The story resumes with the Midwich Children — now around nine years old, though their physical and intellectual development suggests they are already teenagers. Their identical appearance (pale skin, silvery-blonde hair, and luminous golden eyes) continues to unnerve the villagers, but it's their behavior that deepens the fear.

The children demonstrate remarkable intelligence, impeccable memory, and, most disturbingly, a shared consciousness. What one child learns, all seem to know. When one is injured, they all feel it. It becomes clear: the children function as a single group mind, capable of telepathic communication and mental coercion.