Astralis Desires

Astralis Desires

Chapter 1: A Heart that Longs for the Stars

Various HSR men x reader

This is a normalised yandere AU. There will be multiple chapters including all the adult male characters in HSR (playable and future playable) with future smut. It will partially follow the canon plot line. There will be some heavy themes and each chapter will be tagged accordingly. This will mostly be a thriller with yandere themes. ‘Astralis Desires’ will also be published on AO3. (Authors note at the end)

Synopsis: You are a lowly worker on Herta’s Space Station (an assistant of an assistant) whose dream is to travel among the stars. When the Antimatter Legion invade the station, you get the opportunity to travel with the Astral Express. The road through the stars and freedom is dangerous, especially when you have suitors who will do anything in their power in order to make your heart theirs…

Masterlist

Warnings: yandere, murder, slight gore (nothing too extreme), violence, obsession, vomiting (only briefly and is skippable should it make you uncomfortable), Caelus is the trailblazer, female reader (not mentioned in this chapter)

Word count: 5318

The cries of the many monsters echoed through the hallways of the space station. They had left the control room in a havoc, with blood staining the walls. You had never seen a dead person before, and now a dead man laid two meters to your left. His eyes were open and hollow and his pupils a dark abyss leading down to the unknown. His neck was torn open and blood were still seeping through the rift. Torn tendons and arteries were fully on display, causing the bitter taste of bile pooling up in your mouth. You swallowed thickly as you could feel your lunch moving upwards. Your eyes were glossy as tears streamed down your face. You had never been so afraid as you were now. Your heart was beating so fast, that you were almost positive it would stop.

The stench of blood was unbearable and you covered your mouth with your hand. You let your eyes scan your surroundings and you let out a ragged breath when you realised the coast was clear. You slipped away from the box you were hiding behind and out towards the hallway as quietly as you possibly could. Your shoes left bloody footprints and the soles of your shoes made a sickening squeaky sound. Fear and adrenaline was pumping through your veins as your steps quickened. You weren’t hurt, thankfully.

You needed to find a guard or something, and inform them about the monsters you had encountered. The loud buzzing of your rushing blood made it difficult to pick up on any suspicious sounds, so you opted to follow your gut and sight.

After a few minutes of running through the long corridors, you hadn’t come across any other injured or murdered people. A faint glint of hope lit within your soul at the thought of the attack not being too serious. Hopefully the famed Astral Express that had made a small stop at the space station, would help and take the monsters down quickly.

From what you have heard, they appeared to be greatly capable and they possessed admirable powers. You had wanted to meet them and ask them about their many adventures in a hopeless curious manner, but it had always seemed too far fetched. You were not an adventurer nor were you a scientist. You were only an assistant of an assistant (who were probably an assistant of an assistant) and your tasks consisted of organising, making coffee and planning future meetings and whatnot. It may not have been the most exciting job, but you did not mind for whatever reason. Maybe it was the way you were so close to the stars or maybe it was that your pay weren’t too bad. You had gotten the job via a good friend of yours, Anna. She was working in the cafeteria and recommended you to someone. You were now living at the space station with Anna and some of the other employees. It was a simple life, but it wasn’t so bad (except that most of your colleagues were total assholes who had absolutely no respect for you).

It had seemed like a safe and stable job, but that was before this. That was before you had witnessed a man getting torn to shreds by a monster with razor sharp jaws and talons longer than your forearm. You would be in need of many therapy sessions, that was for sure.

As a so-called ‘Darling’, you had been safe at Herta’s Space Station. ‘Darlings’ were able to both work and live peacefully within the space station. ‘Lovesick’ people or ‘Yanderes’ (that was the official therm), also worked there, but they were no treat. Madam Herta had made it very clear that lovesick-behaviour was only going to be a distraction, and that it was something that belonged in ones spare-time and nothing else. Though her opinion on the matter was uncommon, no one dared to oppose her. Which was something you appreciated.

The sound of a gunshot rattled your eardrums as it echoed through the corridors. It was close, too close. You gritted your teeth as you were about to make a run for it down the corridor on your left, when the sound of footsteps sounded from the dark corridor on your right. Before you were able to react, a tall woman with purple hair emerged through the darkness. In her hand was a sleek black gun which she playfully spun around her finger. A smile was present on her lips as she eyed you up and down. She was beautiful, but something about her made your hair stand on end. The woman was by no doubt dangerous and your brain told you to run for your life, but your feet were as if they were frozen to the ground.

