"What do I need to bring?" I asked the man.

  "You will not be able to bring anything to space with you. We will provide everything," he said, eyeing my 'dad' warily. He had been staring him down the whole time like he wanted to pounce.

  Suddenly, he lunged out of his chair, aiming a punch at the man's head with a mighty roar. Out of nowhere, a silver shield appeared in the air, blocking the blow, causing my uncle to bend over and hold his throat, like he was choking on something.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I watched, horrified, as the man spoke calmly to my uncle.

  "Never try to lay hands on an emissary again," he said. "If I wanted, I could kill you right now with no legal repercussions."

  My uncle collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath. I staggered back, scared of the man as he walked up to me. Maybe I was a little bit out of my depth now that I thought about it...

  "Come with me," the man said, not a question but a command. "Leave the scum. All they have done to you is hurt you."

  And that was the first time I saw Dark Matter at work and the last time I saw my aunt and uncle.