Moma always says, "The stars are the only thing that is permanent in our lives, a crystal diamond to light up the dreary night sky. A beauty to relay on when all seems impossible"

I used to believe moma when she talked about the stars. How could you not? She spoke with such passion that even an adult would sway; awe and wonder radiating from their expressions. A child was not an exception. I had looked into my moma's eyes and saw the universe, her mysterious depths of vibrant colour and vulnerability. Moma always said the universe was a she. And she was not silent but busting with sound and motion, always moving, dynamic in every aspect. Filled-yet not filled, as she was boundless, boundaries nonexistent -no limiting barriers, filled with joy and sadness, love and hate. Never still, never silent. I had thought the stars a home away from home.

But now? I wish to never see their deceitful glow again! Shut them away, banish them from the skies! Let the universe-let IT burn from existence for i can not take anymore! I can not! Let the ancestors smit me from their golden thrones for all i care! Just let me go my life without being taunted by their evergreen joy! Their laughter! Their family! I can not take another day, another hour another second! Please, i can't. . .

Because Moma, even the stars die.

I see Sirius as usual, the closest star to me. It winks in mockery like always. I used to think it was pretty, but i soon began to loathe its false charm. Despite Moma's claim, space is quiet. A blanket of eerie silence plugging out all evidence of life.

Another day, like the last. And the last before that and before that. Another day the same as all the rest. Just me and the gloating stars. For hours i stare. I stare until another day passes. I can't remember how long its been now. Perhaps a month? A year? A decade or a few? Time up here isn't the same as it was back home. The sun doesn't rise from the horizon and settle at night. It's never either bright or dark. Both but entwined permanently. An unbearable light surrounded by bitter darkness. Here, its a dessert where water isn't a deficit, but the value of time. One does not age physically but mentally when marooned in this hell. Always stuck, never moving. Agonizing solitude.

I can still remember Moma. Still see her smile, that one dimple on her left check that would appear when she laughed. Oh that bellowing laugh, how i missed it! So contagious and pure. I miss Moma. I remember why i had to leave. It was vital that someone remembered. Although most days i wish that i wasn't the one that had to remember. It would have been blissful-no delightful to have died with Moma. Embraced in her arms till the end. A safe haven at the end of a journey. That would have been nice.

But that was not to be. I had inherited a responsibility from birth, one that was perpetual. Only 2 others were given the same treatment as me, all carrying this same burden. They would have been in the same situation as me, if only they had survived the first hour. What killed them, killed the rest of our people. I called it "The golden flare".

This devastating event was predicted months before it even happened and prophesied a millennia before that. Only many of my people wouldnt believe the end of the world was set in stone, long before they were born. The golden flare, was a natural phenomenon that couldn't be avoided. Our sun, icarus, was dying. It had gave the people of Mercury a wondrous 12 billion years of life. We established a society, developed technology that out shined all the planets in our galaxy. Even earth, which had begun to evolve small single celled organisms- the first signs of life in our own galaxy which wasn't ourselves. We had taken a shining to this planet, it was a chance that in the far future communication between whole worlds could be. In essence, my people felt almost responsible for the planet of earth. As a mother does to her child. Our plan was to guide and nurture this young planet into a beautiful haven for its inhabitants, whomever they would be. We would prevent plagues, wars and self-destruction that this planet would surely face. We would educate the apex species to love their own planet as we do. Show them the beauty of the galaxy. Of our galaxy. We would flourish together, sister worlds with only space between us. An alliance forge through time and trust. It was a nice idea, i must say. Flawed in the only aspect where we didn't live long enough to see it through.

