This is my story. From the journey into the vast universe and through endless twists of time. A future illuminated by sparkling stars of hope; clouded by wars born out of infinite hatred. Entwined intrigues, deep love, and loyal friendship accompany me on my path.

Let me start at the beginning when I am just turning 16 years old.

Let's begin with my abduction to the stars.

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I am Janine, a completely normal girl who is currently in the tenth grade. My hair is shoulder-length and has an intense black color, silky and shining with a slight blue shimmer. The color of my eyes, on the other hand, is an unusually light gray. Many girls envy my figure, for which I don't have to do much. At a height of 1.75 meters, I have the perfect measurements of a runway model. This is the goal I am striving for.

There are a few things I like to do. These are normal hobbies and dreams that many my age probably have. Among them, especially going out with my friends, shopping, singing - if someone suggests karaoke, I'm in right away! - dancing, acting - although so far, I've only been in front of the camera for other students' projects - and modeling. I've had a stroke of luck that others dream of. I've participated in a few small fashion shows. At one of them, I met my current - or rather future - agent. Even without a contract, she has arranged several photo shoots for me, though not entirely selflessly.

She thinks I have talent. My parents, on the other hand, are worried and would prefer if I aimed for something else. There is also their distrust towards my agent. Nevertheless, I have convinced them to agree to a contract with her. I will sign this contract after my 16th birthday.

And when will that be?

In front of me on the table is a huge cake with 16 burning candles. 'Happy 16th', it says written in icing. At the table are the girls from my clique and my parents.

My mother has black hair like mine, which she wears very long and is her pride and joy. Her eyes are a slightly darker gray than mine. I have clearly inherited my looks from her. She may be over 50, but she still looks great.

I seem to have inherited nothing from my father. He has brown hair and brown eyes, is very corpulent, and somehow, I just don't see any resemblance to me, no matter how often I look.

Everyone is eagerly waiting to see if I will manage to blow out the candles. But I have to wait two more minutes. My father switches our system from mobile to radio. I'm curious to see what will come next.

What is he up to?, is my question. And the answer follows immediately.

"Now a birthday greeting from Herbert to his daughter Janine on her 16th birthday," says the moderator. "And of course, our whole team wishes you a happy birthday with the following song."

At the end of the announcement, my favorite song is played. I look joyfully at my father. This is really a nice birthday greeting. The best I've ever received in my life.

I lower my head to the candles, take a deep breath, and blow them all out at once. Then I close my eyes. I fervently wish for my modeling career to be a complete success. That I get many assignments outside of town and finally experience more than in this boring small town.

Suddenly the radio volume drops.

"Uh." A clearing of the throat is heard, then a tapping on the microphone. "Can they really hear this?" It is the voice of a woman with a sweet sound.

"You can start, it’s working!" says the voice of a man, impatience evident.

"So, this is supposed to be a warning. I don't want any resistance, like with Kjarto back then."

"Kaia!" comes from another man, sounding slightly angry. "Either say your lines now or you’re banned from your games."

"Alright, but I don't want another failure," she sulks. After a short clearing of her throat, the woman continues. "Dear inhabitants of this planet. I am Kaia and I announce to you that our army will be abducting some of your children in the next three days. And now back to the program."

Pause.

"Didn't you forget something?" asks the second man.

"Do they really need to know that the end of their existence has begun?" she asks moodily.

"Alright, back to the program," says the first man shortly. Then the music starts playing again.

Everyone looks puzzled. No one has the slightest idea what this announcement was about. I look at my mother, whose eyes reflect fear and despair. How quickly the mood can change, and on my birthday of all days!

I barely get to distribute the cake pieces to everyone when my mother asks to end the party. Shortly after the guests leave, Mom rushes to the phone. Crying, she calls my uncle.

Everything was so nicely planned a few days ago. Sadly, I look down at my cake.

The next few days don't get any better. This announcement has been broadcasted throughout the country. Not just on the radio, but also on television. Only one of the people can be seen in it. This young woman.

She looks strange. The iris of her eyes sparkles fiery red and dangerous. Her short hair also has this intense red color. Her figure appears very slender on TV. I estimate her to be barely older than 20.

The authorities have dismissed this announcement. Nutcases, they say. Young people who have nothing better to do than scare others for fun.

Is that really true?

Their first prediction has come true. Repeatedly, one hears in the news about the mysterious disappearance of various children and teenagers between the ages of six and twenty. For this reason, my parents have forbidden me from going outside. They think it's too dangerous.

It's strange. They are so worried about me. They are so afraid of a threat that supposedly comes from nutcases. After all, it was dismissed from all sides, only the media are said to be blowing it up and exploiting it. Even my parents say it's a prank by some young people who have too much money and time. But their behavior, their obvious fear, speaks against it, just like the disappearances of the children and teenagers.

Who is supposed to be planning this and why? Some secret organization that now has sinister plans with the kids? Or maybe little purple men from Venus, as has also been speculated on TV.

But such things don't exist. Or do they?

Now I am in our kitchen. My mother is sitting opposite me, staring incessantly at the phone. She is surely expecting a call from my uncle. He works for a company that closely collaborates with the military. I have the impression that something is fishy here. What is all the fuss, the prohibitions? Even my father, who really doesn’t believe in the supernatural and life on other planets, is scared. What is going on here?

The phone rings. My mother beams as she answers.

