“...When I was a kid I used to try to catch rain drops,” Corrin said, taking a hold of Rory's open palm, “...then I'd try to hold onto them, like this…”

He closed Rory's palm, squeezing his hand.

“I was pretty silly… I thought that the raindrops were people's tears, and that if you caught them… you'd cure their sadness…”

“... That's pretty deep… for a little kid to think of…” Rory commented, his cheeks becoming pink.

“Ha…Yeah… fantasy books always captured my attention when I was young… Probably where I got that funny idea from...”

“Yeah…”

Corrin let go of his hand softly, gazing into Rory's eyes.

They stared at each other's eyes for a while, as the rain fell around them.

“Goodnight…Rory...” Corrin said, withdrawing from their gaze.

“Goodnight…” Rory said back, running a hand through his hair nervously.

Corrin waved, turning to go to his house.

As he watched him go into his house, his heart wavered.

I feel so… warm inside...

Rory smiled and blushed to himself, before going into his house.

Inside, no kids loitered the kitchen premises, and Desirae was nowhere to be seen.

The lights were shut off, but the smell of food still wafted through the house.

He locked the front door, lingering in the living room for a bit.

They cleared out the kitchen pretty fast… or maybe I was just out there for a long time…?

He started for the stairs, when he heard a noise.

Did I just hear… tapping…?

He shook his head, proceeding back up the stairs.

Tap. Tap.

“... I'm just imagining…”

He took another step up, the taping still audible.

What if it's a burglar?

Hesitantly, he turned around.

Tap. Tap.

He went down step by step, sweat pulsing down the side of his head.

He came to the bottom, shooting a glance around the room for anything.

Has to be from outside… but where?

He waited for the taps to continue, his hands shaking nervously.

Tap. Tap.

“...the back door.”

He shifted his glance from the kitchen, to the long corridor that led to the backdoor.

What didn't seem that long of a hallway, seemed like the longest journey in his life.

His stomach churned, fear bubbling up inside of him.

I have to know…

He bolted down the hallway, coming to the backdoor brusquely.

Breathing like a husky man, he reached for the door handle with a shaking hand.

Don't do it! This is what all of the stupidest characters in horror movies do!

He withdrew his hand, closing it into a fist.

But the desire to know, ebbed him.

Tap. Tap.

Rory turned the lock on the door.

SHIT! WHY DID I DO THAT?!

He was already this far. He had to open the door now, without question.

He creaked it open, the cool nighttime air and rain filtering through the door.

He saw a bright yellow coat, and a black gloved hand. He cracked the door further, a short, somewhat chubby, figure standing there, with rain bouncing off their rubber attire.

“You must be Rory Amari.”

Rory reached for the handle, trying to fling the door back into its lock.

Before the door could fully close, the stranger shoved a gun into the gap.

Rory jumped back.

A GUN?!

“Do you know who I am?”

“N...N...N-No…”

He could partially see her face now, from underneath her hood. She had fanged, jagged, teeth and a crooked grin.

“Let’s try to make you remember then…” she said, her voice somewhat low and sharp, “Five weeks before school started Rory Amari encountered a boy. When school started, he met the boy and started to research him and become obsessed with him, based off just seeing the mysterious word: ‘Oasis’ imprinted in his notebook.”

“H-How…d...d...do you know… all of…t-t-this…?!” Rory gasped, still gazing at the gun aimed at him.

“I expected you know… seeing how such a 'smart’ and 'genius’ boy as yourself discovered Oasis… but I guess I won't be a smartass and just tell you…”

She took off her hood. She had messy, dark green, hair pulled into a ponytail, and large reptile like eyes.

Her face was short and round, with a pointed chin and spherical cheeks.

Her nose was like a button, small and rounded, like most of her features.

Unlike the other features of her, her eyes were fierce and had an acid stare to them. Her whites were black, and her irises were a golden color. Her pupils were long and slanted, just like snake eyes.

She adjusted her glasses, before pulling a name tag out from under her yellow jacket.

“The name's Professor X. And you happen to be the prick that hacked into my database late last night,” she announced, that curled smile still on her face.

He was utterly speechless. His eyes boggled at her, a sense of impending doom hovering over him.

