Anika sped into the quiet motel parking lot and cut the engine. The neon vacancy sign buzzed above them, casting a faint red glow across the windshield.
"I'm going to get us a room," she said, already stepping out.
Brevin shifted in the backseat, eyes distant as he stared out the window. Jor'Danna turned toward him, using what strength she had left to sit up.
"So... Wisconsin, huh?" she asked.
"After I escaped, I laid low in Iowa for a while. Thought I was safe. But they found me, and that attack nearly killed me. I fled to Nebraska, stayed there almost a year, but same story. Then I made it to Colorado and lasted two years. I figured maybe I could disappear, but I guess not. I should've known they had a tracker on me."
Brevin let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You from around here?" he asked in return.
"Nope. California," she replied softly. "Left just a few hours ago. My fiancé was murdered by some kind of assassins, and... Anika helped me get away. She told me a bunch of stuff about her past, about the twelve of us, and I guess... she was right. Then we found you."
"Damn," Brevin said, turning to her with sincerity. "I'm sorry. That's... heavy."
"It's been one hell of a day," Jor'Danna murmured, gaze dropping. "But she was there for me. She comforted me when everything fell apart. I felt like I could trust her."
Brevin frowned slightly. "But how do you know she's not one of them? Like those people after us?"
"She didn't give off those vibes. When I asked her questions she told me the truth," Jor'Danna said. "She used to work for the military. She was one of the top military scientists, but she resigned. She's been tracking our energy signatures ever since the blackout in 2001. She was going to take me with her to a safe place after the attack, but then she picked up your energy spike. So we stopped to find you. She helped me when no one else could."
Brevin nodded slowly. "Back at the base... I remember hearing whispers. Rumors. That there might be others like me. But they never had proof."
He paused, then added, "You were pretty badass out there, though. I've never seen anything like that. That thing is immune to my abilities somehow. It moved like smoke. I tried to fight it, but would just... vanish and reappear. It was too strong for my skill set. So I ran."
"It was strong," Jor'Danna agreed, rubbing the side of her temple. "I could feel its energy. It was very dark and unnatural. Luckily my parents forced me into ju-jitsu training as a kid. I guess it paid off. Otherwise I probably would have struggled against it."
Brevin chuckled. "Remind me not to piss you off."
A small smile tugged at her lips.
"What even is that thing?" Jor'Danna asked.
"That thing... it's called an Obsidian," he said, expression darkening. "They're not all the way human. It's like they're something else. Back in Wisconsin, I'd see them sometimes. They never talked, just watched. One of the soldiers on duty said it was a project the General was working on."
Jor'Danna stiffened. "General Pitman?"
"Yeah. He was kind of my... handler, I guess. Oversaw everything. I've known him most of my life. Why?"
"Because he's Anika's ex-husband," she said, eyes wide. "She completely froze when she saw him on the news. He was in California after my fiancé was killed. She was scared and rushed us out fast. Said he's involved in something dark."
Brevin's face twisted. "I guess that explains why he always had a strange obsession with the project. Almost like we weren't people. Just pieces on a chessboard."
Jor'Danna hesitated. "What about your parents? Did your mom know about your abilities?"
His gaze fell. "No one outside the base knew. I wasn't allowed to leave. My mom... well she died giving birth to me."
Jor'Danna softened. "I'm sorry."
"Doctors said she was a special case," he said, voice quieter now. "According to my file, when she came into the hospital, her eyes were glowing. They knew something was wrong so they forced her into labor. I wasn't due until January 2nd at like 3am."
He paused.
"But instead I was born at midnight. On New Year's."
Jor'Danna's eyes widened. "Wait—what? Anika said all twelve of us were supposed to be born at exactly 3 a.m. on our birthdays. You were born early?"
A few moments later, Anika opened the car door and slid back in, holding up a small plastic keycard.
"Alright, we've got a room. Number forty-four."
Silence lingered in the car, thick and heavy.
Anika glanced between them. "What is it? Everything okay?"
Jor'Danna turned toward her. "Actually... there's something about Brevin you might want to hear."
Anika's posture straightened as she shifted her gaze to Brevin. "I'm listening."
Brevin exhaled. "Jor'Danna mentioned that all of us with these powers were born at exactly 3 a.m., right?"
Anika nodded.
"Well... I wasn't."
"Meaning what, exactly?" Anika asked, eyes narrowing with concern.
"Well I was due January 2nd at 3am, but instead due to the special condition my mom was in they forced her into labor, and I was born at 12am January 1st." He said.
Anika stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable.
"What does that mean?" Jor'Danna asked softly.
Anika's voice was low, thoughtful. "It means someone interfered with the natural balance."
She didn't elaborate. Just sat there, deep in thought.
