Varian nodded with a serious expression. "Everyone views you in a negative light because you're not a human. To them, you are the evil that is plotting the extinction of humanity, or at least, that's how the narrative is shaped.
So, even if I show how much Shadow Guardians sacrificed, they'd only think it's one of your schemes. To let the world recognize them as heroes and see them innocent, you must be proven innocent first."
"…" Enigma took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes. "So, I shouldn't go killing until my reputation is clean?"
"Exactly." Varian nodded.
"I know you said everything to stop me from going to earth now and kill those bastards.
You don't care about those dead people…at least not as much as me. But more importantly, your real goal is my safety." Enigma said with a complicated gaze.
"I know your real motive, yet your reasoning…I'm convinced." She sighed and muttered under her breath. "When did you become so glib?"
Varian shrugged. "I'm coaxing a stupid ghost a lot lately."
"Master!" Boo pouted in protest.
"Aye~ Aye~ You're stupid, but you're also cute." Varian patted Boo with a smile.
"Hehe." Boo nodded its little head and giggled.
"…." Enigma almost rolled her eyes at the sight.
She got persuaded by this guy? What's wrong with her?
Her emotions hadn't subsided, but Varian used those very emotions to prevent her from acting recklessly.
Blue Flash watched their whole exchange in silence with an expression that couldn't conceal her shock.
When did Enigma get so easy to convince?
Boo didn't know what the women were thinking and stated in joy. "Master, another important news aired."
"Oh?" Varian raised a brow.
He was going to discuss the 'plan' with Enigma, but decided to listen to the news first.
"This is it." Boo hummed and a hologram appeared.
It was the same old guy Samar from Earth's academy of sciences, apparently the dean himself.
Facing the cameras on a sleek white stage, he said with a grave expression. "This finding I'm about to share can shake the solar system. It's earth shatteri..no, it's sun shattering. The old sun broke into two, with this secret, it might as well break into three or four."
"…"
"…"
Varian and Blue Flash looked at each other as they tried hard not to cringe.
"We have found a space shuttle belonging to Enigma." Dean Samar raised his arms and pointed to his right.
Varian's eyes widened as he saw a rough space shuttle. The blue thing was still under construction.
Dean Samar entered the space shuttle and pointed to a holographic map.
A cosmic map appeared.
Samar pointed to a small dot at the bottom right corner and magnified it.
"Hiss!"
Varian saw the familiar binary star system—his own solar system.
Samar zoomed out and then pointed to the other marked position far, far away. It read 'Destination'.
With a furious expression, Samar declared. "Right from the moment we knew Enigma as an alien, we were worried exactly about this.
All our experts also warned us. If Enigma's species invades us, forget piece, we'll face the threat of extinction."
Enigma clenched her fists silently.
The old man literally yelled. "There are still some Enigma apologists saying that she saved their lives. It's all her plan, you morons!"
With a flushed face, he pointed to several parts of the space shuttle and said. "Luthanios. Durasium. Adamantium. All these items are rare and found mostly in ruins. And you know what? Enigma sneaks into ruins every month."
Blue Flash stepped forward and patted Enigma on the head. But Enigma's eyes tri-color eyes didn't even fluctuate a bit. They stared blankly at the screen.
"And let me tell you another mind-boggling truth? She's around 520 years old! So, 520 years? Does the number ring any bells?"
Varian's gaze stiffened and he turned to Enigma with a confused expression.
"Yes! It's almost right at the time of Blink. So, here's exactly what happened.
Two alien space shuttles were fighting each other and entered our solar system. One of them is Enigma's spaceship. The other is ghost ship of urban legends."
Boo opened its mouth in confusion. Excuse me, but the one this cute ghost fought was abyssal!
The old man started crying. "It's painfully obvious that she's the cause of Blink. She killed billions of people right upon her birth!
Her space ship was destroyed back then and from then, she must be preparing to contact her people and let them invade our home."
With an ardent voice, he raised his hand. "Fortunately, we found her in time. We'll end this threat once and for all!"
Varian shook his head. "Don't mind his bullshit."
Glancing at Boo, he said. "I know the real cause of Blink. Besides, you being 500 years old? No way I'm gonn—"
"It's true."
"Pardon?" Varian thought he misheard. So, he even focused his body awakener powers and asked again.
Enigma looked into Varian's eyes and said word by word. "I am more than 500 years old."
"Fucking heavens!" Varian cursed in disbelief. "Are you for real?"
Enigma nodded with a neutral gaze.
Varian took a deep breath and patted his racing heart.
What the actual fuck in the heavens is this?
He looked at Enigma again. Since her face was covered, he couldn't guess what she looked like. But he was damn sure that with those eyes, hair, and voice, she must be young.
"You are older than my grandma." He finally said.
"And her grandma too," Enigma added.
Varian facepalmed. "Are you from a race like Elves or something? Like 500 for them being a teen or something?"
Enigma shook her head. "I wasn't…awake most of the time. My mental experience is around 20 years."
Varian looked at her weirdly. "Dragons in old earth's myths also love to sleep. Maybe you're related?"
"…" Enigma rolled her eyes. From what she read, Dragons were lazy, greedy, and horny.
Poor Varian didn't mean any of those.
Different cultures of old earth saw dragons in a different light. Some saw them as species with centuries-long sleep.
"I did wonder who you really are." He said with a curious voice.
Enigma lowered her head and her voice turned low and unbelievably soft.
"I don't know who I am. I don't know how I was born. I just know I came from that place…I have that memory." She pointed to the 'Destination' and said.
Varian fell into a deep silence.
While what Enigma told him blew his mind, it couldn't help but think.
"Does Sia also have that memory?" Varian asked with a cautious expression. Since they were hybrids, maybe…
"Yes." Enigma nodded lightly.
Varian's voice was on the verge of breaking. "D-Did she also decide to go there?"
The distance between the two regions was too vast. With the current technology, it'd take centuries to reach there, if not a few millennia.
Even if the space shuttle Enigma was going to build turned out to be way more advanced, travel would still be a hassle.
And once she left the solar system, she might never come back. After all, for a place to give birth to hybrids, it must be top-notch.
"…She wanted to wait until the abyssal conflict is solved and your safety to be guaranteed."