Long before he bore the title of Prince, before the Ryautjan hunters knew his scent, before he had seen the hidden terrors of dark matter — he was simply Orion.

Born on Terra, Orion was the child of a new age. He spoke twelve languages by the time he was six. He cracked quantum puzzles the way others solved crossword games. Yet in all his brilliance, he was restless, like a hunter trapped in a cage he could not see.

The world felt too small for him. The stars called to him, their cold fires whispering promises he could not yet understand.

You are not meant for this place, they seemed to sing.

Orion listened.