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Story: Of Water and Memory

Chapter 3: A Chance to Go Back in Time

It all started when Thalyn brought it up – barely serious, like it was just another piece of experimental technology to gossip about.

“Have you heard of Reminiscencia?” she asked, eyes lit up. “They say it lets you relive your memories. Not just flashes – everything. Like walking right back into the moment.”

Astryx had paused just for a second. She hadn’t heard of it, but the name stuck. Once she understood what the device could do, her friends’ voices became just a faint  and meaningless buzz in her ears. As Thalyn rambled on about its theory and potential while others listened attentively, Astryx’s mind was already elsewhere – two years earlier, in a memory that she couldn’t let go.

Two days later, Astryx swam through the Ecliptory, the research outpost located deep into the side of a reef trench. There were no light or mechanical systems, just smooth, carved stone and naturally pressurized chambers. When she entered, the researchers looked up, confused. They didn’t expect her. They expected anyone but her. They couldn’t fathom how someone like her, someone with everything to lose, would walk in without hesitation.

“I’m volunteering to test Reminiscencia,” she said, calm as ever.

The door opened again, and a regal-looking woman entered. She was Aqualis also, middle-aged, with skin a soft, matte steel-gray, with faint undertones of violet that could only be seen when she moved. Her hair was the color of dusty plum, shoulder-length and straight, pulled back in a minimal tie at the back of her neck just to stay out of her face. It looked like she had cut it herself – with precision and no interest in vanity. Astryx recognized her as Doctor Kairen, the lead researcher in this project and her parents’ old friend. Before she could do anything, Kairen spoke up.

“You think you want to test Reminiscencia? You think you are above all the risks?” her lips curled into a cold smile. “My word, you don’t seem like the Astryx they talk about at all – a high-ranking Aqualis with precision and grace, the future leader of our world. Instead, all I see is a reckless, impulsive child playing with something you don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to understand,” Astryx replied, equally cold. “You just need to stay out of my way.”

“You think you’re different now,” Kairen fired back. “Sharper. Untouchable. But I remember you two years ago, Astryx. I know what memory you want to relive. And no matter how tightly you tie your hair back or how calmly you speak, you’re still that same child – confused, angry, desperate to rewrite the ending, like going back would change what happened.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me!” Astryx said, her calm façade cracking for the first time.

Kairen blinked. “Fine. You choose not to listen to me. Then I’ll let you deal with the consequences.”

“I never needed your advice. Not then, not now, not ever,” Astryx said firmly. “As I said, you just need to stay out of my way.”

Astryx didn’t say anything more. She just took the device and slid it on like it didn’t matter. It fit perfectly against her temples, smooth and strangely light. No pause, no deep breath – it was as if she’d done this a hundred times in her head already.

One blink, and she was there. Not watching, not drifting, just there. The water felt the same. The current, the temperature, the pressure – everything matched. This wasn’t a stimulation. This was the past, exactly as she left it.

She turned suddenly, hearing something. Then-

“Astryx?”

To be continued...

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Story: Of Water and Memory

Chapter 2: Astryx

On Aegis, a planet with no land in sight, it is apparent that the ocean is everything. It carved the planet, shaped its life, and determined the rulers. Among the countless species that hunted, drifted, or existed as a mere shadow, the Aqualis reigned supreme – perfect appearance, perfect memory, perfect control. It seemed as if evolution hadn’t just favored them above the rest, but rather shaped them into something close to divine.

The Aqualis were the apex species of Aegis, shaped from the sheer pressure of the planet – both literal and societal. The Aqualis were fast, adaptive, and incredibly beautiful, even though they lived on  a planet where beauty was scarce – for efficiency was more crucial to survival. They were something like a miracle – a species both exquisite and calibrated was unheard of in this harsh world. It was between being beautiful but merely existing and being built for efficiency in order to thrive. Yet, the Aqualis was both, making them unrivaled on Aegis.