The three of them made their way into the dim motel room. A single lamp glowed in the corner. Anika set her bag down and opened her laptop.
"We need to get some rest, we'll leave in the morning." Anika said.
Before she could open any files, Jor'Danna reached over and gently closed the screen.
Anika looked up, surprised.
"That goes for you too," Jor'Danna said with a small smile.
Anika held her gaze, then slowly returned the smile.
"You're right."
The room had settled into silence.
Jor'Danna lay on the edge of one of the twin beds, staring up at the ceiling fan as it spun in lazy circles. The hum of it was strangely calming, but sleep refused to come. Not after the day she'd had. Not with her mind trying to hold together everything that had just unraveled.
Across the room, Brevin was already asleep, curled toward the wall. Every so often, he twitched like someone who hadn't truly rested in years. She could relate.
Anika slept quietly by the window, her shoulders slouched into a rare cocoon of warmth. She hadn't said much since Brevin's revelation, but Jor'Danna could feel the shift in her energy, like something unseen was weighing heavy on her chest.
Outside, the Colorado night was still. No sirens. No helicopters. Just the soft, distant hum of the highway.
For a moment, it almost felt normal.
Jor'Danna's eyes grew heavy, and before she realized it, sleep overtook her.
She was stepping out of the shower, steam curling around her like silk. The air was warm, comforting. A pair of arms wrapped gently around her waist from behind.
Strong. Familiar. Safe.
"She sank into his warmth, her breath catching the familiar rhythm of his voice..."
"I missed you, my princess," Khalil whispered in her ear.
"I miss you more," she replied, smiling as her heart swelled.
"No, you don't," he said gently.
Jor'Danna laughed softly, puzzled.
"What? Of course I do."
But his voice darkened.
"Then why did you leave me to die?"
Her breath caught. She turned around.
Khalil stood in front of her, the same man she loved. Dressed in the same suit. But blood soaked his shirt, his eyes pitch black, his teeth sharp and stained crimson.
"Khalil?"
He didn't answer. Just stared.
Jor'Danna gasped and jolted upright, her chest heaving.
She looked around. The motel room was dim and quiet. Brevin was still curled up, snoring softly. Anika, still at the window, had shifted in her sleep.
"Just a dream," Jor'Danna whispered. But her chest still ached.
Tears welled in her eyes. She curled into herself on the mattress, wrapping her arms around her knees as silent sobs rocked her body.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled her back under.
A soft amber glow slipped through the curtains, casting golden ribbons of light across the room. Dust motes floated lazily in the air, dancing in the quiet.
Anika sat by the window, already awake, her silhouette calm as she watched the sun begin its slow climb over the horizon.
She hadn't opened her laptop again.
Not yet.
Brevin stirred first, groaning as he stretched out on the stiff mattress. His hair was a mess, his shirt wrinkled, but his face looked younger somehow. Like the years of survival had softened just slightly overnight.
"Man..." he mumbled, running a hand down his face. "That was the first time I've actually slept in years."
Anika glanced over her shoulder, a warm but tired smile tugging at her lips.
"Sleep is sacred," she said softly..
Jor'Danna turned slowly in her bed, blinking against the early light. Her eyes were puffy. The faintest shimmer of dried tears marked her cheeks, but her expression was peaceful. Like a storm had passed inside her.
She yawned, rubbing her face.
"I'm definitely sleeping on the plane."
Brevin chuckled lightly.
"So where exactly are we going?" He asked.
Anika finally moved from the window, grabbing her laptop.
"Tennessee," she replied. "My home. Secluded, quiet. It's where I've kept my work, and where we can lay low."
They moved slowly, gathering their things. Each of them wrapped in their own thoughts but united by the same thread: survival... and something bigger waiting ahead.
The wheels of the plane touched down with a soft thud, and soon after, the trio stepped into the thick, humid air of eastern Tennessee. The sun was just beginning to dip into late afternoon, casting warm light across the surrounding hills. Everything felt different here. Slower, quieter like time itself exhaled.
Brevin adjusted his backpack, eyes scanning the tree line just beyond the airport lot.
"It's... greener than I expected."
Anika gave a small laugh. "Tennessee always surprises people."
They loaded into a second rental, this one a deep green SUV that blended easily into the rural roads. As they drove, the noise of civilization faded behind them. The highways gave way to narrow two lane roads that wound through thick woods and low, misty hills.
The deeper they went, the more the landscape transformed.
Rolling hills stretched into the horizon, cloaked in a tapestry of wild trees, dogwoods, maples, and towering pines. Golden light filtered through the branches, flickering like soft fire through the windshield.
Jor'Danna rolled down her window, breathing in deeply.
Brevin leaned his head against the window.
"No signal," he said, checking his phone. "I kinda love that."
