Chapter 3: Rebellion
Halo's engine roared like trapped thunder before gasping to silence as he parked.
He stopped and tapped the sleek steering wheel with a wide grin.
"We're home!"
Lucien, who had been lost in thought, slowly regained focus and stepped out of the car. He raised his eyes and frowned as he scanned the exterior of Halo's apartment.
"This is..."
He paused, still turning around.
The house rose like a wave caught mid-motion—graceful, weightless, impossibly still. It didn't just sit on the land. It hovered, curved, and flowed as though shaped by wind itself.
Its sweeping white form curled from ground to sky, as if it had grown from some alien seed rather than blueprints. A single arch stretched out like a giant's limb, shielding the driveway and casting long shadows over pale stone. Beneath it sat Halo's car.
The entire front wall was glass. Through it, Lucien glimpsed curved staircases, golden light spilling across floors, and a chandelier like frozen lightning. From every angle, the structure whispered movement—no harsh lines, only smooth, seamless flow. It looked like something meant for the future, somehow left behind in the present.
"Isn't this Aether Curve, designed by Mira Ellion in 2033?"
Halo nodded eagerly.