"It's the age of monsters, I tell you. Big scary flying monsters and beasts, roaring and tearing things up. I saw them. Believe me, guys."

"And where did you see them, Leo? In the latest movie or in your dream?"

"It was a vision. I am not lying, Ray. I was talking with this strange looking man, and...and..."

Ray, Who was sick of the story turned to the other boys who had gathered round listening to Leo tell his nonsense tales. "Let's go guys. Leo is showing his fabulous side again."

Leo watched them go with watery eyes.

"Make sure to sign up for the comedy club once school resumes," Ray called out after walking a few distance. The other boys laughed so hard at the jest.

"But I saw them. I really saw them," Leo mumbled to himself, devastated.

"How can I warn them all when even my mates won't listen? HOW CAN I, LUXUS?!" Leo yelled the more at somebody who is not even present.

He left the playground dejected and trailed his way back home. He was going to communicate with the strange man called Luxus again. This man has been appearing to him in a strange manner, telling him how the Earth is about to be doomed by an otherworldly race called The Xollante race.

This was how it all started for Leo.

***

He is just a boy like every other boy in the town, but with more life crisis even at a very young age. So, that makes him quite different from the others. When he was 8, his father died during a turf war that broke out between some sort of new thieves in town and the one Leo's father belong. Now, Leo's father was a thief. His name was Rayden.

Rayden was a drunkard both day and night. Even when the night robberies with the thugs go smoothly than normal, he would have spent more than half his share of the loot on liquor before he got home to his family. And even when he got home, he often complains that there is no money on him to feed anybody. And whenever Laura, his wife questions him unnecessarily, he never hesitate to land blows on her.

One night, Rayden landed one of those blows that makes her shut her mouth, but this time, she had shut that mouth forever. She collapsed and never woke up. Rayden, thinking she's still conscious continued to rain more blows on her limp figure until he discovered that she's not resisting again. In the dead of the night, he fled the house at once and never returned. It was that same night he fought in the turf war with the new gang and he was killed.

All these happened right before Leo's eyes. At 8 years old, he didn't have any real parental care. He saw his mother die before his very eyes, and after crying after his father in the night, he also saw him killed by the thugs from a safe distance.

In one night, he lost both his parents. With nowhere to go, the town chief took him to one of the orphanages and after a while, he started school at the Town's academy.

This was how his life changed for the worst, or probably for the better, depending on how this is going to end for him.

He was 13. He got back to the orphanage home from school and after resting his little head, he suddenly heard a loud bang in his head. Like someone had just pushed the door forcefully and barged into the room. He jumped off from the bed at once to see who was at the door but he saw no one. Leo's heart started pounding against his chest.

After a while, he calmed himself and just waved the sound as a form of hallucination. Maybe his imagination has gotten too wild that it is now creating nuclear weapon blasts in his head.

But by the time he was about to fall asleep again, he heard a voice. This time, it was clear and sharp. This can never be from his imagination. The voice came silent and apologetic:

"What?" Leo has screamed so hard that day that the orphanage nanny came rushing into his room to know what happened. Leo told her someone was talking to him but he can't see the person.

The nanny who was uptight at first heaved a very deep sigh of relief and then started her scolding. Everyone knew Leo to be imagination personified. He could form up scenarios in his head and voice them out like it was real. To everyone in the orphanage and at school, he was a young boy with crazy episodes at intervals.

So, now that he told the nanny that someone was talking to him, she scolded him harshly and ended it with some spanking on the butt. "Never raise false alarm to disturb Nana again."

Everybody calls her Nana.

She banged the door shut behind her as she stormed out. The other two boys that was sharing the room with Leo are not back from school yet, so he was alone by himself again.

"But I heard him. I heard that voice. They never believe me," Leo wallowed in self pity.

Now, Leo was ready for whatever was coming this time around. He was sure someone was communicating with him inside this room. He didn't shout this time around. He only roamed about the room, searching for any receiving device that might have been in there. Maybe someone was playing a prank on him by installing a voice receiver by his bed. He knew the boys will do anything for a good laugh.

Suddenly, he stopped his pacing. What did that person just say? Is he really in his head?

Leo spoke this time, "you can really hear my thoughts? Who are you, please. Come out of my head, I'm scared."

"What? Luxus? Like, the planet Luxus? Our teacher told us that there's a planet called Luxus and it is filled with other life forms similar to our planet... Are you from Luxus too, Mr Luxus?" Leo bombarded the voice with questions. It's funny how he was getting a hang of this strange happenings so quickly.

"How can I help you, Mr Luxus?"

This whole time, Leo was holding his hands over his ears. His head was reeling like crazy but he was trying very hard to keep his consciousness. The voice was giving a good feeling to his body but his head was swimming at the same time. He felt he was going to faint.

Luxus was cut short mid sentence.

"Wait, how is this possible? How are you in my head, Mr Luxus?"

"I won't listen until you tell me, Mr Luxus."

Luxus lamented.

Leo waited.

"How did you know I can do that?"

"How did I do the signal stuff, Mr Luxus?"

"Okay, Mr Luxus."

<...you have to warn everybody on Earth. Particularly the Earth Guardians and the Space Invaders. Tell them that the Xollante race is on the move. They've been on the move for many years and now they are close to Earth. Earth must prepare. NOW>

"What?!" Leo was practically stunned. "What does that even mean, Mr Luxus?"

"Sorry, Mr Luxus but I don't understand what you're saying. Is there a power button to end this call?"

"People have always called me crazy. How will they believe me? How will I even get to the Earth Guardians or the Space Invaders? I can't even get to the Town chief."

"Mr Luxus, no. I can't. I am just a little boy..." He was feeling light headed.

"Mr Luxus..."

Leo fainted.