Records of Cosmic War

Before I tell you about the details of your future work, first let me introduce myself. I am Sai Santiagos."

As Sai said his full name, I was taken aback.

"Santiagos? So, you are from the Santiagos family?"

Sai nodded with a calm, composed expression. A simple nod that carried the weight of a name known across the world.

"If you're a child of one of the six families, then why did you join the camp?" I asked, confused.

Before Sai could respond, Powell stepped forward. "Let me explain," he said. "Sai is on an undercover mission. I'm the son of a servant in the Santiagos mansion. We've been stationed here to observe Isabella Williams."

"What the...? What are you saying?" I stared at them, disbelief gripping my chest.

"Yes," Powell said, voice steady, "we're here to observe Isabella Williams. About ten years ago, we received intelligence that Isabella was weak—physically and emotionally fragile. We believed we could use her as a weakness within the Williams family. But something changed. Four years after she awakened, everything began to shift."

"But... the aliens... didn't they only invade Earth a year ago?" I asked.

"That's what the world believes," Powell said. "Or rather, that's what the Williams family wanted the world to believe. The truth is different. The Williams have been in contact with the Alcrians for years. Only a few within the Williams and Santiagos circles know about this. It's all a part of something bigger."

He paused, his eyes burning with a dark certainty.

"Think about it, Judas. On our first mission, we encountered Alcrians on the moon. How could random Alcrian soldiers get that close to Earth without a leader? It doesn't make sense. Unless someone on Earth helped them."

A chill ran down my spine.

"We initially believed it was an attack from within the Williams family against Isabella. That they wanted her dead. But it was all a setup. They orchestrated the entire incident to make it look like an assassination attempt. In truth, they wanted the Alcrians to kidnap Isabella—to take her somewhere no one could find her, so they could experiment on her in secrecy."

"Experiment? What do you mean?"

"We believe Isabella isn't a normal girl," Powell said. "She is a bioweapon. We think she has the ability to create matter from nothing."

I stared at him, stunned.

"That's impossible," I finally said. "Isn't it?"

Powell nodded. "Yes. According to current science, it is. But the Alcrians have access to technology and knowledge far beyond our understanding. Even here on Earth, there's the concept of quantum fluctuations. Empty vacuum isn't truly empty. Virtual particles—matter and antimatter—appear and annihilate each other constantly."

"And then there's Hawking radiation," he continued. "At the event horizon of a black hole, some of these virtual particles can be separated—one falling into the black hole and the other escaping as radiation. This converts the black hole's gravitational energy into real particles. It's theoretical, yes, but it shows that matter creation, under extreme conditions, is not entirely out of the question."

The weight of his words sank into me like a stone in water. A silence followed, as heavy as the truth hanging in the air.

Then Sai stepped forward again.

"And now," he said, "about the mission we are about to give you."

I looked at him, wary.

"In about four months, there will be an inheritance war within the Williams family. The heirs will compete to determine who is worthy of leading the family in the future."

I raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"Each participating heir will bring up to ten soldiers as companions for battle. We believe Isabella may not initially want to participate. But if you can encourage her... if you can convince her, she might."

Powell added, "And if she does, she will take us with her. Into the mansion. Inside the lion's den. That's how we can get close. That's how we uncover the truth."

I stared at them. "I won't join you. I can't manipulate her."

Sai smirked. That cold, arrogant smirk that made my stomach churn.

"We knew you'd say that. Which is why we prepared for this. If you refuse to help us, we'll leak what we know about Isabella to the other five families. Do you know what that would mean for her?"

His words were venom. And I knew he was right. The other families would swarm like vultures. Isabella would never be safe again.

I clenched my fists. "So this is it. One storm after another. Fine. I'll help you."

Sai smiled. "Good. Powell, show him the weapon."

"Weapon?" I asked, confused.

Powell stepped forward and opened a long metallic case. Inside, resting on a cushioned interior, was a photon blade. But it wasn't like anything I'd seen before. Sleek. Shimmering with a pulsating blue energy. It looked alive.

"This is my best work," Powell said proudly. "Customized just for you. To defeat a person with special abilities you need a weapon with special abilities.A photon blade with some... enhancements. You'll see for yourself soon."

I stepped forward, drawn to it like a moth to flame.

"Wanna test its power?" Powell asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

I smirked. "I would love to."

As I picked up the blade, the room filled with a low hum, as if the weapon recognized me. The weight in my hand felt perfect. Balanced. Deadly. This wasn't just a blade.

It was a warning.

The mission had begun.

But what lay ahead was a storm none of us were ready for.