Never in life could such turn of events turn the encounter into something more surprising.

The four persons suddenly encountered themselves in a white empty place, as if they are in the afterlife. All surrounded by shiny pillars around them, with mirrors around each corner.

"Where are we?" Logan asks.

"Just what is this bloody place...?!" Seiner asks while raising his voice.

"Are-are-are...we...in heaven? D-dead...? Oh dios, please no..." Tany says while biting her lips and looking everything around her.

"I think not, Tany. I feel this is a place that looks exactly like the one described in the books relating to the Guardians..." Amira says.

"What Guardians?" Seiner asks.

"I've heard they're some sort of entities, almost like observers from beyond...not sure if they're gods or anything, but they could be something that extends beyond the stars."

Seiner scoffs in response.

"As if like we're all just their hamsters if that's what you mean. All rolling for eternity...let me tell ya, I still feel lots of bull coming from you."

"I may not be sure of what you say, but whatever this place is, is something way beyond us."

"Ehhhhh? oh cool!" Tany says so as she reaches for her pocket to look for her phone, but as with most instances, it's very trivial to do such thing, especially when drained.

Tany could only look quietly at her phone for a moment while the rest turn to look at her.

"Ehhhh, if you truly know them, call them later because I truly want to show this. No, nothing malicious at all, hehe..." Tany says as she then sheepishly hides her phone back.

Seiner could only glare at her in irritation.

"Next you'll pick the option for a boy band, which is quite a wonder..." Seiner sarcastically replies.

But before they could react to anything, a smooth and elegant sound could be heard from the distance.

Logan is the first to notice the sound and soon sees that it's coming from a nearby stairway to another altar.

He soon slowly walks into it, with the rest following suit.

With each climbing step, the more the smooth sound could be heard closer.

And even if they're slow ones, they're clearly ones well deserved for a suitable curiosity for such sound.

Then, the sound heard could be identified as something similar to one of a cello.

Getting closer and closer, they see a white hooded figure with black stripes around the robe's arms.

The figure's playing delicately, almost to the point that it almost doesn't change of tenor. Just like a true musician would do it every time they can play something.

Even in war.

The four finally reach the altar while locking their glances towards the hooded figure.

After some moment of playing the melody with the cello, the figure then stopped playing, laying down the cello while holding the fiddle near one of the strings.

Some of the silence passes by, the four must be still in awe of such mysterious music.

"Excuse me, whatever you are...do you know where are we?" Logan asks.

Silence is the only answer coming from it.

"Maybe what I said could be impolite for you, but as new visitors around here, it would be appreciated if you could tell us something at least."

Silence again...

Seiner then approaches him in a fit of irritation

"Excuse me! Stop being such a flimsy mute tosser and give us-" Seiner says while trying to touch the figure's shoulder. His hand falls down empty.

Nobody, no nothing.

Seiner and the others get goosebumps as they step back from the fallen robes.

Just what is this place anyway? That's the known question everyone wants to answer at the moment.

"What the hell...?!" Seiner says incredulously.

"OK, whatever's going on, I'm gonna slap it silly to the dude who ran away because he maybe hates answers!" Tany replies.

"That would be way too rude, Tany..." Logan replies.

"Oh, sorry...well, make it listen to...pop!"

Amira could only giggle in response while holding her hand near chin in amusement.

"Your thoughts are quite dazzling at the moment, Tany. Maybe Humanity is really interesting to study after all."

"What? My head?!" Tany says as she then proceeds to kneel while pressing her hands on her ears.

The rest looked a bit confused yet amused at her reaction.

"Don't read me...please!" Tany says sheepishly.

"I...well, OK, Tany."

Logan could only let out a heartfelt chuckle from the fun the two were having, Seiner on the hand was mostly indifferent to it, with crossed arms and such.

Then, Seiner noticed something near the fiddle placed in the center string of the cello.

"Eh? Hey guys, look." Seiner says as he pointed to the fiddle.