“So you're probably wondering why I just keep my precious, precious, Oasis database online,” she went on to say, twirling the gun in her hand, “you see, people, (just like yourself), have a desire to discover Oasis. Once someone hacks into my server I'll know who to get rid of. Because I will be the FIRST, and ONLY one to discover what Oasis truly is! But then, a human boy named Rory Smartass hacks into my database! Do you know what that means for me?!”

“...N-No…”

“I CAN'T KILL YOU!” she screeched, jabbing the gun into his curly head, “I vowed to never get too involved with humans- ESPECIALLY their governments!!! You have government protection… which means if I were to murder you, they'd come pounding at my FUCKING DOOR!”

Rory relaxed a bit, knowing that she couldn't hurt him with that gun, but at the same time still felt in complete danger with having her just there.

“T-Then… what do you want… from me…?!” Rory exclaimed.

“Knowing human teenagers, you couldn't possibly sell my information, but knowing you, I'm sure that's your motive, am I wrong?”

“I...I swear… that I just want to know… what Oasis really is! I…I don't wanna sell information!!!” he swore.

She stood up on her toes, making her eyes go straight into his.

“... hmmm… you seem stupid enough... So maybe… we could forge, a deal,” she said, lowering herself.

“...L-like...w-what?”

“I'll let you keep using my database… but in exchange I'll be checking on you, whenever I want, AND you'll be paying me ten million karg… well when you do get that much money to me,” she explained.

“...that's it…?!” He said, truly stunned.

“I wouldn't say ‘that's it’ to the money… but sure… think whatever you like. I won't, and can't kill you, so you're free from that.Damn I'm being way too nice today. But yeah... that's how it'll be.”

He sighed in relief, his heart still rioting in his chest.

She pulled out a business card, tucked inside in jacket.

“My com number is there. I'll be updating you on when new information comes into the database. But otherwise, I won't be warning you of my check ups on you,” she informed.

He took the somewhat soggy business card, looking at it.

It read: 

                                                  -Professor X-

                                          Bat Shit Crazy Scientist.

                                                 564-000-9981

“I made that just today, because who actually uses fucking business cards? You should feel special; I made it just, for you,” Professor X scoffed, her tone cynical.

“Wow.”

“I'll be leaving now,” she said, already starting to walk away.

“H-Hey… wait!”

“What is it now you annoying piece of unbearable shit?” She snapped impatiently.

“...how did you find out everything about me?” he wanted to know.

“It was pretty damn easy. I connected a drone to all of your clothes, 

(don't you dare go trying to take them off) and analyzed your personality and mannerisms, from the drone footage I collected. Then I hacked into your computer to see what you already knew about Oasis 

(you know WAY too much so far), and finally I went through government files about you, and extracted the rest of the stuff I didn't already know, from your memory,” she listed, as if it was the most effortless task in the world.

“Oh,” Rory said, slightly befuddled.

“Yep. So be happy. I'm more of a stalker than you… I'm going now.”

“Wait! Do you know anything about Project Oasis?!”

“Of course I do,” she said with a hasty and pompous tone, “but not specifically what's going on in the Institute recently. In plus, I have no interest in them. I perform far better research on Oasis than them. Now leave me alone kid. I want to get out of this human populated hell hole.”

“One last question…” Rory murmured hesitantly.

“God what the fuck is it?!” Professor X seethed, her eyes unamused, but her smile was still there oddly.

“Are you not human? You look half to me…”

“Dude did you not listen to your friend? ‘You make too many assumptions,’ I quote. I'm full out monster, or Agma as you humans call it. I'd never be an idiotic human. My intellect and power are beyond dastardly humans,” she answered, her eyebrows arched in anger, “I'm seriously leaving NOW. No more questions. (God I hate humans…) Good-bye.”

After seeing that she was completely gone, he shut the backdoor quickly.

He took a long breath, as he leaned against the back door, slowly sliding to the ground.

He didn't know what to make of all that just conspired. All he knew at that moment was that he could've been killed that night.

He smothered his face with his clammy, shaking, hands, half wishing he hadn't infiltrated Professor X’s database.

His heart still trembled with uneasiness, the feeling not going away for a while.