Have You Noticed Yet

The ship’s engines hummed as they broke orbit from Aeloria, the swamp planet shrinking into a green haze behind them. Tanuki sat in the pilot’s chair, his daggers resting across his lap, still faintly glowing from the last battle. Atlas leaned forward, pulling up the star map, his finger tracing across the constellations of nearby systems. “Next stop should be Klyros,” he said. “It’s a desert world, but the sand there is infused with rare minerals. Perfect for forging armor upgrades. The locals, though… they’re not exactly welcoming.”

NV stretched her arms behind her head, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, great. Sand. Heat. Sunburn. My favorite combination.”

Tanuki smirked faintly. “You don’t even get sunburn in-game.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t complain about it,” she shot back.

The ship descended into Klyros’s atmosphere, the viewport filling with endless dunes that shimmered like molten glass under the twin suns. The air was dry and heavy, and the wind carried a low, mournful whistle as it swept across the desert. They landed near a cluster of jagged rock formations, their surfaces glittering with embedded crystals.

As they stepped out, the heat hit them like a truck about to isekai a new protagonist. Tanuki squinted against the glare, pulling his hood up instinctively. The sand crunched beneath their boots, and the horizon seemed to stretch forever. Atlas pointed toward the rocks. “That’s where we’ll find the mineral veins. But be careful. The guardians here are… different.”

They didn’t have to wait long. The sand shifted, and from beneath it rose creatures that looked like statues carved from obsidian, their bodies etched with glowing runes. Their movements were slow but deliberate, each step leaving molten footprints in the sand.

Tanuki drew a Tarot, his daggers transforming into crystalline blades that mirrored the creatures’ glowing runes. He darted forward, slashing at one’s arm, sparks flying as the blade connected. Atlas swung his hammer in a wide arc, shattering another’s torso, while NV’s gauntlet pulsed with starlight as she struck pressure points that caused the runes to flicker and dim.

The battle was grueling, the heat sapping their stamina, but eventually the guardians crumbled into shards of obsidian. Tanuki bent down to collect the fragments, his HUD flashing with quest progress. As he stood, he noticed a figure watching from the ridge above. Celeste.

She descended gracefully, her cloak billowing in the hot wind, her jade eyes fixed on him. “You’re reckless again,” she said softly, though there was a faint smile on her lips. “But you’re learning.”

Atlas frowned. “You again. Why do you keep following us?”

Celeste ignored him, stepping closer to Tanuki. “There’s a storm coming. Not just here, but everywhere. You need to be ready.”

Tanuki met her gaze, his chest tightening. “Then help me be ready.”

For a moment, her expression softened, almost tender. Then she turned, her cloak dissolving into starlight as she vanished into the shimmering air.

Atlas muttered under his breath. “She’s trouble.”

NV smirked. “Or maybe she just likes him.”

Tanuki said nothing, staring out at the endless desert, the obsidian shards heavy in his hands. He didn’t know what Celeste meant by a storm, but for the first time, he wanted to find out. And he wanted her to be the one to show him.

They returned to the ship, the desert shrinking behind them as the stars stretched out once more. Tanuki sat in silence, his thoughts lingering on Celeste’s words, and the strange warmth that had taken root in his chest. Whatever storm was coming, he knew he couldn’t face it alone.

The journey from Klyros carried them deeper into the star map, the ship gliding through the void with a steady hum. Tanuki sat in the pilot’s chair, his eyes fixed on the constellations that shimmered across the HUD. Atlas leaned forward, pointing to a cluster of stars that pulsed faintly. “That’s Eryndor. Forest planet. The trees there are older than most civilizations, and their roots are said to hold rare ores. But the wildlife…” He trailed off, giving Tanuki a grin. “Let’s just say it’ll be a good test of your reflexes.”

NV groaned. “Another forest? Great. More bugs, more things that want to eat us alive. At least deserts are honest about trying to kill you.”

Tanuki smirked faintly. “You don’t have to come.”

“Please,” NV said, adjusting her cloak. “I’m not missing the chance to watch you get chased by something with too many legs.”

The ship descended into Eryndor’s atmosphere, the viewport filling with a canopy of emerald leaves that stretched endlessly. The air shimmered with golden pollen, and shafts of light pierced through the branches like cathedral windows. They landed in a clearing where the ground was carpeted with moss that glowed faintly underfoot. Almost immediately, the forest stirred. Insects the size of wolves skittered from the underbrush, their carapaces glistening like polished stone. Their mandibles clicked in unison, a sound that made Tanuki’s skin crawl. Atlas swung his hammer in a wide arc, scattering the first wave, while NV’s gauntlet pulsed with starlight as she struck one square in the thorax, sending it tumbling into the brush. 

