The following day.
Podrick Farm.
Peter and Jonathan's family sat together, enjoying coffee and desserts.
"Do you know anything about the Kawachi tribe, Jonathan?" Peter asked.
"A little," Jonathan replied. "I've heard that they are descendants of the Incas, with maybe a bit of Native American or Gypsy blood mixed in. They don't have their own written language and believe in the spirituality of nature and all living things."
Jonathan shared the information he knew.
"The Kawachi believe the underground caves recently discovered belong to their ancestors. That's why they've been trying to stop Luther Group from establishing an industrial park—they think it will destroy the caves and harm nature."
Martha added from the side, "I heard the security guards at the park were attacked by wild animals yesterday. Maybe the Kawachi really can command animals."
Peter listened quietly to the Kent couple, his mind drifting back to yesterday's encounter with Kelly and the caves.
Was that mural truly revealing some kind of prophecy?
He exhaled deeply and glanced at the calendar on the wall.
Tonight was the night of the Perseid meteor shower.
"Jonathan, Martha, do you mind if John stays with you tonight? I have something personal to attend to this evening," he said seriously to the couple.
"Of course," Jonathan replied, exchanging a look with Martha. He then asked, "Do you need our help? Perhaps Martha and I can assist in some way."
"No, it's just some personal business. It should be resolved quickly," Peter declined politely.
He had sent Clark and John to the Kents' house so that the two boys wouldn't learn about the spaceship.
John believed he was Peter's biological child, and Peter feared that if John learned the truth—about how he, too, had been brought by the spaceship—it might change his perception, and he might become confused or even rebellious.
Crossing his arms, Peter gazed out at the clear blue sky.
However, once the baby arrived at the farm, how would he explain their origins to John?
Would he say that the baby had been adopted from an orphanage? Or simply tell John, like the mural suggested, that he had found a baby?
If it were this way, knowing John's personality, he would certainly make a fuss.
Although he wouldn't go as far as hurting the baby, Peter was sure that John would resist the idea.
It seemed that Jonathan sensed Peter's concerns. He cleared his throat and asked, "Would you like some coffee with your dessert, Peter?"
That night, the darkness of the night sky gradually descended.
Peter sat on the roof of the barn, silently waiting for the meteor shower.
He looked down at the watch on his wrist, noticing that the hands were approaching midnight.
Exhaling, he looked up at the sky.
Despite the clear weather, the visibility wasn't great due to the nearby wildfires.
Suddenly—
A bright and fast-moving meteor streaked across the atmosphere, leaving a long trail behind it.
The colorful tail of the meteor entered the atmosphere, and after briefly releasing a burst of light and heat, it quickly dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye.
With the first meteor's arrival, the grand meteor shower began in earnest.
Green, red, and orange-blue meteors interwove across the sky, creating a breathtaking visual display.
Peter lifted his gaze to the dazzling meteor trail, still keeping a watchful eye on the farm, preparing for the spaceship's landing.
However, as the meteor shower neared its end, there was still no sign of the spaceship.
Even the watch on his wrist gave no signal.
Had he made a mistake?
Could today not be the day the spaceship was supposed to land?
Looking down at the farm, Peter was lost in thought.
Meanwhile, not far from the farm, in a field:
A wolf, entirely white, staggered forward.
Bright red blood poured from her abdomen, soaking her snow-white fur.
The bullets fired by Luther Park's security guards had hit her in vital areas, draining her life force.
"Thud!"
Finally, too weak to continue, the white wolf collapsed onto the ground.
She tried to stand but couldn't.
The bullets had struck her critical points, and now, lying on the soft earth, her lifeless eyes stared at the sky as she felt her life slipping away.
A meteor flashed across the sky, shining brightly and briefly filling her eyes with light.
She watched the rare meteor shower with a fleeting sense of longing for life.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a massive object crashed to the ground not far from her, creating a deafening sound as it formed a large crater.
The intense tremors rattled the earth, sending dirt flying into the air and scattering around her.
Her pupils widened in shock as she looked up at the falling object.
No!
It wasn't a meteor— it was a spaceship!
The very same one she had seen in the mural in the cave the day before!
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Before her astonished eyes, the silver spaceship, glowing with an ethereal light, opened its hatch. A baby with brownish-yellow hair slowly crawled out.
Perhaps drawn by the wolf's beautiful appearance, the baby crawled curiously toward her.
When it reached her side, the baby stretched out its hand to touch her soft fur.
The white wolf, panting heavily, gazed at the baby, the so-called "chosen one" of destiny.
The baby's hand touched the location of her wound, causing her to let out a pained grunt.
It seemed that the baby sensed her pain. A pure white orb of energy, filled with a life force, formed in its hand.
The energy flowed like liquid, gently making its way toward her wound.
In her astonished gaze, the pain gradually faded away, and even the bullet wounds began to slowly heal as the bullet disappeared without a trace.
Overwhelmed with emotion, the white wolf looked at the baby, radiating a soft, life-giving energy.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, footsteps from behind broke her reverie.
Peter stood, stunned, as he looked at the baby radiating a soft aura, and then turned to look at the fallen white wolf.
Under his watchful eyes, the wolf's body began to change.
The snow-white fur began to shed, and the wolf's form began to shift.
In the end, the wolf had transformed into a naked woman.
The woman, lying on the ground, revealed bronze skin and a curvaceous figure.
Peter stared at her, quickly recognizing her as Kelly, the Kawachi girl he had met in the cave.
Taking a deep breath, he quickly walked over, took off his jacket, and covered her with it.
Then, bending down, he gently picked up the baby in his arms.
The baby, holding a finger, gazed curiously at him, making baby sounds.
Peter lightly tapped the baby's cheek with his finger.
"This time, your landing was off target, Star-Lord."
...
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