Epic of Aravinda 1: The Truth Beyond the Sky Read Free

power to the airboat when you get back.”
    “I won’t.”
    And with that, Zahn opened the front door, and stepped out onto the path which led down to the beach. To his right was a smallish vehicle shaped vaguely like a boat, except that its cabin was enclosed in a colorless bubble, and the whole vehicle hung in the air just a few centimeters above the ground.
    From out here, he could see the trees growing around the curved limestone house, creating a canopy of radiant blue leaves above it. He moved a blue leaf out of the way and pressed his thumb to a pad that was embedded into the house’s exterior. There was a popping noise, and a thin cable disconnected from the airboat and was sucked up into a small hole in the side of the house. Now that the airboat was detached, he pulled the door open and stepped up and inside.
    The moment he sat down, the interior lights flickered to life, and through the windshield he could see the beach down below and the ocean stretching beyond. It was still early, and the morning light fell softly onto the island. The air was sweet, and he could still hear the sound of birds calling in the distance.
    He took a small white card out of his pocket and rammed it into a slot on the dashboard. The airboat roared to life, beginning as a loud hum, soon easing off into a low rumbling sound.
    Soon, he was cruising along the rocky path that led past a few other houses, around a large rock formation, and down to the beach. Here, a river emptied out into the ocean, and farther up the river was a small waterfall, creating an almost perfectly smooth wall of water.
    Without blinking an eye, he plunged through the waterfall.
    Zahn didn’t even need to slow down. Even though this route was only recommended during emergencies, he found himself using it a few times per month, partly because it was quicker, but mostly because he enjoyed the sheer thrill of it. Although emergencies were rare, this hidden pathway to the Ashraya Observatory was specifically designed so that researchers could evacuate the observatory as quickly as possible.
    On a bright day like today, it took Zahn’s eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dimness of the corridor and the small guiding lights on either side. He followed these guiding lights as the corridor gradually turned to the right and then back to the left. After a few minutes, he could see sunlight up ahead and followed the corridor as it led up a steep incline to the exit. When he emerged into the sunlight, he was a few hundred meters above where he’d started, and the Ashraya Observatory was just up ahead, its massive dome glistening in the morning light.
    Once he reached the door, it slid open for him, and he never stopped walking. Behind him, he could hear a synthesized voice say, “Good morning. Designation: Observer, L-1 confirmed.”
    But he was already in the elevator heading upward. Beyond the transparent elevator, he looked out and observed some of the activity going on below him. Most of the space of the observatory was taken up by a central domed area where the main detector was located, and about a dozen people were working at computers below it. As the elevator continued to rise, Zahn got lost in observing their work. He knew most of them, except for one. Who was that woman with the violet hair?
    DING.
    The sound jolted Zahn out of his thoughts, and he stepped out, unaware that today’s nightmares had only just begun.

CHAPTER3
     
    DREAMS & PHILOSOPHIES
     
     
    By the time the midday meal came, Zahn had nearly forgotten about his nightmare from that morning. It wasn’t until he sat down to eat with two of his colleagues that he was reminded of that traumatizing echo of his past.
    Since Zahn spent most of his day working in a team, he liked to spend his midday meal in quiet reflection whenever possible, but today Tak and Vina sat by him. Zahn had worked with them before. They had been together for a few years now, and Vina liked to talk.
    At great length.
    About