Tension mounted as they embarked on the most perilous scheme they had ever conceived. Meanwhile, the Palmer family was blissfully unaware though some of them knew what was coming, comfortably ensconced under a snow cave, marveling at Dorothy's ease in crafting a cozy haven with her reality-bending powers. Dorothy had been with them for a week, having encountered them by chance in the icy wilderness where she seemed to have been forsaken, left to perish in the icy expanse. Moved by compassion, they had rescued her. Yet, something was amiss—Dorothy claimed she could not recall anything prior to the day they found her, as if her memory had been wiped clean.
Given they were fugitives themselves, the Palmers were wary—could this be a trap set by The-Void? Despite their suspicions, their kindness prevailed, and they welcomed Dorothy after thorough questioning.
"You still don't trust her, do you?" Palmer queried, his tone tinged with disbelief. "The ease with which she manipulates reality, almost like magic—it's astounding."
"I examined her closely," Sir David interjected, his voice heavy with concern. "And it appears she is not quite... human. She's unlike anything I've ever encountered."
"What do you mean?" Palmer pressed, confusion knitting his brow.
"She isn't an Izigan, that's certain. She lacks cosmic threads, no cosmic energy either. And you might have noticed, no cosmic energy emanates from her at all," Sir David explained, his skepticism about Dorothy's intentions clear.
"No cosmic threads? No cosmic energy? Then how can she manipulate reality so effortlessly, and seemingly without limit?" Palmer wondered aloud, his curiosity piqued by the enigma Dorothy presented.
Sir David elaborated, his eyes narrowing slightly as he examined the intricate patterns around Dorothy's hands. "She harnesses her power through Tau mandalas—symbols derived from ancient Buddhist and Hindu practices. If you observe closely, you can see the symbols encircling the Tau mandalas rings around her hands. Those are the spells that enable her to mold our reality."
Around them, objects shimmered into existence, outlined in a transient green glow, functioning as though they were entirely real.
Belle, her curiosity piqued, sat closer to Dorothy and questioned her gently, "You say you can't remember anything? How is that possible? Were your memories erased, or did you suffer some kind of accident?"
Dorothy's face was lined with concern. "It's as if my memories have been altered. Trying to recall anything from my past is futile; it's all blank, as though my life only began a week ago. It's bewildering, yet I still remember that I possess these powers. But my origin? That escapes me."
John, who had been listening intently, interjected with a mix of fascination and skepticism, "But you're not an Izigan. How can you manipulate reality so easily?"
Belle chimed in to clarify, noticing Dorothy's growing discomfort. "John, let's not press her too much. She obviously doesn't know the answer. Here's a bit of our background, Dorothy—izigans here are humans with special abilities, we are human but humans calls us Aliens but we still live as one, and our powers vary by the clan colors or cosmic forms we belong to. For example, my father and grandfather are belong with the blue cosmic energy, typical of what we call the Earth izigans. My mother and little sister, Sofia, draw from the purple cosmic energy, known within the vixens' izigan clan, name borrowed from the vixen's family."
Dorothy looked around, a mix of awe and confusion on her face. "So, izigans are the only ones with special abilities?
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. But you don't seem harmful; my mom always says that us Vixen izigans can detect bad people. We're sensitive to negative and positive energies from living beings," Sofia explained, trying to reassure Dorothy with a gentle smile.
John, still uneasy, voiced his concerns. "If you say so, but I still feel like something's off. Dad and Granddad have been focusing unusually on Sofia lately, and now here we are, stuck in this freezing place. Belle, you're close to Dad—what's really happening?"
"It's complicated," Belle admitted, her brow furrowed with worry. "Mom's searching for an ancient vault she believes is hidden here In this icy land, but that's not the only reason we're here. I overheard Granddad mentioning that Sofia needs to unlock her 'rage point' before it's too late."
"What does that even mean?" John asked, puzzled.
"I'm not sure, but I think whatever they're doing, it's meant to protect us. I just feel it," Belle said, glancing over at her parents who were deep in conversation on the other side of the cave.
Meanwhile, some distance away from Earth away in Galaxia, Cole, Stella, and Kenneth were deep into their own covert operation to capture The-Void, a formidable and elusive enemy.
"What did you just say? You can't be serious. Why would we go to Earth? And don't you think the council will find out?" Stella asked, her voice laced with disbelief as she stared at Cole.
"The council won't know unless you tell them. Aren't you the one who reports back to them?" Cole pointed out, a hint of challenge in his voice.
