Interstellar Return

Time, like the sand in an hourglass, slipped away silently. As the stars wheeled in their courses, six months passed in the blink of an eye. On the tranquil lake, a massive platform hosted three figures who diligently practiced the art of levitation day after day. Their silhouettes, bathed in the morning light, were especially resolute.

On this day, Rakien suddenly felt a rumbling at the base of his spine during his practice, accompanied by a strong sense of vibration. He carefully created energy flows in his legs and back with his mind, accelerating these flows to a swift pace and moving them beneath his legs.

Suddenly, he felt a powerful energy lift him up, and he levitated! After a moment of delightful surprise, he suppressed his ecstasy and directed the energy further downward. Gradually, he floated higher until he was a meter above the ground.

He opened his eyes in amazement to find that Little Karn and Old Karn could also levitate, albeit slightly lower than him.

Marlene, seeing this, smiled and said, "Very good, it seems your talents are exceptional, and you have reached a certain level in your cultivation. You can levitate now! Congratulations! Keep practicing diligently, and it will only get better, until you can freely control the energy for levitation and flight."

They congratulated each other and cheered, like three children.

"Now, it has been two years since you left Okla. It's time to send you back to complete what you must," Marlene's voice carried a hint of reluctance, but more so determination.

They all thanked Marlene for her help to them and Okla. They boarded a small flying vehicle, heading to Zevia's interstellar motherport, where a spaceship awaited them.

Before long, they arrived at the vast and magnificent interstellar motherport. As they approached, they were deeply awestruck by the sight. Massive spaceships, like colossal beasts forged from steel, lay quietly docked. The hulls of these ships shimmered with a dazzling metallic luster under the bright sunlight, as if made from countless brilliant stars.

At the center of this sea of spaceships stood a towering central control tower, reaching for the sky. On top of the tower, countless signal lights flickered like the uncertain stars in the night sky, blinking with various colors to precisely guide each spaceship to take off or land safely and orderly.

In the vast docking bays, numerous robots and mechanical arms busied themselves with fervor. Some wielded advanced detection instruments to conduct the final round of meticulous inspections on the spaceships; others pushed carts filled with various supplies, systematically replenishing the energy and necessities needed for the spaceships to undertake their next journey filled with unknown challenges.

At this moment, the entire interstellar motherport was filled with an atmosphere of tension and enthusiasm. Workers performed their duties efficiently and without chaos, everything appeared orderly. From this busy yet organized scene, one could clearly feel the thriving prosperity and unbreakable strength of the interstellar advanced civilization.

With high expectations and longing, they boarded the grand and spectacular long-range interstellar curvature spaceship, which resembled a colossal beast. The ship gleamed with a silver-gray light, and its streamlined design exuded a sense of technology and futurism.

Accompanying a slight yet deep hum, the spaceship quietly activated. It slowly turned and then, as if pushed by an invisible giant hand, sped off quietly at an unimaginable pace.

During this high-speed journey, the view outside the window was breathtaking. The brilliant Milky Way flashed like lightning around the spaceship, their radiance interwoven to form a gorgeous and dreamlike tapestry. The curvature spaceship danced nimbly between nebulae, leaping and flying.

Time seemed to lose its meaning, and soon they arrived at their destination—Okla. As the spaceship approached the ground, the familiar quiet town stood unscathed. The old house by the city also remained unchanged from memory. At this moment, the night was deep, and moonlight washed over the earth, adding a touch of mystery and tranquility to the scene.

Just as the spaceship was about to land, an immense energy surged from its underside. The impact of this energy seemed to solidify the surrounding space-time, making everything eerily quiet, with only the spaceship's slow descent leaving a faint trace in the sky.

Identical to when they had left two years ago.

Marlene said to the three, "Complete your mission! Remember, the Interstellar Alliance will guide and support you." Finally, she repeated the phrase she had spoken before: "May the light of the universe guide you."

At this moment, Rakien and the two Karns were in tears. They were deeply grateful for the experiences and growth Marlene had brought them!

The spaceship used a beam force field to lower them, paused slightly in the air, and then vanished silently into the night. They tearfully waved to the sky, stood for a while, and then turned towards the house.

"We're back! Partners, we're back!"

Betty was in front of the computer searching for something when she looked up and saw her companions who had disappeared for two years!

She was stunned and immediately burst into tears, running towards the three and punching Rakien and the two Karns with her fists, "Where have you been?! I couldn't find you anywhere, I thought you were dead! It's been two years, where have you been?!"

Rakien said, "We were taken by a positive alien race from the Arames Star System; there was no time to inform you. She is a diplomat of the Interstellar Alliance named Marlene..." and then detailed their extraterrestrial interstellar experiences to Betty. Betty listened, stunned and unable to react for a while.

"How are you, Betty? How have the last two years been? The Erfland government didn't find this place, did they?" Old Karn asked with concern.

"I'm fine, we're all fine. We couldn't find you and thought you had been assassinated by Erfland's wretched government. Oren, Chris, and I have been fighting. General Cartel of the military's resistance organization has also been organizing to dismantle Erfland's rule, and a significant number of troops and soldiers have awakened and become our members..."