Invasion - Part 1

The air was heavy with tension as Wrex stared at Rizor, his old friend, who now seemed like a stranger cloaked in enigmas. The faint glow of the TSM vehicle’s control panel illuminated Rizor’s face, revealing a hardened expression that Wrex could hardly recognize.

“What are you doing here, Rizor?” Wrex demanded, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief. “Why are you with them? What’s going on?”

Rizor folded his arms, stepping closer with a deliberate calmness. “Freol, the capital city of one of the biggest nations in the 8 Superentis, is going to fall.”

Wrex blinked, stunned by the weight of Rizor’s words. “Fall? That’s impossible. No crime, no war—nothing like that has happened in centuries.”

Rizor’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “That’s the world you’ve been taught to believe in, Wrex. A perfect utopia built on the foundation of lies. But the truth? The truth has been buried deep under the Montlaif, hidden behind Point Touch Zero’s flawless facade. The True Residents have had enough, and they’re taking back what’s theirs.”

Wrex’s mind reeled. The name “True Residents” echoed in his thoughts, stirring faint memories of whispers and warnings from his childhood. He opened his mouth to ask about the strange notes and the Raid invitation, but Rizor cut him off with a raised hand.

“Don’t,” Rizor said sharply. “I know. I’ve known for a long time. I’m one of the leaders of the upcoming Raid.”

Wrex felt his legs weaken as the realization hit him. His friend—someone he had once trusted without question—was part of the chaos threatening to unravel the world he knew.

“But this Raid,” Wrex began, his voice strained, “it’s just the start, isn’t it?”

Rizor nodded. “The Raid is only one part of the plan. Even now, four groups from the True Residents have already infiltrated the nations. They’ve studied the Point Touch Zero system, the Montlaif, and the royal family’s secrets. They’re not just here to disrupt; they’re here to demand the truth.”

“The truth about what?” Wrex asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

“Everything,” Rizor replied. “The Montlaif, Point Touch Zero, the history you’ve been taught—all lies designed to keep the population docile and drunk on a manufactured reality. Even the education system is a tool of manipulation. The True Residents are calling for the one true royal family to reveal the truth about the world.”

Rizor’s voice hardened, his eyes narrowing. “They’ve already invaded one of the capital cities, hoping to find the royal family and force their hand. But they were misled. The family wasn’t there. They’ll regroup and strike again. They won’t stop until they get what they want.”

Wrex’s chest tightened as Rizor’s words sank in. The utopia he had grown up in was crumbling, its cracks exposed by the invasion.

The TSM vehicle rumbled as it sped along the barren roads toward Maconia, the land protected by the legendary Wall of Lions. Inside, the Normalists remained stoic, their expressions unreadable.

Wrex turned to Rizor, his frustration boiling over. “Who are these people? Why did they kidnap me? Where are we going? And this Raid—what is it really for? Are we at war with the True Residents? Tell me!”

Rizor sighed, leaning back in his seat. “You’ve been trained for this, Wrex. You come from that family, after all. You’ll find the answers you’re looking for—when the time is right.”

“That’s not good enough!” Wrex snapped, his fists clenched.

But Rizor didn’t elaborate. Instead, he gave Wrex a cryptic smile and gestured to the Normalists. The group of five, their faces set with determination, adjusted their gear as the vehicle approached its destination.

“You’ll understand soon enough,” Rizor said. “For now, focus on surviving. Seek more. Advance. You’ll get what’s yours.”

Meanwhile, in a hidden sanctuary far from the chaos, Loria sat in stunned silence as the news of the invasion reached her. The woman who had saved her—a shadowy figure with an air of authority—stood nearby, her gaze fixed on a holographic projection detailing the True Residents’ movements.

“The Point Touch Zero system has been compromised,” the woman said, her voice low and measured. “The malware has spread faster than anticipated. It’s destabilizing the entire network.”

Loria’s mind raced. The system that had governed their lives, ensuring peace and perfection, was failing. And with it came the realization that the world she had known might have been a carefully constructed illusion.

“What does this mean?” Loria asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“It means,” the woman replied, her eyes narrowing, “that everything is about to change. And not for the better.”

Loria felt a chill run down her spine as the weight of the situation settled over her. The invasion, the malfunctioning system, the secrets of the Montlaif—it all pointed to something far bigger than she could have imagined.

As the TSM vehicle crossed the final stretch of road before reaching Maconia, Wrex gazed out the window, his thoughts a whirlwind of questions and doubts. His mind lingered on Rizor’s cryptic words, the fragments of truth that refused to fit together.