The hair of the fiddle then starts to glow in a bright, bluish color, all pointing to the right side outside the altar.

When they turn to see the direction where the fiddle is pointing, it leads to another seemingly empty white space shrouded in mist.

After carefully analyzing the left side, Seiner then finds a split gap amidst the mist where the cello is pointing.

They soon walk towards the indicated area, in which as soon they carefully step on it, a stairway downstairs could be felt.

They descend for some minutes, all carefully to check if there's nothing suspicious around.

After a minute or so from walking, the group then enters to a dimly lit room, almost like the entrance of a chamber in medieval times.

They continued to descend a bit more, until eventually, they stop near room, where there's only a wall in front of them, with an inscription in front of it.

Looking in awe, it's like something they too would never notice in real life.

"This inscription appears to have a vaguely worded language, almost like a mix of Latin and Old English from what I'm seeing," Logan said.

"Hmm, what should we call it? Latingus?" Tany asks jokingly.

Seiner, of course, could only glare, causing her smile to drop immediately.

"Wait, that language...it's the language of the Cosmos. Maybe I can help you translate it." Amira says.

"Ah, an interpreter then. For a moment I thought this would be another lesson for this intergalactic type of education but oh well." Logan replies.

"Well, only if it's a bloody good one. But given who you are, I'm calling bull." Seiner replies as well.

"Just observe and lower you distrust...let me do it."

"That won't-"

But before he could tackle Amira, he's then pushed back by Logan, all with a stern look on his over his discrimination towards Amira.

"Whatever. Just do it."

She then uses her hand to touch part of the inscription, first touching the first line of it and then moving the hand while continuing to read on.

The translation is:

A principle is thy part of eternal life. The component for the common being of peace. Thy union grants the beloved a wishful eternity. For thou who sin thy principle, will serve the condemned. Rising up, the valor of the surpassing of fear alights us, Guided by the closeness of the children of all creation. The will to serve the children grants gratitude alongside the choice of anything. Oh, Guardians, I send thou thy peace, thus the cycle will live on, for all times and forever.

There's a brief period of pause going on, maybe it was a simple inscription after all or some sort of ancient mechanism that can be opened through another means.

"Are you sure that's the language? Because congrats, you just gave a good lesson in the language and nothing else. Can we get a move on?" Seiner quips.

Without the blink of an eye, the inscription glows into a greenish light which then spreads across the walls of the chamber.

The wall with the inscription then rises upwards, revealing another hidden room.

It looks similar to the previous one, only this time, it contained four boxes, each with their own color for the lock. And for some reason, it also contained four sunflowers stacked in the pot on a table.

As for the boxes, one is red, another is yellow, the other is green and the last one's blue.

Then, each of the group then approaches to one of their boxes, like there's some force that's attracting their attention to a specific box.

"What's this, we're getting each of our own goodie treasure? Then I'll be filthy rich! Well, don't like being one anyways." Tany says.

"Shut up..."

"Oh, meanie!"

They soon open their respective boxes slowly, revealing a handful of things they wouldn't soon believe.

For Logan, it contained a golden hilt that has an empty blade, alongside a red stone.

For Seiner, it contained a golden looking gun with a belt containing boxes colored in chrome and some metal hilts.

For Amira, it simply contained a goblet that contained some green glowing liquid in it.

And last but not least for Tany, it contained a long blue staff with a cyan orb in it.

A moment of hesitation occurs to the four of them, they just feel that these objects have some connection to them, but don't remember anything related to them. Just how they can feel such attraction to them?

Logan looks at his left hand for a moment, then puts near his chest and presses down for a moment. Afterward, he reaches for the hilt and the red stone, grabbing them carefully.

Seiner adjusts his glasses while grabbing the objects in front of them.

Amira simply picks up the goblet and after some moment of hesitation, she drinks it up fully.

Tany...just quickly grabs the staff and proceeds to swing it around for a while.

