STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

His voice was steady but edged with something raw. “Infants born under ‘unfavorable alignments’—the ones who don’t fit the idea of harmony—they’re being erased. Their charts are wiped clean before they even have a chance to live.”

He reached for a small projector on the table, the device whirring softly as he slid the drive into its port. A projection spread across the far wall.

The first image appeared: a series of incomplete Charts of Life, riddled with redacted sections. Each one was stamped with a single, chilling word.

DEACTIVATED.

Lucien pointed at the projection. “These are the erased charts. Dozens of them, all marked as ‘non-viable’.” He clicked to the next image, bathing the room in a cold, blue-white light. A list of identification numbers and classifications filled the screen. “And these... these are the internal memos from the Celestial Order. They call it a ‘trajectory correction program.’ They’re deciding who lives and who doesn’t—manipulating alignments to maintain harmony at any cost. ”

The air felt thick, the hum of the projector filling the room like static.

“The manipulation doesn’t stop with erasures,” Lucien continued. “The Order rigs the system for their own too. Their children —born under the same stars as everyone else —somehow always end up with the best alignments. The most prestigious paths. Their Charts are altered, adjusted to guarantee them power, influence, and a future carved exactly the way they want it. ”

Lyra stepped closer, eyes scanning the images, her breath tight with barely restrained anger. “How long has this been happening?”

Lucien shook his head. “I don’t know. Decades, at least. Maybe longer.”

Harun broke the silence, his voice low, measured. “They’re culling the population.”

Corin pushed off the wall, stepping forward, skepticism in his expression. “And you expect us to believe this? How do we know you didn’t make it up?”

“Because I’m the one who found it. And because the system I’ve spent my life serving doesn ’t want anyone to know it exists.”

Corin's eyes narrowed, but Lyra interjected before he could speak. “If this is real, we can ’t ignore it.” Her voice was firm, edged with something sharper— something dangerous. She stared at the screen, the word DEACTIVATED burning into her thoughts.

They’re erasing lives. Actual lives.

Harun stepped forward, fixated on the projection. “If the Order’s doing this... it’s bigger than we thought. This isn’t only about control—it’s about deciding

106