Colin Redding stood in his ephemeral form before the council of inter-dimensional Zealandia  ministry pleading his case. 

“He is back,” he cried out. “Why won’t you believe me?”

Give us a detailed, objective report on what happened. 

*

Reporter: Colin Redding

 September 10, 1939

Private Ryan Barker stood still on the coral-strewn shore as his comrade’s blood tinged the sands crimson. His friend was moaning in pain, and there was no help except the never-ending dark ocean. The last news they had heard was that Hitler’s troops were heading towards Poland. They were stranded on an island near Japan, and the island was filled with mines. His friend had stepped on one and had lost a leg, and Ryan, in desperation, had carried him to the shore. But there was no one—no airplanes, no ships, and no man in his vicinity.

The wind blew, carrying the wet smell of blood. Ryan thought about the frailty of life as he removed his heavy backpack, his shoulder aching and his legs screaming with pain. He took out the old camera he had and took photos of his friend and the wide ocean. He knew he would be dead before anyone came for him. He welcomed death. He looked at his friend and, unable to help him in any way, stood up and screamed. The sound was muted as fresh waves crashed at his feet. He thought about his family and how he would never see them again. He sat down, his spirit broken.

Just then, an ember light appeared a short distance from the shore. It grew bigger like a portal, and a swishing sound came as it opened. A man was tossed into the ocean, and the light disappeared. Ryan Barker stood up, blinking his eyes.

Am I hallucinating? But he was not. The waves carried a gigantic man to the shore. An eerie glow surrounded his body. He did not move, and on his forehead was the symbol of an anchor. His body was carved without even a single loose muscle. Ryan did not need another dead man now. He shook him to see if he would move. On his right wrist was a small glowing green bracelet, and Ryan quickly pulled it off and slid it inside his bag. He did not know why he did it, but something came over him, and he did it. He once again went back to his friend and gave him a sip of water, then turned around to see the man standing upright, looking at him keenly.

“Hi…” Ryan stood up, scared.

The man spoke in a gargling voice, and he spoke a language that Ryan had never heard.

“I don’t understand,” Ryan moved closer to him. The man became frustrated and shouted something in his language. Ryan did not know how to respond.

“Do you speak English?” Ryan asked, now closer to the man, and he noticed how bluish his eyes were. The pupils were missing, and Ryan immediately knew that this man was not able to see.

“Yes,” he said. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am a soldier, Ryan Barker,” he said, closely looking at this strange man.

“Who is that?” He asked, pointing at Ryan’s dying friend. “I sense agony.”

“Can’t you see? He’s missing a leg,” said Ryan.

“I cannot see anything except heat registration,” he said. “This is not my land. I am from Zealandia.”

Ryan looked at him and wondered if he was telling the truth. “Why did you come here?”

“I was banished from my land,” he said, a string of sadness could be understood. “And where is my braclet.” He was desperate again. 

He walked towards the agonized soldier. He knelt down and touched his blood-oozing leg. The leg healed instantly. Ryan was shocked to see his friend stand up without any pain. He took out his camera and took a photo of this mysterious man.

“So you are at war?” He sat down.

“Yes, a bloody war,” said Ryan. His friend did not talk; even though he was healed, he was too stunned to see this man.

“What is your name?” Ryan finally asked.

“That is not important. Your rescue is coming,” he said as he stood up and then… 

 July 13, 2022

The grandson of Ryan Barker decided to clean the attic. He found an old box of his grandfather’s belongings. He opened it and found diaries and photos. He knew his grandfather had a lot of photos of the war, and they must be valuable in some way. He was a professor of War Strategy, and COVID had shut down the university.

As he went through the things, he noticed a postcard, and the words at the top made him pause.

“Zealandia – the 8th continent?” And below that, there was a photo of a gigantic man.

“Who is this man?” Tom Barker ruminated. “And what the hell is Zealandia?”

There was also a small box carefully placed at the bottom of the box. He took it and opened it without thinking much. It was a weird old bracelet, green with some markings on it.

He put it back into the box and wondered about his new findings. His grandfather had twice traveled to Japan, and he did not tell the reason. Everyone assumed that he was traveling for vacation, but he was interested in something or someone other than a vacation. By that evening, he once again took the box to his study. He opened the box and searched for the bracelet. He put it on his wrist and examined the markings. It was a script he had never seen. As he looked at the photo, he saw how the man looked different from his grandfather. Even in this black and white picture, it was clear that he had a different eye color.

“Maybe a native,” Tom assumed.

Tom’s phone buzzed, and there was someone gasping for breath on the other side.

“Hello,” repeated Tom, trying to understand what was being said.

“Professor, your grandfather was spotted in Japan,” the voice echoed. It was his Ph.D. scholar. Colin Redding. 

“What? He’s dead?” Tom stood up.

“No sir, positive. I saw him! I took a picture. Let me send it over to you.”

