Chapter 1: The Origin
Far above the tumult of any terrestrial concern, the universe was an ocean of perfect, silent equilibrium. Earth spun serenely, a blue and white marble among its stellar siblings, undisturbed and peaceful.
From the dawn of time, the cosmos had been bestowed with Seven Great Powers:
Light, Fire, Lightning, Water, Air, Earth, and Plant.
Each immense power was embedded within power gems, and those gems were guarded by the Monarchs, the sworn leaders of the universe's seven sectors.
Much later, in the year 3000, the world had fundamentally changed. Humans had intermingled with aliens from other sectors, a mixing that resulted in children born with powers drawn from those far-off regions. The ruler of Earth, now simply called the King, took it upon himself to gather these special people. He trained them, honing their extraordinary gifts, and called them the Space Rangers.
For a time, all was peaceful, yet a growing unrest stirred beyond the settled cosmos-not everyone was a fan of peace.
Above Earth's tranquil atmosphere, alien space pods moved with sinister purpose, descending toward the blue sphere.
A Remote Island-Day
Sunlight dappled through the canopy of a lush green forest, painting shifting mosaics on the mossy ground of a remote island. A sound like wind rushed through the undergrowth, followed by the faint scent of ozone. It was Young Sharon, a little girl with a reckless streak, running with impossible, crackling speed.
She darted across the forest floor until something caught her eye. She slammed her heels to the dirt, the lightning speed instantly bleeding off as she skidded to a stop near where her parents were standing.
"Uhn... Dad... Mum..." she panted, her voice tight.
Sharon's Dad immediately frowned. "What did we say about running deep into the forest?". His tone was stern, but his eyes held a familiar worry. "It's dangerous out there".
Sharon, feeling the buzz of her power still lingering on her skin, shrugged. "But Dad, it's nothing but trees and shrubs". She smirked. "Besides, nothing can catch me. I'm too fast".
Her mother's voice was softer, but the judgment was clear. "Well, for disobeying our orders, Sharon, you're grounded".
"But... But... I'm sorry," Sharon mumbled. Defeated, she turned and started walking toward their sleek, futuristic home.
Her hand was just about to touch the door's interface when a sound, a ripping in the quiet air, made her turn back.
A handful of grotesque, human like purple-skinned creatures with blue, coral-like hair and tails-Anemomes-had appeared. They were strong, brutally pulling her parents away.
"Mum! Dad!" Sharon screamed.
She ran, trying to use her speed to intervene, but one of the creatures caught her, its strength crushing the air from her lungs. The Anemomes shoved her parents into a space pod, which launched instantly, leaving a trail of smoke and terror.
They then began to drag Sharon toward a second pod. Panic seized her. She was a speedster, a little engine of lightning, but she was just a child. She was helpless.
Suddenly, a blur.
A figure appeared out of nowhere, moving too fast to be clearly seen. In a flash, He defeated the Anemomes holding Sharon and those guarding the second pod. Sharon stumbled back, stunned, looking at her savior. Before the figure left, he planted a small, ticking device on the discarded pod. It detonated a moment later, engulfing the area in a bright flash, giving the mysterious rescuer a suitably dramatic exit.
Sharon was alone, her parents gone, replaced by a lingering smell of smoke and the deafening silence of the forest. The only thing faster than her had been the speed of their kidnapping.
