"You know that wasn't necessary, right?" Dorothy said, raising an eyebrow. "The way you moved through the crowd was actually smooth."
Belle rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Did you hear him bragging? Honestly, he couldn't control his power if it came with an instruction manual."
"I'm hearing so many people talk about the captains and the council members. They seem popular, but I've never heard of them," Belle said.
"Are you kidding? What do you mean you haven't heard of them before?" A boy rushed in from behind after overhearing their conversation.
Both Dorothy and Belle looked at the boy with confusion, giving him a scowling look, wondering where he had come from.
"Oh, I'm sorry for the intrusion. My name is Viktor. I'm from Spain. Nice to meet you two," Viktor said, stretching out his hand for a handshake. Both Dorothy and Belle looked at him, ignoring his hand, which he then withdrew.
"I come in peace, ladies. I'd like to know your names, if you don't mind," Viktor asked.
"I knew it was a way to get to us. Boys are predictable. Well, we won't be too cruel on you. My name is Belle, and hers is Dorothy. We don't need to know about the captains or council; we'll learn soon enough," Belle said, scowling at Viktor.
Viktor felt uneasy but managed to turn to Dorothy, who caught his attention more.
"Sorry, ladies, I thought you'd enjoy an interesting conversation. See you later, Dorothy," Viktor said as he departed.
"Belle, what's up with you today?" Dorothy asked.
"If you want to talk to him, go ahead. I'm not the friendly type; I have a few friends, and they should be like me," Belle explained.
Dorothy frowned, tilting her head. "So, if I'm not like you, does that mean we're not friends?"
Belle chuckled, shaking her head. "We're sisters, you idiot, even if we're not related by blood."
Dorothy's eyes widened. "Sisters? What's that supposed to mean?"
Belle's smile softened. "I forgot you've lost some memories. But it's like having a family bond. We're there for each other, no matter what."
"Family..." Dorothy repeated, rolling the word around like a new taste. "And 'idiot'?"
Belle waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about that. It's just a silly word. A joke. Forget I said it."
Dorothy swung in to hug Belle while they sat at the table.
Soon, there was an announcement telling the Izigans to move toward the Megatorium, visible from the glass window in the dome building.
All the Izigans left the building, walking on the broad white road and heading to the enormous building. They admired the tall silver structure and skyscrapers, and the floating aircraft around. It was truly amazing, and they loved it.
At the building entrance, some senior Izigans guided them in two straight lines. They worked into a machine where they placed their right hand. The machine scanned their hands, detecting their cosmic forms and displaying the clan color they belonged to.
Hina was scanned and showed pink, Derek was red. When it was Belle's turn, she was scanned blue. When it got to Dorothy's turn, it showed unknown.
The Izigan officials were surprised, as this hadn't happened before. She was told to place her hand again, which she did, and it still showed unknown. Someone then told her she needed to follow him for special examining. Dorothy followed the person, looking at Belle as she left.
The grand hall of the Megatorium was filled with anticipation and curiosity as the fresh Izigans settled into their seats. The atmosphere was a mix of awe and nervousness, with everyone eager to learn more about their future in Galaxia.
Soon, the distribution into different clans was over, and all of them sat in chairs matching their clan color. Each clan had over a thousand members, but in the Earth clan (blue), Belle sat alone.
She felt uncomfortable and thought, "Why am I the only one here?"
Other clan members looked at her, wondering why, while others laughed.
On the high view sat a few officials until the captains began to step in. Everyone stood up to honor their presence. The fresh Izigans were amazed, focusing their attention on the captains, including the captain of the Nebula clan, who was the most popular, and other known captains like Henk and Eren. They waved their hands while the fresh Izigans jumped in amazement, questioning the whereabouts of Sir Oliver, the captain of the Nebula clan.
Dorothy was surprised to see Belle as the only member of the Earth clan. Though a bit embarrassed, she kept her composure as she stood up. The captains waited while the council members made their way to their seats above them and the empty seats of the Furious Three.
The council members, distinguished by their elaborate robes and solemn expressions, took their places above the captains.
"I heard that council members are over a hundred years old. So, the Izigans must age differently," someone said near Erik, a member of the Umbra clan (black and white).
Erik, one of the new Izigans, glanced at his elder brother Eren, who stood ahead among the captains.
"He has changed. He looks different now," Erik said.
"What do you mean? Are you close to any of them?" someone nearby asked.
"Stop asking me questions. I'm not answering," Erik replied coldly, causing the person to back away.
Erik wasn't happy. He hadn't smiled since arriving in Galaxia, still haunted by his past.
Three years ago, Erik experienced his worst nightmare and the awakening of his powers. His parents were wealthy and well-known in Germany. His father was a businessman, and his mother was a model and an Izigan. Their fame attracted both admiration and envy. Despite their efforts to blend in, their lives changed drastically one fateful night.
During an argument while driving, Erik, then fourteen, sat in the backseat, feeling uneasy and experiencing chest pain. He weakly called out to his parents, but they were too absorbed in their argument to notice. When his mother finally turned around, she saw Erik in agony, clutching his chest. His Izigan powers surfaced suddenly and violently. Black spikes erupted from his body, fatally injuring his parents and causing the car to crash into another vehicle.
Eren, sensing something terrible was happening, arrived too late to stop the tragedy. Erik survived, but his parents' bodies were taken away. Eren, once kind and friendly, was deeply changed by the events of that night.