David Richardson continued, his voice heavy with the burden of recollection. "Naturally, considering the vast distances involved—measured in light years—the target was billions of light years away from Earth. They weren't expecting a response anytime soon. The destination they focused on was the Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51, which is notably shaped like a question mark. They were certain it was this galaxy after trying to make my father talk when they discovered his special abilities. Although he refused to speak, the only clue he gave was a drawing of a question mark, drawn in his own blood, with two dots around it, suggesting two planets orbiting a solar system within that galaxy. They had some idea of what he was trying to convey, but the abilities he possessed eventually drove him mad, and he lost himself, dying in that state."
David paused, the memories clearly paining him. "Then, on December 25th, 2025, the Great Encounter occurred. Two days prior, ships were detected in space using sonic radar and radio detection. Images captured through telescopes revealed that the ships were massive, and Earth was unprepared for what was coming. On that fateful day, seven enormous black metal objects descended from space, landing in different locations around the world. These objects, thousands of feet tall and reaching into the clouds, landed with such force that they cleared everything in their path with a highly destructive wave.
The enormous metal objects that fell from the sky were just the beginning of their invasion. All of these metals landed in Saudi Arabia, and after some hours, a massive ship arrived, hovering ominously above the country. Mini vessels swarmed across the Earth; the sky turned a menacing red as if the ship brought a kind of gas that dyed the entire atmosphere. Panic ensued as people scrambled for safety, but there seemed to be nowhere to hide. The smaller vessels indiscriminately captured humans, transporting them to the main ship. Massive creatures with terrifying abilities roamed freely, overpowering any military resistance they encountered. The metal from the ships was impervious to any attacks, and the alien beings possessed formidable powers. The smaller ones, nearly human-sized, displayed intelligence and abilities beyond our own; it was clear we were outmatched.
Days into the invasion, the Vixen family revealed themselves. Known as secret heroes, they had been protecting Earth's citizens for over a century. Armed with a strategic plan, the Vixens began their counterattack against the alien creatures. During this chaos, I, too, was hiding, but eventually, I made my way to the Vixen family to offer my assistance, based on the little I knew about the aliens attacking us.
Before my father passed, he had shared much with me telepathically. It seemed his mind was clear even if his body failed him. He warned, "They come with one mind, one core, one will, and one goal. Earth will be overwhelmed; we will be powerless to protect it. I know much, though my lips can't utter all. Tell the Vixens not to trust the Golden Eye, the Cosmic Lords, and the Gatekeepers. It will appear resolved when it's over, but darkness will linger. The evil ones will think they are the good ones, and the good will suspect they are the evil. Rebellion will arise within bloodlines. It's a story foretold by those they will overlook: the King and Prince, the Princess and Knight, Light and Dark, Time and the Angel, and the Butterfly of Hope. It is a long path until the end when time will lose its value, for it will be traded, though meant to be priceless. When confusion reigns, take him to the origin of all things."
I relayed my father's cryptic message to the Vixens, but none could grasp its meaning, assuming perhaps he was still touched by madness. When I asked him to clarify, he simply said, "It's everything. It's just everything."
Despite their doubts about the meaning of his words, the Vixens found my knowledge useful. The family, numbering about two hundred and fifty, all connected by blood and spread across the globe, rallied together to combat the alien threat with their supernatural abilities.
The Vixens learned that the aliens shared a collective consciousness; to defeat them, we needed to locate and destroy the UniMind controlling them. Unfortunately, many Vixens sacrificed their lives in the process, and the battle grew even more challenging when we encountered aliens with individual minds.
Further research revealed that something aboard their colossal ship was enabling the aliens to adapt and thrive on our planet. By then, the Earth had suffered immense losses, and the Vixens were dwindling. Two years into the invasion, with humanity teetering on the brink of extinction, an unexpected event occurred: the colossal ship was struck by a powerful force, something beyond Earth's capabilities. No one knew the origin of this attack, but it turned the tide.
Then, new aliens arrived—unlike the previous invaders, these newcomers seemed less threatening and more diverse in appearance, adorned in colorful skin representing their clan of blue, red, yellow, green, orange, black, white, pink, and purple. They lacked the stark white of the alien I had once saved, but their large black eyes were unmistakable. Realizing they were here to help, I alerted the Vixens, and they quickly joined the battle.
However, these benevolent aliens, the Izanigamies, began to perish. They lacked the sustaining force that empowered their foes, the Tranamites. As I somehow understood their language, I learned of their desperate plan. They proposed a fusion with humans, passing their abilities to us without altering our physical form, aside from black tattoos that appeared on our bodies.
I was the first to undergo fusion, merging with a blue-skinned Izanigamie. Convincing other humans was challenging, but eventually, many agreed, from soldiers to civilians, embracing the fusion and forming different clans of what would be known as Izigans. However, not all humans were willing to sacrifice their humanity.
With our new powers, we trained for a year and were ready to fight. My special ability allowed me to control glass and mirror dimensions and reality. Each of the Izigans developed unique abilities.
The war, known as the Izigan War against the Tranamites, began in 2030 and lasted until 2045. Ultimately, we eradicated the Tranamites and destroyed their life core aboard the colossal ship, which still lies where it fell, a stark reminder of our struggle.
Sir David paused, his story complete, leaving his listeners in awe of the epic battles and the drastic measures taken to save humanity.
"Woo, that was wild! I can't imagine what it must have been like to live back then. It does explain why only izigans and vixens have special abilities," Dorothy commented, clearly impressed by the story.
"Even so, some humans still don't like us, although most acknowledge us because we sacrificed a lot to save our planet," Sir David added, reflecting on the mixed reactions from humanity.
"But the story hasn't ended yet, Granddad! You haven't told us how you used your powers to kick those aliens' butts. Come on, Granddad, tell us!" little Sofia exclaimed eagerly.
"Not now, Sofia. That will be for another time. That's the end for now. Your dad and I have something to discuss," Sir David said gently, hinting at more stories to come. Reluctantly, Sofia and the others left to resume their normal activities after listening to Sir David's incredible tale.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the snowy wilderness, Cole, Stella, and Kenneth trudged through the thick snow. They had been dropped off by a mini spaceship not long ago and were wearing thick clothes to shield themselves from the cold, their izigan tech suits hidden underneath. Cole wore red, Stella green, and Kenneth blue, each color representing their clan.
"Cole, we have a specific location, don't we? Can't we just walk through the dimension walkway like you usually do? It's cold out here," Kenneth complained, shivering slightly.
"That's not necessary right now," Cole replied, his focus on something partially covered in the snow on the ground.
"What is that?" Stella asked, peering over Cole's shoulder.
"That's ice, isn't it? Isn't it hard for you guys to recognize? Deborah makes them out of thin air a lot," Kenneth joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"This isn't ice," Cole corrected him as he picked up the object. "This is glass, and not just any glass," he said, turning the object around in his hands. As he touched the glass, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he began to see a myriad of images that all streamed from the glass he held. After a moment, overwhelmed by the visions, he collapsed to the ground.
"Cole, are you okay?" Stella asked anxiously as they both helped him to his feet.
"We need to run now," Cole warned urgently.
"What for?" Stella inquired, puzzled and concerned.
"He's here," Cole said, fear evident in his voice. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and they felt as though something invisible was holding them down. They had no idea what was happening, but the sense of danger was palpable.