Navie stole into her apartment, Nikeila inside her jacket, and tiptoed to the kitchen. She put Nikeila on the counter and examined the cupboards. She didn’t turn the lights on, only used the phone’s flashlight.

“Keep quiet,” she whispered.

Nikeila was happy Navie remembered she was hungry, but... What were they doing? Wasn’t this her home? Why was she so sneaky?

The lights turned on suddenly. The girl and the alien flinched. They turned to the door and two girls, one holding a baseball bat and the other a broom, stared at them. Navie had a guilty expression and an awkward smile. 

“Navie, what are you doing in the dark?”

That’s what Nikeila wanted to ask!

“We thought you were thieves! Vanchi was grasping my arm so hard I thought it'd be ripped off. When I heard the mumbling coming from the kitchen my heart almost pumped backward in fright.” Shandra complained.

Navie bowed, her palms pressed together in front of her head. “Sorry!” She smiled awkwardly. “I just got carried away. I wanted to get something for Nikeila to eat.” She offered snacks to Nikeila on the counter.

“I get it but don’t do it again. Too dangerous.” Shandra put the baseball bat back in the closet. “What if we hit you?”

“I know. Sorry.” Navie scratched her head. “I got too much into it.”

“Am I the only one curious about this?” Vanchi lost patience, pointing at Nikeila. “Why did you put a costume on the cat?”

Navie looked around, then whispered in a serious tone. "It isn’t a costume. She’s an alien. Her name is Nikeila.”

Did this girl plan to tell everyone about her identity? They had to talk about information control later.

Navie introduced her friends. “Nikeila, this is Shandra. She’s the best student in our department at university. She’s super nice. She didn’t even know me and helped me when there was a strange man following me. Since then we’ve been friends.” She turned to Vanchi. “She's Vanchi. We’re childhood friends. When my mother died on the front lines, her parents took care of me while my father worked. I consider them my family. The three of us go to the university nearby. We’re working hard so when we graduate we’ll get a job that will help our country.”

“How did you glue the horns?” Shandra reached her hand to touch Nikeila’s head.

Nikeila dodged.

“I told you it isn’t a costume.” Navie asked, “Nikeila, can’t you let her see it isn’t fake?”

Nikeila sighed and let them examine her.

“It isn’t fake.”

“Is she really an alien?”

“She’s likely an unknown species or a hybrid.”

“If she is an alien, is this an alien invasion?”

“Probably not.”

“But shouldn’t we at least get prepared?”

“I just checked. We have a lot of snacks, but no bottled water.”

“If we’re going to prepare, we should buy medicine and camping equipment.”

“You think we won’t be able to stay home?”

“I don’t think anything. You’re the one saying we should prepare.”

“Alright. Let’s go to Genie’s. It’s open 24h.” 

“You’re going to believe that? Let’s vote,” Shandra suggested. “I’m against.”

“I’m in favor.” Navie raised her hand.

“Me too.” Vanchi also raised her hand.

The two friends looked at the third.

Since Shandra started living with these two, the frequency of her sighs and rate of neuron deaths have tripled.

Nikeila offered silent commiseration, patting her hand on the counter with her small paw.

Shandra didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.

Shandra drove her small secondhand car. It took half an hour to get to Genie's supermarket. During the drive, the three girls deliberated about what to buy with their limited budget. They came up with a list of high-calorie nutrient-dense foods with long shelf lives and essential hygiene products. There were some things they probably wouldn’t find on the market, like rope and camping equipment. But they weren’t in a hurry to get those since there was no proof something would happen.

There were only three cars in the parking lot. They got out of the car. Nikeila was tired of keeping up with her short limbs and simply sat on Navie’s shoulder. Vanchi was openly envious and Shandra silently hoped to carry the cute soft alien. 

Midnight shopping was fun and the three were in a happy mood. If not for Shandra’s discipline, the other two girls would have bought only snacks. But since they made a list, they should follow it. They paid and got out.

“Look! So pretty!” Navie smiled pointing at the falling stars far away.

Nikeila was immediately on alert.

