STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

The graffiti lingered on the screen, its jagged lines and vibrant colors almost pulsing against the sterile backdrop of the city. Vandals. There was always someone trying to disrupt the order, to challenge what had already been perfected. Why can ’t people just... let things work?

Before the thought could take root, a chime pierced into his awareness. His personal device lit up with a message from the Central Systems Bureau:

TASK ASSIGNED: SENSOR ARRAY 12 – ALIGNMENT FEED ANOMALY DETECTED. REPORT TO BUREAU FOR DIAGNOSTICS.

Lucien sighed, downing the rest of his coffee. “Small fluctuations again. Always first thing in the morning.”

The news feed flickered in his peripheral vision, the graffiti still there, bold and unyielding. Shaking it off, he grabbed his tools and headed for the door.

***

The streets were quieter than usual as Lucien made his way toward the Central Systems Bureau. Overhead, the sound of drones filled the air, their forms gliding between buildings, casting restless shadows across the pavement. The usual flow of foot traffic seemed thinner, the absence of the usual murmured conversations leaving the city feeling almost... watchful. Guess I’m early for the rush.

As he neared Sector 8, a cluster of Stewards stood in a tight formation near one of the newly marked walls. Even from a distance, the graffiti stood out— vivid, defiant strokes of color slashing across the sterile gray surface. Up close, the swirling patterns and jagged shapes seemed to ripple with hidden intent, almost shifting beneath his gaze.

Lucien slowed for a fraction of a second, his eyes tracing the chaotic designs. There was something off about them, something that didn’t fit the randomness of typical vandalism. It felt... deliberate. Purposeful.

The Stewards spoke in hushed tones, their expressions unreadable but tense. One of them—a tall figure with a rigid stance—glanced toward him, fingers resting lightly on the baton at his hip. A silent warning that sent a prickle of unease up Lucien ’s spine.

He forced himself to move on, quickening his pace, fixing his sights straight ahead. They ’ve got it under control. That’s their job. No point in getting caught up in things that didn ’t concern me. The system handled everything. It always did.

Yet as he walked, the images burned in his mind in sharp bursts of color

22