In a distant village nestled among the mountains, tonight's moonlight softly blankets the earth, brightening the path and fields ahead for the young man to see clearly. Every little detail becomes apparent, a scene unimaginable to children raised in big cities.
On a small hill, quietness fills the air, offering a peaceful view of the mountains and rivers stretching into the distance.
The boy looked up, and the vast starry sky stretched out like a beautiful painting. The Milky Way shimmered like a bright ribbon, cutting through the calm night.
The usual owl hoots and frog croaks fell silent. Even the rustling leaves seemed to pause, recognizing the significance of this moment. A-Lai narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing.
"This isn't normal," he murmured, looking around. He seemed to be the only living creature in a still picture.
Suddenly, far in the starry sky, some stars began twinkling faster. This caught the boy's attention. They shone brighter and brighter, increasing in frequency. Then, the stars began to move, as if an invisible magnet were attracting them closer together.
A-Lai rubbed his eyes, trying to convince himself he wasn't imagining things. He watched in awe as the stars formed a basic triangle. More stars moved into place, creating a perfect pentagram. His mind raced with a mixture of fear and wonder.
"Oh, there are more stars coming!" A-Lai couldn't stop talking to himself."Oh, it's a boat. No, a sailboat. Whoa, it's getting bigger!"
Just a moment later, it had morphed into a cruise ship the size of the distant moon. A-Lai's excitement grew as the ship seemed to sail through him, on an ocean of stars.
"Is it coming for me? Will it carry me up to heaven? I haven't yet joined the bonfire party!" He couldn't stop the onslaught of thoughts racing through his mind.
But then, his mouth dropped open, unable to utter a word, as a colossal warship loomed, towering as high as a mountain, coming closer and closer.
He had once stood at the base of a mountain, yet he had never experienced pressure like this. It was like an ant confronting a colossal elephant, poised to crush him under its massive foot.
A-Lai put hands to cover his mouth subconciously, as it's 'getting closer and closer.
All at once, the warship transformed into a giant skeletal figure, resembling an ancient Japanese samurai seated on a stool, staring intently at a map of enemy territory. A-Lai was so terrified that he imagined the skeletal samurai might draw his katana and slice the earth in half at any moment.
Although this transformation occurred in less than a minute, time seemed to stand still as the giant rose and took a step forward.
A-Lai's body swayed as the ground trembled beneath him. Not only him, villagers not far from here also feel the shake.
"Earthquake!" the villagers cry out in alarm, their voices echoing through the night as they flee their homes in panic.
A-Lai covered his eyes; this was too much for a young boy to handle. Slowly, he began to hear the sound of the wind rustling through the trees again. The familiar croaking of frogs reached his ears, grounding him in the present.
When he cautiously looked up again, the stars in the night sky were back to their usual positions,twinkling serenely as if nothing had happened. The boy felt as though he had just woken from a dream—something both real and illusory.
A-Lai shook his head to clear the lingering sense of awe and fear, then started running toward the school, his heart still pounding from the extraordinary vision.
Meanwhile, high above the earth, a shadowy figure watches from the confines of a stealth aircraft, his eyes narrowed in contemplation. He gazes upon the earth, his heart filled with disgust and regret.
"This beautiful 'blue eye' is on the brink of destruction by those greedy beings."
"Xerospore-42 has been released into the designated experimental zone as planned", his voice echoes through the aircraft, its tone cold and detached.
Below,countless spherical aircrafts descended slowly, as if peering into the dark land below. Xerospore-42 fell from the aircraft, small spores dancing in the air before landing on the ground, like eerie signs in the dark, surrounded by mystery.
All of a sudden, a huge shake in space almost blew the aircraft's disguise."What was that? Commander, did you see that?" he shouted, panic edging his voice.
A mechanical voice responded calmly,"What happened?"
"I saw a huge alien warship crossing over the earth. Did you get any reports? We can't have another incident like last time!" His voice was edged with urgency, eyes wide with the memory of past chaos.
The mechanical voice responded with a hint of exasperation,"Not that I know of. No reports of any alien activity in this sector. Did you fall asleep on the job again?" The question was punctuated with a dry, mocking tone.
The shaddow clenched his fists,"You know damn well I'm always vigilant. This isn't something you can just brush off!"
"Calm down," the mechanical voice replied, its tone shifting to a more serious note."If there's really a warship out there, we need to verify it first before jumping to conclusions."
"These aliens, they never bring any good in space," he muttered, frustration and anger evident in his tone.
"Every time they show up, it's chaos. I can't stand them." Shaking his head, he went back to his work, trying to steady his nerves.
The mechanical voice spoke in a low, almost conspiratorial tone,"Hey buddy, how long have you been on Earth?"
"Six Earth months. So what?" he replied, irritation creeping into his voice.
"Did you forget that we are aliens to them, too?" the mechanical voice reminded him gently.
"Oh, sh..., surprised me! I almost forgot," he muttered, a sheepish grin spreading across his face as he rubbed the back of his neck, the tension easing slightly.
"Go back to work and focus!" The mechanical voice,clearly of higher rank in their team, commanded with authority.
The Shadow watched back as spores drifted down like black snowflakes. His heart raced with excitement as he shouted,"The great hunting game begins,now is the—"
Before he could finish, the familiar voice from across him cut through, cold and resolute as a winter's gale,"How many times must I tell you? You face mere ants; they are unworthy of being our adversaries.
Our clients have no interest in hunting such fragile prey.
If, in ten more years, they have not been eradicated, I shall arrange the hunting game myself.
Your task is to observe carefully, to act not rashly. Do you copy?"
The Shadow bowed his head in reluctant acceptance, his voice tinged with a hint of disappointment,"Yes,Yes, I understand. I will continue to monitor until there is no longer any sign of life below."