"Yes, Stella, we have to do this. If this plan works, we'll be there to see it through and complete the sealing act. I've already disconnected the sector unit's connection to the rear cosmic energy for one hundred and fifty hours. Now's our chance," Kenneth interjected, his tone urgent. "Stella, you're the izigan head captain, but this is crucial. We need to capture our foe, even if it means collaborating with those who have betrayed us. Are you in?"
Stella paused, torn between her duties and the risky proposition. Her decision could change everything.
"Alright, then. It's a secret mission, and I'll come up with something believable to tell Terry to ensure he doesn't get suspicious about what we're doing," Stella agreed, finally nodding her acceptance.
"Good. I'll secure one of the ships and we'll head down to Earth," Kenneth added, taking charge of the logistics.
Cole, however, held up a hand, signaling a pause. "We're set, yes, but we won't depart just yet."
Stella, taken aback, questioned him, "What do you mean we're not going now? What happens if we go right now?"
"We need to discuss a few things first. I might have made it sound like we were ready to leave immediately, but we need to consider The-Void's movements at this stage. We'll be heading to Earth soon, but my concern is the council's relationship and approach to The-Void's case. In situations like this, anomalies can even arise among those in authority. We've all encountered such irregularities on rare occasions, especially when facing an unknown enemy," Cole explained, his voice serious.
"Are you suggesting that someone within the council might know about The-Void or could be helping him and is keeping it a secret? You can't be sure of that," Stella countered, her tone defensive yet curious.
"Stella, what he's saying does make sense. Think about it—not as an authority, but as a civilian. Corruption and secrets are universal, even on Earth. No one knows the real reasons why Sir David was exiled from Galaxia and ousted from the council, and they've kept that quiet till now. Let's not rush to judgment; all we need to do is stay alert," Kenneth argued convincingly.
Stella paused, digesting the points made. "Yeah, it makes sense now," she admitted, her resolve firming. "We'll wait, then plan our move carefully."
"The-Void, whatever that thing is, we'd better figure it out before it's too late," Cole said with urgency. Meanwhile, on the frosty slopes of Mount Everest, Sir David, Palmer, and Elena had settled in comfortably. The children, filled with curiosity and eagerness, gathered around Sir David, hoping to hear more about the heroic deeds of the izigans during the war.
Belle and Sofia approached Sir David with gleaming eyes, their hearts brimming with excitement. "Granddad, can you tell us about the origin of the izigans? You promised to tell us a long time ago when you had the chance, and now seems perfect," Belle urged, with Sofia nodding enthusiastically beside her.
"Alright, you've caught me at a good time. Let's gather everyone; they wouldn't want to miss this story they've always been eager to hear," Sir David replied, his voice carrying a warm, nostalgic tone.
In another part of the cave, Dorothy was drawn by a burnt smell to a small opening where she found John frantically trying to extinguish a fire. "John? What's this? How did fire get in here?" she asked, puzzled and concerned.
"Could you just use your powers to put out the fire before someone else sees us?" John pleaded, his voice calm but loud, betraying the gravity of his mishap.
Without hesitation, Dorothy waved her hand adorned with a Tau mandala ring, extinguishing the fire in an instant. She then noticed some metal objects on the floor, half-burnt. "What are those?" she inquired.
"They're my robotic equipment. I was tooling them and needed to use fire for one section, so I had to create some," John explained somewhat sheepishly.
"John, you know Sir David warned us not to use fire within the cave. There must have been a specific reason for that. Why didn't you ask for my glow balls?" Dorothy chided.
"Your glow balls aren't hot enough. Dorothy, just act like nothing happened. What could possibly go wrong?" John replied, trying to dismiss the severity of their situation.
Just then, Belle was about to enter the room when John and Dorothy quickly blocked the entrance to hide the evidence of their mishap. "John, Dorothy, Granddad wants to tell us the izigan origin now. Mind if you both come?" Belle said, unaware of the recent chaos.
"Oh yes, we will be there," they both replied simultaneously, making the situation a bit awkward.
"Is everything okay? I never knew you two were together? It's cute, you know," Belle remarked as she turned to leave, her presence less perceptive than they feared.
"Well, she is less observant than I thought, but that was close," Dorothy whispered as they hurried to join the others.
Meanwhile, just outside the cave, the glass dimension formation that Sir David had set up was now slightly visible. Suddenly, it cracked, creating a small opening, hinting at unforeseen vulnerabilities and challenges that might soon be faced by the group inside.