Chapter 4

When I woke up, I could only saw white. The memories of that night suddenly came to me, flooding my mind, and I found myself biting back a sob. I was really going back to Earth, and simply thanks to Jongin who had decided to sacrifice himself. I couldn’t understand what was the reason behind such act, but I knew I was grateful. I wanted to thank him for what he had done, but I knew I couldn’t do so. I sat up and I looked around me: I was in a plain bedroom and Kyungsoo was sitting on an armchair with his legs folded in front of him. He seemed even smaller, as he was sitting like that.

“We’re leaving in 30 minutes.” He whispered. “You can talk to him, but not for long. We’ll be left in different places, so prepare yourself…” I nodded and I quickly got up, and he did the same. He stood by me and he silently helped me to find Jongin. As I walked beside him, I felt tired and almost lifeless. Since I was a child I had dreamt of going back to Earth, but now that I was so near to reach it I didn’t feel happy at all. A guard let me inside Jongin’s small cell, and I gasped as soon as I saw him.

His shirt had stains of blood on it, his face was scrunched up in pain, his left eye was closed and the skin around it was colored with purple because of the bruise. There was blood running from his nose and his mouth, and I was sure that his whole body was hurting. He was lying on the floor, unmoving, but he heard us walking toward him because he visibly tensed. “B-boss…” I stuttered. He relaxed immediately after hearing my stunned tone and he smiled despite the pain he was feeling, keeping his eyes closed.

“There is no need to call me like that anymore…” he mumbled. His voice was raspy, and in that moment I understood how much he was suffering because of Kyungsoo and me. “W-why did you do that…?” I asked; I feared to know the answer, which came with a tired whisper. “Because you deserved it.” A rush of sadness hit me and I felt tears on my cheeks. I turned around and I saw that even Kyungsoo was crying silently, but before I could say anything else, the guard came in and told us to go away. I muttered a small ‘thank you’, towards Jongin, and me and my ex roommate walked out from the cell.

I truly didn’t expect to see him like that, I felt slightly shocked. Was he going to die? I was scared that it was going to be his fate. As soon as me and Kyungsoo returned to the bedroom, I hugged him tightly and we cried for long minutes before we started to calm down. Even if I didn’t know him, I didn’t want to leave Kyungsoo just like that. We sat on the bed and we waited in complete silence, still hugging each other.

Someone knocked on the door and a human-like figure came in: it was floating in the air, and I only saw that kind of alien when I was very young and scared of everything. The figure had big eyes, it was slim and it looked fragile. However, it had a smile on its pale lips, and I was surprised when I heard its voice: it was silk-like, and had a reassuring tone, it reminded me of my mother’s one. “Human number 914.562 and human 914.563… we are ready to send you to planet Earth. Please follow me.”

We stood up on our shaking legs and we followed the alien through a long hallway, and we arrived inside a huge, stunning white hall. There were golden swirls all around the walls and the ceiling, with small cube structures on each side. The cubes were white as well, but the top half was made of shiny glass and I could see a seat inside it. “Please get in one of the cubes. Those will transfer you to planet Earth in a random inhabited area. Inside each cube, you will find a backpack with a knife, a rope, a thick blanket, a bottle of water. We won’t grant you survival, but you have high chances of staying alive and reach an inhabited shelter within 24 hours.”

I gaped at the alien, suddenly feeling scared. “Does it mean there actually is a small chance of no survival?” The figure kept his calm façade and smiled at me and Kyungsoo. “Of course there is. However, We hope you are clever enough to do what you should.” Then, it rushed us towards the cubes with a quick yet gentle gesture with its pale, slim hands. I turned around Kyungsoo and I hugged him tightly. “Good luck.” I muttered. Were we going to be okay? I was truly scared of what I was going to see once I landed on Earth.

