Finishing early, the young girl stretched quietly before sliding her paper onto the faint rectangle at the top of her desk.
She glanced around.
Darkness filled the room—but her eyes adjusted easily.
Training.
Without concern, she rested her head on her arms.
Sleep took her almost instantly.
Waves of exhaustion pulled her under.
-BOOM-
Explosions tore through the air.
"DUCK!" someone screamed.
"HIDE! THEY'RE COMING!"
"NO—THIS WAY!"
"FALL BACK—FALL BA—"
-CRASH-
-BOOM-
A city burned.
Buildings collapsed into clouds of ash and smoke.
From orbit—
The entire planet was under siege.
The Mining Home.
No longer safe.
Shuttles launched desperately into the sky.
Rescue crafts.
Evacuation attempts.
Hope—
-nnnnUUUMMM-
A high-velocity projectile screamed through space.
More advanced.
More precise.
-BOOM-
The last of the shuttles detonated.
Blue plasma trails carved across the atmosphere like dying stars.
They came next.
Creatures clad in heavy, Daedric-like armor.
Silent.
Efficient.
They moved through destruction without resistance.
They weren't killing randomly.
They were selecting.
Any being emitting the pheromones of a specific type—
A bipedal female—
Was taken.
Dragged.
Loaded into a massive transport hovering just above the surface.
Never touching the ground.
Huff…
Huff… huff…
(Calm down… calm down… remember… the basics…)
Huff—
Huuu—
(Breathe… they'll rescue you…)
-CRASH-
Debris slammed nearby.
Too close.
She crouched beneath shattered rubble on a launch platform.
A teenage girl.
Short hair.
Shaking.
Blue streaks lit the sky as more impacts tore through the airspace.
The mining town was collapsing into ruin.
(I'm not here to fight…)
Huff… huff…
(Only… to verify… something… Ancient…)
"KEEERIIK—!"
A guttural alien sound echoed.
Heavy footsteps followed.
Closer.
Closer.
Debris was thrown aside.
Search patterns.
Systematic.
Hunting.
(They always know…)
(Every time I get close…)
"KIRK… KERRICK… KERIKERI—!"
Voices layered.
Different tones.
Communicating.
Then—
Right above her.
"CHHIIIRR!"
"CHECHIK… KERIPIK!"
They found her.
-THUD-
-THUMP-
-SCRRAAAAPE—
(Stay put…)
(They'll find me…)
(They'll come…)
Her eyes shut tight.
Her heart pounded violently.
Then—
A whisper.
Deep.
Unfamiliar.
Ancient.
Is it time to go backwards?
Why now?
I'm not done.
-RUSTLE-
-RUSTLE-
-CRACK—
-Powp-
"OW!"
"WAKE UP! You're the LAST one to leave!"
A harsh voice cut through everything.
"I would like to go home as well!"
Her eyes snapped open.
Back in the classroom.
The dream shattered—buried deep again.
Her desk panel flashed red.
Late.
She quickly pulled her paper off.
The light died.
The Head Teacher stood nearby.
A thick ruler tapped against his shoulder.
Waiting.
She grabbed her bag.
Stood.
Bowed quickly.
Then rushed out.
The hallway lights guided her path.
She moved fast.
Right.
Left.
Down two flights—
fluid, practiced.
A quick glance at her score.
A small smile.
She shoved it away.
Focused.
The shuttle bay.
Not far.
Then—
She saw it.
The gate.
Shimmering pink.
Turning red.
Closing.
A cold feeling settled in her chest.
Game face.
Two hundred fifty-three steps.
One minute remaining.
One hundred steps per minute.
Not enough.
She tapped her academy-issued comm.
Three times.
The walls pulsed.
Footholds formed.
She launched.
Wall to wall.
Faster.
Faster.
Thirty seconds.
Each push sharper.
Stronger.
More precise.
Ten jumps left.
(I'm not going to make it…!)
Five seconds.
Her vision dimmed—
Then—
A voice.
Deep.
Calm.
From somewhere beyond thought.
(Close your eyes…)
(Breathe…)
(When I say… now.)
She obeyed.
Breath in.
Breath out.
(Now.)
-PUSHING-
Time slowed.
She moved.
Not faster—
But beyond normal.
Seven steps.
One motion.
A dive—
She cleared the gate.
Half a second before it sealed.
She hit the floor hard.
Rolled.
Collapsed against a seat.
Breathing ragged.
The world returned slowly.
Sound.
Weight.
Reality.
-Click-
-Clack-
Boots approached.
They stopped in front of her.
"Look who barely made it."
A smooth voice.
Calm.
Amused.
Arms crossed.
Looking down at her.
"You. Awake. Yet… Cailleach?"
She glared.
Still catching her breath.
"Like you could do better… Bodach."
She stuck her tongue out.
He smirked.
Then offered a hand.
She took it.
He pulled her up effortlessly.
They walked toward the seating area.
That's when she noticed.
There were more people on this shuttle than expected.