The Generation Series: REBIRTH

The air was thick with smoke as Hiroshiro reached the entrance of his house. He navigated through the familiar rooms that now seemed like a maze of shadows and danger.

His priority was scientific research, notebooks, and any valuable equipment he could carry, sweat mingling with soot on his forehead.

Standing outside, Hoshiyo yelled, "Hey, are you okay in there?" 

"I'll be out in a second," Hiroshiro yelled. 

As the fire intensified outside, Hiroshiro moved purposefully, searching for any item containing Hoshiyo's DNA. He found a hairbrush, a toothbrush, and some of her clothing. He approached the door, emerging from within the smoke; the floor creaked beneath his hurried steps.

Hiroshiro lept out in a desperate attempt to salvage what remained of his world and collapsed onto the cold sand and dirt; he gasped for breath. His body trembled from the combination of physical exertion and the emotional toll.

Hoshiyo gasped, "Are you alright?"

Hiroshiro gently patted his daughter's head, offering a reassuring smile. "I'm perfectly fine," he assured her.

A distant murmur of angry voices reached Hiroshiro's ears. The villagers, consumed by misguided rage, had formed a mob armed with pitchforks and other farming tools.

"What now?" Hoshiyo growled.

Hiroshiro instinctively raised his arms to defend himself, desperately pleading, "Stop! Why are you still attacking me?"

A furious woman held a knife to his throat, her voice laced with anger. "You killed our families and friends with the flames from cremating your daughter. We saw her face, her anger within the fire, burning our homes and loved ones. You will pay for that with your life."

Hiroshiro panicked and cried, "It wasn't me. It was the wind. My house was burned, too."

A male villager shouted, "We've had enough of your lies!"

Pitchforks thrust forward, and anger-fueled accusations filled the air as they closed in on the exhausted man. Hiroshiro, weakened and battered, barely managed to escape the first blows. In a desperate bid for survival, he staggered to his feet and limped away from the encroaching mob, his possessions clutched tightly to his chest.

"Daddy," Hoshiyo cried. 

"I'm okay, sweetie. I'll meet you at the cliffside. Go save the world," Hiroshiro weakly replied. Running up the mountain through the dense smoke and swirling charcoal, Hiroshiro felt the sting of both physical and emotional wounds. The villagers, driven by panic and vengeance, pursued him relentlessly.

Gasping for breath and fueled by desperation, Hiroshiro reached the sacred place where Hoshiyo's remains had been cremated. The once tranquil surroundings were now tainted with the echoes of the villagers' rage.

Driven by the need for safety, Hiroshiro frantically began digging beneath the stone slab that had served as the altar for his daughter's cremation. The moist soil clung to his hands as he carved out a cavity large enough to seek refuge from the storm that raged below.

As the entrance to the cavern took shape, Hiroshiro descended into its cool, earthen embrace. Hiroshiro worked diligently to carve out a living space. A narrow bed made from gathered foliage so he may find comfort in the dark where he created his lab and worked for decades to birth nine women to protect the island.

Sakura asked, "Any chances the Generation Tomb was built over the underground lab?" 

Michael laughed and said, "Wow, she caught on fast."

"Yes, in fact, the first Generations were buried where they were born," Sam said. 

"Aye, what is the star festival?" Sakura asked. 

"In Japanese, it's called Tanabata. It's a festival where we celebrate our deities, Orihime and Hikoboshi. According to our legends, the Milky Way separated the two lovers. The couple could only meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar moon of the lunisolar."

"Grand, I love that." 

Alex jumped up to stretch his body. He said, "Last year's Tanabata, I wished for endless chocolate cupcakes." 

Athen chuckled and couldn't help but say, "Oh, yeah. And how did that work out for you?"

"Remember when we ordered food in America, and they accidentally gave us a giant box of breadsticks."

"You ate twenty of those in one serving and vomited everywhere the next morning." 

"Worth it." 

Alex's comedy provoked hearty laughter, a reminder that fun moments could still find their way to their hearts, even in their burdens. Sam, however, chose solitude, retreating to the captain's quarters where thoughts could find peace in isolation.

The light of the bright white moon shimmered on the boat, reflecting a captivating light on the ocean. The boys engaged Sakura in cheerful conversation, reminiscing about their early festival experiences. Laughter mingled with memories as they recounted their attempts to catch fish with delicate paper nets, though their endeavors saw one or two.

Suddenly, the ocean unfolded a procession of Humpback whales, majestic in their enormity, graced the surface, their tails arcing out of the water to plunge back into the depths, sending cascades of water in their wake. Some exposed their blowholes to the surface for oxygen.

But a rare enchantment eclipsed it—a pod of orcas, a family unit complete with their offspring, glided through the water. Sakura perched herself on the bow's edge, her eyes glittering like the ocean in the sun. She acknowledged the magnificent creatures with a wave and a heart full of innocence. Gentle whistles and clicks carried the voices of the young orcas swimming beside their mothers.

Jack ran his hands through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. "This isn't good," he muttered.

"What're ya on about now?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Babes, those whales are swimming away from the Orcas," Jack replied, his tone serious.

"Shite, I forgot Orcas eat whales," Sakura said, her eyes widening.

"It's the circle of life," Michael said with a grin.

The female Orcas led the hunt, their calves trailing alongside them as they mimicked the adults. One Orca breached high above the fleeing whale, mounting on the whale's blow hole, forcing the massive creature to the surface to suffocate it. Sakura stood frozen, her mouth open. She'd never realized just how intelligent and strategic killer whales could be.

"Nope. I'm outta here," Sakura declared, shaking her head as she clasped her hands and turned toward the entrance leading to her quarters below deck.

Alec, however, watched the scene intently, licking his lips. "D'you think they'll save us some?" he asked eagerly.