At first, it all felt normal, like nothing at all out of the ordinary is happening at the moment for the four.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Hmm, Blackbeard wouldn't be too keen to get those anyways," Logan quipps.

Then without warning, they all get a stiff posture while holding the items except for Amira who drops the goblet to the ground.

Their eyes widen, slowly turning into a respective color of the lock they've picked.

Red for Logan, light yellow for Seiner, green for Amira and blue for Tany.

After a brief pause maintaining their stiff postures while staring closely at the items, they all soon shake their heads and began to act normally once more.

"These objects...I feel like they have something for us." Logan says.

"Yeah, I can feel it too..." Seiner replies.

"My body, it's all feeling so smoother...could it is?" Amira replies as well.

"Methinks that this funny staff can grant me anything!"

Then, before they could react to anything, the wall on the left then starts to open, revealing nothing more but a bright white light outside.

A wind then enters the room which then picks up the sunflowers outside while lightly blowing the room.

"Guys...whatever I may be feeling right now and you as well...I feel something uneasy." Seiner says nervously.

"I know...but if anything, we're learning more of the unknown," Logan replies.

Seiner then turns to glance towards Logan with his eyes widening and a noticeable frown.

"Well, you'll be lucky if you're so sure it's a good unknown, because if not, then your own responsibility lies on yours only."

"Humans...please don't try to..."

"Shut it, Alien, this is none of your concern and you may share the fault as everyone else."

"Seiner, you're not going to get us anywhere with that tone. We can still keep an eye on her but she doesn't look like an enemy so far, you know that."

"Excuse me, you naive dumbass?"

But before they could start another scuffle, they soon notice the flowers coming back to the room.

However, something felt off from them.

They weren't sunflowers anymore, not truly.

One's now an Aster, another is a Star of Bethlehem, the other is a Mullein and lastly, a red and yellow rose.

Whatever the change was, the group soon noticed what it could mean.

Amira's expression then became more nervous and unsure. She knows what could happen if they come to the supposed exit.

"Dear Humans, maybe you could hear this out...whatever brought us here is likely allowed us to see what we're going to face in the war now that we have those artifacts. Because right now...I'm afraid of what'll happen next. Once we exit, everything we'd had in our lives before, everything that we did, will be all gone forever."

"Forever?! You can't be absolutely serious," Seiner says incredulously.

"No, Seiner, I feel the same thing," Logan says.

"I...me too," Tany replies in a surprisingly sad tone.

"So what, you want us to commit suicide?" Seiner scoffs once more.

"We're not sure, and that would be what could happen, but right now...there's a world in flames-nay- a galaxy in flames right now, we've all been waiting for a miracle that could make us wish the Zlocu will eventually be stopped for good. And sometimes, a miracle must happen by the hands of anyone. In this case, it is us who should make it work. Right now, even if it may not be good...what we should do next is necessary for all of us." Logan replies.

"No...you don't mean..." Seiner replies, this time in a more insecure tone.

"Just tell me people...are you truly prepared for what may come next? Just know what I've said. Think about it carefully."

Silence filled the room for a moment, thinking of what this decision could bring them. Should try to commit their ideology for a just cause and a changing world even if it means not being the same anymore and not getting back to their past lives? Could they withstand what they could face in the future? So many questions to be heard in their heads.

Then, after a period of silence, Seiner raises his head to face Logan.

"Well...not much of a choice I guess."

"Same. It doesn't matter what may happen to us now...I'll be willing to do anything to stop them," Amira says.

"Let's just say, I'm in for the fun!" Tany says excitedly, even though some signs of nervousness could be felt in her voice.

Logan then slightly smiles at them, knowing that despite everything, a right choice is they need to settle things.

And without any second thoughts, they all head to the exit, now ready for a new step in their lives.

A new step in becoming something better they could possibly imagine.

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

Back in the forest, the confused knights are trying to find out what is happening, not knowing where the four people went. Ever since losing sight of them when the light beam came, they became determined but paranoid in finding them out, going to the point of digging the ground in case if they were transported underground.