“My my, you sure look scared. Are you lost?” her voice was full of mirth as her smile widened into a sharp grin. “This is no place for the means like you. You should seek shelter” the woman’s tone turned more serious, but her smile was still ever so present.

“Who are you?” your voice was strong, but despite your act of faux courage, you could not hide its trembling.

The woman chuckled. “That’s not important. What is important, is that you don’t stand in my way” she stepped closer. “Can you do that? I really do hate to kill civilians…” her eyes glittered with mischief.

You nodded fast as you backed away. “Yes. Yes I will not be in your way. I promise” you held your hand to your heart as you swore.

The woman only hummed as she nodded before disappearing into the darkness where she had came from.

Your feet drummed against the plastic floor as you ran as fast as your legs could carry you. You were out of breath, but stopping was not an option. As you made a sharp turn, a claw gripped your arm and threw you against the wall. Your breath was knocked out of you and you heaved and hissed like a fish on land. The monster growled as it crept closer to you. It snarled and its fangs glistened in the light like razor sharp blades.

You gulped as you realised your end was a few seconds away. You stared intensely into the eyes of the beast as you waited for your inevitable death. Like hell you were going to close your eyes.

As it rose its arm ready to strike you down, a spear was flung into its right eye and through its skull with a loud squishy crack. Brain matter and other undefinable sludge splattered across the nearest wall, painting it in a green-purple colour. The sight was absolutely disgusting, but your relief was too big for you to care. You breathed out the breath you didn’t know you were holding, as you ran your hands shakily through your hair as a means to ground yourself. Your head snapped to your left which the spear had come from and were met with three strangers. One of them was a young woman with pink hair and big blue eyes, her pretty face was filled with concern. She seemed to be a little younger than you, but old enough to drink. The other was a grey haired man with yellow eyes that looked like honey underneath the bright lights. He bore an expression of confusion and curiosity. The last person was a black haired man with teal eyes that would not leave your form for even a second. He was handsome, but his gaze held a sharp edge to it. One which you could not place, no matter how hard you tried.

“Are you alright?!” the pink haired girl rushed to your side and gave you a quick look over.

You nodded. Save from your mental scaring you felt fine. “I’m fine” you forced a grateful smile “Thank you for saving me”.

“Oh, don’t thank me! It’s Dan Heng you should thank!” she gestured towards the black haired man. He was still staring at you with his unnerving gaze.

“Thank you, Dan Heng. I really owe you one” you said with earnest. You really were grateful to him.

Dan Heng nodded with a short movement. “You’re welcome. I only did my job” despite his nonchalant response, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. When he talked you could spot two sets of fangs. They seemed sharp and only made you more curious about the men. It was extremely rare to see humans with fangs, after all.

“We should get moving!” the girl said as she waved her hand at you to follow.

As you moved through the seemingly endless corridors, you learned the name of your new companions. March 7th was the pink haired girl (she said you could just call her March). Caelus was the grey haired man who for some reason had a baseball-bat as a weapon. You gave them your name and you could see from the corner of your eye, Dan Heng silently repeating it as if he was tasting it. On your way to safety, you encountered a young man, Arlan. You had seen him multiple times, but never properly spoken to him, save from a few polite greetings. He had gotten injured by the monsters as he had attempted to fight them of.

You stopped by a control room as Dan Heng tried to check the surveillance footage

“Oh, I forgot to ask you [Name]. Did you see anything suspicious before we came and rescued you?” March asked you as she leaned against the wall out of breath.

You nodded as you wiped sweat from your forehead with the back of your hand. “I did actually. I met a tall woman with dark pink hair. She was telling me to not get in her way”.

“Sounds like a Stellaron Hunter” Dan Heng said while he was typing away on the computer.

Cold sweat coated on your temples as a shiver ran down your spine. “A Stellaron Hunter…” the gravity of the situation finally dawned upon you. Oh shit.

“Sounds like you saw Kafka. So did Caelus” March replied.

The chair Dan Heng sat on suddenly sharped against the floor in a fast motion. His icy eyes found yours in a blink of an eye. “She didn’t do anything to you, right? She didn’t hurt you?” his voice was low and reminded you of a growl of a beast.

