"Well," Oscar said, rubbing his forehead, "they scammed me. Stole the EMP weapon right out from under my nose. No protection, no deal, just me left standing there with a dumb look on my face."
The room went silent for a moment before the elder broke out in a hearty laugh. "Hiohiohio! You got outwitted by a bunch of criminals! Well, that's a story for the grandkids, eh?"
Oscar groaned, shaking his head. "Believe me, I'm still kicking myself over it."
"But that's not the whole story," he continued, his tone shifting. "After that mess, I was at my lowest point. But then, by sheer luck or fate, I ran into Rex. And it turns out, Rex was a being unlike anything I'd ever seen." He glanced at Ys, who was listening intently. "An angel from the ancient age, the last protectors of the human race."
