Recruitment

"Liam, do you sense anything?" Ella turned to look at her son, whose antennae were already up as he gathered information.

He could feel slight vibrations, like ripples, coming from the other side of the door whenever the figures moved, but he couldn't determine their shape or exact numbers.

"Uhh, there is indeed something outside," Liam confirmed the obvious, pretending as though he had revealed something unknown to everyone.

Ava and their mom almost facepalmed simultaneously. They had a superior creature living under their roof, yet this was all he could do.

'Oh, whatever,' Ella thought as she walked past Liam, running her hand through his hair and lowering his antennae, prompting him to hide them.

She walked into another room to retrieve her white rifle before returning and approaching the front door.

With her weapon ready, Ella opened the door and jumped back, prepared to shoot. But after seeing who it was, she cursed.

"Oh, for fuck's sake..." she whispered, lowering her firearm and placing it over her shoulder. She glanced behind her, where Ava and Liam were standing. 'Shit...'

Two humans stood in front of her. One was a tall young man, and the other was a woman, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder.

Both wore gray military uniforms, their hats covering their hair.

Their gaze shifted behind Ella as they observed their targets before establishing eye contact with the person they assumed to be their mother.

"Kids, go wake up your father," Ella ordered, clenching her fist. She had hoped this day would never come.

"All right," Ava and Liam said in unison before leaving together.

Ava had droplets of sweat running down her forehead as she bit her lower lip. She could guess why the military personnel had shown up at their door.

"So? What do you think they want?" Liam asked casually, placing his hands behind his neck as they walked. But the back of his head was promptly slapped.

"Are you a fool?" his sister asked, unable to believe how oblivious her brother could be sometimes. "They're from the military, probably here to recruit us for the academy."

"The military academy?" Liam punched the palm of his hand with his fist, a smirk appearing on his face as his warrior heart skipped a beat.

Finally, he would gain the ability to fight back and protect his home.

Once they reached their parents' bedroom, he stopped in front of the door as another thought crossed his mind.

There was also a small possibility of dying on the battlefield—the same went for Ava.

"Yes," Ava confirmed, flicking his forehead. "And wipe that smile off your face. If they find out what you are, you'll never see the light of day again," she warned, her voice a mix of anger and worry.

"Fine," Liam rolled his eyes. All of this was becoming suffocating. Part of him desired to be found out so he could finally be free, but... that would never happen.

Instead of flying freely, he would be strapped to an experiment table.

"Let's just go and wake up Dad," Liam proposed, quickly changing the subject after a flashing image from his past resurfaced in his mind.

While the two were away, Ella stayed behind to deal with the military personnel who had come to drag her children to war. It was standard in this day and age, and once you were in the system, it was hard to get out.

"Captain Voss?" the man asked, showing his ID with a holographic display, as did the female soldier beside him.

"Speak. What do you want?" Ella asked, taking out her identification card to prove her identity. She already knew why they were here but wanted to hear it from their mouths.

"We are here regarding the military academy recruitment program for your daughter, Ava Voss," the female soldier replied, storing away her ID and placing her hands behind her back.

Ella clicked her tongue, feeling displeased, like any other parent. It was something that had to be done if they wanted to protect their planet, but no one wanted to hear news of their children's deaths.

"Stand down, lieutenants," Ella ordered, debating whether to use force and run away with her family or give in and do as they said.

"I can't let you take her away," she added, hoping her words would hold some weight, even though she had been out of service for eleven years.

The female soldier closed her eyes and turned her head away. No matter how many times she had done this, it still pained her to see the expressions on the families' faces.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but these are direct orders from the Torran Family. By not sending your children to the academy, we have the right to take them by force," the other soldier explained, his voice flat and monotone, like a broken record.

"Tch," Ella clenched her fist. Her hands were tied, and if what the soldiers said was true, there was no way to bypass this.

"Also, who was that young man beside your daughter?" the lieutenant asked while scrolling through his tablet, searching for him in a database. But there was no information to be found—he was like a ghost.

Ella raised her head, staring into the soldier's eyes as her black pupils widened. Her breathing and heartbeat quickened.

"A boy I adopted. Found him on the streets," she replied after a long pause, trying to keep her voice steady. It would be ironic if she were the cause of the military discovering Liam's secret after drilling him so hard to keep his insectoid side hidden.

"I see..." the man muttered, typing something on his tablet before turning around and pressing the communication device on his ear to speak with his superior about the boy they had found.

"Captain Voss?" While waiting for her partner to finish the call, the female soldier decided to inform the Captain about other matters she should know, even if she was retired.

"Hm?" Ella crossed her arms, staring at the other lieutenant and trying to figure out what he was talking about.

"We didn't come only for Ava but to deliver a message from Colonel Tyro."

Ella snapped her head toward the military personnel upon hearing the name of her former superior.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Prepare yourself. Your service might be needed soon," the soldier quoted the exact words she had heard from their captain.

"EXCUSE ME?!" Ella shouted in fury, raising her hands in shock. She had fought for two years to get out so she could help her husband raise the kids. There was also the question of Liam, as raising him wasn't an easy task.

"What is the meaning of this?!" She stomped her foot on the ground, demanding answers. This was the drop that spilled the cup. Not only did they want to take her children, but they also wanted to bring her back into service!

"M-maybe it would be best if I just showed you..." The female lieutenant took out her tablet and handed it to Ella, showing her a recording of their recent battle.

As Ella watched the massacre, she gasped, covering her mouth with one hand and nearly dropping the tablet. The creature that appeared on the screen was eerily similar to someone else she knew.