Juli felt it.
The shift. The change. The bus was slowing. Descending. Getting closer.
Excitement exploded in his chest. Hype. Pure hype.
He kipped up from his bed. One smooth motion. Feet hit the floor. Already moving. Running toward the window.
His hands pressed against the glass. His face close. Breath fogging the surface.
His eyes went wide. Wonder. Pure wonder.
The planet appeared. Closer. Larger. Every second bringing more detail.
Square.
The planet was square. Not round. Not spherical. Square. Geometric. Impossible.
Two rings rotated around it. Counter to each other. Orbital mechanics that shouldn't work. But did. Spinning. Glowing faintly. Beautiful.
Two moons hung nearby. Different colors. One pale blue. One deep orange. They orbited at different speeds. Different distances. Spectacular. Breathtaking.
This was in the Splash Sector. The same sector as Chief Instructor Vela's homeworld. Water planets. Ocean worlds. Aquatic civilizations.
But this. This was different.
The colors made no sense. Blue. Brown. Red. Silver. All mixed together. Swirling. Blending. Like someone took a canvas and splattered every color they could find. Chaotic. Dreamy. Bizarre.
And the bubbles.
Giant bubbles. Massive. City-sized. Maybe bigger. They floated around the planet. Glowing. Translucent. Catching light. Reflecting it. Creating rainbows in space.
Juli was speechless. His mouth hung open. He rubbed his eyes. Once. Twice. This couldn't be real. Could it?
A small bubble drifted past his window. Close. So close he could see through it. See the membrane. See the way it caught starlight. Made it shimmer.
The bus was near the exosphere. The edge of the planet's atmosphere. Almost there.
Juli's eyes stayed glued. Unblinking. Afraid to miss a single second.
The bus descended further. Slower now. Controlled. Professional.
Juli couldn't take it anymore.
He turned. Ran. Bolted from his room. Into the hallway. Had to find his teammates. Had to share this. Had to make sure they were seeing what he was seeing.
His feet pounded the corridor. Fast. Excited. Like a little boy on his birthday.
Cadets filled the hallway. Some walking. Some standing at windows. Some talking in groups.
They saw him.
Heads turned. Eyes locked. Recognition hit.
One cadet stared. His face went pale. He took a step back. Away. Afraid.
Another rubbed her eyes. Multiple times. Like she was seeing a ghost. A legend. Something impossible made real.
A data pad clattered to the floor. Dropped. The owner just stared. Mouth open. Frozen.
Someone fainted. Just. Collapsed. His friend caught him. Barely. Both their eyes stayed on Juli.
Whispers erupted. "That's him." "Number two." "The monster." "Julian Weiper."
Glares. Fear. Awe. Respect. Terror. All mixed together. All directed at him.
But Juli's eyes looked straight ahead. Focused. Moving. Searching.
He didn't see them. Didn't notice. Didn't register the reactions. The fear. The recognition.
Just excitement. Just joy. Just pure energy.
He spotted them. Kade. Pamela. Standing near a viewing area.
"Kade!" Juli bounced. Actually bounced. Like a child. "Did you see that planet?! Did you?!"
Kade grinned. Wide. Fangs showing. His fist met Juli's. Solid bump. "Hell yeah I saw it! That thing's insane!"
Pamela watched. Her expression was complex. Layered. Fear. Worry. Concern. But also. Affection. Care. Protection.
She'd made a decision. The rankings would stay secret. From Juli at least. For the sake of the team. For his sake. For their sake.
But her eyes looked at him differently now. Saw him differently. This oblivious. Powerful. Dangerous. Beautiful boy.
This monster in human skin.
Juli turned to her. His eyes sparkled. Bright. Full of wonder. "PamPam! What is that planet?! I've never seen anything like it!"
Pamela steadied herself. Composed her face. Professional mode. "The planet is called Ozyra."
She paused. Gathered information. Recalled what she knew. "It's a water planet. Like all worlds in the Splash Sector. But. Different. Special."
The ship's speakers crackled. A voice boomed. Deep. Authoritative. Official.
"Attention all cadets. We have reached our destination. Planet Ozyra. Splash Sector. All teams prepare for landing. Repeat. Prepare for landing. Exit protocols will be announced shortly."
Juli and Kade looked at each other. Grins mirrored. Synchronized.
They ran. Together. Toward a viewing area. Better windows. Better angles. Better view.
Pamela followed. Slower. More measured. But curious too. Despite everything.
The viewing area was packed. Cadets pressed against windows. Faces close to glass. Eyes wide. Phones out. Recording. Capturing. Remembering.
Juli squeezed through. Found a spot. Pressed his face to the window.
The planet was even more stunning up close.
The colors. They weren't just colors. They were water. Different types. Different compositions. Different densities. All existing on the same planet. All swirling together. Creating patterns. Creating beauty.
Blue oceans. Brown sludge seas. Red mineral waters. Silver mercury lakes. All visible from space. All distinct. All impossible. All real.
The giant bubbles were even more mesmerizing. They floated. Drifted. Some connected. Some separated. Cities existed inside them. Juli could see structures. Buildings. Lights. Civilization protected by bubble walls.
The bus descended further. Angled toward one specific bubble. Massive. The largest Juli had seen. A capital city maybe. The main hub.
The bubble approached. Closer. Filling the viewport. Enormous. The membrane shimmered. Rippled slightly. Alive somehow.
The bus touched the bubble.
Juli held his breath.
It didn't burst.
The membrane stretched. Accepted. Allowed passage. The bus slid through. Inside. The bubble sealed behind. No rupture. No explosion. Just. Entry.
Magic. Technology. Both. Neither. Who knew?
Inside the bubble, the atmosphere was different. Breathable. Visible. The space port spread below. Massive. Organized. Multiple landing pads. Dozens of ships. Maybe hundreds. All sizes. All types.
The Taurus Squad space bus settled onto its designated pad. Smooth. Gentle. Perfect landing.
Steam hissed. Hydraulics groaned. Systems powered down. Engines cooled.
The journey was over.
They had arrived.
Planet Ozyra. The Splash Sector. The site of Phase Two.
The Entrance Examination awaited.
Juli's grin was massive. Excited. Ready.
Kade's expression matched. Competitive fire burning.
Pamela took a breath. Steadied herself. The real test began now.