Searching for the Lost Planet - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In the interstellar era, the network is highly developed.

Within the ethereal void of space, countless brilliant stars emit a dazzling radiance.

Yet my gaze is fixed on an inconspicuous corner at the very bottom.

There lies a dim, lightless, abandoned planet.

It drifts lonely through the void.

Amidst the magnificent starry sky, it is as tiny as a grain of sand.

An irregular, yellowish-brown sphere, it is saturated with the aura of decay and collapse.

But the moment I see it, my heart-like a young sprout finally meeting a long-awaited rain-bursts with vitality and begins to beat once more.

“I’ve searched for so long, and I’ve finally found it.”

Eighty million-a price sufficient to purchase ten planets.

I bought it.

The moment I signed the confirmation papers, I felt a faint connection stir within my body.

Weak, listless, and on the verge of collapse.

She is dying…

But that doesn’t matter.

I can’t help but lean closer to the massive viewing screen, my eyes locked onto her.

“No matter the cost, we will wake you.”

The Interstellar Auction was crowded with people. Everyone wanted to see which fool had spent such a high price to buy a worthless waste planet.

Someone asked me: What’s the point? Is it worth it?

I looked toward the source of the voice.

Green skin, a humanoid body with tentacles. Eight massive eyes were scattered across his body, his vertical pupils filled with confusion.

He was a member of the Kata Race from Tutan Star in the Second Galaxy.

I didn’t answer his question directly. Instead, I told him a story:

Many years ago, an unremarkable planet faced an apocalyptic crisis.

The inhabitants there could not resist such a disaster. They had no choice but to leave their homeland and flee to foreign lands to survive.

It took them a long time to find their footing.

But living like rootless duckweed was terrifying. They knew very well:

Only one’s homeland provides peace of mind.

No matter how beautiful or wonderful other places might be, they are nothing more than temporary inns.

Fallen leaves return to their roots; the weary return to their home.

I gazed at that nearly exhausted planet.

My voice couldn’t help but choke up, even as it carried the smile of a wish fulfilled: “She isn’t a ‘waste planet.’ She has a name.”

Under the gaze of the crowd, fueled by a longing that had spanned a millennium, those two words tore through the shackles of time:

“Earth.”

Just two short words, yet they spoke of the complex emotions of a displaced people who had finally found the road home.

All the hardships along the way finally had an answer.

A breeze arrived, carrying the long-lost scent of vegetation.

My pupils dilated in shock as I looked at my palm in disbelief.

Lying there was a withered, yellow leaf.

It bore unique veins and a sense of belonging carved into my very soul.

A voice echoed in the depths of my heart: “Is it you, child who left home?”

She was so weak she seemed ready to dissipate at any moment, yet the gentleness in her bones could not be hidden.

A motherly warmth enveloped me.

I stood dazed, unable to speak for a long time. Only my trembling body betrayed the surging, turbulent waves of my inner heart.

“Is it not… It seems I’ve made a mistake again.”

Her tone grew dejected, and a faint sigh seemed to escape.

I hurriedly reached out, trying to grasp that ethereal voice: “It’s me!”

The withered leaf twitched slightly.

Under my gaze, it moved without any wind.

It curled up and slowly drifted before my eyes, level with my gaze.

With the movement, a few withered fragments cracked and fell with a crisp sound.

She hesitated, using an invisible little hand to stroke my cheek: “I found you…”

As the words fell.

I felt a vast, titan-like mental energy, both near and far.

It condensed upon me.

Swish-swish-swish!

Across the universe, seemingly random drifting objects-an inconspicuous leaf, a pebble, or a dried flower-all froze at once.

After a moment of stillness, they rapidly converged and sped toward a certain direction.

People were shocked to see that on the viewing screen, that lifeless waste planet suddenly flickered with light.

Everyone stood up abruptly, staring at that spot.

Blue… was spreading. Was it light? Planets don’t glow. Perhaps it was the burning light of hope. It moved??!

At a speed visible to the naked eye, it drew closer to a specific location.

An interstellar wanderer let out an incredulous exclamation:

“That direction… it’s the auction house we’re in. She’s coming for us. No…”

He suddenly realized something and instinctively covered his mouth, which had hung open in shock.

“She’s coming for her!”

He was pointing right at me.

I, too, watched the rapidly moving planet, my fist clenching to protect the Leaf in my palm.

I realized.

It wasn’t just us looking for Earth; she was looking for us, too.

A mother worries when her child travels a thousand miles.

Every withered leaf was a fragment of Earth’s perception.