The faces of our heroes were darkened with grief. All of them held Rhea close, as if trying to give her warmth strength through their embrace.
A few moments later, Rhea sat down, her expression regaining its firmness, her gaze sharp with determination.
"I will now tell you the story of the Great Clan of the Lunains…" she declared.
On Earth…
The media broadcast endless streams of tragic news: millions of humans were dying from a mysterious and terrifying virus. The pandemic struck all living beings, humans and animals alike and nothing seemed capable of stopping it.
Governments had imposed curfews across the entire planet, yet the situation worsened with every passing day. Technology and modern medicine reached a complete dead end. Five presidents from different nations had already lost their lives. Research continued, but nothing yielded the slightest hope.
Angel's family owned a bunker stocked with food, water, and electricity for years. Yet something strange surrounded their house: from the outside, it looked as if it had vanished completely, erased from the world. In truth, an immense multicolored dome like a giant soap bubble covered the house, shimmering softly above them.
Angel's father watched the news. On the set of the biggest global news channel sat a journalist, Mr. Belz Akabane (CEO of Saturn Enterprise) and Mr. Albert Armstrong, Director-General of the International Health Organization (IHO).
The journalist, visibly shaken, spoke first. "The situation keeps worsening. We've been losing control for weeks. One-sixth of the world's population has disappeared. Mr. Armstrong, what can you tell us?"
Armstrong, a man with tired blue eyes and fading blond hair, took a deep breath. His expression was heavy with sorrow.
"It is… unfortunate," he began in a grave tone. "One-sixth of humanity has vanished, and the number keeps rising. However, a major scientific breakthrough brings us both good news… and bad news. The good news is that we now know the origin of the virus."
He paused.
"Molecules of nitrogen, oxygen, and microorganisms in the air reacted together under UV radiation, forming complex structures… which eventually created the virus. In other words, it has become part of the air we breathe. We would need years to purify the atmosphere, but current technology cannot achieve this. And by then… humanity will already be gone."
A heavy silence fell across the studio.
"The World Nations Organization held an emergency meeting yesterday. A historic, worldwide decision has been made…"
The journalist resumed, his voice trembling. "Indeed, an extraordinary conference was held to decide humanity's future. A radical decision. Mr. Belz, would you explain it to us?"
Belz Akabane, a man with striking red hair and an intense gaze, stepped forward. His charismatic presence seemed to expand beyond the screen.
"HUMANS WILL SURVIVE!" he shouted, making the audience jump. "Years ago, Saturn Enterprise secretly developed a technology capable of traveling from one planet to another. We still don't fully understand how it works, but it only connects to worlds habitable by humans. We tested several destinations each one breathable, some even larger than Earth."
He continued, "Through advanced quantum calculations, we can control space-time fluctuations and create stable dimensional portals. We originally planned to reveal this technology fifty years from now. Networks for portal appearance are already being built underground… though they are far from complete."
"But the current situation leaves us no choice. You have five days. Take whatever you can. We will rebuild somewhere else on another planet. It is the only way to preserve our species… and honor those we've lost."
The world descended into chaos.
Some prayed. Others surrendered to murderous or depraved impulses, believing there was no future left. Streets became war zones. Violence, looting, and disorder spread everywhere. Morality collapsed entirely. Perhaps this catastrophe simply revealed humanity's true nature…
But behind this global announcement, a darker truth hid in the shadows.
Members of the Order of Heaven had discovered that the pandemic was the result of a sacrificial ritual performed by cloaked men in white hoods. Their goal? To drastically reduce the human population to feed the planet itself. A terrifying scheme whose full meaning remained unclear.
At the height of the sacrifices, the portals created by Saturn Enterprise were revealed to be a cover. A gigantic magical circle began to appear on Earth… the same circle used by the white-hooded cultists.
And humanity was truly destined… to leave the Earth.
Meanwhile, in Europe
Rhea finished her tale of the Great Clan of the Lunains when a young boy suddenly emerged from a bush.
He had white hair, golden pupils, and silver-tinted strands falling over his forehead. His curious gaze sparkled with the wonder of a child.
"Hey! Who are you people? What are you doing here?" he asked, circling them and examining their skin, their clothes, their faces.
"We're explorers," Rhea replied gently. "And you? What's your name?"
The boy blushed so deeply that his entire face turned red.
"I… I'm… Ci… Ci… Cira… Cirus… Ci…"
He was too embarrassed to pronounce his own name. Yabal placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and guided him away from the girls.
"You know… it's not easy, but…"
Rhea raised an eyebrow, her face twisting in confusion. "What is he even talking about?"
Léopold and Angel burst into laughter.
A few minutes later, the boy regained his composure.
"I can take you to the capital, EuropeUnys. That's where I was heading anyway."
Angel smiled warmly. "Have you ever heard of a healing flame?"
"A healing flame?" Ciryel repeated. "No, never. But maybe you can learn more once we reach EuropeUnys."
Angel sighed. "Pff… so you don't know anything."
"Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained!" Ciryel answered proudly.
Léopold nodded. "Alright… shall we go?"
"YESSS!!" the others shouted cheerfully.