Property of Dr. Wyndham.
Contains private astronomic and personal studies.

Trembling golden hands shook the leather-bound book. Without reading any significant mentions of Wyndham's discoveries, Adam furiously threw the set of pages onto the bench.

He reimagined the personal visits he had. Admiration and a child-like wonder filled Wyndham's voice when the scientist spoke fondly of his findings. By describing the best of his projects, he fully lost himself in his endless passion for discovery.

Contrary to the how Wyndham truly felt, he stubbornly claimed in their sessions that the perspective he held is focused and rational no matter what he goes through.

Give it a few arguments later and there he is, emptying out his pure emotions over vital milestones he has achieved during his lengthy career. The instant you hear the way he talks; it would enchant really anybody that absorbed the passion behind his voice.

The deeper the hook of curiosity sank in Adam's chest, the questions that regarded if his act of stealing was wrong or right eventually faded. Adam, after serious contemplation, decided to skip the beginning page of Wyndham's signature and hungrily read onward.

Each page his fingers brushed; Adam frantically scanned the passages stained in dried ink. Candlewax began to melt beneath the overwhelming heat of the fire, and a tiny trail edged along the side of the notebook. Enraptured by learning of the scientist's secrets presented in a flawlessly organised structure, he ignored the growing puddle caused by the flame.

Physically unable to put the book away, he sat mesmerised by the curved words that covered various planets and their respective systems. Knowing about the galaxy and its formation pleased him greatly. Yet... it wasn't enough to sustain him.

Last page. This will be finished by the next page. Adam composed himself and flipped it blindly to accept the finale. Opposite to his expectations, he met signs of burnt and ripped out pages that poked at the fringe of the spine. No sign-off, no hidden models of the stars. Possibly twenty or so sheets were forcefully taken.

But he wasn't exactly left with nothing. Stamped clearly in the middle of a half empty sheet, details highlighted a specific location. Scribbled words rested under the numbers.

These letters weren't of Wyndham's writing.


Coordinates: /|\-_//|//|_|//|\\|\\\//--
Planet Nyx, Crescent Cave.


Adam flipped to previous pages and scanned for planets that matched the same description.

Mental alarms rang out in his head, begging him to return to reality. He hastily checked the small clock that rested on the table to his left and Adam's cheeks paled. Hours and hours have been unknowingly devoted to these beautiful promises of research carved intricately in ink.

"Hey, are you awake?"

Adam dropped the book on the table and the motion of it disturbed the candle's lighting. "Um, uh, no?" He smacked his forehead. Several critical thoughts ran wildly in circles throughout his mind.

"Just... give me a minute," Adam examined the last page and ripped it out tenderly to avoid making an unforgivingly abrupt noise. He pulled the note out, tucked it in his bedside table and brought the book to the unknown visitor.

He undid the locks and pressed the leather cover firmly against the back of his door. "Is something wrong?" Adam whispered, finding Rocket scratching his head at the entrance.

"Look, I just want to make sure I'm not hallucinating. When I went out to grab dinner, I left a book over there," He pointed behind him frantically, "And when I got back, it was gone! I've turned my room upside down and I dug through all of my toolboxes and, and... gah!"

"Shh! Hey, it's okay Rocket, I have the book here," Adam calmly explained. "WHAT-"

He pressed his hand over his mouth and Rocket protested madly by throwing his fists onto him and let out a muffled scream into Adam's hand. "Please, stop. It was a misunderstanding," He lied, "I have a book in my room that looks exactly the same and I thought it was mine! I'm so sorry."

Silenced by Adam's hold, Rocket opened up his palm for the book and signalled for it. He defeatedly gave in and surrendered the item to the racoon. He aggressively slapped Adam's hand from his mouth, "Did you read any of this?" Rocket seethed, holding the research in the air.

"No, and if I did, you would've had the book back hours ago," Rocket disappointedly shook his head. "Was this what made that loud noise?" Adam nodded truthfully to him. Technically it wasn't a lie so he couldn't hold any shame with him in that answer. "Yeah, I didn't mean to drop it."