You instantly shook your head. “No, she didn’t. She left as a fast as she came”. Goosebumps raised on your arms as he stared at you.

March watched Dan Heng silently with a raised brow. When he met her gaze, he quickly turned back to the computer. A small smile played on the girl’s lips as she stifled her laugh.

Your feet drummed against the makeshift bridge as you made your way to the lift. A cloud of dark mist clouded your vision and a group of monsters appeared through it. The biggest of them reared like a horse and sat its sight on you. Your heart stopped for a second as it lunged for you. A strong hand pulled you back by your collar and you lost your footing. The world came to an halt as all you could see was the arrow that was fired your way. The same spear that had saved you when you first met the Trailblazers, blocked the arrow in a swift movement. Arms wrapped around you as they prevented your fall. They pulled you closer to him like a hungry boa and for a brief moment you wondered if the danger was the monster or the man behind you.

“Are you alright?” Dan Heng whispered against your ear. His usually stoic voice was breathy and brimming with a thick mixture of emotions.

Hot blush crept over your face as you nodded. How pathetic. “Yeah, thank you” you whispered back.

He gazed at you for a second, one that felt as if stretched out for eternity, before he snapped back to the monsters.

A mechanical buzzing shot down as a drone with razor-like propellers slashed through the beasts. Green blood splattered across the bridge and onto your face. In a blink of an eye Dan Heng had dragged you across the bridge and into the lift. As everyone made it inside you clutched your stomach, fighting against the vomit that threatened to flood out. The hot blood on your face and all the running had made you feel incredibly sick and it felt as if your intestines would explode.

Caelus looked at you with a concerned expression. “Are you good? You look pal-”

He got interrupted by the sound of you spilling out all your lunch on the floor. Tears clouded your vision as you gagged. The taste was awful and the smell was no better, but you felt less sick after throwing up. Luckily you hadn’t hit anyone, because if you had you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself. “I’m so sorry” you mumbled as you whipped your mouth.

“Never mind hehe…” Caelus scratched his neck awkwardly trying to think off what to do.

March rushed to your side and handed you a mint. “Thanks” you muttered weakly. Could this day be any worse?

The automatic door opened and the five of you stumble in. A red haired woman was closing a white briefcase containing the drone that just saved your lives when the door closed with a soft swoosh.

“Why does it always have to get so exciting?” she asked to seemingly no one in particular. She turned to you and smiled “Anyway, at least you’re back”.

She took a few steps forward and stopped in her tracks as she took in your disheveled appearances. Her beautiful face twisted into worry. “March, Dan Heng, you’ve been through a lot”.

“Whew, Himeko-! What took you so long?! That last wave of Antimatter Legion came at us like a swarm of locusts, have you ever tried shooting locusts with a bow?” March’s placed her hands on her hips as she scoffed. Her pink hair was a mess and it was stained with the green blood of the beasts she had ruthlessly killed with her bow.

“I wouldn’t have made a difference. My orbital cannon can deal with a whole bunch of enemies at once, but I couldn’t just blow up the space station with it- Herta would NOT like that…” the woman shook her head as if she was imagining Herta giving her an earful. “Are you alright, Arlan? Asta’s been worried about you” she faced the tan young man.

“I’m fine, a quick patching up will do. Thanks for asking” it was clear as day that the boy was uncomfortable with all the attention with the way he scratched his neck awkwardly. “I’ll report the situation to Lead Researcher Astra immediately. Bye” he turned on his heel and left as quickly as he could with his limping.

Himeko turned to you and Caelus with a friendly smile. “Hey, nice to meet you two. I’m Himeko, navigator of the Astral Express”.

“In other words, she’s in charge of where the Express goes” March explained to a slightly confused Caelus. You nodded at March’s words. You have heard about Himeko and her achievements. She was an admirable woman who many looked up to, both old and young.

You introduced yourself “Nice to meet you. I’m [Name]”.

She returned your smile “Match hasn’t been any trouble for you along the way, has she?”

“[Name], Caelus, think carefully about how you wanna reply to that” March mumbled.

“In that case, I’d rather not answer” Caelus shook his head with a sheepish smile, which earned a scoffed from the girl.