The figure didn’t tell us much apart from the fact we were going to land somewhere with life in that area, but it didn’t mean it was a good thing. What if there were going to be wild animals or unwelcoming people? “Let’s meet again.” Kyungsoo replied before letting him go and running towards a cube, which opened and closed as soon as he sat on the white seat. I turned around and I headed towards the cube in front of me; when I reached it and sat inside of it, I saw Kyungsoo disappearing in thin air.

I sighed and tore my gaze away from the empty spot that he had left. I found the backpack right beside my feet and grabbed it immediately, afraid that I was going to leave without it. I heard a loud beeping sound and suddenly everything went dark; I felt like I was falling and I couldn’t breathe anymore, and on that moment I fainted again.

***

I gasped for air as I fell on the cold hard ground. My eyes shot open and when I looked up, I saw an alien that I knew very well. There, in the middle of the air, there was a tall, grey figure that didn’t look at all like the previous one that bid me good-bye. His eyes were big, empty, black, and its skin had wrinkles and it was of a pale grey. It didn’t help me to get up, and I didn’t expect that alien to do it. The figure merely blinked when I stared at it, furious to see that face again. It was the same one who came inside my home to tear me away from my friends, my family, and my world.

However, I really didn’t know what it could do to me. I glanced around me and I realized something:

I was in the middle of nothing.

As I looked around, I realized there was a small town not much far from where I was standing. I could reach it in thirty minutes, if I started running, but it was impossible for me. I wasn’t ready to run for so much time, at least not in that moment. In the sky, the figure started glowing and glared at me with judging eyes. “Oh Sehun, you are human number 941.562 and we have left you in an inhabited area. You have great chances of survival. Good luck, we hope you will have the successful life you actually deserve.”

His tone didn’t reassure me at all, and the alien disappeared in thin air before I could ask some questions. I huffed and after a couple of seconds of absolute blankness, I started walking towards the town. During my small, lonely walk, I took my time to analyze the surrounding. The ground seemed dry, it was dark and there were burned trees here and there. It didn’t help that I was walking a paved road that had cracks everywhere. I was worried that no one in town was going to greet me happily, and as soon as I reached the walls of the town, I stopped.

It was abandoned. I couldn’t hear people walking around, I couldn’t hear their voices. If I tried to peek inside the walls, I could see the grass, the plants, the flowers destroying the paths, the buildings. I suddenly felt sick and I turned away from the abandoned buildings. Was I alone? There could be wild animals in there, but seeing the deserted land, I knew that I wasn’t going to meet big, dangerous ones. However, I didn’t like the fact I couldn’t see humans in that area like the aliens had told me.

Did they trick me? I ruffled my hair and the anxiety started to creep in me. I shook my head, telling myself that no, they couldn’t have done such thing to me and Kyungsoo... they had no reason to. I started shaking and my heart started beating even faster; my breath quickened and I felt tears in my eyes. I sat on the ground slowly, and then folded my legs against me and clutched on them. I closed my eyes and I started crying, as I desperately tried to think about what I could do to survive all alone.

I took deep breaths to calm myself, but even when I stopped crying, I felt scared and abandoned. I looked around and I realized it was going to get dark very soon: the sunset was mocking me behind a couple of fluffy clouds and I still had no shelter and no food with me. I was scared to look what was inside those houses, and with only a knife in my hands, I couldn’t defend myself that much. I wiped away my last tears and I stood up, even if I was still shaking.

I took out the knife and I decided to start walking through the town, hoping to meet someone who could help me, but just like I expected, there was no one. Most windows were broken, the small shops were empty and the lampposts surely didn’t work anymore. When I reached the small square, I had lost my hopes. I sat on the fountain, full of rainwater and dry leaves, and I sighed loudly. I glanced up, and looked at the sky; I wished a miracle could get me out of that situation.

And somehow, my wish was granted.

I heard someone whistling a slow tune and I immediately got up, smiling widely. I didn’t recognize the song, but I didn’t care, because I knew only a human could whistle something like that. “Hey! Where are you?!” I screamed, looking around. The whistling stopped and instead of it, I could hear quick footsteps nearing where I was. Soon a man, not much older than me, arrived from one of the streets connected with the square; he smiled too, after seeing me, and he ran towards me. “Oh God, you’re real, you’re real…” I muttered as I started crying again.

