That smile, which was originally full of warmth, suddenly froze at the corner of his mouth.
" David?"
The wife noticed her husband's unusual behavior, and her hand holding the salad bowl hovered in mid-air.
Somewhat puzzled, she reached out and nudged his arm.
"What's wrong? Is the meat burnt?"
"Dad, the meat is a little hot..."
The little girl was tugging at the hem of his apron.
But David didn't look at his wife, nor did he bend down to comfort his daughter whom he had spoiled for seven years.
He seemed completely deaf to the voices around him, his neck muscles strangely lifting his head slightly.
He chewed on the piece of roasted meat that had turned into mincemeat, staring blankly at the freshly painted white ceiling.
Under the evening light reflecting off the dining table.
Deep within David's eye socket, the perfectly disguised retina suddenly and silently slid open like a leaf.
The whites of his eyes instantly disappeared.
Instead, there were two bottomless, dark pools.
Two extremely fine, razor-sharp points of shimmering blue current began to jump at a high frequency of several times per second.
[Identify: Deep Space Gravitational Distortion Peaks]
[Source coordinates: Edge of the Solar System ]
[External source feature comparison: Military-grade gravity field generator (suspected warship)]
[Level: Omega]
[ Earth Dormancy Protocol - Can be cancelled]
[Wake-up command issued... Manhunters reorganize]
It's not just David from Illinois.
A horizontal montage shot sweeps across the globe, revealing a series of chilling scenes.
London, St Paul's Cathedral, top of the bell tower.
A hunched-over bell ringer suddenly dropped the thick rope he was holding.
Two faint blue lights burst forth from the cloudy, yellowish old eyes, fixed intently on the eastern horizon.
Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing during the morning rush hour.
In that torrent of people rushing to work in the rain, each carrying a black umbrella.
A female office worker, dressed in a black business suit, arm in arm with her fiancé, smiling sweetly, suddenly stopped in the pouring rain.
She expressionlessly shook off her fiancé's warm hand and tilted her head back.
Deep within his eyes, a similarly cold, metallic blue hue shone.
Vatican City.
A cardinal who was repairing a Latin parchment scroll with goose feathers suddenly closed his eyes.
The ink slowly spread, leaving a stain on the paper.
When he opened his eyes again, the holy divinity in them had vanished.
[ Manhunters ]
After they were wiped out by the Guardians, some surviving individuals arrived here under extremely secretive conditions.
And they are scattered in every corner of the world.
They have been hiding in this primitive and fragile human civilization for a long time.
But at this moment.
Faced with that crisis from the boundless depths of space.
The simulation protocol, which had evolved and multiplied over tens of thousands of years, was instantly overwritten by the underlying code.
The camera abruptly cuts to another scene amidst a high-energy, exciting DJ session.
Washington, D. C.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
The central hall, with its ceiling over ten meters high, was illuminated by a dazzling array of Baroque Crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
The graininess unique to film cameras floats slowly in the interplay of warm and cool light and shadow.
The marble display case presents two completely different styles, one inside and one outside.
Inside the display case are Mycenae bronze shields and earthenware urns that have weathered into ruins three thousand years ago.
Beyond the display cases lies a luxurious "greenhouse" meticulously constructed by the human power elite.
Pentagon hawks, executives from multinational defense companies, and financial enthusiasts from both houses of Congress...
These celebrities were sipping champagne glasses and discussing budgets and quotas in hushed tones.
"~"
In a side hall made of mahogany, a string quartet played a respectable piece by Dvořák.
The embers of cigars, the bubbles of cold-brewed champagne, and the scent of haute couture perfumes worn by celebrities.
A jumble of things, mingling in the air.
In the crowd.
An elegant woman with black-rimmed glasses, a damp wipe between her fingers, strolled leisurely through this glittering, luxurious crowd.
Diana.
She wore a wine-red velvet strapless gown, the slightly long hem of which didn't reach the bottom, swaying with her steady steps.
Make a path forward.
She nodded slightly as she walked.
She responded politely and gracefully to the senators' greetings, her gaze distant, as if she were deep in thought.
