Far deep into the mountains of Nepal, Belle and her family found themselves stuck in one of the mountain caves. They needed to evacuate before things got worse.
A massive snowstorm was making its way into the cave, and they were many meters above the ground. The place was shaking like it could collapse at any moment.
"Hold this tight," Sir David said, handing the climbing rope to Palmer.
They all trusted Palmer with their backpacks because of his super-strength ability. He was tall and muscular, and all their backpacks were connected, forming a huge bundle.
They all had harnesses strapped around their waists and every other piece of equipment they needed for the climb.
Sir David, an old man and the eldest among them, worked with his son, Palmer, to connect all their ropes. They triple-checked everything before they began to move.
Elena, Palmer's wife, held her twelve-year-old daughter, Sofia, tightly to her chest. Belle, John, and Dorothy all prepared to begin the dangerous climb.
"Belle, you know what to do," Sir David said, looking at her as they approached the exit.
Belle looked at her grandfather with silent determination and nodded. She clenched her fist, preparing to take the first step. They were all relying on her because of her ability to control frost and ice.
The storm was intensifying; snow and ice flew across the air at incredible speed.
"Prepare yourselves."
Belle started the climb, and they all began following. The storm was less effective on them as it bounced off when it reached them, thanks to Belle's ability.
Belle tried to concentrate on climbing while simultaneously covering them with her cosmic energy. They needed to reach the side of the mountain opposite the fury of the wind.
Their cosmic energy allowed their limbs to stick to the rock like powerful magnets.
Despite Belle's cosmic energy shield, the cold wind still slapped their faces with brutal force, stinging their skin through the gaps in their gear. Even their goggles couldn't block its bite, and it was beginning to blur their vision.
"Just up ahead," Belle assured them. They were nearing a turn. Sir David hadn't told them why they needed to go to that part of the mountain. He couldn't even confirm if there was another cave there. But everyone trusted him, and surely they would be safe.
"Alright, everyone, prepare to jump."
There was a sudden twist of confusion as everyone turned their focus toward Sir David, who had just made an impossible statement.
"WHAT?!" they all shouted in unison, voices filled with disagreement. There was no way they could jump, they were literally high above the ground. The cold storm was closing in, and they hoped Sir David would change his statement. They stared, waiting.
"What are you staring at me for? Jump! We don't have much time left. Lift those bodies and make the jump!"
Sir David's voice could be heard vividly despite the wind. He was serious. But who would make the first jump? They all hesitated.
"Am embarrassed"
Sir David pressed his hands to the mountain. With a surge of power, he activated a glass technique. The rocky surface beneath them flattened into a slick slope. In seconds, everyone lost their footing and began to fall as the mountain turned into a smooth slide.
They fell into what seemed like a watery, mirror-like plane, an endless glass dimension. Their surroundings looked almost identical to where they had just been.
They hung in the air, held by an unseen force. As Sir David moved his hands, the area around them shifted. They could see themselves traveling great distances until they reached a pulse. Then, they all fell from the glass dimension onto the snowy floor. At last, they were free from the storm and on solid ground.
There was a look of relief on all their faces. They had been on a secret mission for the past month, taking an impossible route from Russia to the icy mountains of Nepal. Their goal was to collect the remnants of a cosmic core that had exploded somewhere high in the mountains.
They had encountered several military troops, which they fought and neutralized. Power and weaponry had become the ultimate pursuit of the higher-ups, especially since Galaxia now owned most of the world economy. Many precious materials were still hidden on Earth, yet to be discovered.
The secret but viral news of the cosmic core scattered in the icy mountains of Nepal had caused a huge uproar. Many countries and secret organizations sent their militaries and agents to claim every piece.
Sir David and his family represented Galaxia in retrieving the parts of the cosmic core. So far, they had collected five of the twenty-five rumored fragments.
"I found a cave, it's just up ahead," John signaled.
They all felt a sense of relief hearing the good news. They could finally take a break. They had been fighting, hiding, and digging through hard rock for the past week. Still, they wouldn't be surprised if their grandfather called them out for another movement.
They approached the cave and were surprised by its size. It wasn't like the others, this one was huge, not space-tight.
"Good. We'll rest here, but don't get too comfortable. We can move at any time."
"UGHHHHHHH!"
Both Belle and John grumbled in frustration and annoyance. They moved sluggishly into the cave like they were about to collapse.
"Maybe if we show how tired we are, Grandfather will consider letting us stay for a few days," Belle said to John as they held each other by the shoulders, walking with overly dramatic shuffles, dragging their feet like they hadn't eaten or slept in weeks.
Sir David noticed their exaggerated movements, frowning and clenching his teeth with his lips slightly open like he was trying not to say something.
"You two better not get any sleep. I will call you out for another mission."
"Ha! Come on!" the two of them cried simultaneously before running straight into the cave.
"Hey Dorothy, come on in," Belle called.
Dorothy, who had been staring at the empty snow in amazement, jolted upon hearing her name and sprinted into the cave.
"I'll leave you two here. Seems like I can sense another father and son-in-law talk coming up," Elena said jokingly, flashing a teasing smile while holding Sofia to her chest.
"Isn't that child too big to still be carried like a baby? I hate weak grandchildren."
"You criticize everything, Dad. I'm leaving," Elena replied, stamping her foot and kicking a huge pile of snow toward Palmer and Sir David before walking away.
"Did I say something wrong? The child is twelve, for Christ's sake," Sir David said, holding up joined palms in justification to Palmer.
"Leave her. She loves Sofia too much. I've talked to her about it, but it doesn't seem like it's going to improve anytime soon. I'll just wait until Sofia gets too heavy to carry."
