In the cold, oppressive throne room of a dying world, the King's voice echoed like a death knell. "Have you found nothing? Not a single planet capable of sustaining us?"
The servant knelt, his forehead pressed against the freezing stone. "No, my King. I am... I am so sorry. My scouts have found nothing yet. But the 11th Harbinger has pushed further into the void, searching for any sign of life."
The King's eyes flared with a dark, ancient malice. "You are useless," he hissed. "Get out of my sight before I decide your life is as worthless as your reports."
The servant scrambled away, his footsteps echoing in the hollow silence. As he vanished, the air in the throne room began to shimmer. A figure materialized—a being of pure, radiant light. This was Nova in her true form, an Origin whose very presence vibrated with an infinite reservoir of spiritual energy. In her domain, no one dared to stand beside her, save for the top three Harbingers.
Nova walked toward the King, her light illuminating the shadows of the throne. "You caused this," she said, her voice resonant and calm. "You chose to battle an Origin. You chose to war with an Angel. This is the price of your hubris."
The King didn't look at her. "Leave, Nova."
"And if I refuse?" Nova challenged. "These planets you seek... you plan to wipe out half their populations just to make room for your rot. I won't stand by and watch."
The King's grip tightened on his throne. "Don't make me repeat myself."
"Do you truly think I fear you?" Nova stepped closer, her aura flaring.
The King lunged, his fist wreathed in a terrifying surge of dark energy. The blow struck Nova, sending her hurtling through the air. She righted herself instantly, but she didn't strike back. Instead, she began to glow with a blinding, celestial intensity. The planet beneath them began to groan and crack, the very core of the world reacting to her power. She was literally tearing the world apart with her presence.
The King leaped again, his silhouette a dark blot against her radiance, his fist gathering a massive, world-ending charge of dark energy.
*BOOM.*
.....
[Few days before the invasion: Earth]
The sun was bright, and the air was filled with the mundane sounds of a peaceful morning. Lyla was behind the wheel of her car, tapping her fingers to a upbeat hip-hop track. Beside her, Annie was scrolling through her phone, her face lit with excitement.
They pulled into the supermarket parking lot, and as they stepped out, they saw their parents walking toward them, bags in hand.
"My goodness, you're here!" their mother exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. "Come on, girls, let's get everything into the car."
Lyla laughed, hugging her mom. "Wow, I didn't think we'd catch you guys here. Since you've already got the big stuff, I'm going to run in and grab a few small items. Annie, you coming?"
Annie nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I need to get some supplies for that scientific research project I was telling you about—the one for the base's weaponry."
Their father waved them off with a grin. "Be quick! We'll be waiting right here."
"We'll be back before you know it!" Lyla called out as she and Annie disappeared into the supermarket.
Five minutes later, Lyla was at the checkout. "Please, can you be a bit quicker?" she asked the cashier, checking her watch.
Annie was staring out the large glass windows, her brow furrowing. "Big sis... is it possible to see a shooting star in the morning?"
Lyla didn't even look up. "What kind of weird question is that, Annie? Of course not."
"But... look."
A sudden, violent impact rocked the building. The massive glass storefront shattered inward, a rain of crystalline shards flying through the air. Lyla instinctively lunged for Annie, shielding her sister's body with her own. Shards of glass sliced into Lyla's back and arms, but she didn't feel the pain.
As the dust began to settle, Lyla's eyes went wide. A scream tore from her throat, raw and agonizing. "MOM! DAD!"
She stumbled out of the ruined store, her legs shaking. The car was gone—crushed beneath a heavy, metallic object that had fallen from the sky. Blood was already beginning to pool on the asphalt, a dark, crimson stain spreading toward her feet. Lyla couldn't move; she was frozen in a nightmare. Behind her, Annie was too terrified to even step outside, but the sound of Lyla's scream told her everything she needed to know.
Lyla saw a figure lying atop the wreckage of their car—a being that didn't belong in this world. With trembling hands, she reached for her phone, her voice a broken whisper. "Call... call Caspian."
.....
[Present Day - Base 111]
"Base 105, this is Base 111! Caspian here! We are receiving your distress signal! What is your status? Over!"
The radio crackled, and a voice broke through—a voice Caspian recognized instantly. "Don't come, Caspian! Stay away! If you come here, you will die!"
Caspian's heart stopped. "Annie? Annie, is that you?! ANNIE!"
He gripped the radio so hard his knuckles turned white. He looked toward the horizon, toward the smoke rising from Base 105. *Hold on, Lyla,* he thought, his jaw setting in a grim line. *I'm coming for you.*
To be continued...