In the next instant, the meteor shower was closer and closer, until it was all around them. The balls of light descended from space, brightening the clouds in a majestic show of might and dread. They illuminated the sky like passing suns and when they crashed, the violent impact thundered and shattered the quiet night. 

The girls crouched in fright, trying to find cover.

One meteor fell very close to them, passing right above them. The parking lot brightened as if it was daytime. The explosion shook the ground like an earthquake and the boom chilled their souls. Its shock waves signaled the beginning of change. The power went off, the only light sources were the balls of fire falling from the sky. The concrete cracked in various places and the buildings groaned. Seeing those solid structures wobble, struggling under their weight was unnerving.

The spectacle felt like it wouldn’t ever end. 

The three couldn't decide where was safe to hide. So they held hands, frozen, crouching in the parking lot for a long time. Nikeila was the only one who watched the spectacle from beginning to end. 

The girls only raised their eyes when they were sure the meteor storm was over.

“Something really happened.” One of them mumbled.

“Let’s get some more supplies.” 

“Is this an alien invasion?” Navie asked Nikeila.

Nikeila couldn’t answer. She was almost sure this incident had something to do with the starship. That was definitely not all. She was uneasy. She didn’t know how long this apparent peace would last.

The people inside the supermarket were also frightened. Everyone with a mobile phone called their relatives to find out about the sudden happening. But the clerks were an example of professionalism. They didn’t get distracted for long and kept working. 

The girls spent more than planned and their attitude was more serious than the first time. It was better to be safe than sorry. They paid and loaded the car’s narrow trunk. 

“Should we warn the people?” Navie asked.

“Warn about what? We don’t even know what is happening. Who will believe without proof? And Nikeila can’t be used as proof. She’ll be locked in a lab.”

Nikeila turned her gaze in the direction of the nearest impact. Her eyes widened at the sight of a dense dark blue fog approaching. It covered everything like an eerie thick blanket and nothing could be seen inside it. 

There was a commotion around them.

“What’s that?” Vanchi stepped back.

Four pairs of eyes watched the fog’s silent advance.

Nikeila was the first to move. She entered the car, urging them to do the same. She patted the window, signaling to close everything. 

“Is there something in the fog?”

She didn’t know for certain. She hoped she was wrong in her assumption. They weren’t prepared for combat right now.

Soon the entire parking lot was covered in fog. They had no view of the outside.

“This is scary.”

“Should we call someone?”

“I’ve been trying. It hasn't worked since the fog came.”

“We can’t breathe it in.”

“We have no masks. It’ll get inside the car eventually.”

They whispered to each other. There was no other reason, it just felt wrong to make any sound and break the heavy hush. 

Their murmuring voices stopped.

Nikeila opened her eyes suddenly. She was taken aback. She dozed. Was it the fog? She checked the girls and two were drowsy and the third was already asleep. She thought it might be better to wake them up, but she couldn’t move. She was too tired. Good thing they got into the car before it was too late.

They all fell asleep.

Nikeila was the first to wake up. As soon as she recalled what happened before sleeping, she jumped from her seat. She checked the girls and they all seemed normal, just sleeping and feverish. 

How long had they slept? 

She checked outside through the window. The fog was cleared and the sun was setting. So they were unconscious for more than half a day.

Something has changed. She had a hunch. 

Status window.

And the holographic window appeared before her, all information written in human language. But that wasn’t relevant. What mattered were her current attributes.

[IDENTITY]

[Nikeila Kas-Tir]

[ID code: 022K3585TN]

[Rank 0]

[Level: 0]

[Order: Water]

[Order Stage: 0 - Detector]

[Class: Guide]

[Class Stage: 0 - Novice]

[Affiliation: None]

[ATTRIBUTES]

[Health: 10/10]

[Mana: 10/10]

[Stamina: 3/3]

[Agility: 5]

[Strength: 3]

[Dexterity: 2]

[Defense: 2]

So low! 35 points! She was so weak! So fragile! So useless! It wasn’t her overactive imagination when she felt her mortality catching up to her. Anything could kill her with little effort! It was fortunate she didn’t know the numbers when she was alone in the woods. She’d be way more worried and scared then. 

She collapsed in the car seat. 

Depressing.