"Go, keep on digging! Use your sensors to find them at once!" A commander barks at the troops.

They keep on searching for them, still determined in looking for them.

However, amidst the shadows, a figure appears near a tree branch, overlooking the troops from afar.

The figure almost looked like it's armored, with a cape flowing from behind.

The figure then unsheathes something from their belt, revealing a familiar looking hilt. A green one. Holding it from their right hand while moving their left one near the chest.

It presses the hand near the chest while extending the right one holding the hilt, pointing inwards.

A green glowing light emerges from the empty hole of the hilt where the blade is supposed to be located. Looking thin as a Rapier.

Suddenly, the figure leaps out of the shadows, proceeding to pierce one of the walkers, carving hundreds of holes to the body itself, while vertically slicing one of the legs of said mecha, being cut in half with a green glow among the sliced part.

"What the hell?!" A common cry heard among the troops who start to disperse from the sight of the figure who sliced the walker into oblivion while proceeding to do more or less the same with the other ones.

The last one tries to fire towards the figure, but they manage to deflect the laser bolts while eventually start to use both hands, causing the light blade to change form into a larger form, similar to one of a Katana. The figure then slices the mecha in half, cutting the pilot as well.

But before anyone could start firing, a pink laser bolt emerges deep from the woods, hitting one of the drones that makes it explode massively. The other drones start to suffer the same fate. The Zlocan group, in a state of panic, proceed to fire at all directions of the forest, trying to eliminate the unknown threats.

"FIRE ANYTHING!!! WHATEVER THEY ARE, JUST FIRE AT THEM!!" One of the officers screams at the troops while trying to fire everything.

The figure with the transforming sword swiftly deflects most of the blasts while taking cover in the trees, using their agility to dodge every laser bolt while using their sword to deflect them back.

Then, a pair of metal balls is tossed towards four Knights, who soon take notice of it.

But before they could react to them, the balls explode with an electric blast, shocking most of the troops severely while being surrounded by bolts around the body.

They are then struck by four simultaneous laser bolts, ending their lives.

A pair of heavily armored Knights starts to fire near the location where the bolts came from, firing at any direction of the woods while trying to use their sensors to detect if it's still alive or not.

"If the Humans are that good, then they're still a hell of a pain!" One of the heavy troopers says while firing

Then, they're pushed away by a green flow of wind, hitting a nearby tree with the other troops caught in it as well. The heavy troopers try to get up and continue firing, but before they could do so, they soon levitate with a green aura surrounding them. After a brief pause, the group of heavy Knights is thrown away to a faraway place.

The remaining group of Knights tries to get up to continue with the attack, trying to pinpoint the location of the other attack.

Desperation and fear soon took over their minds as they jerkily aim their guns in whatever place they can aim at.

"JUST WHAT ARE THEY!?" A Knight asks with her agitated voice.

Then without warning, a huge water wave emerges out of nowhere, hitting the remaining Knights which are then flushed away roughly to an unknown distance.

All of the Knights were either killed or gravely injure or even missing, all except for one, sole, scared Knight. He's scared and nervous, not aware of what is happening.

He tries to run away in fear, but then he's shot in the leg from a white laser blast, but this one causes the leg to freeze, causing him to drop his weapon. And before he could know it, he saw a group of four individuals. Even with the helmet on, albeit a bit cracked, and with his eyes almost shut, he could feel something he would never have thought to be possible.

Audibly gulping, terribly shaking his head, breathing harshly. He then notices what attacked them, as he soon opens his eyes.

"You were expecting something else?" a familiar, young male voice can be heard.

None other from Logan itself, smiling confidently, with an armor worthy of a knight like him, with the aster now embedded in his right glove.

And alongside him, Seiner, Amira, and Tany.

Seiner with his Star of Bethlehem in his pocket pouch.

