The man in the black suit walked alongside Clarie—the woman who once worked with Dr. Hayes but secretly fed information to the society about his plans. The corridor was dimly lit, their footsteps echoing faintly as they moved.
“Well, thank you, Clarie, for saving our asses. If Dr. Hayes had revealed everything, we would have been in serious trouble,” the man in the black suit said, his tone firm but with a hint of gratitude.
“I’m just doing my job, sir,” Clarie replied with a small bow. “Because of you, my daughter has a better future now.”
For a brief moment, Clarie’s eyes softened, thinking of Amelia. Everything she did—the lies, the betrayal—was for her daughter’s safety and future. She justified her actions with that single thought.
“No problem, Clarie.” The man offered a small smile, but his expression turned thoughtful. “But I think you deserve more.”
Clarie blinked, confused.
“H-huh? What do you mean, sir?”
The man in black looked at her, his eyes cold and calculating but also oddly approving.
“You will be the next president.”
Clarie’s breath hitched, her eyes widening slightly, but she quickly masked her surprise with a professional nod. She knew better than to question such offers. After all, in their line of work, nothing came without a price.
---
Scene Shift – Westbridge College
Kael sat in the corner of the college library, flipping through a book about aliens—the human interpretation of his own species. He found himself amused by the absurd depictions: distorted faces, green skin, bulbous heads. His people looked nothing like this. In fact, they resembled humans far more closely than anyone on this planet could imagine.
He turned the page, pausing at an illustration of a large, bug-eyed creature with tentacle-like arms. He scoffed softly.
“Idiots…” he muttered under his breath.
Unbeknownst to him, Amelia—the girl who had arrived late to class earlier—had been watching him from a few shelves away. She tilted her head slightly, intrigued by the sight of him reading about aliens. The topic fascinated her, and her curiosity pushed her forward.
Taking a breath, she approached him casually, her smile warm and genuine.
“Hey. You’re Kael, right?”
Kael’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden interaction. He looked up and immediately felt his face flush at the sight of Amelia standing in front of him. Her soft smile made his heart stumble slightly.
“H-huh? Y-yes… I-I am,” he stammered, his voice cracking slightly.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
He cursed himself internally. Smooth.
Amelia chuckled lightly but decided not to comment on his nervousness.
“So, you’re reading about aliens, huh? You interested in that kind of stuff?” she asked, leaning slightly over to glance at the book.
Kael’s fingers tensed on the book’s edges. He forced a nervous laugh, feeling the heat rise to his face for two reasons: one, because he was still blushing like an idiot, and two, because he had to be careful—careful not to accidentally reveal too much about himself.
“U-uh, yeah! I-I just find it… interesting, you know? H-hehe.”
Amelia raised a brow at his odd behavior but decided to brush it off. She smiled again, this time with more warmth.
“Yeah? Me too. I mean, it’s fascinating, right? The possibility of life out there… or maybe even among us.”
Kael’s breath hitched slightly at her last words, his fingers tightening around the pages. She was joking, of course, but the irony made his stomach twist slightly.
“Y-yeah… among us, huh? Hehe… w-wouldn’t that be something…”
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she continued.
“Do you believe in the whole ‘aliens walking among us’ theory?” she asked, leaning slightly closer. “Like, you know, disguised as humans?”
Kael’s heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he froze. The question caught him off guard, and his mind scrambled for an answer. His eyes flickered ever so slightly, and he knew he had to be careful with his next words.
“U-uh… I—” he began, but then quickly cleared his throat and forced a chuckle. “N-no. Nah. That’s just conspiracy stuff. I mean… c-come on, that would be crazy, right?”
Amelia smirked slightly, narrowing her eyes in playful suspicion.
“Hmm… You sure? You’re kinda acting suspicious.”
Kael’s stomach flipped.
“W-what? No! Pfft—suspicious? Me? N-no way! I’m just… I mean… I—I’m just a little awkward, that’s all! Hehe…”
Amelia laughed softly, clearly enjoying his flustered reaction.
“Relax, I’m just messing with you.”
Just then, Lyra appeared from behind the shelves, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
“Brother, I was looking for you. Let’s go,” she said in a flat tone, her piercing gaze flicking to Amelia for a brief moment before settling on Kael.
Kael stiffened slightly but offered Amelia a quick, sheepish smile.
“Oh… um, bye then, Amelia. I-I’ll… I’ll see you around.”
Amelia smiled faintly, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.
“Sure, Kael. Take care.”
---
Scene Shift – Professor Morris’s Office
Professor Morris sat in his dimly lit office, staring at the faint reflection of himself in the window. His hands rested on the desk, but his mind was far away. The recent events had stirred something in him—something long buried. Two new students, arriving in the middle of the year. The strange energy he sensed around them. It was too much to be a coincidence.
His gaze drifted to the drawer on his left. With slightly trembling hands, he opened it and pulled out a small, worn necklace—his grandmother’s gift. He stared at it for a moment, and his mind drifted back to the night she first told him about the prophecy.
---
The memory was vivid—the warm glow of the fireplace, the soft crackling of wood. The smell of herbal tea lingering in the air. His grandmother sat on the edge of his bed, running her fingers gently through his hair.
“Alright, lil one. Time for bed.”
“Nooo, I don’t wanna sleep yet!” young Morris pouted, crossing his arms.
She chuckled softly, tapping his nose with a playful grin.
“Hehe, this won’t work on me, lil one. Come on, I’ll tell you a story, but then you have to sleep, alright?”
His face lit up with excitement.
“A story? Deal!”
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a soft whisper, her eyes filled with a strange seriousness.
“But listen closely, my lil one… because what I’m about to tell you is more than just a story.”
Morris blinked, confused by her tone but nodded eagerly.
“The necklace I gave you,” she said, brushing her fingers over the charm around his neck, “it’s more than it appears. When the time comes, people will arrive from the sky. They will be extremely intelligent… and they will seek something powerful.”
Her voice dropped lower, almost a whisper.
“The seven stones. They hold unimaginable power. Power that could destroy or save entire worlds. And this necklace… will be the key.”
Young Morris frowned, unimpressed.
“Ugh, that’s not a story, Grandma. That’s just… stupid, lame, and dumb!” he grumbled, turning his back to her with a childish huff.
His grandmother only smiled faintly, her eyes heavy with wisdom and sadness.
---
Back in the present, Professor Morris stared at the necklace in his palm, his gut churning with unease.
“Could it… be true?” he whispered, the weight of the memory sinking heavily in his chest.
---
Scene Shift – The Black Suit Man
The man in the black suit stood before his subordinate—the one who had knocked out Dr. Hayes. His eyes were cold, calculating.
“We’ve detected the UFO-like object on the surface,” he said calmly but firmly. “Find them. Eliminate them. Understood?”
The man nodded silently.
The black suit man handed him a small device—a moticon. An advanced piece of technology far beyond what the world knew existed. It would detect alien signatures, their energy sources, and track them down with terrifying precision.
The hunt had begun.
Author's note:-
Please do vote or comment if you are liking this story. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
Please do vote or comment if you are liking this story. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