“Wise choice, don’t you agree Dan Heng?”

“I have the right to remain silent” the black haired man replied with an expressionless face.

Himeko laughed softly at your friendly banter “Look at you all, you’ve already gotten really close!”

“Come on, Astra has been worried about all of you”.

You all followed Himeko as she lead you to the young researcher. You had met Asta twice, both times had been with the assistant you were an assistant for. The young woman was kind and not as snobby as you would have thought. You have heard from your colleagues that Asta’s family had been the one who had founded The Interstellar Peace Corporation. Her family had money. Way more than what you could ever possibly phantom.

“Projectile radar tracking, normal. Telemetry signal frequency unusually high! Maintain at normal levels!” Asta spoke loudly into a microphone connected to a intercom that was connected to the whole space station. “Our measurements predict that the Leighton is about to unleash over the waves of continuous attacks. Everyone, brace yourselves!”

“Asta! We’re back!” March greeted the girl.

Asta let out a sigh as she spun on her feet. “I’m glad you’re all back safe. Arlan just told me about the situation at the storage zone- and about his injury… Thank you, for all your help”. “In Times of disaster, I realise more and more that the space station’s researchers are its most valuable assets…Alas, we were ill-prepared for such emergencies… We should have built up our security and combat departments”.

“But on the other hand, the entire crew of the Astral Express seems to be extraordinarily skilled” she smiled.

“What is the current situation on the space station?” Dan Heng asked with a serious tone. He had you standing beside him as if he was afraid you would slip away if he let you out of his sight. He hadn’t met your eyes on the way to Asta, but you had seen him staring at you from the corner of your eyes.

“The situation is under control for now. The damage to our security system was minor. The intruder only managed to alter a small amount of data, so it was easy to fix” Asta explained. “The real problem lies with the researchers… They trust Madam Herta wholeheartedly and never thought that the space station would be breached by the Legion. A broken spirit is far worse than a broken body” she sighed. What she said made perfectly sense as you knew for a fact that some researchers saw Madam Herta as a kind of goddess. It was beyond ridiculous, but there were no point arguing with them.

“Let’s us speak with the researchers. Right now, the space station can’t afford any more unexpected turns, especially from within. Have you tried contacting Herta?” Himeko asked. Despite the grave situation she appeared to be calm.

“I sent multiple letters, all met with silence. You know her, Himeko, the space station is but a mere warehouse for followers and rare items. She doesn’t really care about it” Asta sighed as she rubbed her temples. That was one of the reasons as to why you disliked Herta, her attitude towards the space station was tasteless.

“I knew it… No matter, I’ll also send a letter to Herta and tell her that we’ve brought the rare item she seeks. At least that might get her attention” Himeko chuckled.

You sighed. If only you had the balls to speak to Herat that way (not that you had ever spoken to her).

“Oh… That would be of great help” Asta’s blue eyes lit up at her suggestion.

March and Caelus left to talk to the researchers while you and Dan Heng remained. Himeko and Asta were busy talking to each other’s and left the two of you to your own devices. You had taken a seat at a bench and were twiddling your thumbs as you waited. Anxiety was gnawing at your insides like a gluttons beast. Dan Heng were standing to your left staring at you as he had done almost the whole time you had been together. After a good five minutes in silence, you decided to break it.

“So… Have you guys had any similar experiences?” you asked him. It was a silly question, no doubt, but you couldn’t bear any more awkward silence.

His eyes lit up for a millisecond before they returned to their normal self. “Yes. Though every journey is different” his word were few but his voice was soft.

You sighed internally. You should realised by now that he weren’t the biggest talker. You nodded “I can imagine. Must be both exciting and scary”.

“Perhaps, though you get used to it” he shrugged. He was silent for a few seconds before he spoke up. “Are you alright? No injuries or something? Even if they’re small you should tell me” a flash of worry distorted his handsome features.

“I am alright” you shook your head. After noticing his raised brow you added: “No really. I’m fine”. Your suspicion had been confirmed. He was indeed one of them. Though he did seem harmless enough, you would be a fool if you let your guard down completely. Your parents had warned you your whole life about them and they had tried to shield you from them as much as they could. Your parents were both considered normal and that you envied them. Not that you would ever admit it, of course.

