Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Later that evening, Cleo was reviewing the daily reports from the maid bots stationed in Rex’s room. While most of the updates were routine, meal schedules, vitals, and exercise recommendations, one report caught her attention.

Every day, without fail, the maid bots observed Ys staring intently at the same spot behind Rex’s bed. The spot that, according to their sensors, was completely empty.

Cleo leaned back in her chair, her wings twitching slightly as she processed this information. A faint frown crossed her lips, and she closed the reports with a flick of her wrist.

The next time Ys came to visit Rex, Cleo intercepted her in the hallway outside his room. She raised an eyebrow, her usual smirk playing on her lips

. "What’s this? Cleo, are you jealous I’m spending so much time with my darling?" Experience more tales on empire

Cleo ignored the jab; her tone was calm but direct. "

Y’Ssera,"

she said, addressing Ys by her full name, which instantly caught the other woman’s attention.

"I know you can see something that the rest of us can’t. So tell me, What are you staring at so much every time you visit Rex?"

Ys blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question. For a moment, she looked like she was about to deflect with another teasing remark, but something in Cleo’s unwavering gaze made her stop. Her wings shifted uncomfortably as she glanced away, rubbing the back of her neck.

"You’ve noticed, huh?"

Ys finally said, her voice quieter than usual.

"The maid bots noticed,"

Cleo corrected, folding her arms.

"And I want answers. What are you seeing?"

Ys hesitated, her usual confidence faltering for the first time in a long while. She looked back at Cleo, her smirk completely gone, replaced by an expression of mild unease.

"I... don’t know how to explain it,"

Ys admitted.

"It’s not something solid. It’s more like... a shadow. A presence."

"A presence?"

Cleo repeated, her voice hardening slightly.

"Be specific." n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Ys sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation.

"It’s not like I can see it in the way you’d see a person. It’s more like I can feel it hovering there, behind Rex. Every time I visit, it’s there, just watching. Waiting. And..."

She hesitated, her voice trailing off.

"And what?"

Cleo pressed, stepping closer.

Ys finally met Cleo’s gaze, her emerald eyes serious.

"And it feels old... Really old. And really powerful. Like it doesn’t belong in this world, or maybe it doesn’t belong anywhere."

Cleo’s wings twitched again, her mind racing with possibilities. If Ys was sensing something beyond their understanding, it could explain Rex’s strange behavior and the faint energy signature from before.

"Have you told Rex?"

Cleo asked after a moment.

"No,"

Ys said firmly.

"He’s already got enough on his plate. Besides, I don’t think it’s hurting him. If it wanted to, it would’ve done something by now."

"That’s not reassuring,"

Cleo muttered, her tone sharp.

Ys shrugged.

"Look, I don’t know what it is. I’m just telling you what I’ve sensed. But if you’re worried, maybe you should keep a closer eye on him. And if you figure out what’s going on, let me know."

Cleo didn’t reply immediately, her golden eyes narrowing as she processed Ys’s words. Finally, she nodded.

"Fine. But if you sense anything more, anything at all, you tell me immediately."

"Sure, sure,"

Ys replied, her smirk slowly returning.

"But only because you asked so nicely."

Cleo rolled her eyes, but the unease lingering in her chest refused to go away. Whatever this "presence" was, it had been watching Rex for weeks, possibly even longer.

And if Ys was right about its ancient and powerful nature, then this was only the beginning of a mystery far larger than any of them had anticipated.

For now, though, Cleo resolved to stay vigilant. Rex’s recovery was her priority, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something or someone was watching them all from the shadows.

Once Cleo left, Ys let out a long, tired sigh and leaned back against the cold metallic wall of the hallway. She ran a hand through her hair, idly twirling a strand around her finger as her emerald eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.

"I don’t think I should tell her everything,"

she muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible.

"Knowing Cleo, she’ll just worry even more. And right now, that’s the last thing Rex needs."

She let out another sigh, but this one carried the weight of frustration and unease. She had held back the full truth from Cleo, not because she wanted to lie, but because even she didn’t fully understand what she was seeing. And trying to explain it to someone else would only make the situation worse.

The truth was that Ys could

see

what others couldn’t. It wasn’t just a vague feeling of something lurking behind Rex. No, she could clearly see the figure that lingered in the shadows, standing silently behind him.