Amira with her Mullein placed in her chest armor.

And Tany with her red and yellow rose placed near her vest.

The same four persons that were running away from them, now all back with a vengeance!

This causes the Knight to let out a loud primal scream.

"IMPOSSIBLE!!!" The knight yells.

The Knight would not believe what he sees but before he could run away, he's held at gunpoint by Seiner.

"Ho-ho-how could this be?! We thought you were defenseless!" The Knight asks nervously.

"We were, but not anymore you filthy bastard."

Amira then approaches towards the Knight, who's shaking in extreme fear.

"Now please answer me if you don't want any more violence, where is my brother?"

Despite the life and death situation the knight's having, he then pulls a defiant smirk on his face.

"You'll never know, my loyalties will be always with my Kujar, my secrets will never be spoken to the likes of you!"

"Just please..."

"Piss off, you weak whore!"

His words suddenly make Amira tightly choke his neck where he was sitting. Her once face of peace now swiftly turns into one no one could think could come from her. With her nostrils flaring, her eyes were as wide as they can be, this wasn't something you don't want from her.

"Life or death, the choice is yours! Tell this poor girl or else you'll get a naughty wack!" Tania replies.

"Go to hell!"

Amira then tries to touch his head in search for answers and to see if he's aware of it.

Then to her horror, as her eyes widen...

"My mind's been implanted with machines capable of deflecting mind waves, and so is your brother when he got captured! There's no way you'll make know!"

Amira activates her red glowing blade and then starts pointing it almost near the Knight's face. This makes his once cautiously smirk turn one into abject horror.

"No no no NO!!!, I WILL TALK! But please get that blade off me! TAKE IT OFF!!!"

Amira then deactivates her blade while still maintaining her furious expression.

"Your brother... Has been taken away to a faraway place you'll never reach that easily."

"TELL ME WHERE YOU MURDERER!!!" Amira shouts furiously that even causes Seiner to be taken aback.

"Amira...?" Logan quietly whispers in response to it.

"STOP! I'll give you a clue, it's on the air, on the sea, and on the ground, but you need more than eyes to find him. It's a place called Metis..."

Amira then pushes her saber closer to his neck, causing him to shake in terror while tears start to drop down from him.

This causes the Knight to glance towards the others.

"Please! Don't let her kill me!"

"Amira! Stop!" Logan says as he approaches her.

"Not until he tells me more of it. Not when he's just mouthed off right away without any trace of loyalty to his faction of murderers!" She snarls in fury.

"No! Please! I told you enough! If they find out I gave everything...me and my family will..."

It's at this very moment where Amira's expression changed.

She turns off the saber and holstered it back, with her hand cupping her mouth in a shaking manner while still breathing heavily.

"F-f-family...?" she says while her voice cracks.

After a brief pause, she lets him go, running deep into the forest.

Amira closes her eyes while she started to breathe normally once more. But even so, she's uncertain about something, as she looks down and kneels.

"Amira?" Logan asks as his armor digitizes piece by piece, transforming back in the red stone, the original form. He deactivates his blade as well.

"My brother...if the knight's words are true, then my journey to rescue him might take years to complete, but otherwise he would have been killed already. I'm supposed to sense him but now I can't...just why...why did we do to deserve this...? Not to mention...the Knight has a family...why me...?" Amira replies in a saddened tone as tears begin to fall down from her face.

Fortunately, Logan was quick in comforting her as he pats her gently on her shoulder.

"Eh, not now man..." Seiner whispers in irritation.

Tany could only smile gently at such gesture, even if she's unsure, she would still be happy in trying to form a new circle of friendship.

"Don't worry Amira, with the new power we have in our hands, we will help you find your brother..."

"And the...?"

"The Universe...? We are sure to try, don't know how long, but we'll try." Logan replies cautiously.

"But even so...I barely know you...and what if even after this..."

