The new Izigans sat, all eyes on the captains and council, amazed to be in Galaxia. Belle felt uncomfortable sitting alone. It was a tough situation to handle.
"If only Dorothy were in the blue clan, I could sit with her. But she isn't here," Belle thought.
The three seats reserved for the Furious Three were empty, and the new Izigans wondered why they, along with Sir Oliver, were absent.
Hina also watched Sir Henk, the captain of the Scarlet clan. He was huge and muscular, yet he seemed calm and friendly.
The new Izigans couldn't stop talking as they sat, looking at their idols. Lord Orion was known on Earth as the wisest man alive, but in Galaxia, he was called the man of few words.
After a while, Lord Lucas, the head of the Vixen clan, stood up to address the new Izigans. He slowly descended from his seat and stepped into the open space in front of the council. Silence fell as everyone saw him ready to speak, his welcoming smile lighting up his face.
"Welcome, everyone. There's no need for introductions. You already know us and our names; if not, ask your neighbor. This is another successful call-out and assembly day. Every ten years, the call-out is initiated. This is the fourth call-out since 2070, bringing our brothers and sisters from around the world to fulfill a great purpose. I know many of you are happy to be here. Some of you had to leave your families, while others didn't want to leave at all," Lucas announced.
"And some were even chased out," Lucas continued humorously, prompting laughter throughout the hall until it calmed down.
"You are not here just to have fun, though you will. The friends you make today might be your rivals tomorrow. It happens often. Galaxia and the Izigans are well-known on Earth, especially if you stand out and make a name for yourself here.
For now, you have no rankings. You'll undergo training for a year before being ranked based on your performance in the universe's biggest event: the Clash of Clans, the Izigan tournament.
We're preparing you to become Izigan warriors, responsible for protecting yourself, your friends, and your planet.
Don't get too excited yet. Remember, you are in Galaxia now, not on Earth. Our rules here are different; some are strict. The rules won't affect you much now, but once ranked, you'll become full Izigans. There are eight clans here. It seems the Earth clan is empty." Lucas glanced around as everyone turned to look at Belle, who sat with her head down, both embarrassed and angry. Lucas scanned the seats until he noticed her.
"Oh, there's one person, at least," Lucas said, sparking laughter in the hall again.
Lady Ava and Deborah of the Earth clan glared at Lucas, knowing he was doing it on purpose. The Earth clan had lost its prestige due to low productivity and few members, a reason kept secret from the public.
"For the new Izigans, you have different academies in your clan homes where you'll train with your masters and get to know your seniors, captains, and vice-captains. From here, you'll be guided by your clan officials to mini ships that will take you to your clan domains, your new homes.
Welcome once again, future warriors. You are now all Izigans. Make yourself useful to your clan and Galaxia." Lucas concluded, and applause erupted around the hall.
Soon, Henk of the Scarlet clan stepped forward to speak. "All Izigans will exit the Megatorium now. Outside, you'll see lift crafts in your clan colors. Go to them and complete your name registration at your clan state homes," Henk said as the new Izigans left their seats and headed for the exit.
Belle hurried to join the crowd, feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed sitting alone. Her frustration was evident.
"Where is John?" Belle wondered aloud. "I remember he was called by someone when we arrived, and now Dorothy was called too. What's going on?" she whispered to herself as she passed through the exit.
Meanwhile, at the Izigan Research Building not far from the Megatorium, Dorothy followed the Izigans she had been trailing. The place resembled a large lab, with scientists and researchers busy with holographic screens and equipment. Dorothy was amazed by the building's structure and activity. Finally, they reached a research room.
---
The room was bright, with glass windows and high-tech equipment everywhere. Inside, there were two men and a woman in lab coats, along with Viktor, the boy Dorothy had seen earlier. Dorothy was surprised to see him, and Viktor was equally surprised to see her.
"Please come over here," the woman said gently, guiding Dorothy to a seat. She sat down in front of a screen.
"My name is Dr. Harper, and this is Dr. Morgan and Drew," the woman introduced.
"We study unknown cosmic forms and rare cosmic energies. You're here because your cosmic energy doesn't match any of the eight major cosmic forms, which is unusual. We need to find out why that is, do you understand?" Dr. Harper continued.
Dorothy nodded, though she didn't quite understand what Dr. Harper had said.
"I don't get it, but maybe I will eventually," Dorothy thought to herself.
"Alright, what is your name?" Dr. Harper asked.
"Dorothy... Dorothy Palmer," she answered.
"What did Belle call it? Ad... adopt something... I think it's adopted," Dorothy thought, trying to remember what Belle said about her status to their parents.
"You're not related to the Palmer family, are you?" Dr. Harper asked.
"I'm adopted by the Palmers," Dorothy replied.
"Oh wow, that's nice. Well, nice to meet you. I'm a big fan of Sir David Richardson. How is he doing?" Dr. Harper asked.
"Oh!" Dorothy exclaimed softly, her expression changing at the mention of David Richardson.
"Is everything alright?" Dr. Harper asked gently, her British accent clear.
"They're dead. Dad Palmer, Granddad, and Mom," Dorothy said softly.
Everyone was shocked, and silence filled the room as the scientists processed the information.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Dorothy. Let's move forward," Dr. Harper said.
After some time spent on research and testing, Dorothy went to sit near Viktor, who was still in the room.
"Hey," Dorothy said.
"Hi," Viktor replied, as they exchanged pleasant greetings. Dorothy felt nervous around Viktor, but he gave her a welcoming smile.
"Sorry about my sister earlier today. She can be tough sometimes," Dorothy said, playing with her hair and avoiding eye contact.
"It's no problem at all. I forgive you already. Funny how we meet again. Your name, Dorothy, it sounds royal," Viktor said softly.
"Well, um, I don't know. Maybe it does," Dorothy said, smiling and blushing visibly, still avoiding eye contact.
"So why are you here? Did the machine read 'unknown' for you too?" Dorothy asked.
"Yes, it did. But I wasn't surprised. Nine years ago, when I was eight, I found myself in a city in Egypt. I had no memory of my earlier years. It was like being born again. That's when I met an Izigan who noticed I was different. He helped me; his name was Sir Tim, but he said I could call him Tim. He took me to Spain to live with a family, my adoptive parents. Sir Tim told me he would bring me to Galaxia one day. With my adoptive parents, I learned quickly and understood more, despite losing my memories. He said I was from another dimension, which I didn't understand at the time. That's why I'm here," Viktor explained.
"Wow, that's amazing. You're just like me," Dorothy said, surprised.
"Oh, what do you mean? What happened to you?" Viktor asked.
Dr. Harper reached for a communication device on the table next to her. After analyzing Dorothy and Viktor, her expression showed she had seen something unusual. She called someone in another room of the same research building.
"Hello, Harper. What is it?" a voice asked.
"You may want to see something strange. A very rare cosmic energy has been found. It's unlike anything I've seen before," Harper said.
"Rare cosmic forms shouldn't be too exciting. Stay with the subjects; I have more important things to handle here," Dr. Helix replied.
"And what's more important than discovering rare cosmic forms?" Dr. Harper asked.
"Two Izigans, Dave and Lang. Something's strange about them that I haven't figured out yet. I'll deal with this later," Dr. Helix said, ending the call.
"What's so odd about them?" John asked, standing behind Dr. Helix.
"Something really strange," Dr. Helix answered, looking at Lang and Dave, who lay unconscious on the lab beds nearby.
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