She had seen it before months ago, when she met Rex again after waking up, and back then, it was something that had left her in awe.

The first time she laid eyes on it, the figure radiated power and authority, like a divine being pulled straight from the ancient myths. Its presence had been overwhelming, commanding respect and admiration, as if it were a god who had descended to walk among mortals. But now... now it was different.

Now, the figure was broken.

It was incomplete, a shadow of the proud entity it had once been. Its body was ravaged by wounds so severe that even Ys, with her knowledge of astral forms, couldn’t understand how it still existed.

Black lances, jagged and unnatural, pierced its torso, shoulders, and legs, holding it together like pins, keeping shattered porcelain in place. One of its legs was entirely missing, and its right arm was gone, leaving only a jagged stump.

Its abdomen was partially hollowed out, the missing pieces revealing an abyss-like void within. But the worst part was its face.

The cracks that ran across its body extended to its head, its once-pristine features marred and broken as if someone or something had gripped it with overwhelming force and slammed it into the ground over and over again.

From the cracks and wounds, rivers of glowing blood spilled out. But this wasn’t ordinary blood. It shimmered and swirled like liquid space nebulas, glowing faintly with hues of deep purples, blues, and golds.

The blood dripped from the figure, only to dissolve into the air, leaving behind trails of shimmering, colorful space dust that floated away like dying stars.

Ys couldn’t look at it for long without feeling a deep, gnawing unease. Something about it didn’t belong in this dimension or even in the material world. It was... otherworldly. And yet, she knew one thing for certain.

That broken, bleeding figure, despite its injuries, its incompleteness, and its sorrowful state, was Rex’s astral image.

And that revelation chilled her to her core.

Astral images were supposed to represent the purest form of a person’s soul. They were reflections of one’s strength, potential, and identity.

For an astral image to be so damaged, so utterly shattered, meant that something or someone had attacked Rex on a level far beyond the material realm.

Wherever Rex’s consciousness had gone during those missing months, he had encountered something powerful. Something dangerous. And it wasn’t from this dimension.

"Which means..."

She whispered, her voice trailing off. Her hands tightened into fists as she tried to push away the spiraling thought

s. "It means there’s someone or something out there that can destroy an astral image like that. And if it’s not from this dimension, then..."

She shook her head, trying to banish the thoughts

. "No point thinking about it too much. If I let my imagination run wild, I’ll drive myself crazy. I’ll just... ask Mama if she knows anything about this."

Ys paused, her lips curving into a sly smile as she pushed off the wall and adjusted her wings.

"But that can wait for later. Right now, it’s my time to spend with my darling."

She stepped toward Rex’s room, her earlier unease momentarily fading as she focused on her own selfish desire to be near him.

The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing Rex sitting up in bed, clearly trying to sneak a chip from the snack stash Cleo had left behind despite the numerous warnings.

[Year 5608 Imperial Galactic System]

In the vast expanse of the galaxy, time marched on, indifferent to the lives it touched. Yet somewhere, deep within the fabric of reality, threads were unraveling. Something ancient stirred in the void between dimensions, waiting patiently as fractured pieces began to converge.

For now, the crew of Rex’s remained blissfully unaware of the growing storm. But for Rex, the visions of broken astral forms and the lingering presence behind him were just the beginning. Somewhere out there, a powerful enemy was waiting.

Rex leaned back in the large white throne of command that now dominated the bridge of the newly upgraded flagship.

The vessel gleamed with cutting-edge technology, its sleek design housing enough firepower to obliterate fleets. The ship had grown significantly in size and capability.

Its firepower was now three times greater than its former medium-sized incarnation. With twice the number of automated turrets lining its hull and three devastating main cannons, it was a ship to be feared.

The original main kinetic cannon remained as a symbol of brute force, capable of shattering enemy flagships with sheer impact, but now it was joined by an advanced laser cannon, an engineering marvel capable of melting through even the most reinforced hulls.

With these upgrades, Rex’s ship had become a moving fortress, a beacon of dominance in the sector.

From the throne, Rex surveyed the bridge, where Cleo stood at a control console, holo-screens illuminating her sharp golden eyes as she reviewed the latest data.

"Cleo,"

Rex called, his voice calm yet commanding.

"Give me the report on last month’s pirate incursions in our territory."