He left it at that and adverted his gaze to the rest of the space station. You wished you could read his mind, but at the same time something told you it was best if you couldn’t.

A flurry red warning triangles lit up the various screens and holograms. The beeping was loud and pierced through your hear drums. You winced as your eyes snapped to Asta and the screens. On the biggest screen was a large beast with claws as long as grown person. It looked like something straight out of your nightmares.

Asta turned to you “Take the Express and leave. I’ll stay” she said with the determination of a war general.

“But…” March tried to reason with her.

“Let’s go” Himeko took hold of Caelus’s arm and dragged him with her.

The four of you had taken shelter in a empty supply room. Himeko had listened to Asta via a advice on her hand, but Asta’s voice had only gotten more unclear with every second that had passed.

“We have lost communications” the red-head sighed.

“Are you thinking of going back? Let me remind you, that’s the Doomsday Beast, the Legion’s planet destroyer” Dan Heng’s stern voice cut through the atmosphere like a sharp knife. The Doomsday Beast? Cold sweat formed at your forehead at the thought of the space station getting turned to oblivion. Countless people would die.

“The space station is Herta’s creation. As long as a Lord Ravager doesn’t intervene, there should be no problem.”

“B-but we can’t just run away like this, right…?” March exclaimed.

Dan Heng hummed “The Doomsday Beast can rip off the defence shield like tearing paper- and Herta’s not here. The station’s defences are too weak to stand against the Antimatter Legion”. “Either way, the Legion has the blessing f the Aeon, Nanook. They came prepared and everyone here is not.”

“That’s why we have to leave and take Caelus with us” the Navigator nodded towards the grey haired man.

“Caelus?” Dan Heng raised his dark eyebrow in confusion. “He’s… That important?”

“He’s the one who can help us turn the tides… Of course, I may be wrong “.

“If you say so. Alright, what should we do next?” Dan Heng looked at you and March.

“Don’t look at me. I’m as clueless as Caelus” you sighed.

“This is the supply zone where the maintenance crew works. There’s a path here that leads to the nearest railway platform. Let’s head over there and meet up with Welt” the woman points to the door behind her with her thumb.

“Mr. Yang? Mr. Yang’s here too? Didn’t he stay on the Express?” March 7th titled her head. You had heard about Mr. Yang. He was a respected man, though he was not as well known as Himeko on the space station. Either way, you were curious to meet a man of his calibre.

“The Astral Express tracks our coordinates in real time.. And with such a huge change in the space station’s movements, there’s no way Mr. Yang wouldn’t have noticed” icy blue eyes met yours as he explained.

“Mhm! I can almost guarantee that your Mr. Yang us already on his way” Himeko sent you a playful blink. “Right now, we might be able to handle things if it’s just the Doomsday Beast” she rubbed a manicured hand over her chin in a thoughtful manner “But, if the Destruction’s Emanator were to appear…”

“I still feel that things won’t be going as planned…” Caelus spoke for the first time in several minutes.

“Let’s hurry up and get out of here. I’ll explain later” the red haired lady waved him off.

“Wait March!” Dan Heng screamed as the bug dragon-like beast flew outside the platform. It’s wings were massive and powerful, March shrinking in comparison. March leaped backwards and into you. You stilled her movements with your hands, lest she would fall on top of you. She mumbled a fast “sorry” as she regained her footing.

“The Doomsday Beast…” Himeko muttered with widen eyes. “It’s really here”.

“Get down here!” March had already pulled out her blue bow and were aiming straight at the beast.

The beast quickened its flapping and landed only a few meters in front of your group in a uncaring manner.

Quicker than you could think, Dan Heng pulled you away and behind him. “Seek cover!” he barked like a drill sergeant with no room for arguments.

You didn’t waste any time as you ran as fast your legs could carry you and hid behind a vending machine.

The beast roared and the sound waves almost made you lose your footing. Your ears hurt, but you paid it no mind. Worry filled your senses as you watched the others readying their weapons.

As the sounds of fighting filled the railway platform, you closed your eyes as you made yourself smaller. You prayed to whatever Aeon that might listen that they would remain unharmed. You had only known them for a bit, but you already cared for them.

