The walk back to Robert’s house was heavy with silence, the weight of what they’d discovered pressing down on them like a storm cloud. Freddie collapsed onto the couch, his head falling back against the neck rest as he stared at the ceiling. “A human,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “He’s a human. How is this even possible?”

  Robert paced the room, his mind racing. “I don’t know. As far as I know, humans don’t even know we exist. How did they find us? And how did they end up here?”

  Freddie sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. “He said they’re trying to get back to Earth. Do you think that’s even possible?”

  Robert stopped pacing, his brow furrowed. “I don’t know. But we need to get some answers. We can’t just let this go.”

  Freddie groaned, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “What are you thinking, Rob? We can’t exactly walk up to him and say, ‘Hey, we spied on you and found out you’re a human.’ He’ll freak out.”

  Robert sighed, sitting down across from Freddie. “I know. But we have to talk to him. We’ll just… be subtle about it. We’ll catch him before school tomorrow and see if he’ll open up.”

  Freddie raised an eyebrow. “Subtle? You? Good luck with that.”

  The sun was just beginning to rise as Robert and Freddie waited outside the school gates, the early morning air crisp and cool. Students trickled in, their chatter filling the quiet streets, but there was no sign of Darian. Robert checked his holo-watch for the third time in five minutes. “Where is he?” “Relax,” Freddie said, leaning against the wall. “He’ll show up. Just don’t scare him off when he does.”

  Finally, Darian appeared at the end of the street, his head down and his hands shoved in his pockets. Robert and Freddie exchanged a glance before walking over to him.

  “Hey, Darian,” Robert said, trying to sound casual. “We wanted to talk to you about something. Is it okay if we walk with you to class?”

  Darian froze, his eyes darting between them. For a moment, it looked like he might bolt, but then he nodded silently, his shoulders tense.

  They fell into step beside him, the awkward silence stretching as they made their way toward the school entrance. Freddie tried to break the tension with small talk. “So, uh, how’s it going? Ready for that history test today?”

  Darian mumbled something unintelligible, his gaze fixed on the ground. Robert could feel the tension radiating off him, and he knew they couldn’t wait any longer. As they reached the school doors, Robert blurted out, “Darian, we saw you and your family at the refuge yesterday. We know you’re human.” Darian’s face went pale, and he took a step back, his eyes wide with panic. Before Robert could say anything else, Darian turned and bolted down the hallway.

  “Darian, wait!” Robert called, but it was too late. He glanced at Freddie. “Stay here. I’ll catch him.”

  Robert activated his super-speed, the world blurring around him as he shot after Darian. He caught up to him near the gymnasium, grabbing his arm gently but firmly. “Darian, stop. Please.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Darian whirled around, his chest heaving. “Let me go!” as Darian swing a punch at Robert, “ow” Robert frowned, he catches up to him again and tackled him, he hissed, his voice trembling. “You don’t understand. If anyone finds out—”

  “We will tell no one,” Robert said quickly, his tone calm but urgent. “We just want to help. You can trust us.” Darian stared at him, his blue eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. For a moment, it looked like he might run again, but then his shoulders slumped. He nodded reluctantly.

  Robert led him to a quiet corner of the school, where Freddie was waiting. They sat down on a bench, the early morning sunlight streaming through the windows. Darian fidgeted with the hem of his jacket, avoiding their eyes.

  “Why are you and your family so scared?” Robert asked gently. “What are you afraid of?”

  Darian hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. “We’re not supposed to be here. My dad says if we get caught, they’ll kill us.”

  Freddie’s eyes widened. “Kill you? That’s… extreme. I don’t think they’d do that.”

  Darian shook his head, his expression grim. “You don’t know what they’re capable of. I don’t want to risk it.”

  Robert leaned forward, his gaze steady. “We’ll help you and your family get back to your world. But first, we need to make sure it’s safe for you to come out of hiding.”

  Darian looked up, his eyes searching Robert’s face. “How? How can you help us? And why?”

  Robert exchanged a glance with Freddie, then turned back to Darian. “We’ll figure it out. But we need you to trust us.”

  “Ok fine,” Darian responded

  “we are going to need to find somewhere else to plan this. There is still time until class start lets look for an empty room,” Freddie suggested. The three of them walked through the school hallways, their footsteps echoing in the quiet morning. Students were yet to fill the corridors, but Robert kept his eyes peeled for a place where they could talk without being overheard. He spotted an empty classroom near the end of the hall and gestured toward it. “In here.”

  They slipped inside; the door clicking shut behind them. The room was small, with rows of desks and a holographic projector at the front. Robert pulled out a chair for Darian, who sat down hesitantly, his hands clasped tightly in his lap.

  Robert leaned against the teacher’s desk, his arms crossed. “Okay, let’s start from the beginning. How did you and your family end up here?”

  Darian took a deep breath, his voice shaky. “We are not sure. We were flying on the plane my dad rented. The sky got very cloudy, the pilots could barely see, suddenly the plane started shaking, and before we knew we crashed landed in a forest, lucky none of got hurt. ”

  “Ok, that is start but still does not respond how,” Robert said. “True, but why do you think you are getting killed if caught?”

  Freddie asked

  “short after armed men showed up and shot the pilots, we were lucky and manege to escape. “

  Robert frowned. “But how have you stayed hidden for so long? Doesn’t anyone notice you’re… different?”

  Darian shrugged, his gaze dropping to the floor. “We keep to ourselves. My dad figured a way to sneak into the city into the refuge. “

  “Ok, but why come to school? shouldn’t you supposed to be hiding instead?”

  “It was my idea to come. My plan was to access the city’s database remotely, using the school’s network, and find a way to get back.

  Robert and Freddie looked at each other with impress. “That is actually a good plan,” Freddie said.

  The bell rang, and students filled the halls. You could hear the foots steps and the chitchat as they walked to their classrooms.

  “We need to go to class,” Robert said. “Once school is over, we head out to talk to your parents. “

  Darian nodded ”Ok…thanks”

  As they went their separate ways, Freddie exchanged a worried glance with Robert. “This is way bigger than we thought. Helping him could get us all in serious trouble.”

  Robert nodded, his expression serious. “But we can’t just leave you like this. We’ll figure something out. We just need to be careful. Besides, I know someone who can give some help. “