Chapter 178: The Launch Site And The Spaceships

Words : 1041 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 178: The Launch Site And The Spaceships Ethan, Evelyn, and Everly made their way out of the academy building without much talk. The afternoon light was soft, casting long shadows across the polished stone paths. The campus grounds were still quiet. Most of the students were still inside finishing their tests. A few instructors stood near the far edges of the courtyard, scanning lists and reviewing data projections, but no one called out to them. No one stopped them. The car was already waiting where Ethan had left it—clean, polished, and quiet. The sleek black surface reflected the pale sky above. Then, just like before, it converted from a sports car to a sports SUV. The doors unlocked automatically as they approached. They climbed in. Ethan slid into the driver’s seat, though the car didn’t need manual input. The twins took the back, one on each side. The doors shut behind them with a quiet click. Ethan tapped the console once. "Moonshade residence," he said. The vehicle pulled away from the curb with a smooth hum. None of them talked for the first few minutes. The streets were calm. No traffic. No noise other than the light hum of distant sky trams passing overhead. Everly leaned her head against the glass, watching the buildings blur past. Evelyn sat quietly, her eyes focused ahead, expression unreadable. Ethan rested his elbow against the door, fingers lightly tapping once before going still. By the time they reached the edge of the inner city, Everly finally spoke. "So tomorrow’s the start of it." Ethan nodded. "Yeah." Evelyn glanced toward him. "Did they say which ship we’re taking?" "No. Just that they’ll announce it at the launch site." Everly stretched lightly. "As long as it’s not one of those cramped old training cruisers, I’m fine." "They wouldn’t risk that with this many students," Ethan said. The launch site wasn’t small. It was a large, high-security area built to send people far beyond the city. Every year, it moved students, soldiers, and research teams out toward the dangerous zones. The place was vast, filled with check-in towers, scanning points, supply trucks, and staff constantly running checks. The ships were even more serious. Tall, fast, and strong. Each one was covered in special armor made to resist beast attacks. They had high-speed engines and shields, and could carry a lot of people at once. Even with all that, it still took a full day to reach the nearest forbidden zone. That alone showed just how far they were going—and how dangerous it really was. The car turned down a quiet road lined with trees, the entrance to the Moonshade family estate visible just ahead. Ethan pulled the car to a gentle stop in front of the curved gate. The system pinged once. Identity confirmed. The gates opened. He drove forward slowly, then stopped near the front steps. Evelyn opened the door. "Thanks for the ride." Ethan gave a slight nod. Everly leaned forward between the seats. "Don’t disappear when it’s over. If they don’t split us up, I expect a good seat next to you on the ride back." He smirked faintly. "Deal." The twins stepped out, waving once before heading up the steps. The gate closed behind them as Ethan reversed the car and turned back toward the main road. The drive to the Nocturne estate took longer. The city’s heart was wide and structured. Floating signs, sleek roadways, and distant silhouettes of armed patrol units patrolling rooftops. Ethan didn’t rush. The car drove itself. He just sat there, silent. By the time the gate of his own home came into view, the sun was starting to lower. The sky was fading to a gentle orange. The gates opened the moment the car approached. The house stood quietly, glowing with soft exterior lights. Not too bright. Just warm. He parked near the main entrance, stepped out, and stretched his shoulders once before walking in. The door opened without sound. The air inside smelled faintly of herbs and tea. Lilith was in the main lounge, seated on one of the long sofas, a glass of pale tea in hand. She looked up when Ethan entered and gave him a small, knowing smile. "You’re back." He nodded. "Perfect score?" He raised an eyebrow. She smirked. "Of course." Seraphina walked in from the side hall, still in her business suit. She gave Ethan a glance, then folded her arms. "I checked the report board. You’re the first to finish. The AI flagged your responses for advisory review." Ethan shrugged lightly. "It happens." Liliana entered behind her, tossing a practice baton into the air and catching it casually. "You didn’t overthink it, right? They hate that." "I kept it simple," Ethan said. Isabella came in last, holding a cup of fruit and picking at it with a small fork. "We watched the live system logs. Dr. Quill actually froze for two minutes after reading your answers. The admin forum had to post a temp buffer notice." Lilith chuckled softly. "So you broke it again." Ethan shook his head. "Just made it work harder." Lilith set down her glass. "Dinner’s almost ready. You’ve got maybe twenty minutes." Ethan nodded and walked into the dining room. He set his bag aside and sat at the long table. The others followed. The table was already partly set, bowls, utensils, plates of steamed vegetables, roasted fish, and soft rolls lined up neatly. Lilith brought in the last dish herself, some kind of warm stew—and placed it in the center. They sat. They ate. No one rushed. The conversation was light, drifting between small details and reminders about the next day. No teasing. No pressure. Just family. At one point, Liliana looked over. "What was the main question?" Ethan took a sip of water before answering. "Collapse of the Crescent Trade Alliance. Beast migrations. Power shifts. Wanted a full breakdown and future prevention method." Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "That’s heavy for a first prompt." "Then they gave a case about transport loopholes. Beast cores are going missing. And something about vigilante classifications." Isabella leaned on one arm. "They’re mixing civil structure with military oversight again. They’re getting ready to push joint evaluation next season."

Chapter 178: The Launch Site And The Spaceships

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