I was 12 when my people discovered the exact date which icarus, our sun, planned to destroyed us. It was to be on the third moon cycle, the day before my 13th birthday. With all our technology and elite skills when it comes to problem solving, no one could devise a solution to stop the explosion of our dying sun. Plans were made in the up coming days to save what we could. The three 'elites', the only 3 in our world whom have been blessed with ancient knowledge of past lives. The elites in our society are somewhat the peace keepers, knowledge of billions of lives in one person, and there were three elites. Although elites aren't born with this knowledge. A ritual at their coming of age bestows this power. All of my people go through this ritual. Not all become elites, there is other branches. Some gain intelligence, others become warriors. Even a select few gain metamorphosis. My Moma was a metamorphosis, which meant that i was naturally the same. Moma's spirit animal was an eagle, one so big i used to sit on her back when i was five. Papa was blessed with intelligence, and would often bestow such knowledge onto his unwilling daughter. I enjoyed papa's company very much, he was always just one smile away from a laugh. He was always so funny and mischievous unlike mama who was so serious around others, only letting her family see her soft side. Moma couldn't let other people see any weakness because if people saw that she was afraid, then all hope would be lost. I loved Moma all the same.

Moma and Papa found out that i was an elite when i was 2. It doesn't matter what the ritual of age blesses a person with, they won't show signs until they have become of age. That is unless your an elite. Elites are highly adaptable to their surroundings and have power unparallel to any other being in our world. Each elite is different from the others, different skill sets and potentials. There has only ever been 3 elites alive at the same time.

When i was 2 i changed my eye colour from its usual blue to purple, just like my favourite teddy bear-Faunx. Moma and Papa was so happy to have an elite daughter, we celebrated for weeks.

By 5 i could change my entire appearance, my hair, my pointed ears, nose, height anything. Although Moma said that i won't find my spirit animal until i either become of age or meet my Charisma.

A Charisma, is a persons soul mate. You only ever get one, normally when Charisma's meet they don't recognize the other person as their Char, they may have seen each other in person many times before they relies their each others Char. Moma told me that its an action the other person does, or a strong emotion about the person that identifies them as your Char. Moma and Papa are Chars. They found out they were soul mates when Moma's Papa died. Moma was very sad and it was Papa that made her smile again.

When a person finds their Char, they can communicate telepathly, through the bond they share. Words aren't expressed but feelings and emotions, something far stronger. Papa would always know when Moma was sad. And she the same with Papa.

If i was to find my own Char before I'm 18, i will find my spirit animal.

But i will never find my Char, because I'm the only one left. The last elite, the last Murcurian.

I find myself reminiscing about my home often, always lost in thought. Theres not much i can do in this small pod floating through space. I barley have leg room, and I'm strapped to the chair. The lack of space doesn't bother me much though because i can't move. When i was launched away from my home planet, Papa placed me into a form of paralysis. I can still breath, open and close my eyes but i can't move. My breathing is almost non-exsistant. This 'state' prevents me from getting hungry or needing to release my bowels. It was the last thing my Papa did for me and the other Elites.

I didn't get to say goodbye to Moma. Its something i think about often. I really wish i could have convinced Moma to let me stay with her and Papa. I wouldn't be stuck staring and these stupid stars.

I closed my eyes again, the grief of what i lost far too great.

I must have fallen asleep again because i was awoken by a shuddering.

Was the pod shaking?

Its never done that before. Opening my eyes i looked out the glass window directly in front of me. Nothing. So why was my pod tremoring? I wish i could move right now, so i could look behind me.

The shaking started to get more aggressive, moving my head unwillingly from side to side.

Suddenly, i could feel my pod moving. No, wait. That was impossible, my navigation controls were damaged. I shouldn't be moving.

A loud beeping was coming from the controls of my pod.

With a jolt, we went into hyper-speed. Travelling billions of light years in a second. I clenched my eyes shut, the bright lights too much for my sensitive eyes.

I don't know how long i was travelling, but the pod stopped shaking.

Daring to open my eyes, i was astonished to what i saw. There, very clearly in front of me was a planet. I almost forgot what blue and green looked like. So many colours, browns, yellows and was that white? Clouds perhaps. I was still too far away to make out the outlines of the landmass but this planet was simply beautiful. And i was heading straight for it.

Realisation hit me, i was going to crash into this planet.

Without something to soften my blow, i was going to die.