"Adam," Rocket struggled to contain himself. "Look me in the eyes, right now."

Those words shook with an unstable source of rage that made the blood running smoothly in Adam's veins freeze up in ice.

"Did you or did you not take this book on purpose?"

"No."

Rocket pressed a ridiculously baffled expression on his drained face and a blunt headache stabbed at his temples. "No, I purposely didn't take it," Adam finished, noticing how short of an answer he gave. And a strange one at that. So, to recover, he pulled a fine excuse to make up for the confusion.

"My mind's a bit slow. Haven't slept well this week."

"Makes the two of us," Rocket grumbled, failing to cool off the boiling heat that rose to the top of his head. "Now I'm going back to my room. If you need me, knock gently." Rocket tiredly hugged Adam's leg and groggily made his way to the other side of the apartment.

"Night, Goldy," The two exchanged a friendly wave till Rocket slipped past the corner. Adam sealed the exit shut and swallowed nervously. Weird, his mouth was quite cracked and dry. He tried to comprehend this feeling, then he got interrupted by the forceful beating in his chest.

An unusual yet panicked rhythm drummed erratically within in him. This small independent piece of his body fought urgently to find its way out of his body. "Settle down, heart." Adam patiently waited, hoping that his command got through to it.

That wasn't the case. Resorting to what he knew best, he began to breathe deeply. At an arguably slow pace, he counted the length of his inhales and exhales.

Alas, the thumping noises refused to cease, they were still faintly audible. Adam tried to figure out an alternative solution and then its sounds crawled to the tips of his ears.

He kneeled and opened his bedside drawer for the crumpled piece of paper. Prior to Rocket arriving at Adam's bedroom, he regretted the poor use of the book. He frowned at the sheet and imagined many ways of how he could've used his time better.

What does this mean, Wyndham?

In an attempt to recognise his whereabouts, he memorised the sketches of various planets and their systems. Lines, dots, and labels were drawn inside of his mind. When he tried to connect the emptiness to the rest of the planets, the whole mental image crumbled.

Adam, disappointed by his efforts, ceased his actions and instead he moved toward the door. Rocket's awake, he can ask him for help, right? It's not like he lied right in his face two seconds ago or whatever.

He wrapped his fingers around the wooden door. Irritable creaks sprang from its poor hinges. Gritting his teeth, he adapted to the ajar position of the entrance and slid past the tight gap. In the darkness of the hallway, he hid the paper in a pocket and carefully pushed the door to a click by using his back.

"Going somewhere?" A masculine yet husky tone greeted his ear.

One large hand effortlessly rotated him, and Adam met a massive shadowy figure that held a breathtaking pair of brilliant blue eyes.

"Not for long. I need to clear my mind," A flicker of disbelief shone in his crystal gaze and Adam enlarged the distance between them. "Didn't I hear you say you haven't been getting enough sleep? Or am I the one hallucinating?"

Adam swallowed nervously and pushed his interest to the stairs. Cosmo and Kraglin's snores resonated from the bottom of the steps. Evidently all the expensive couches in the main area were comfortably occupied. "Look, I meant what I said," He admitted to the shadows, incapable of throwing another lie or shallow excuse.

"Right," He remarked. Narrowed crystal eyes lingered and observed the subtle movements that Adam made in his defensive stance. "Don't cause too many problems out there," He tapped his shoulder affectionately.

"You should get better at lying. You're absolutely horrible at it. Even I could do better."

Outlines of his figure developed apparent shapes as Adam's view adjusted to their dim surroundings.

"Oh, Drax, it's you," He remarked, half-surprised and half-worried. Drax snickered and abandoned the startled stick figure for his bedroom. "Thought you'd easily recognise my beautiful baby blues by now, Adam."

The giant casted his narrow eyes and stared curiously. Conflict danced within him, and as he opened his mouth to speak a word, he stopped. "Stay safe," Soft words muttered. Drax vanished to the comforts of his personal space.

