63. The Ark of Stars: The Sirius Redemption
Part 1 — The Pulse of Hope
Suri stood by the viewport, his gaze fixed on the violet sphere of Altima.
Tears blurred his vision.
The planet’s Great Red Spot loomed like a cosmic seal, a symbol heralding the dawn of a new era.
Sabi and Maru drew close, their warmth enveloping him in a silent embrace.
Behind his eyes, the fragmented memories of their long, arduous journey flickered like a carousel of snapshots—click, flash, click—each one a testament to their survival.
“A world without shadows like Yuki…I never imagined such a luminous friendship could exist,” Teacher Golly murmured, her fingers kneading her temples. “But the thought of the classroom…my head is already throbbing. I’ve been absent without a word for so long I’ve stopped counting the days. The principal will have my head for this.”
“Teacher, who’s to say you won’t be teaching the children of Sirius instead?”
Sabi suggested, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she winked.
“Ha! Now that’s a thought! It’s certainly a mission worth pursuing. Alright then—onwards, all in!”
Golly winked back, a fragile hope reigniting in her weary eyes.
“Look at Altima, everyone,”
Sabi whispered, her face radiant.
“It’s no longer the hell-scape we knew. From now on, let’s call it ‘Altima Reborn.’ Isn’t it exquisite? Like a gift waiting to be unwrapped on Christmas morning.”
She swept into a graceful ballerina’s reverence, a silent tribute to the transformed world.
“Sabi, as lovely as that bow is, it won’t fill our bellies,”
Maru interjected, feigning a sob.
“But it is the season. And Christmas means chicken! That’s the Law of the Cosmos! Fried, seasoned, crispy…I’m getting vertigo just thinking about it. I need it, I crave it!”
“Since when was chicken the Law of the Cosmos?”
Sabi teased, giving the back of Maru’s head a playful flick.
“Sabi’s right—it’s not merely a law, it’s the Law of the Cosmos,”
Golly laughed, her appetite clearly stirred.
“Let’s head to Sirius and feast. I’ve heard rumors of the legendary Sunday Roast and Chicken & Chips in the celestial pubs. My mouth is already watering. Just a little further, children.”
At that moment, the Malta’s hull vibrated with a new frequency.
The violent, explosive roar of the combat engines had vanished.
In its place was a low, melodic hum—soft as a spring breeze, rhythmic as the heartbeat of a newborn.
Thump-thump.
The pulse of hope had begun.
“Mrrrow…Mrrrow,”
Thorwayne trilled, his voice weaving into the engine’s song.
“It feels like Christmas Eve,”
Sabi said, her face glowing with the wonder of a child.
“Engine power at 120 percent! Locking onto the celestial trajectory!!”
Sansuna’s voice rang out with newfound authority.
“The path…it’s opening for us,”
Maru stammered in awe.
“The universe is carving a way, as if this road was prepared just for our arrival.”
“It’s magic,”
Marblem boasted, though his eyes were wide with genuine amazement.
“The Magic Tribes are with us. And you all know who to thank for that, right?”
“Remember this: just as Noah preserved the seeds of life during the Great Flood, we carry within this ark the seeds of the Malta civilization—the seeds of hope. This is more than mere survival. It is a cosmic mandate. The flame of Malta, which once flickered alone in the deep blue Mediterranean, will be reignited on the shores of Sirius.”
Suri tightened his grip, his voice resonating with the weight of their legacy.
As the Malta pierced the boundary of the stellar route, the known laws of physics dissolved into light.
The universe turned inside out.
Billions of stars intertwined like living silk, spiraling into a colossal loom of radiance.
It was a chaotic masterpiece, a shimmering vortex that existed for the sole purpose of guiding the Malta home.
“There it is…”
Sabi gasped.
“…Canis Major,”
Maru whispered, the words barely escaping his throat.
“We’re here.”
It was no mere star.
Since the dawn of time, humanity had looked toward this light with a primal longing, a collective memory of a divine home they were destined to find again.
Teacher Golly, her glasses in hand, stood before them.
Her ‘Brilliant Hammer’ was gone, replaced by the fire of a scholar.
“The ancient Egyptians called it Sothis. For seventy days it would vanish, only to emerge at the dawn of the summer solstice, heralding the flooding of the Nile. It was the ‘Heliacal Rising’—the Great Clock of Heaven. From the Maya to the Sumerians, from the navigators of the Pacific to the astronomers of Babylon, Sirius was the ‘Sun of the Night.’ It is the benchmark of time, the messenger of life, and the ancestral home of us all.”
Guided by the currents of light, the Malta drifted toward its destination.
There lay ‘Sirius Malta’—twin islands larger than their earthly counterparts, blinking with a sapphire light within a celestial triangle.
A laser-like beam of azure energy shot out from the star, anchoring the Malta.
The engines went silent as the ship was drawn in like a magnet.
The two worlds overlapped, and the veil between reality and myth finally vanished.
“This is the magic,”
Suri whispered, his eyes brimming with tears.
“The same magic we felt in Malta…when the facade of the world falls away to reveal the ancient truth hidden beneath.”
“Guys, it’s Christmas!”
Maru shouted, leaping from the ship and sprinting toward the light.
[To be continued…]
Starting November 2023, The Korea Daily has published the fantasy novel series “Sword of Malta – Lightning in 72 Years” on our website. The captivating series follows a trio of young adventurers on their quest to uncover the mysteries of ancient civilizations, including the Maya and Inca. In an exciting development, Netflix is currently adapting the novel’s storyline into a film.
The ‘Sword of Malta – Lightning in 72 Years’ was authored by Jeeyoon Ha, who created the “Pangaea series.” Ha’s debut novel, “The Pangaea: Finding Xibalba,” was selected by the Korea Creative Content Agency in 2022 as part of their initiative to support the global export of fantasy literature.
*Mark Oh translated the Korean novel into English.