"That doesn't matter, with time you will know forming new bonds will be the best thing you can think of like no tomorrow. Not to mention, we'll do the best in taking care of you and knowing better, and then show to the galactic community that we are worth co-existing. Isn't that right guys?" Logan replies as he glances at Seiner and Tania.

"We must not get too cocky on this, remember what we know, and that is to be cautious, Logan. She still might be a spy among us and even in regards to what she did today, that doesn't make me bulge into her stories. And if what I suspected is true, then you'll pay the major prize of all mankind, Logan. Not to mention, maybe we won't be worth jack at all, so let's just do as we can do and not push ourselves too far." Seiner replies.

"But still, Seiny-boy! Are you that willing to let the poor goodie people die while you doubt in what we can do? We came for a reason, a personal invitation to some circle or something and even if I don't know what else this may do, I can still use my imagination to make everything possible. So, please, cheer up a bit more, will ya!" Tany says.

Only silence could be noticed from Seiner, who simply stared at them angrily, with arms crossed and nothing more.

"If you insist on becoming fools...then let me supervise you all, that's my condition for me to join." He replies grudgingly.

"Yipeee! Also, I can't wait to show my powers to my friends! If they were alive anyways..." Tania replies in a saddened tone.

"Who?" Seiner asks.

"Just forget it, I don't want to be so sad right now..." she replies.

"There there now, dear girl. But as we should know, the four of us can't be the only ones trying to fight off the Zlocu in this planet, we need to find more, more brave people who are willing to stand against tyranny, oppression, and greed. And it doesn't matter if they may not trust us or not, what's important is to do anything we can to survive and perhaps win in this war. And of course, we shouldn't depart, because we alone won't win anything, we must stand together. For now on, our pasts are now put behind us as we forge new identities. As of today, we are...the Earth Warriors."

A brief awkward silence could be heard from the group, all while the wildlife could be heard around them.

Tany's expression becomes a cheery one once more.

"Nah, these ones are better! The Mega Squadron of Doom! The Ultra-Doers! The New Justice League!" Tany says rapidly.

"Hell no. Have you ever thought of trying to think of something that makes sense? You know we are on Earth and we're fighting for our lives in a way you can't imagine!"

"Hmm...maybe warriors like us or others in this whole war should be given a name suited to what they need," Amira says.

"OK...Earth Warriors then!" Tany says.

"But didn't you...? Never mind, girls can be contradictory some days but oh well." Logan says in a sheepish tone.

"That's kinda ridiculous for a name you know," Seiner replies.

"But it fits us, Seiner, well, relatively. Anyways, this has been a rough day for all of us, now we take a rest and find a place to hide from them, but tomorrow, our new great journey starts."

"But before we depart...who should lead this group? Don't tell me because of your age, you should be the one." Seiner askes sheepishly.

"Well, to be honest, as even from my teacher days, I believe that any of you could be as fit to lead, but given my experience, I may give out the main directives and guidance to you all."

"Yep Yep Yep! That is going be the greatest vacation of my life! More than in Paris or Tokyo or Berlin!"

"I don't think we can call this a "Vacation" Tany, we have enemies in this journey so is not going not to be that easy, or are you asking a quick visit to death itself?" Seiner replies.

"Oh well," Tania then yawns. "I think I'm becoming sleepy right now."

"Very well, come on guys lets head to a place where we can sleep," Logan says.

The four "Earth Warriors" then departed into the unknown, about to take a good a rest but now about to embark on a journey that will be dangerous but they must do it for the sake of humanity, freedom, peace and the entire universe in general.

Especially for Amira, it's her first time with Humans with mixed feelings around her. Now she's wondering this, would her presence and the others 'cause a new step in Humanity? Or just further stagnate them into continuing their ways beyond the stars. But right now, she will try her best in knowing the potential Humanity has, and whether others will get the same mixed thoughts of her as well.

The great quest for freedom has begun. It may not go without cost, that's for sure...but what better thing there is when there's nothing left you had before? A new life should be taken care of, always.