarya sighed.
“Great.”
The robot spoke again.
“Hostile ships approaching.”
Both of them looked at it.
“What?” Aarya asked.
“Three vessels detected entering planetary atmosphere,” Astro said. “Estimated arrival time: six minutes.”
The injured man closed his eyes briefly.
“They found us.”
“Who found you?” Aarya asked.
The man forced himself upright.
“Mercenaries… working for Admiral Rob.”
Aarya had never heard that name before.
“Is he important?”
The man gave a tired smile.
“Very.”
He pushed the box toward Aarya.
“Take it. Leave now.”
“But—”
“NOW.”
The urgency in his voice left no room for argument.
Aarya grabbed the box.
“Where should I take it?”
“Find someone named Max.”
“Max where?”
But the man had already lost consciousness.
The robot’s voice interrupted again.
“Enemy ships approaching rapidly.”
Aarya looked from the unconscious pilot to the mysterious box in his hands.
“This is definitely not how today was supposed to go.”
The robot looked at him.
“Correct.”
Aarya sighed.
“Well… I guess I’m part of this now.”
Outside, the distant sound of incoming spacecraft engines began to echo across the jungle.
Aarya ran.
He had no idea what was inside the box.
He didn’t know who Admiral Rob was.
And he definitely didn’t know who Max was.
But one thing was certain.
His life had just changed forever.