"Gorgor. A long time ago, from the blue east star, beyond the surface of our planet Omania, there existed a world of aliens known as Gorgor. It was known as the world with the brightest stars and skies because its core shone brighter than that of any other world..."
"Mommy?" Lilith interrupted in a sleepy voice.
"Yes, darling?" Lilian creased her brow.
"You haven't told me what the people of Gorgor looked like, or are they just like us?"
"I don't know, baby," Lilian replied, flipping through the book's pages with a confused look. "But the diagrams in this storybook tell me they look like sticks." She pointed to the stick-figure drawings scattered throughout the pages.
"Sticks?" Lilith was a bit surprised. "If they were sticks, Mommy, I'm sure their bright stars would have burned them already." She focused her bright purple eyes on her mom's face, awaiting a reply.
"You know, baby," Lilian took her left hand gently and smiled softly. "This happened a very long time ago, so no one alive really knows what the people of Gorgor looked like. But it is certain that they were not from our planet and looked totally different from us. Can I continue the story now?"
"Yes, Mommy."
"Good. Now, where was I... Hmmm." Lilian scanned the pages of the book before finding her place again. "Ah ha! But Gorgor became a story when their powerful king, King Radia, grew power-thirsty and sought dominance over other worlds in Omania. He conquered many worlds, extinguishing their existence along with their bright stars, and expanded his boundaries over their lands."
"However, his son, Prince Andreas, was never in support of his father's lust for power. He always thought of ways to change his mind, but all was in vain."
"The young prince spoke with words, wrote notes, and sang lyrics for his father's ears, but all his efforts were futile as the bad king refused to heed him."
"Prince Andreas was now helpless as he let his father do as he pleased. The king destroyed and dominated world after world, until he decided to conquer Triven."
"Our great ruler, Lord Agrippa the First, fought bravely with all the human and natural resources of Triven. Our technology and nature's gifts were all used in the battle against Gorgor. But most especially, our rangers—they fought valiantly and defended our world."
"The war ended with Gorgor becoming lost in a star, by the convergence of the powers of all our rangers, powers they could not withstand. And to this day, it is not known which of the stars over our planet Omania contains Gorgor, but its constellation, bearing its symbol, has never left the sky. The end."
Lilian closed the book to behold her already sleeping daughter. Of course, she couldn't stay awake until the end of the story—she never did—but always insisted on hearing it every night.
"Good night, sweetheart." She kissed her forehead. "Tomorrow is going to be a great day for you." Of course it was—it was her first day at Triven's Kid Rangers Institute, and she had dreamed of going there and becoming a ranger like her father. She didn't want to attend the Kid's Science Institute nor the Kid's Administrative Institute. Those were the three bases of Triven: martial arts, science, and administration. It was a law that every citizen of this world must indulge in at least one of these three strongholds, because if there was one thing every world on the planet agreed on, it was that there was no mercy for the weak, and only the fittest should survive.
For this reason, Triven had made it law that from the creche, every son or daughter must be enrolled in one of these schools once they reach the age of five, so they can be fit to defend their world against external rivals in the future.
Lilian herself had enrolled in the Administration Institute and was trained to become part of Triven's ruling teams. Those from the Science Institutes were the brains behind their world's technology, and those from the Ranger Institute—like her late husband—were the brawn and defense of Triven. All had a crucial role in the building and growth of Triven, which is why it remained unbeatable.
She smiled at the thought that her little Lilith would join the rangers tomorrow, as all her daughter was enthusiastic about was becoming a ranger and a literal superhero like her father.
She stood from the chair, which slid back under her drawing and coloring table where she had brought it from. She carefully placed the storybook back on its shelf, turned off the lamps on the two sides of Lilith's cute bed, and left the room, shutting the door lightly behind her.
The night remained calm until midnight. Suddenly, someone appeared in Lilith's room, watching her from the doorway. It was too dark to make out his features, but the white robe he wore glittered and sparkled in the darkness.
He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall, his entire gaze fixed on Lilith.
After some time, he finally decided to come closer for a better look. He approached her bed and examined her closely. She lay on her back, still asleep, her breaths slow and steady. She was indeed a beauty, even at such a young age. In fact, she looked like a toy, with her cartoon-like facial features—her long, wavy purple hair; her big eyes framed by perfectly carved brows and long lashes. He couldn't wait to see her breathtaking purple eyes. Also, her small pointed nose and, finally, her pink, soft, plump lips.
He found her finally, his ticket to ultimate freedom. Who would have thought after his years of searching, he would find his target in the same world that banished his.
He traced her face with his fingers, trailing over her soft, smooth skin. His hand moved down her face toward her lips, and he stopped there. He leaned over her immediately to feel her hot breath but stopped when he felt her move beneath the sheets.
He stayed still for a while, holding his breath, waiting for her to calm down and drift back to sleep. And she did, tightening the sheets around her again.
He exhaled deeply, not realizing that the sound might wake her. Before he was aware, it was already too late—Lilith's royal purple orbs opened wide to meet a very colorful pair of eyes, even in the dark of night, that she did not recognize.
"Mommy!"...