Adam placed a hand on his rushing heart and glided out of the nearest window. Over his shoulder, he stole one last glimpse of the clock. Then, from his positioned jump, he took a leap of faith into the centre of Knowhere.

Flowing light emitted from the soul stone stuck to his forehead. He carried himself through the air and studied the isolated hangar levels. Terminals sat in front of rows of parked ships that circled in a round bay.

Personal styles popped from each of the ships painted schemes. Custom made designs slept next to basic shells and aged artifacts gleamed in the mirrors of the newer inventions. Inexperienced as Adam may be in recognising the differences in ships, Rocket has proudly taught him of the superior ones.

His lips bent into a grimace at the vague mention of his friend. Satisfied by the level he reached, he slowed his speed and floated to one of the hangars built into the walls. Adam jogged to a general information terminal and manually typed in a set of coordinates.

Its cracked screen revealed a dark purple planet, and it automatically generated the measurements of the journey's distance. Fans whirred inside of the bright surface and the connected wires moved the screen to target and magnify Nyx's correct direction.

Compared to the rest of the planets, Nyx couldn't display significant landmarks or enhanced images on its site. Bright red messages plastered the screen with error signals each time he dug into the settings.

He glued his sights to a unique alignment of stars and aimed his flight to his understanding of the diagram. The terminal switched off due to inactivity while Adam levitated and flung his body through the empty space of Knowhere.

Three ships that were leisurely flying about dodged the brilliant light that shot past them, and the impact violently shook their solid frames. Adam launched himself out of the gigantic metallic skull's hollow eye and stayed on a straight singular path to the stars.

Red, orange, and yellow swirled around Adam in a dizzying trail. Twirls and flicks of chaotic sparks embodied his rough outline. It swallowed his flesh and soon its burning sensation exploded into a remarkable glow.

Vaguely camouflaged by the endless pitch-black void, a distinctive violet sphere redirected his route. Natural life collected together in odd forms and patterns. Patches of grey clouds stretched along its sides and luminous phosphorescent plants shone in countless areas of the globe.

Observing the planet caused a sense of adrenaline to rush through him. Thankfully its size wasn't going to be an issue to navigate himself to his destined location. In fact, the planet kind of reminded Adam of Knowhere.

He slowed his motion to a jarring halt. Abilities proved to be a tricky subject, primarily in physical demonstrations. Months of arduous theory crafted an important bridge in the use and understanding of these powers. Wyndham and his indirect teachings had unknowingly supported Adam's growth immensely.

Considering he used to abuse intense emotions in hazardous attacks, training has helped him develop a colder approach to danger. He floated above the clouds of Nyx and desired to check the paper for the coordinates. Ashes fell out of his pocket and its particles descended into the hanging grey cotton beneath his boots.

"Crescent cave. Crescent cave," He chanted the landmark at the clouds and dived headfirst into the ominous atmosphere.

Severe gusts of wind threw him in extreme directions, and he grunted from its surprising impact. Rocks were helpless to the raging storm. They clawed and clung to his shoulder blades, stomach, and legs. Tough uneven bumps wedged its shapes into his back and ugly bruises emerged.

Feverishly cold sensations electrocuted the centre of his chest, and it left his lungs gasping for air. Adam shakily picked himself from the ground and caught sight of a vibrant turquoise glow.

Ahead of the fields of damp grass lay a silent cave that sparked an unsettling warmth amidst the destructive weather. Flying was basically useless in these conditions, so Adam crawled across the ground. In the process, the rain soaked his suit from head to toe.

Relief flooded Adam as he collapsed under the arch. Numb hands clutched his chest, helplessly coughing until the heat of the cave cured his body of invisible ice.

Hums interrupted his train of thought and he tilted his head to find the source of the noise. He rested his weight on his elbows and took a glimpse of the small face that was sleeping on top of the turquoise glow.

Adam inched himself the edge and dipped his hand in the pool. The purest form of amazement painted his expression. He lay there, curious of how soothing the pool was to his skin.