The man chuckled and hugged me, patting my back in a comforting manner. “You’re pretty lucky I was walking here. It’s the end of my turn and after this there is no night-watching. Come on, let’s bring you to the headquarters…” I nodded and he tugged me away from the square. “My name is Joonmyeon.” He grinned as we walked towards a building I had not noticed before, which was right behind the plaza. It was as abandoned as the others were, but it had bricked-up windows along with a seemingly heavy and thick door. “As soon as we arrive, I’ll give you some warm food and a place to rest a bit. Ah, what’s your name? Come on, there is no need to cry anymore.”

I couldn’t stop smiling and crying of happiness. I watched him as he took out a key and he opened the door, which squeaked as Joonmyeon pushed it. “I’m S-Sehun.” I answered as we entered. He closed the door and locked it again before gesturing me to follow him towards the basement. We reached another big door and Joonmyeon took another key. “Okay, Sehun. Welcome to Home.” As he smiled softly, he opened the door and I was met with a big staircase that ended in a crowded hall. I gaped at it, amazed to see so many people, and Joonmyeon chuckled at my surprise.

“We’re not actually a big community, but we help each other and it’s enough to survive. Come, I’ll bring you to Lay… Ah, almost forgot!” I glanced at him, as he stared at me seeming embarrassed. “You… are a human, right?” I frowned and I silently nodded, as Joonmyeon chuckled again. He looked like a kind person, someone who tried hard to be less annoying as possible. “You see, Lay isn’t human… just like as many others who live here. I’m human, too, but he’s a Rah’Ki, and maybe you’ll find some class C of Xunah’, too.” I rubbed my neck, flustered to admit that I didn’t know what he was talking about. “W-who are they?”

Joonmyeon tugged me towards another alley and he started explaining to me without no rush. “The Xunah’ are those aliens who brought you here… but class C Xunah’ is not much different from us. They look humans but have some traits very different from ours.” I hummed as we turned and entered another alley that had doors and small windows here and there. “The Rah’Ki, too, can look like humans. They are actually small, horned creatures that can transform in whatever they want. Lay decided to keep his human form to avoid problems with the neighborhood. However, you see… Oh, we’re here!”

He knocked on a wooden door, which had a small board with a name scribbled down and we heard a voice from inside telling us to enter. “You know it’s always open, Joonmyeon!” He turned the knob and we went inside the house. A fire in the middle of the room lit up everything, and the place was filled with books, jars, objects of any type and size. It was full of colors, and I could smell various scents in there. “You are not alone, today… Who is this?” I looked up and I found myself staring at another young man, who had a smile on his lips.

“M-my name is Sehun.” I stuttered. The man had a peaceful vibe around him, and I immediately felt better and relaxed, I didn’t felt worried anymore; I offered my hand, as I wanted to greet him formally, but he reached it with great struggle as he grabbed air more than one time. I felt myself blushing as I realized something that I should have seen much sooner: Lay wasn’t looking at me. He wasn’t looking at anyone, he was looking at nothing. He was blind.

He finally shook my hand with an amused smile and he slightly tilted his head, letting me see a small, harmless white horn that peeked behind strands of brown hair. “Nice to meet you, human 941.562, Oh Sehun.” He said with silk-like voice. “You can call me Lay.” I stared at him, surprised that he knew my name along with the number the aliens gave me.

Since that moment, I knew that the Rah’Ki was going to be a great ally and a mysterious friend for a long, long time.

A/N:
This chapter is pretty long and I guess it's a bit boring? Well, I promised you new characters so here they are!

I hope you enjoyed reading this, please please please remember to leave a comment ;w;
Thanks a lot.

I'm still looking for a beta, so... ;W;

EDIT: Almost forgot! I've posted the foreword for my upcoming fanxing fic, here it is!
EDIT 2: Please vote!
EDIT 3: New poll ^^