39

"Who have you come to kill?" Joseph demanded, struggling to comprehend who these beings had targeted.

"We've been ordered to eliminate the person resembling Mr. Joseph," one of them replied, their tone mechanical yet resolute.

"We are not authorized to waste time. Our orders are clear: take the girl and return. You are delaying us and obstructing Mr. Joseph's directives." One of them turned their unfeeling gaze to Anna, who trembled in fear.

Their intentions were as clear as they were menacing, leaving Joseph with no room for doubt.

"I am the chief of your people. I know exactly what you're here for," Joseph declared, his voice steady but laced with anger. Anna's father, alarmed by the situation, turned to Joseph.

"What are these creatures saying?" he asked, baffled that such beings could exist and astounded by their apparent connection to Joseph, a human—or so he thought.

Joseph glanced at him briefly. "I understand, Uncle. Please, stay calm." Turning back to the intruders, he said firmly, "I can exile all of you from the planet. Do you not know the consequences of defying me?"

Joseph's rising fury was evident as his eyes glowed red, but the beings remained undeterred.

"You may have authority, but this is Mr. Joseph's order. Disobedience is not an option," one of them stated coldly.

The robots were trapped in their orders, with no room for discretion. Joseph, meanwhile, signaled Anna to leave, but the situation escalated rapidly.

"Uncle, you need to get out of here," Joseph urged. But Anna's father stood his ground.

"How can I leave when these creatures are threatening my family?" he retorted, steadfast in his resolve.

Joseph exhaled sharply. "Uncle, I'm an alien. I'm the leader of their planet. I will handle this. They won't harm anyone as long as I intervene. Please, just leave."

The revelation of Joseph's true nature stunned Anna's father, who looked at him with disbelief. His daughter's husband, an alien?

Joseph turned to Anna. "Go. Now."

"Uncle, you must leave. I promise I will manage this," Joseph insisted. But before they could move, a voice boomed.

"Kill him. Complete the mission." It was Knox’s voice, cutting through the tension like a blade. Joseph froze.

The intruders fired their lasers, and chaos erupted. Joseph, caught in the relentless onslaught, could not dodge the barrage. Blood poured from his wounds as he crumpled to the floor, barely holding onto consciousness.

"Save my daughter. My Anna..." Anna's father gasped, clutching at his last words. The sight of his suffering ignited a surge of determination in Joseph. With immense effort, he rose into the air and unleashed his own devastating attack.

Blinding light filled the room as Joseph’s lasers struck the robots, overwhelming their systems. Sparks flew, smoke billowed, and the once-threatening machines collapsed into lifeless heaps.

The room was scorched, and Joseph, drained from the battle, stumbled toward Anna’s father, who lay on the ground, his breath shallow.

"Uncle, nothing will happen to you. I promise. I’ll protect everyone," Joseph vowed, his voice trembling. Anna sobbed helplessly beside them.

"I don’t have much time," Anna's father rasped. "Promise me, son. Promise me you’ll protect her."

"Uncle, don’t speak like that. You’ll be fine," Joseph tried to assure him, but the man persisted.

"Promise me!" he demanded with a desperate gaze.

"I promise," Joseph finally said, his voice breaking.

"Take care of my daughter. Keep her safe from whatever danger comes her way," Anna's father whispered before his body went still. Anna's scream shattered the silence as she collapsed into Joseph's arms, unconscious.

Later, Anna stirred, a strange feeling jolting her awake. She looked toward the window and saw a figure. It wasn’t Joseph—it was Knox.

"Knox," she said, her voice a mix of anger and disbelief.

"You recognize me," Knox replied, his face shadowed with regret and pain.

Her father’s face flashed in her mind, and anger took over. She stormed toward Knox, grabbing his collar. "Why did you kill my father?" she demanded furiously.

Knox looked stunned. "I didn’t want to kill him," he admitted quietly, the truth cutting deeper than any lie could have.

"Who are you now?" Anna shouted, tears streaming down her face. "You’ve lost everything—your identity, your humanity. You’ve become a monster. A killer. What have you done to yourself?"

Knox covered his ears, unable to bear her words. "I didn’t mean for this to happen," he said weakly.

"You’re nothing but a greedy, power-hungry man," she continued. "You sold your soul for control, and that’s why I could never love you. You’re not worthy of my love. I hate you."

Knox staggered back, her words striking him like blows. "Don’t say that, Anna. Please. Don’t hate me. I swear, I’ll leave you alone forever. But don’t let me live in your memory as someone you despise." His voice cracked as tears ran down his face.

Slowly, he backed away, disappearing into a white light.

Anna collapsed by the window, her body trembling, her soul shattered.