Anika turned off onto a narrow, secluded road, tires humming gently beneath them. The trees thickened around the car like a tunnel of green, sunlight piercing through in soft beams. The gravel beneath shifted smoothly as the SUV rolled forward, crunching over a long, well-kept path that seemed to go on forever. In the distance, the Appalachian mountains stretched across the horizon like ancient guardians watching in silence.
Jor'Danna sat up straighter in her seat, her breath catching slightly.
The deeper they drove, the lighter the air began to feel as if something unseen was gently lifting the weight off their shoulders.
They approached a tall, black wrought-iron gate, but it wasn't the gate itself that caught their attention.
On either side of the entrance stood two massive Black Tourmaline crystal towers, each one carved into perfect triangular tips that glinted subtly in the sun. The crystals shimmered faintly, like they were alive. The air around them buzzed with quiet energy, almost cleansing, as though passing between them washed away everything they carried.
"Whoa..." Brevin murmured.
"They're protectors," Anika said calmly. "They hold the frequency of grounding and warding. No one gets in here unless they're meant to."
The gates creaked open soundlessly, revealing the vast stretch of land beyond.
The property was enormous wide and open, with rolling green grass that looked like it had been brushed by the wind itself. Nestled at the center was a massive brick mansion. Ivy curled up the sides like gentle veins, and wide stone steps led to a grand wooden front door carved with celestial symbols.
At the far end of the land, two more towering Black Tourmaline crystals stood like silent sentinels, forming an invisible barrier that spanned from the front gate to the rear of the property. They mirrored the first two, creating a powerful energetic square that covered the estate with protection.
"This... feels like a fortress," Jor'Danna whispered, stepping out of the car.
"It is," Anika said, gazing up at the house with something like relief in her eyes.
"Now that we've made it, y'all can pick your rooms and get settled in," Anika said, unlocking the front door. "Rest up if you need to. There's plenty to eat. I have a few things I need to look over."
The heavy door creaked open, and a rush of calming air greeted them. It was warm with a heavy scent of vanilla bean, cinnamon and sage.
Jor'Danna and Brevin glanced at each other, a grin forming between them like unspoken code.
"Race you," Brevin said with a smirk.
"How old are you? 12 ," Jor'Danna laughed, already taking off.
They bolted past Anika, who just shook her head and smiled.
For the first time in a long time, it felt like a new beginning.
A real one. A home.
As the adrenaline wore off and the silence of the Tennessee hills settled over them, Anika moved into work mode.
"Before we all get too comfortable," she said, her tone gentle but firm, "I need blood samples from both of you. Just a few drops. I have to see something."
Brevin didn't flinch. He sat down without question, already rolling up his sleeve given he's done it a hundred times. Jor'Danna hesitated, glancing at him, then followed.
Back inside her small study, surrounded by old medical kits, dusty equipment, and a humming laptop, Anika placed each sample under her portable analyzer. The software was slow, outdated but still powerful enough to map the DNA in real time.
Jor'Danna's sample loaded first, and sure enough, the Z Gene lit up her chromosomal map like a nebula embedded within the double X chromosomes, cosmic and unmistakable.
Then came Brevin's.
The moment his map began to build, Anika froze.
She'd seen this before.
Not just seen, studied. Memorized. Obsessively.
It wasn't déjà vu, it was memory. A match. The exact same sequence she had stumbled upon twenty-four years ago in a redacted file buried deep in the classified archives back when she was still a military scientist. It was the case file that had never been explained. The reason her superiors started breathing down her neck, watching her every move. Pushing her to the breaking point that made her resign. She now knew why. They weren't just hiding Brevin. They were trying to clone him. To manufacture what the cosmos had only chosen once.
Brevin was the first starseed.
And Cory... her ex-husband's top-secret mission to Wisconsin hadn't been random. He must've known. He'd been sent to the facility where Brevin was being held. The memory hit her like a stone to the chest.
"They kept me in the dark on purpose," she whispered to herself, her voice low and vexed with the weight of betrayal.
Anika sat back in her chair, the hum of the machines suddenly too loud in the stillness. The room felt colder somehow, though nothing had changed. Her eyes lingered on Brevin's glowing DNA strand, still pulsing faintly on the screen.
A deep, uneasy silence settled over the room.
The air prickled against her skin. A vibration. Faint, like a distant echo, but unmistakable.
Then the beep of her laptop yanked her back from her thoughts. The screen flickered, lines of encrypted code rushing upward. Then her TV monitor dusty and unused powered on by itself with a loud click. A digital world map unfolded across both screens. Glowing dots tracked electromagnetic spikes. And then, like a heartbeat, one red pulse emerged. Bright and flashing in the center of the country.
Norman, Oklahoma.
Anika stood still, goosebumps crawling up her arms.
Another starseed must be awakening, and if they're anything like the others, they're in danger.