Alex smacked the back of his brother's head with a scowl. "No, you idiot."

Meanwhile, Jack followed Sakura down the narrow staircase. She had barely reached her bed when he leaned casually against the doorway.

"How're you feeling about going back to the island, Babes?" he asked gently. "You gonna be alright?"

Sakura hesitated, lowering herself onto the edge of her bed. "I'm not sure. I always thought I was born in Ireland before I was brought to America."

Jack smiled wistfully, recalling his own roots. "My family's Irish too, but my accent's nowhere near as thick as yours," he said with a chuckle. "After your ancestors brought other werewolves from different clans to Paradise Island, my family settled in the City of Lights. We spoke Irish fluently for years, but over time, it faded. We're not so Irish anymore."

"The City of Lights?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah," Jack said, his eyes lighting up. "It's a whole city built inside and around a massive tree. Fireflies light up the tree's natural beauty, and lanterns guide people up and down the levels. It's a beautiful place."

Sakura's eyes widened in amazement. "The tree's really that big?" she asked.

Jack chuckled and nodded. "It's 634 meters tall."

Sakura gasped. "No way!"

"Yes, way," Jack said, laughing. "There are shops, houses, and all kinds of things built right into it. It's like its own little world up there."

"Aye, I can only imagine how grand it looks at night. I'm excited to see it when we get there," Sakura said, a spark of enthusiasm in her voice. Then she added, "Teach me how ta speak more American too, will ya?"

Jack grinned and touched his chin. "That's not a bad idea. With that accent, people might get the wrong impression. Yeah, we should work on it."

"Grand! Where do we start, lad?" Sakura asked, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

Jack burst out laughing. "First off, stop saying 'grand.' Instead, say something like 'cool.'"

"Cool? Like… cold?" Sakura asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Jack shook his head and rubbed his face, trying to stifle his laughter. "No, not cold. It just means something's good or impressive. You'll get the hang of it. A lot's changed since the '90s."

Athen strolled in and plopped down on Sakura's bed, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "Sup, nerds. What are we talking about?" he asked with a smirk.

"She wants to learn how to speak with an American accent," Jack said, grinning.

Athen raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I'd pay to see that. But don't forget—you'll need to pick up some Japanese if you want to survive out there too."

Sakura groaned. "I don't have time for history lessons and language lessons. There's gotta be a faster way."

"No shortcuts, babes," Jack said, shaking his head.

Athen chimed in; his tone was more serious. "It's not just about the language. You need to learn how to hunt, fight, treat wounds, and master other survival skills. As a leader, you're expected to perfect all of that and more."

Sakura crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "I used to live in a mansion in Los Angeles, and now you're telling me I'll be sleeping on a bed of grass? Really?"

Athen laughed, shaking his head. "Don't act so shocked. Remember, I lived in the woods while we were in school together."

Sakura sighed, the memory tugging at her. "Yeah, I always wondered how you found that cottage in the woods so easily and knew no one would bother us there."

"Exactly," Athen said with a nostalgic smile. "We had some good times, hanging out whenever we could."

His words triggered a memory in Sakura's mind. She recalled a school field trip to the park that ended early after some kids spotted wolves fighting a bear. Her eyes widened. "Wait… there was a grey wolf and a red wolf in that field. Was that you?"

Athen's lips curled into a proud smile. "I'm a timber wolf, not a grey wolf. But yeah, that was Michael and me hunting the bear. It recognized us and attacked, so we had to deal with it."

Sakura's face hardened as she frowned at him. "So you lied to me when I asked if you knew what happened?"

Athen rubbed the back of his head, offering her an awkward smile. He had no words to justify it—he and Michael had only fought the bear to protect the other children.

Before he could explain further, Michael came bounding down the narrow stairs with a wide grin. He waved them over excitedly. "Sakura! You've gotta see this!"

"What is it?" Sakura asked, her curiosity piqued.

Athen sat up. "Yeah, now you've got me interested."

Jack frowned, his arms crossed. "Is it something we need to worry about?"

Michael chuckled. "Not at all. Quite the opposite, actually."

Sakura emerged from the shadows beneath the deck with the boys, drawn by a luminescence casting a glow across the ocean's surface. Intrigued, she made her way to the edge of the stern, where a celestial underwater landscape unveiled itself—the sea illuminated by the soft radiance of moon jellyfish. Like otherworldly lanterns, these delicate creatures painted the water with a magical hue.

Beneath the boat's hull, hundreds of moon jellyfish embarked on a silent migration, a caravan guided by the currents as they ventured westward towards uninhabited waters.

Moved by wonder, Sakura leaned over the edge, her fingers skimming the surface of their tiny heads. The jellyfish responded to her touch, their smooth, gelatinous forms brushing against her hand. An uninvited and pure smile graced her features, a rare moment of joy radiating through her being.

The boys, silent observers of this transcendent encounter, watched her from afar. Jack pointed to the water. He said, "Is no one going to stop her? Those jellyfish can sting."

"No, leave her be," Athen replied.

"Why?"

"I haven't seen her this happy in a long time. I want her to have this moment. We never know when she will have a moment like this again." 

Michael yawned, stretching out his arms, and spoke in a high-pitched voice, "Well, I'm off to bed." 

The contagious yawn reached the weary twins; grasping one another, Alec said, "Can we go to bed now, brother?"

"Yeah, let's go." 

Jack gave Athen a brotherly pat on the shoulder before escaping to his quarters and leaving Athen behind to monitor his mate. Currently unaware of his presence, the moonlit spectacle kept Sakura captive, hours slipping away like the gentle tide. She remained a silent witness to the flow of the jellyfish migration until the heavens mirrored the depths once more.