It was a girl. The face belonged to a girl.

She slept peacefully in the centre, oblivious to the living world. He brushed himself off and moved to get a better look. Adam snapped his head from the pool and checked the edges. Abandoned tents sat deathly still with the company of paper. Either they were placed in the form of towers, or they were bundled up in scrolls and shoved in half closed boxes.

Adam fought against his urges to check and kept his eyes on the face. Smoke crept into the air and holes formed by his thigh from where he brushed the water off. He raised an eyebrow and tested the water by using a sleeve.

Black smoke wafted to the ceiling and Adam crushed the open flames that demanded to stay attached to his wrist. He edged closer to the girl and from this certain angle he could see the fine details in her appearance.

Long dark lashes, clear ivory skin, though in this light his guess might be a tad inaccurate. Her hair was a unique colour to him, it consisted of a black, but its shade wasn't quite right. Strands of blue actually snuck into a few parts of it.

"Hello?" He whispered gently. The girl's body made no sudden movements. Her humming stopped.

"Can you hear me?"

No response.

He bit his lip and lifted himself from the floor to hover over the figure. From this perspective, he saw that the woman laid naked and bare in the deep pocket of blue.

Adam forced his attention on the girl's peaceful face. Raindrops slid through the cracks of the ceiling and the tame water elegantly moved at a frequent tempo.

Bewildered amethyst eyes shot open to meet the floating figure above her. Their heavy gazes held each other in a strange invisible grip. Wordlessly, they consumed the looks of their bodies in hesitant glances.

Water splashed onto Adam and its dangerous properties burnt holes into multiple areas of his suit. "Whoa! Hey! I'm not trying to hurt you!" He brushed off the smoke that trickled into the air from the material he wore.

"Then what do you want from me?" She seethed, throwing herself onto the edge of the pool. Adam parted his lips and several remarks sat on the tip of his tongue. But when he saw her leave the warm pool to stand, the words that were cemented in his mind betrayed him.

"You," He began quietly, "I, wait, hold on, you see there's... wow. I didn't mean..."

Short words clumsily tumbled out of mouth, and a combination of complicated sensations rushed through Adam. The weak grasp he had of reality threatened to sabotage the last portion of his concentration that anchored him to the floor.

"I... don't understand?" She tilted her head and studied his reddish expression with an intimidating intensity. "Neither."

"Forgive me, I'm not fluent in this language yet. Are you one of the scientists?" Adam denied her question by the confident shake of his head. "Who are you then?" He mutely panicked on the spot, seeking a reasonable response, "I'm kind of like you, I suppose."

"Like me?" She echoed, staring thoughtfully at the rigid figure next to the water. "Maybe. Were you made by these 'scientists'?" Her gaze darkened at the inquiry. "Hey, I understand. I get it," He grabbed her hand, hoping to provide enough comfort. "They made me too. I don't know who I am either."

"Yet," She murmured, maintaining a long glance at Adam. Thick silence hung in the spacious cave as the two stood close together. "It's cold," She broke their shared contact and sheepishly rubbed both her arms. Adam swept his gaze by the tents and leaped into its contents.

Boxes buried in junk, scrolls and paper were filled to the brim of extra supplies and tools. She peered inside and watched the chaos unfold. Sitting by the entrance, a neatly wrapped box hid by a thin table leg.

Furthermore, there was a letter that accompanied it. He opened the box and found it stuffed by outfits. "Here," Adam pushed the box across the bumpy grass and focused on the letter. "Thank you," Blood erratically pumped to the tips of his ears at hearing the genuine smile in her tone.

'X3N05' written in bold stole the centre of the letter's cover whereas the letter V settled for a tiny corner. Ruffles of clothes and her shuffling movement tore his gaze entirely off the text and he forced an interest in the tent's fabric to stay busy.

"Done."

Adam spun on his boot and pressed the letter into the girl's palm. "Wait for me," He spoke breathlessly, "I'm sorry, I just remembered that I have to be somewhere else right now. Stay here and I'll find you again."