Intern’s Log: The War Council—And Who the Hell Is Fallen Star?

  Date: [This Is Getting Out of Hand]

  Intern ID: Reynolds, J. (I am not in control of this anymore.)

  So.

  The war is coming.

  ? The Good Boys know something is moving in the dark.

  ? The extraterrestrials are ignoring the problem.

  ? The uplifted species are preparing for war.

  ? And apparently, the monsters have always been here.

  Which means?

  We needed a war council.

  We needed all the big players.

  We needed to plan.

  And so, against my better judgment, we brought everyone to the table.

  ? Goldie, representing the Bear Collective.

  ? Bandit, representing himself and his growing empire of chaos.

  ? Vicky, because she refused to be left out.

  ? The Good Boys, because they felt the war before anyone else.

  ? Zil-Vatek, because he still thinks he’s just an observer.

  ? Evelyn, because she is too smart not to be here.

  ? And some classified government contacts who finally decided they should pay attention.

  And then.

  Then some mysterious bastard walked in.

  And I—the guy who is supposed to know everyone—

  Had no idea who the hell he was.

  Phase One: The Moment I Realized We Had an Uninvited Guest

  We were deep in discussion.

  ? Goldie was outlining tactical strengths.

  ? The Good Boys were confirming threats they had detected.

  ? Bandit was absolutely using this to expand his influence.

  ? Evelyn was poking holes in everyone’s arguments, as usual.

  And then the door opened.

  And he walked in.

  A man.

  Tall.

  Weathered.

  Wearing a coat that had seen battle, carrying a presence that made everyone shut up immediately.

  And the first thing I thought?

  "Who the hell is this?"

  The second thing I thought?

  "Why is everyone else acting like they know him?"

  Phase Two: The Name That No One Questioned

  He didn’t sit down.

  He just stood there.

  Watching.

  Goldie nodded to him.

  The Good Boys acknowledged him like an old comrade.

  Even Vicky—who rarely shows respect to anyone—gave him an appraising look.

  So I finally said it.

  "Uh. Who the hell are you?"

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  He looked at me.

  "I am known."

  Oh, come on.

  Phase Three: Who the Hell Is Fallen Star?

  I turned to Goldie.

  "Seriously. Who is this?"

  She nodded toward him.

  "He is called Fallen Star."

  That told me nothing.

  I turned to Evelyn.

  She looked intrigued.

  "You’ve never heard of him?"

  "NO, I HAVEN’T HEARD OF HIM! WHO IS HE?!"

  Fallen Star just smirked.

  Like he was used to people asking.

  Like he had stopped answering a long time ago.

  And then Bandit, because of course it was Bandit, leaned over and muttered—

  "He’s older than all of this, Reynolds."

  I did not like that answer.

  Phase Four: The Weight of His Presence

  ? He didn’t demand a seat.

  ? He didn’t announce his rank or position.

  ? He didn’t explain his knowledge of the war to come.

  Because he didn’t need to.

  Because everyone else already knew.

  And that?

  That’s when I realized—

  This man wasn’t just joining the war.

  He had been waiting for it.

  Phase Five: The Moment I Understood

  Goldie spoke first.

  "You come to fight."

  Fallen Star nodded.

  "I come because it was always going to end this way."

  Bandit chuckled.

  "Oh, I like him."

  I just rubbed my face.

  "Alright, fine. Someone just tell me—who is he really?"

  Evelyn tilted her head.

  "A legend."

  "A legend of what?!"

  Fallen Star finally looked me in the eye.

  "A legend of things that refuse to die."

  I felt a chill run down my spine.

  Because somehow, I believed him.

  Phase Six: The War Has Already Begun

  ? We have uplifted species preparing for battle.

  ? We have extraterrestrials still pretending they don’t see the problem.

  ? We have government officials realizing they do not control this anymore.

  ? We have monsters already in our midst.

  ? And now?

  Now we have a warrior who does not belong to any faction,

  Who has walked through history unseen,

  Who does not fight for nations, but for survival itself.

  And I?

  I do not know where this ends.

  But Fallen Star?

  He does.

  Because he’s been here before.

  And I am terrified to ask what he saw the last time.

  Final Thoughts (The Future Is No Longer in Our Hands)

  ? The war council has convened.

  ? The battle lines are being drawn.

  ? Fallen Star has joined us—but I don’t know why.

  ? We are preparing for something beyond human understanding.

  I don’t know what happens next.

  But I do know this—

  We are not the first to face this war.

  And that means?

  We might not be the first to lose.

  End Log.