The Aqualis looks almost human at first glance, but everything about them is sharper, cleaner, and more refined. Their skin is smooth and supple, somewhat resembling that of dolphins or seals, soft-looking but tough enough to handle the immense pressure. Skin tones range from deep blues to sea-greens, silvers, and warm bronzes, often with markings or patterns unique to each individual. Their faces are symmetrical, with high cheekbones and calm, focused expressions. Their eyes are large and bright, adapted for low light, and their hair is long and thick, often tied or decorated with small pieces of coral or shell. Instead of legs, they have long, powerful tails, with wide fins at the end that allows them to move through the ocean with speed and precision. Everything about the seems designed for control – smooth and efficient in every movement.

Astryx was Aqualis, born and bred to excel. Her skin was a smooth, pale ivory, a rare trait seen only in the most ancient bloodlines. Among the Aqualis, her skin tone wasn’t just desirable and unusual; it was revered. Her long silvery white hair floated around her like light, and her eyes were clear and calculating. Every movement was clean, deliberate, and perfect. Among a species known for their discipline and perfection, Astryx still managed to stand out. Not because she tried harder than the others, of course. It was because she never had to.

To be continued...

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Hi, I’m Jennie — teen author, dialogue enjoyer, and someone who thinks emotional damage is a perfectly valid plot device.

This blog exists solely to house my original stories, chapter updates, and occasional character angst. If you’re into soft sci-fi, emotional storytelling, layered friendships, and the occasional identity crisis, you’re in the right place.

✨ No reblogs, no distractions — just novels, vibes, and pain in pretty sentences. ✨ Welcome to my little fiction archive — I hope something here makes you feel something (and then spiral about it later)💌

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Story: Of Water and Memory

Chapter 1: The Underwater Civilization

The planet of Aegis was covered in water – no continents, no mountains, no dry land to stand on – just endless ocean, stretching from horizon to horizon. But beneath the waves, a civilization thrived.

Sunlight was a myth miles beneath the surface. Here, the pressure could crush bones and time moved differently than that of Earth, slower and suspended. Sea life is incredibly diverse, with glowing Oceanyx – colossal ocean beasts, bio-reactive flora, and creatures that can detect sonar emitted from other life forms. Everything was vastly different from Earth, yet also felt inexplicably familiar.

The culture of Aegis was shaped by pressure – both literal and societal. Beneath miles of ocean where sunlight didn’t shine, its people had learned to value precision, memory, and control. Knowledge was currency, and forgetting was the greatest misfortune. In this world where structures are built to withstand crushing weight, people kept their emotions uptight, their pasts hidden, and their thoughts sharp. Not because they wanted to, of course. This wasn’t a matter of pride; it was about making it to the next day.

The city of Odyssea is one of the central underwater metropolises. Skyscrapers resembled coral spires, infrastructure glowed to compensate for the loss of sunlight, and transport tunnels are magnetic to resist high gravity. Everything is designed for efficiency: residential areas, research buildings, defense, and more.  Data flows faster than human speech, and there is no waste, no chaos, and no room for error.

The Reminiscencia is a device that lets a person relive a moment from their past exactly as it happened; not just remember it, but be in it. For a limited time, their consciousness is sent back, fully immersed in the memory. Every sound, every feeling, every detail returns like it’s real, because to the brain, it is. Officially, it is untested. Unofficially, it’s already accessed and reconstructed the pasts of three subjects. None of them returned unchanged.

Doctor Kairen, the lead scientist in creating the Reminiscencia, sat at her desk at a corner of her office. Her face is obscured by the shadow of the nearby building looming outside her window, but it doesn’t completely conceal the look of concern on her face. Finally, the door opened, and Director Talek, an important governmental figure, stepped in. Unlike Doctor Kairen’s, he wore a cold and calculating expression. Kairen looked up.

“You’re here-“

“Unlike you, I do not have unlimited leisure time. Skip the formalities.”

“Well, I’ll get to the point, then. You can’t possibly be planning to officially announce the creation of the Reminiscencia yet. It’s not ready.”

Talek gave her a pointed look, one eyebrow raised.

“What do you mean?”

“As I have said to you countless times, the device still needs perfecting in order to prevent brain damage, memory confusion, and emotional addiction. Surely you noticed, all three of our test subjects came back changed.”

Talek flashed a sinister smile.

“You built it to help people, remember? We’ll use it to make them forget who they are.”

The door slammed shut behind him.

To be continued…