A deafening roar rattled your bones as if they were fragile porcelain. You stuck your head out form behind the vending machine and your eyes widened at the sight of the beast aiming a powerful blast of energy in March’s direction. The others called her name which snapped her out of her frozen state. A grey flash moved in front her and shielded her from the lethal blow. The purple energy that came from the Doomsday Beast mixed together with the yellow light that somehow emitted from Caelus. A powerful blast of energy surged from the man, resulting in a powerful shockwave which knocked you down on your feet. You partially shielded your eyes with your forearm as you carefully peaked up again at the man. He was floated up in the air as if a powerful magnet were pulling him. The yellow energy had gotten brighter and the air was thick and buzzing. His agonising screams were louder than the hiss of his power. Breathing had become difficult as you tried to force the thick air down your lungs.

You blinked and when you opened your eyes, a grey clad man was floating alongside Caelus with a cane in his hand. Even from your distance, you could feel a creation power sweeping from the staff. The enigmatic man was calm as he firmly tapped Caelus on the head which resulted in the younger man falling down unconscious. His yellow energy had completely vanished and the air became breathable again. The brown haired man nonchalantly pushed of his glasses as if it was an everyday occurrence for him. He elegantly landed on his feet as Caelus fell down in March’s awaiting hands.

“Mr. Yang! Is he…?” March’s voice was trembling from concern and fear.

“He is okay now” the man responded with a gentle voice. “Let’s talk somewhere else”.

So that was Mr. Yang? you thought. He sure lived up to your expectations.

March and Dan Heng carried (Dan Heng did the heavy lifting, while March talked his ear off) Caelus to a safe spot where he could regain his senses. Himeko and Welt, with the help of some of the space station staff, secured the Doomsday Beast. Its temper had completely changed and it was as docile as a sleepy kitten.

After a short while, Dan Heng got back to you with a granola bar in hand. You rose from your seat on the bench you had found, and took the bar from his outstretched hand. “Thank you. But I didn’t even do anything? Aren’t there anyone more deserving of this than me?” your face were twisted into an awkward expression. Being a freeloader was awfully embarrassing, especially when the others had literally saved the life of everyone on the station.

“No, don’t worry. I bought this for you. So please take it” he smiled slightly.

You nodded as you unwrapped the plastic and took bite. It tasted slightly sweet of honey and blueberries.

“And don’t worry about “not doing anything”. You are a civilian and we wouldn’t expect you to know how to fight. The same goes for Caelus and it was a surprise for all of us how good he actually is at fighting. I’m…. I’m just glad that you are safe” the last part was just a mere whisper, but your ear still picked it up.

“Again, thank you. Without you I would be long gone” you truly were grateful. You really owed them your life.

“Don’t think about it. It’s the least I could do” he smiled before he blushed and quickly adverted his gaze.

Welt was standing beside the Express when you and Dan Heng found him. The tall man’s face lit up at the sight of you and he smiled. “I’m Welt Yang. It’s nice to meet you” he reached out his hand.

“I’m [Name]. It’s nice to met you as well” you shook his hand. His grip was firm, but not too firm.

“I have spoken with Himeko and she invites you to stay on the Express. If you want to, naturally”.

Your eyes widened. Stay on the Express? It sounded like a dream come true. “Oh wow… I hadn’t expected that. Well- I would need to resign from my job and all that. And I would need to bring my stuff- if that’s okay of course” you rambled as various thoughts poured through your mind at the speed of lightening.

“We can help you” his deep brown eyes were so comforting, you just stared into them for a moment before you came to your senses and looked away.

“I would appreciate that” you smiled. It wasn’t like you to suddenly take such huge decisions on the whim, but you were sick and tired of the space station. Your friend was nice, but that couldn’t be said for most of the other workers. The were mostly mean and arrogant and acted as if they were above you. You would probably regret leaving with the Express, but you would most likely never ever going to get another opportunity like that. It would be foolish of you to turn it down. Even so, a small voice was echoing in the back of your mind warning you for possible dangers. Being what you were made you vulnerable, that much you knew, but you weren’t going to let that stop you from perusing your dream of travelling across the stars.

“Alright, then. I would like to join the Express” you could already imagine all the adventures you would experience and it made your heartbeat quicken with joy and excitement.

Authors note: This was really fun to write!<3 I have had this idea in mind for months and after a good while I finally got around and wrote it down. I tried to get the dialogue as accurate as possible. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it:) I can’t wait to share the next chapter!