Perhaps these self-proclaimed celebrities admire her erudition and aloofness as a curator of ancient art.
However, no one knew the heavy burden of emotions beneath this facade.
She hesitated.
Since the smoke of battle cleared from the western front decades ago.
In the years without divine intervention, she witnessed everything that happened to "mortals"—
Time and again they struggled to rise from the ruins, and step by step they built up fragile yet precious laws and civilization.
Therefore, she decided to stop interfering in the progress of human civilization.
After all, Ares's example serves as a stark warning.
Gods should not be like the sword of Damocles, hanging over the heads of mortals.
We should not, even more so, choose the course of history for humanity.
So, over these decades...
She hid herself in the museum.
She often helps up children who have fallen on the street corner.
They would also silently pin down the gun barrels of rioters at alley entrances late at night.
But she will not return with her sword in the name of " Diana ".
Instead, they chose to remain silent observers.
Breathe, work, eat, and even let this physical body follow the metabolism of the other half of the divine body, just like a so-called mortal.
"Tap, tap, tap."
High heels swayed down a corridor carpeted in dark gray velvet, away from the hustle and bustle outside.
Private VIP restroom.
Pulled by the hydraulic shaft, the solid walnut wood door slowly closed.
Click.
The door lock is closed.
The sound of the violin and the noise of clinking glasses vanished, abruptly cut off.
Confined space, silence.
Snow-textured stone, transported from the Carrara Quarrying District in Italy, covered the walls.
The brass wall lamp casts a warm, hazy light from above, and the air is filled with the faint scent of bitter orange leaves and cedar.
Diana stood with her back against the door for a moment, then lifted her skirt with both hands.
The velvet and silk lining was naturally gathered at her waist, revealing her long, firm, and powerful legs.
Shedding her light, thin clothes, Diana sat on the cool white porcelain.
Drizzle...
Almost at the same moment my breath settled, a warm sensation cascaded down my body.
The trickle, without any sign of stagnation, broke through the cool air and plunged straight into the still water below.
"Rustling..."
The sound echoed in the narrow, confined space.
The water ripples were broken and spread out.
The afterglow of the wall lamp spread down, stirring up layers of fine, golden ripples. The pool was warm and slightly turbid, with a translucent amber hue.
The dampness, mixed with the lingering sips of champagne, transformed into a faint, musty odor.
It slowly rose and diffused from the edge of the porcelain basin.
Diana tilted her head back and gently rested the back of her head on the door panel.
Thick, black, wavy hair cascaded down her bronze-colored shoulders, with a few slightly damp strands clinging to her neck.
Her eyelids were half-closed, and her long eyelashes cast a languid shadow beneath her eyes.
Her red lips parted slightly, and she exhaled a hot, moist breath from her lungs.
"Hmm..."
The sound was nasal and drawn out, tinged with a thoughtful sigh.
She has followed the rules and remained silent for many years...
She deeply admired the resilience that humanity displayed in the face of suffering, but she was also keenly aware of the truth.
Overprotection will only deprive people of this right to grow.
At this moment.
The overwhelming feeling of fullness was gradually drained away as it surged forth, causing even the joints in my waist to completely limp.
then.
The sound of the flowing water gradually narrowed, transforming from a continuous, soft murmur into a discontinuous, lingering sound.
"Tap, tap..."
The ripples subsided, leaving only a warm, pale amber hue on the water's surface.
Diana sat quietly for a moment before slowly opening her deep, dark eyes.
The moisture in his eyes faded, transforming into a calm and profound undercurrent.
She casually tore off a few folds of soft paper, twisted her wrist slightly, crumpled the paper into balls with her fingertips, and tossed them aside.
Get up.
Lift the thin silk with both hands, then pull up the hidden chain at your side waist with your other hand.
The stacked red velvet cascaded down like a curtain of water, concealing all secrets beneath the noble and magnificent robe.
Press the flush valve with your fingertip.
"Boom--"
The vortex roared, drawing the pool of pale amber and white vapor deep into the pipe.
The musty smell in the air was gradually drawn away by the exhaust fan.
Click.
Diana stepped out of the cubicle in her high-heeled couture shoes and came to the large washbasin.