The ship still hummed quietly in the underground chamber the next morning, as though it was waiting for something.

Jace had barely slept. His mind was spinning with the images from the night before — his father’s shimmering skin in the old photos, the massive ship hidden beneath their feet. He didn’t even notice his mom standing in the kitchen until she spoke.

“You found it, didn’t you?” she said quietly.

Jace froze. Sophie looked between them, unsure whether to speak.

Their mom set down her mug of tea and sighed. “Your father… wasn’t like anyone else. He was an intergalactic hero. He fought for worlds most people will never even know exist. And the day he crashed here… that was the first time he’d ever failed a mission.”

Her eyes softened at the memory. “I was just a small-town woman then. I helped him recover. We fell in love. And for a while, it was perfect. But he had a duty to the galaxy. He left to finish what he started.”

Her voice cracked. “I never saw him again. I believe… he’s dead.”

Jace leaned forward, his voice steady but burning with something new. “Or he’s alive. And I can find him.”

Her head snapped toward him. “No. You won’t.”

They locked eyes.

“You don’t understand,” Jace said. “I’ve gone my whole life wondering who he was, where he came from. If there’s even a chance—”

She cut him off, her voice rising. “I said no, Jace! You are not going to throw your life away chasing ghosts!”

The air in the room shifted. Something inside Jace snapped — or maybe awakened. His breath caught as an intense heat coursed through his body. His hair flashed from black to deep electric blue, glowing faintly in the light. Stripes of bright azure blazed across his arms, pulsing with raw energy.

Sophie stepped back in shock.

Their mom’s eyes filled with tears. “You… you look just like him.”

The energy faded slowly, leaving the room in silence. Jace stood there, chest rising and falling, unsure what had just happened.

“Let’s… talk tomorrow,” his mom whispered.

The next morning, the air in the kitchen felt different. Their mom was quiet for a long time before she spoke.

“If you go… it won’t be just about finding your father,” she said softly. “You are exactly like him. You’ll end up like him. A hero.”

She smiled faintly through her tears. “And no matter what happens… I will be proud of both of you.”

Sophie glanced at Jace, then back to their mom. “Both of us?”

“You think I don’t know about you two sneaking around last night?” their mom said, a small smirk breaking through her sadness.

The three of them laughed, but there was still weight in the room.

By evening, the decision was made. They would go.

The ship’s systems were sluggish at first, but once Jace slid the alien key into the main console, everything came alive. The walls shimmered faintly, the lounge lit up in soft silver tones, and the flight controls extended from the dashboard like an unfolding machine flower.

A chime sounded. A holographic map flickered into the air, displaying a point far across the galaxy. Words scrolled in alien script before translating into English:

Last Known Coordinates: Captain Kael Norven

Jace felt a rush of determination. “That’s him. That’s Dad.”

Sophie grinned nervously from the co-pilot’s chair. “Well… here goes nothing.”

The ship’s engines roared to life, deep and powerful. In a smooth surge, they lifted off, rising through the hidden tunnel and breaking into the open night sky.

Their mom stood in the yard, watching silently, her hand pressed to her lips as the ship disappeared among the stars.

Her children were gone.

Her children were following their father’s path.