Tom zoomed in and was certain that it was his grandfather. But how could this be possible? He did not have any time. He bought a flight ticket and waited at the airport. He had taken the bracelet and also the photo of the mysterious man. On the flight, he could not sleep; his head was filled with disturbing dreams. He dreamed of a green portal opening in the sky, and his flight was going into another world. This was a place he could not have imagined. Everything was different; the buildings, the energy felt pure. But something was wrong with the place.

“Sir, wake up,” someone woke him up by jerking him.

“Something is glowing in your pocket, sir,” said the flight attendant, concerned.

He took out the bracelet, and it was glowing green. It was growing brighter. “It’s just a gadget,” he lied. He put it in his bag and wondered what was happening. The flight landed, and he booked into a hotel and closely examined the bracelet. He had called Colin, and they were going to meet in two hours.

The bracelet was now vibrating as though it was close to something. Like a magnet right before it pushes forward to be attached to another magnet. He put on the bracelet, and he started to feel a vibration coursing through him. He felt so powerful. He could think, and that would happen. He experimented with switching off the big plasma TV, and it happened.

Tom was excited. This had some power that he couldn’t describe. Did his grandfather know about this? Did he use it? He quickly understood its limitations. It could manipulate things around him, but he could not create any matter. He could move objects, and he knew there should be more to it. Just then, his scholar came to meet him.

He looked flustered, but once he saw the glowing bracelet, he sat silently.

“Where did you get that?”  Colin asked watching closely.

“My grandfather had it,” Tom answered, removing it. “My grandfather seemed to have hidden many things from us.”

“Yes,” he gave a weak smile.

“But how is this possible? I checked his cemetery before coming here; everything seemed to be… well, undisturbed.”

“Sir, can I have a look at your bracelet?” he stretched out his hands.

Tom was hesitant, but he gave it. The bracelet turned red, and it started to vibrate.

“Sir, I want to show you something,” he stood up. Red waves formed a mirror. Tom, flabbergasted, looked at him. They both could see his grandfather standing over a wounded soldier. A portal opened, and a man washed ashore. He woke up and spoke to his grandfather, then he went to the wounded soldier, and in an instant, only his skeleton with patches of flesh was left as green flames scorched him. 

“No, no, that is not what I read in my grandfather’s account, and who are you?” Tom stood. His scholar looked at him with sadness. What he witnessed next made him puke. His grandfather was burned with a green flame, and the man who stood beside him changed into his grandfather.

“What… what… what happened?”

“He turned into your grandfather…”

“So I am….”

“Yes…” That is the reason the bracelet vibrates when you hold it. Only to a Zealandian can yield their power.

“Then you are…” Tom now looked terrified.

“Yes, I am,” he smiled. “I have been undercover, as you say, in your land for some time.” It is time to capture a man called Ryan,” he stood up.

Tom looked at him as he opened the portal, and they both stepped in. Precisely after 22 seconds, they stepped out onto the beach.

“The man pretending to be your grandfather, but he is your grandfather,” he scratched his head. “He is a rebel banished from my land to your land. In my place, we call him Viridis. He wants to take revenge….”

Colin once again used the bracelet and opened the portal, and shouted.

“Come, my infernal beasts!”

Two humongous saber-toothed tigers stepped out. They also had armor over them.

“Go find him,” Colin commanded. They sniffed the air and ran into the dense forest.

“This must all be too much for you,” Colin smiled. Ten minutes passed, and Colin became agitated. “What is taking those beasts so long?”

Tom looked over the shore, and there was the man dragging something, and he looked like his grandfather. Colin grimaced as Viridis threw the corpses of the beasts.

“Viridis, the high council is willing to consider your petition,” Colin said.

“Oh, is that so,” he said, “and what if I don’t return?”

“Then your grandson will die,” Colin waved his hands, and red flames moved and hurried towards Tom.

Tom was filled with fear. “Is this man going to kill me?” Just then Viridis stepped in, his green ember glow brightening. “Tom I hope you have practiced with your bracelet, now think what you want to do to him…” he handed a new bracelet. Tom put it on and black waves erupted from his hands. An energy causing a tornado. As a professor of War Startegy he always knew a great battle was won without fighting.

The powerful tornado caged Colin, and Viridis let out his green flames to burn up Colin. After two minutes everything became quiet, a red flare opened a portal, and he escaped.

“Is he dead?” Tom asked, looking at his grandfather, totally confused.

“Zealandian’s don’t die that easily, and Don’t fear, I won’t kill you,” he said reassuringly. 

“But you killed my grandfather…” Tom’s said it with anger. He did not answer. “You will understand someday, but you are not his heir. You are mine. But now I am going to Zealandia, and you will know what to do. We will reign once more.”

He disappeared into the portal, leaving Tom alone on the shore. The bracelet lay on the sand.