"Anton?" she asks the caller. A pause. "What's going on? Why didn't you tell us what was going to happen? Is this all because of that damn day?" She turns to me. "Janine, my dear, please go to the living room."

Oh, damn it! I want to finally know what's going on here! What does all this have to do with that radio announcement? Why doesn't anyone tell me anything when everyone is acting so strangely? I want to know why my parents are so worried. What’s with all the secrecy?

Reluctantly, I follow my mother's instructions and retreat to the living room. I throw myself onto the sofa, take the remote control in my hand, then glance at my mother. She is desperate and crying. I don't know how to cheer her up, don’t know why she is so sad. What is going on? Tell me something, finally!

I turn on the TV and zap through the programs. Reports about this incident are everywhere. The whole country is in turmoil. Some don't believe it, others think it’s a conspiracy, others are hoping for salvation by highly intelligent beings, and yet others don’t know what to make of it.

And me?

I belong to a group that wants to know if they should be afraid or if it’s really just a prank by some nutcases. My parents and my uncle know, but they just won’t tell me anything.

My mother's conversation with my uncle seems very heated. She yells at him to do something. When my mother sees me watching her, she falls silent.

After that, her voice becomes quieter.

So quiet that I can’t understand anything anymore.

What kind of day are they talking about? It was a snippet of many conversations that reached me. Of course, I understand this as little as the rest. It's probably my birthday they mean. Are these people really that dangerous? After all, it’s just three. At least those are the only voices we heard.

All I can do is wait and listen to the reports, hoping that someone will finally speak out.

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It is the second day after this announcement. A Sunday. Today is the meeting with my future agent, which is why I'm already super excited in the morning. When the alarm clock rings, nothing can stop me from getting up and getting ready for the meeting. I laid out my things last night. A floral summer dress that I bought especially for this meeting. Then it's time for hair and makeup. I decided to put my hair up and wear minimal makeup.

As I happily run to the door and open it, I see my mother’s surprised face.

"My darling why are you awake?" she asks. She’s still wearing her nightgown. She probably just got up. I actually expected my mother to be ready. After all, she's supposed to drive me to this appointment today!

"For the signing of my contract," I help her remember and practically shout at her.

I’ve been looking forward to this for so long! How could my mother forget?

"God, Janine, it's better if you stay home," she says calmly. My mother looks at me with sad eyes. I realize that she was distracted by the events and forgot about it. This fact doesn’t make me happy, but it does calm my anger.

"What is this?" I demand to know. "What’s going on? Why are you all suddenly having panic attacks? I thought what was said in the announcement was nonsense."

I plead for answers, wanting to finally know what's going on.

In my desperation to get an answer and the hope of finally getting one, I forget my anger for a moment. I can give them a lecture about how important this contract is to me when they are normal again. And that happening is the most important thing to me right now.

My mother starts crying. She slides down the wall and sits on the floor.

"I so wished we were safe from those bastards on this planet." A stream of tears runs down her cheeks. "But now..." She stops. Her gaze falls on my father, who has come to us. "We should tell her everything," she says to him.

My father leans against the wall.

"Damn it!" he yells. "Sara, is there no way this is all just an intimidation tactic?"

My mother shakes her head.

"His father did the same thing before," she explains, trembling.

I kneel down next to my mother. Even though I don’t understand any of this and look at both of them confusedly, I have to comfort her somehow.

"Makos always destroyed the most strategically important cities on a planet to demonstrate his power," my mother continues sadly. "Those who survived were lucky." Her voice stops, her eyes fill with despair. "He's his son; why wouldn’t he do the same?"

What is my mother talking about? This planet? And who is this Makos? I look at her in astonishment.

"The only thing we can do is pack everything," she continues, crying. "Then we can only try to flee the city as far as possible. And pray."

"Why flee?" I try to find out.

My mother's gaze falls to the floor.

"Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that we can escape it."

Escape from whom or what? I don’t understand any of this!

"Please tell me what's going on," I beg my parents.

"Oh Janine, I hoped to protect you from all this." My mother smiles at me through her tear-filled eyes.

Then she begins to tell.

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It all happened in a galaxy far, far away, she begins her story.

Her family was very poor, so they agreed to sell their sons to the army of their ruler Makos. When my mother was born, a similar fate threatened her.

To ensure her parents survived, she was sold into slavery. My mother was four years old when she came to Tormahs, Makos’ slave planet.

There, she was raised as a slave.

In an establishment that offered slaves to its guests for their pleasure. In her childhood, my mother only had to do small things. Bring them food or other items the guests called for. A few years later, however, she would have faced the same fate.

A love slave, at the service of those who desired her.

My mother was spared from all this when she caught the attention of Makos’ favorite slave, Shalia. Shalia helped the young slave get a job in the palace of the ruler at the time. There she was one of many other slaves who served Shalia and the ruler’s two sons.

My mother served there for several years until a warrior fell in love with her. And she with him.

He gathered as much money as he could to buy his beloved out of slavery.

They lived together for a few years until a rebellion broke out in the ruler’s domain, in which Makos was killed. In the chaos of the war, my mother and her lover fled along with a scientist couple.

My mother was pregnant with me at the time of the escape.

My biological father didn’t even live to see the first year on this planet where they landed.

My mother then met my father. They married and lived happily together until my 16th birthday, without fear of the future.