Karen had managed to take Arthur's attention away from his parents for most of the day, a task she found incredibly difficult.
When evening came, the two had their meal and enjoyed a bit of entertainment from the vast array of movies and shows.
Arthur was particularly fond of one ancient cartoon about a young boy carrying his sister on his back while hunting demons with a katana. And Karen had to agree. It was a good show.
Thoroughly entertained, Arthur eventually fell asleep in her arms. Karen carried him to his room and put him to bed. As a little extra, she put a sleeping band over Arthur's head.
The device had a simple but effective function — it ensured the user slept peacefully throughout the night. With what she intended to do, she couldn't afford Arthur waking up in the middle of the night.
"Goodnight, Arthur," Karen whispered as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you in the morning."
Passing a final hand through his soft curls, Karen left the chambers.
Inside her room, she put on regular, inconspicuous clothes, as anything else would draw attention to herself. With her cover in order, she rushed towards the deeper parts of the base, a location Arthur was not yet privy to.
Reaching the dark chambers, Karen pulled a switch at the entrance, lighting up the entire space. Subsequently, the portal built into the wall at the far end of the chamber hummed to life
For a moment, she hesitated and looked back.
Leaving Arthur alone at the base did not feel right. Worry gnawed at her, the feeling akin to something gripping her heart in protest. There was no doubt the base was secure.
Even so…
'I have to do this…'
Resolving herself, she turned her attention to the numbing portal. The coordinates had already been set for destination only — Earth.
Draping the hood over her head, she zoomed towards the portal and vanished.
***
Planet Earth looked nothing like it did tens of millennia ago.
For starters, the planet no longer had borders. Since the appearance of Dimensional Shifters and the rapid technological advancements that followed, birth rates have exploded.
What had been a fight between countries over meagre resources had turned into a race to conquer the stars.
Dimensional Shifters exposed humanity to the wider universe. More than that, however, it was the discovery of other dimensions that broke the paradigm. Their discovery meant a new world of possibilities.
An essence that could only be described as magical spearheaded a new wave of research and development, the likes of which humanity had never seen before. Every nation raced to be the first.
And from these nations emerged elites who conquered and established outposts across the galaxy and beyond. Powerful families emerged, further evolving to become clans ruling several planets across the conquered galaxies
As humanity developed further and further, Earth became a sort of starter village. It was the origin and birthplace of the human race, so it made sense.
Although the powerful clans and organisations had new planets to call home, many of those whose ancestors began from Earth had sentimental assets they preserved.
This led to an agreement in which Earth would be spared existential destruction, regardless of the reason. Beings of a certain level could not act as they pleased.
But said arrangements were made by their ancestors. Whether such an agreement would continue to hold was uncertain.
***
Deep in a series of collapsed tunnel systems abandoned many generations ago, Karen stepped out of the portal, her guard raised. She looked around cautiously, spotting nothing out of the ordinary.
The chamber was the same as the last time she checked.
With most of the world living on and above the ground, many did not pay attention to what lay beneath them. This provided the perfect cover for the construction of a unique portal system that evaded detection.
There was nothing in the ground to take, so no one bothered to look.
Confirming her position, Karen took off. She sped through the collapsed tunnels with seamless grace, following an already mapped-out layout. A few minutes later, she appeared at the entrance of a massive sewer pipe.
Far in the distance were lights so bright it could blind an owl.
Even from several kilometres away, Karen could see the skylines streaking through the city. The planet no longer sleeps. Night was just the absence of light. Why sleep when enhanced bodies could stay active long past twenty-four hours?
With her target in sight, Karen crouched and shot forward, crossing hundreds of metres in seconds. She landed with a thud and sped through the woods, expertly evading the obstacles in her path.
After five to six minutes of nonstop running, she crossed into the city and came to a stop near an alley. A few people noticed her but paid no heed.
'Things look normal enough,' she thought, pulling on her hood. 'I should make this quick.'
Blending into the flow, Karen made her way to a main street, her head down, her hands in her hoodie pocket. The chatter around her echoed endlessly, but Karen paid little mind until something got her attention.
"Hmph! Those pompous bastards deserved it. Why would they be hiding a Dimensional Shifter? Who do they think they are?!"
Karen's heart skipped a beat as her head snapped over. Across from her was what looked like a low-end bar. At the entrance were three rough-looking guys conversing without a care in the world.
"From what I heard, the clan leaders dared to battle the forces of the Intergalactic Council. That sure takes guts." Another expressed, sounding impressed.
"Well, it no longer matters," the third person shrugged. "The clan is done for, anyway."
The last statement sent her heart racing wildly. Swallowing the dread creeping in her chest, she approached the trio, "What did you say about the Soren clan?"
"Huh?" One of the men exclaimed, pissed off that someone had interrupted their break. "Who the fuck are you?"
"No one of importance," Karen answered, her face hidden from view. "I'm just curious about what you're discussing."
"Herh…. You sure don't look like a nobody."
A sleazy grin stretched across the man's lips as he ogled Karen's breathtaking figure. "Tell you what. Why don't you join us for a few drinks? We'll tell you everything we know." At his words, all three laughed lecherously.
"Okay"
To their surprise, however, Karen agreed, leaving them at a loss for words.