Beyond the Ninth Star

Ch. 3 - A Journey Begins

"MOM, PLEASE STOP! He was the one that killed the Scoorob" I pleaded. But my parents remained defensive and ready to attack.

However, suddenly, the vines exploded as Illu used his wings to break free. The impact destroyed all the ice spears that were hovering above him.

llu spoke calmly, his words aimed at diffusing the tense situation. "I'm on your side. Besides, there's nothing you can do against me," he said, gesturing with open hands. As a sign of peace, he made the wings on his back vanish.

"I have a message from Her Highness herself, so stop bothering me" He completed

He pulled out a small, square-shaped gadget with a sleek, metallic finish. It looked like it was made from a combination of silver and platinum, and was no larger than a matchbox. On one side of the device, there was a smooth, transparent surface, which seemed to be made from some kind of advanced glass or crystal material. 

"Here, listen." He said as he threw it to my mom.

When she pressed her finger against the transparent side of the gadget, a bright green light illuminated from within, emitting a soft, futuristic hum. The gadget appeared to be a highly advanced communication device, far beyond anything that existed on Earth. Its design was minimalist, with no visible buttons, ports, or switches. It seemed to be activated by touch and responded to the slightest gestures or commands. The green light that scanned Amelia's mother's fingerprint seemed to confirm her identity and authorization to access the device's functions.

"He's indeed on a special mission from Her Highness Thea, tasked with protecting Ame," my mom confirmed, after scanning the device with her finger.

My father's defensive stance softened a bit, but he still had some reservations.

"Wait, you haven't even listened to the message yet," I interjected, still feeling a bit confused.

My father ignored me and faced Illu with a stern expression. "Fine, for now, I'll trust that you're telling the truth. But there is one condition," he said.

Illu let out a frustrated sigh. "What now?"

"You must stay close to me or Mona at all times, and you can only be near the princess with our consent. Someone with your background must be monitored at all times," my father said, his expression serious.

I couldn't help but wonder who exactly Illu was, as I watched the tense exchange between him and my father.

"Fine." Illu said while rolling his eyes

"I demand an explanation! I'm tired of being left in the dark," I exclaimed with frustration, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.

"I promise to tell you everything, but for now, we must hurry to the ship and leave this planet," my mother replied, gently stroking my hair to calm me down.

"Everyone, let's go to the car. We need to leave this planet immediately," my father instructed.

We all made our way to the parking lot, my mind racing with questions and confusion.

...

...

We entered the car about 15 minutes ago, and an uncomfortable silence has been lingering ever since. We were traveling on the southbound highway, heading towards the coast. The atmosphere inside the car was tense, and I couldn't help but feel uneasy. My parents were in the front seats, while Illu and I sat at the back. He had been gazing out the window the entire time, without even glancing in our direction.

"We need to decide where we're going and plan our route back to Azulri," my mom finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

"There are three systems we can reach before we need to refuel: W-387, W-109, and R-222," she continued.

"It seems pretty obvious where we're heading then," Illu remarked, unphased.

"Not really. R-222 was taken over by the wasters over a year and a half ago, and it's under strict surveillance," my dad interjected.

My mother countered, "However, I believe that heading to a Recycler system is a wiser choice. The people there would be more sympathetic towards us."

"Moreover, both W-378 and W-109 are still not fully developed, and an Azulrian vessel would raise suspicion. Hence, R-222 is undoubtedly the most viable option," my father concluded.

Frustrated by the overwhelming secrecy surrounding our predicament, I demanded, "You better explain everything to me once we get to the ship."

...

...

After an hour in the car, during which they mostly discussed routes and systems (which I couldn't comprehend), we arrived at a deserted beach, cleverly hidden between two cliffs. My father parked the car by the highway, and we disembarked and headed toward a small wooden staircase that led down to the beach.

Once on the beach, we walked to one end and entered a small cave that was concealed between two enormous boulders. A few meters inside, there was a rock-hard ice wall blocking our path. My mother moved to the front and placed her hand on the wall. A light blue aura surrounded her, and her eyes changed colors again, just like the last time she had used this "magic."

"Dismiss," she said in a loud and forceful tone.

Then the ice began to disappear slowly, leaving no trace behind, as if it were evaporating.

I watched the spectacle closely and let out a faint "wow."

"This magic is impressive indeed," I said, admiring their ability.

"Actually, it's not magic," my mom replied, correcting my assumption. "It's energy transformation, and you can do it too. Besides, your personal transformation is much more impressive than ours."

"Really? Can I do that too? And what do you mean by my personal transformation?" I asked, curious about my own abilities.

"We can discuss it later. We don't have much time right now. We can talk about it while traveling to R-222," my dad interrupted, signaling us to move on.

As we stepped into the once blocked cave, my mom led the way followed by me and my dad with Illu keeping a distance. The darkness made it difficult to see, but I could discern a massive object at the end of the cave, easily the size of three trucks side-by-side.

My dad halted before the object and pulled a small device from his pocket. In the dim light, I struggled to make out any details. He placed his thumb on it and a green light scanned it from top to bottom, reminiscent of the device my mom used to receive the message. Suddenly, the object came to life, emitting noises and neon yellow lights that illuminated the entire cave. Finally, I could see the ship.

---------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------------------- 

Sorry for not posting for a long time, I promise I will post (at least) once a week from now! please leave a comment with your thoughts about the story so far, I would love to read it. We will soon leave Earth and start our first adventure in R-222 (and oh boy the trip there will reveal so many things), I'm very excited, hope y'all are too.