The two men burst into loud laughter that slowly faded. Their breath fogged in the cold air as snowflakes fell around them.
"In a minute," Sir David said, stretching out his hands to create a translucent glass dome around the cave for protection.
"This should do it. Not even a missile can break through this, unless someone lights a fire from within. It seems that Dorothy girl can create warm balls; we could stick to that."
"I'll let them know about that unfailingly."
Palmer's mood suddenly changed. His heartbeat quickened as he turned toward Sir David.
"Sir, you still don't plan on telling them?"
Sir David took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.
"No… not yet."
"Elena will be pissed."
[Galaxia, Above Earth]
Far from the icy landscapes, in Galaxia above Earth, Stella, Ryan, and Kenneth gathered in a small room for a significant discussion. Stella and Kenneth wore the same white and gold jackets and black leather purse-weave pants with line-patterned designs.
They bore a special golden crest on their chests. Both held the highest rank among Izigan warriors, known as the Furious Three, marked for strength, discipline, and leadership. With their third member absent, this meeting was secret and private.
Ryan, on the other hand, held a lower rank, many levels below the Furious Three but his analytical and problem solving skills were unmatched making him earn their attention.
"This is great news! The Izigan call-out is upon us. I can't wait to lecture little children! It'll be a lot of fun. Professor Ken or Professor Lord Kenneth!" Kenneth raised his hand behind his head, feeling glorified and showing his childish excitement. He kept moving from side to side, lost in imagination.
Stella held her face in frustration and gave Kenneth a slap, snapping him out of his daydream.
"Hey!"
"You've completely forgotten why we're here, haven't you?"
"Yeah sure. Ryan, you said… what were we talking about again?"
"The Void, you idiot!" Stella said, delivering another slap.
Kenneth held his red cheeks and turned to Ryan, who didn't seem to care.
"Ryan, you may begin."
Ryan turned his focus to the two, adjusting his position as he leaned on the table.
"The Void's cosmic energy is unlike anything we've encountered. Stella, you've encountered it before. Based on recent database updates, it needs a host to survive. When it possesses a capable host, it can utilize its powers to an extent."
"Yes, you said you knew something about its power system or source, right?" Kenneth added.
"From what I gathered, the Void's power is related to chaos, the very unpredictable essence of life."
"Chaos? You mean the Chaos Clan? Are they similar?" Stella asked.
"At first, I didn't think so, but it started to make sense when its recent victims were all from the Chaos Clan. It's growing, that's for sure. Most importantly, it's in a vulnerable state."
Stella raised an eyebrow. "How can you tell?"
"Can't you see? The Void goes into hiding when its host is at a breaking point. Then it patches itself up by absorbing cosmic energy or hunting for another host."
"So some of those empty-shell Izigans could be from the Void too. Seems the Peacemakers have a competitor. Heh heh"
"Seriously, Ken? 'Empty shell'? Is that what you call dead our members now?" Stella glared.
Anticipating another slap, Kenneth straightened up and focused on Ryan.
"Let the boy continue."
"Right…"
"Ryan, so from all this, do you have a way to tame it?" Stella added.
Ryan took a deep breath, locking eyes with Stella. It was the look of someone about to attempt the impossible.
'What's with that look? Hope it's not something reckless again,' Stella thought.
"To defeat the Void, we need to construct an alternate loop dimension—a reality parallel to ours, crafted through extensive seals and impossible to escape of course. The subject would be left impaled with endless reflections."
Stella groaned and stepped closer. "Why not just say 'construct a reality'? Cole, please, get to the point."
"I am describing a specific construct reality."
There was a long pause, trying to gramps where he was driving at.
"Endless reflections… you mean Sir David," Kenneth broke the silence.
"Exactly."
"What does this have to do with Sir David?" Stella asked.
"The Void's main targets are members of the Chaos Clan, especially those whose cosmic energy radiates like a light beam."
"It's Sofia. Sir David's granddaughter," Stella realized, eyes wide opened and locked in curiosity.
"You mentioned his construct reality, and now the Void is targeting her? Where are you going with this, Ryan?"
"We'll be putting his work of art to good use. His construct reality will come in handy."
"What do you mean by that?" Kenneth asked.
Stella responded, still processing, "Sir David has the strongest construct reality, a dimension where no cosmic being can use its power. It's nearly impenetrable and the deadliest so far"
Kenneth was trying to understand the Ryan's words stepped from where he was resting moving closer to Ryan. "Wait, are we using Sofia as bait? I thought she was being taken somewhere safe! Was this part of the Void's plan too? Did Sir David approve this?"
"The stage is already set. Sir David had this in mind for a long time but never intended to use his own granddaughter to lure the Void. Harsh, but effective. The Void won't know what's coming."
Both Kenneth and Stella were thrown into a glance to the sky like state, hands to the chin and eyes moving left to right, was sweet to the mouth now what remained was execution. The plan was risky, but brilliantly laid out. And it was, once again, a secret mission led by Ryan without the council's knowledge.
'Sir David's expertise in glass and mirror dimensional techniques, coupled with his geographical manipulation, would be vital.'
'To think Ryan is this smart… we could actually pull this off,' Stella thought.
'This is crazy… but kinda cool.' Kenneth added.
Both looked at each other, nodding in agreement. They turned to Cole, who had been waiting.
"We accept," they said in unison.
"Good."
Kenneth, full of energy, grabbed Ryan's hand and held it up.
"It sounds more plausible by the minute! So what's our next move?"
Ryan looked at Kenneth in disgust and shook off his grip.
"We wait. The Palmer family holds this weight now. We'll do our part. Sir David doesn't know how to fail."
"Indeed."