Thoffina opens the door, attempting to display an elegance she didn't seem to possess until then.Upon opening the door, she finds herself in an elegant office, with details of nobility everywhere she looked.In front of her, a woman remains behind a desk.Elegance—that was what her image projected. Her curves were slender and were covered by the noble white fabric of her uniform.Her light, wavy hair reached her shoulders; in the middle of her forehead, there was a unicorn horn.Her eyes were permanently closed; small stones pierced through her eyelids, preventing her from opening them.Beside her sat a large white staff with a green sphere at its tip.She shared racial traits with Thoffina. The two were of the same race, and she also had pointed ears made of stone.Just as she also had the stone tattoos on her skin."Master Sileve, did you call for me?" Thoffina spoke with a certain anxiety in her voice.Sileve turned her face toward the girl at her door."Thoffina, yes, I have something to discuss with you."The girl closes the door behind her and sits in the chair in front of her master's desk. Her posture was rigid, trying too hard, to the point of being unnatural.The elder lets out a short, amused chuckle upon seeing her pupil's anxious effort.Rising with natural grace, the experienced woman walks over to one of the bookshelves on her office walls.Now standing, it was possible to see the lioness tail swaying at her waist.She picks up a small box and places it on the table. After pressing a button, the box opens.A light show begins after the box opens; the lights form a projection of a replica of the Helios Circle.Thoffina watched with wide eyes at the level of detail in the magical hologram.Every planet, from Mercury to Pluto, was visible. The sun making its presence known at the center of the entire system.Even the asteroids and moons were visible in the projection."We received a message from the Mars headquarters." She points to a distant spot on the projection, a small asteroid traveling through the vacuum of space."They warned us about an unidentified object. The stargazers detected life signs with a high density of magical energy."The projection zoomed in on the object moving at high speed toward the Helios Circle.Its mineral shape created a glowing trail; its shimmering purple light was something alien to the two female figures in that room.Thoffina seemed rigid again, but for a different reason.This looked serious, very different from everything she had dealt with until today."Life signs? Then that means…""Yes, this is an alien invasion," she shakes her head from side to side. "But not on a large scale."She brings the projection of the object even closer. Its shape became clearer; it was a sphere, but there was something peculiar about it.Signs of a struggle were evident; marks from powerful blows could be observed on its weakened structure.A large spear of greenish light pierced the sphere from top to bottom."Headquarters on Mars believes it to be a survivor seeking refuge to recover from a deadly attack. Fortunately, it is a lone ship; we don't know how many crew members are on it, nor what their actual situation is. But it is concerning nonetheless."The girl carefully analyzed the deteriorated state of the mineral sphere. Her mind ran through a few interpretations of the situation."So they are not coming with aggressive intentions?"Sileve shook her head in disagreement. "Do not be naive, my pupil. The universe is a savage battle where we have no allies…"She moves gracefully around the younger girl. "We cannot assume they will just rest here and leave without causing trouble."Thoffina straightens her spine, adopting a more rigid posture. She seemed a bit embarrassed by her master's correction."Forgive my poor judgment, my lady." She bows in respect to her superior.Sileve placed a comforting hand on her student's shoulder. "It is alright, we all make mistakes. But this situation is more dangerous than we imagine."Her face takes on a seriousness that Thoffina rarely saw in her mentor; she knew this was no mere trivial matter they were dealing with."The observers noticed that the energy pattern on this unidentified object is one that is already registered in our memory banks."The atmosphere felt tenser with this revelation. Even the emblem on Thoffina's chest fell silent at this."So, that means…""These invaders are not new; they belong to one of the races that invaded the Helios Circle 300 years ago. Which means they are not just desperate travelers, but they know this place well and have caused trouble in the past."Sileve interrupted her pupil's words. Her voice was serious, in a deep tone that did not match her melodious voice.Thoffina's shoulders tensed; this seemed way above her level. Something she shouldn't be dealing with, information she had no right to know."My lady, why are you telling me this?" Her voice dripped with uncertainty."I thought the little prodigy of the old Silver Lioness would be sharper." The voice came with irony.Thoffina froze upon hearing a new voice in the room. Her body whipped around, perplexed by a new figure she hadn't noticed before.On the couch in the center of the room, a man sat comfortably among the fancy pillows.He wore the same white uniform as the two women. His body had the same stone tattoos as the two female figures.His ears were pointed and made of stone.But his skin was bluish, and his eyes were empty white.'How did he get in here without me noticing? I didn't even feel his presence. Was he here since I walked in? Or did he come in after me? His infiltration level is incredibly high!'Her eyes sparkled with childlike excitement, 'how amazing!'"Morf, please do not frighten my pupil."The man stood up, his hand resting on his own neck. Small cracking sounds echoed as his face showed a slight smile."So kid, you're hearing this… because we are going to investigate this object. The three of us."Thoffina hides her true expressions behind a mask of seriousness."I understand perfectly, Lieutenant Morf. Thank you for the trust placed in me."On the inside: 'My Helios! I was chosen for an important mission alongside Colonel Sileve and Lieutenant Morf! I think I'm going to explode with excitement!'"I promise not to disappoint, and I will make the most of this chance.""Perfect, my pupil. We will arrive within 4 weeks; we will anchor at a mining town on an asteroid called 'boat hill'. Prepare yourself for the journey."