Then, in the distance, the towering Wall of Lions came into view, its imposing presence a stark reminder of the challenges ahead.

Inside the sanctuary, Loria clenched her fists, determination replacing her initial fear. She vowed to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.

And as the chapter drew to a close, a shadow moved among the invaders—a figure cloaked in darkness, their face obscured but unmistakably familiar.

The True Residents’ invasion wasn’t just a battle for control. It was a reckoning, and Wrex was at the center of it all.

Wrex stared out the window of the speeding TSM vehicle, his thoughts a tempest of confusion and frustration. Rizor sat across from him, calm and unreadable, as if the chaos engulfing the world was nothing more than a passing storm. Around them, the Normalists exchanged curt whispers, their faces shadowed by the dim glow of the control panels.

The Wall of Lions loomed on the horizon, an imposing structure that had stood for centuries, guarding the enigmatic land of Maconia. Beyond it lay the territories of the True Residents—two nations that had been whispered about in myths and rumors.

“Nobody knows what those nations hold,” Rizor said suddenly, breaking the tense silence. His voice was steady, yet there was a trace of unease in his tone.

Wrex turned to him, his curiosity piqued despite his frustration. “What do you mean?”

Rizor leaned forward, his fingers interlocked. “The True Residents’ territories are a mystery, even to us. We don’t know if they’ve developed advanced technology rivaling the Montlaif or the Point Touch Zero system. They might even have something far superior. Or…” His voice trailed off, his expression darkening.

“Or what?” Wrex pressed.

“Or they could be living like the old world,” Rizor said, his words heavy with implication. “A world of scarcity, conflict, and unpredictability. If that’s the case, their motivation to invade makes even more sense—they’ve seen what we have and want to claim it for themselves. But...” He hesitated, glancing at the Normalists around them.

“But what?”

“There’s another possibility,” Rizor admitted. “They might not care about our technology at all. They might have something entirely different. Something we can’t even comprehend.”

As the vehicle drew closer to the Wall of Lions, Wrex felt a growing sense of unease. The wall was more than a physical barrier; it was a symbol of the separation between their world and the unknown. Stories of those who had ventured beyond it were rare and often contradictory.

“Has anyone crossed the wall before?” Wrex asked, his voice low.

Rizor’s gaze didn’t waver. “Few have tried. Fewer have returned. And those who did spoke of things that didn’t belong to our understanding of the world. Things that seemed... otherworldly.”

Wrex’s heart skipped a beat. The notion of something beyond technology—something beyond the carefully constructed reality of Point Touch Zero—was both terrifying and thrilling.

The Normalists exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing. Their silence spoke volumes.

Meanwhile, in a hidden sanctuary far from the Wall, Loria sat with the woman who had saved her. The tension in the room was palpable as news of the invasion continued to unfold.

“Do we know anything about the True Residents?” Loria asked, her voice tinged with desperation.

“Not enough,” the woman replied, her tone measured. “Their nations have remained isolated for generations. We don’t know if they’ve embraced technology like ours or rejected it entirely. What we do know is that they’ve already breached one of our capital cities. They’re not to be underestimated.”

“And the Wall of Lions?”

The woman hesitated, her expression grave. “If they’ve reached the border, they haven’t passed through. But it’s only a matter of time. If they encounter what we believe guards the wall...” She stopped, her eyes narrowing. “Let’s hope they’re not foolish enough to try.”

Back near the Wall of Lions, the TSM vehicle slowed, its occupants growing tense as they neared their destination. Wrex could feel the weight of Rizor’s words pressing down on him, the implications of the invasion growing clearer by the moment.

But as they approached the towering wall, a strange feeling washed over him—a sense of something ancient and unfathomable lying in wait beyond the barrier. The air seemed to hum with an unnatural energy, and the shadows of the wall stretched longer than they should have under the moonlight.

Rizor’s voice cut through the silence. “If they’ve reached the wall, they won’t get far. Not until they face what’s out there.”

Wrex shuddered, his imagination running wild. What could be so fearsome that even the True Residents, with their audacious plans, would struggle to overcome it?

And as the chapter drew to a close, the scene shifted to the other side of the Wall of Lions. A group of True Residents, their faces set with determination, stood at the border, gazing up at the colossal structure.

The leader of the group, a woman with piercing eyes, stepped forward, her voice steady as she addressed her team. “This is where it begins. But be warned—what lies beyond isn’t just a wall. It’s something... more.”

In the shadows of the wall, a faint glow emerged, pulsing like a heartbeat. The air grew colder, and an unnatural stillness fell over the group.

Whatever guarded the Wall of Lions, it wasn’t of this world.

To be continued...