Tanuki drew a Tarot, his daggers shimmering into long, curved blades that mirrored the insects’ serrated limbs. He slashed forward, matching their movements, his strikes precise and quick. One lunged at him, mandibles snapping, but he discarded a card for mana and drew another, this one glowing with Atlas’s strength buff. His arms surged with power, and he cleaved through the creature’s carapace in a single strike. When the last insect fell, the forest grew quiet again, save for the distant hum of unseen creatures. Tanuki bent down to collect shards of ore embedded in the roots, his HUD flashing with quest progress. As he stood, he noticed a faint glow deeper in the forest. He followed it cautiously, and there she was again… Celeste, standing beneath a massive tree whose trunk was wider than a house. The glow came from the roots, which pulsed faintly with energy. She looked up at him, her jade eyes soft in the dappled light.

“You fight like someone who doesn’t care what happens to him,” she said, her voice low but steady. “But I can see that’s not true. There’s something you’re holding onto, even if you won’t admit it.”

Tanuki looked away, his chest tightening. “I’m just trying to survive.”

Celeste studied him for a long moment, then said softly, “Survival isn’t the same as living. One day you’ll have to decide which one you’re really after.”

Atlas’s voice echoed through the trees, calling his name. Tanuki turned, but when he looked back, Celeste was gone, her presence dissolving into the golden pollen. Back at the ship, Atlas gave him a curious look. “You wandered off again. You’re going to get yourself killed doing that.” NV smirked. “Or maybe he’s just chasing after his girlfriend.” Tanuki ignored them, staring out at the forest as the ship lifted off. The glow of the roots lingered in his mind, as did Celeste’s words. For the first time, he wondered if she saw something in him that he couldn’t see in himself.

Their next destination was Noctis, a planet shrouded in perpetual twilight. The star map marked it as a dangerous zone, but also one rich in rare materials used for advanced armor. As the ship descended, the viewport filled with jagged mountains and valleys bathed in violet light. Rivers of luminescent water cut through the terrain, casting eerie reflections across the cliffs. The air was heavy, almost electric, and Tanuki felt a strange unease settle over him as they landed on a plateau overlooking the glowing rivers.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Atlas muttered, hefting his hammer. “But the minerals here are worth it.”

NV adjusted her cloak, her eyes scanning the horizon. “Creepy is an understatement. This whole planet feels… wrong.”

They moved cautiously through the terrain, the ground crunching beneath their boots. Strange creatures emerged from the shadows, elongated beasts with translucent skin, their organs glowing faintly beneath. They moved in jerky, unnatural motions, their eyes reflecting the violet light. Tanuki drew a Tarot, his daggers transforming into spectral blades that mirrored the creatures’ glow. He struck quickly, his movements fluid, but the creatures were relentless, their bodies twisting unnaturally as they attacked. Atlas and NV fought alongside him, their strikes coordinated, but the battle dragged on, the creatures seemingly endless.

At last, the final beast fell, dissolving into mist. Tanuki bent down to collect shards of the glowing minerals, his HUD flashing with quest progress. As he stood, he felt a presence behind him. He turned, and there was Celeste again, her cloak blending with the twilight, her jade eyes reflecting the violet glow of the rivers.

“You shouldn’t linger here,” she said softly. “This planet remembers things it shouldn’t. The longer you stay, the more it will try to keep you.”

Tanuki frowned. “What does that mean?”

Celeste’s gaze lingered on him, unreadable. “Not everything in this world is what it seems. Some places… they bleed into something else. Be careful where you step.”

Atlas approached, his expression wary. “You always show up with riddles. If you know something, just say it.”

Celeste’s eyes flicked to him, then back to Tanuki. “Some truths can’t be spoken. They have to be found.”

Before Atlas could respond, she turned and vanished into the violet mist, leaving only the faint shimmer of her cloak behind. Tanuki stood frozen, her words echoing in his mind. He didn’t know what she meant, but he felt the weight of them pressing down on him.

As they returned to the ship, NV gave him a sidelong glance. “You really are in deep with her, aren’t you?”

Tanuki didn’t answer. He stared out at the violet rivers as the ship lifted off, the unease in his chest growing stronger. Celeste’s warnings, the strange creatures, the way the planet seemed alive. Everything felt connected somehow. And though he couldn’t explain why, he knew that whatever storm was coming, Noctis was only the beginning.