POV: Zei and Zyra
"Okay, which one of these buttons is for 'don't terrify humans'?" Zyra whispered, staring at the glowing interface Adele gave them.
Zei, standing beside her with a half-bored, half-smug grin, just tapped his temple. His entire appearance shimmered. The ethereal glow faded. His skin tone turned a warm brown, hair now black and slightly curly, dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie with "Anime is Real" scrawled across it.
Zyra gasped. "You look like a… normal guy. Ew."
"I look like someone who can walk down a street and not cause a mass panic," Zei replied, tossing her a lazy wink. "Your turn."
Zyra sighed. Her light morphed and folded into a vibrant form—honey-toned skin, thick braids, hoop earrings, and a schoolgirl outfit. "How do I look?"
"Like a cosmic disaster hiding in human eyeliner. Perfect."
They both laughed.
After all, they were born from a dying star, infused with godlike power, and once battled a black hole entity just to test a theory. So blending into high school? Child's play.
As the Celestial Arc hovered cloaked above Earth, Adele transmitted a message into their minds:
"Remember. Mira doesn't know about this. Don't let her suspect. Blend in. Be normal. Be chill."
Zei nodded solemnly. "Zyra, activate the chill protocol."
Zyra pulled out a pink phone and struck a selfie pose. "Already uploading a duck-face Snap to our fake Earth social."
They teleported straight into the school's hallway—a perfect soft landing, thanks to Adele's calculations.
The moment they appeared, everything paused. Students looked up, sensing something different, but it was just… an energy. An unfamiliar charisma. A gravity they couldn't place.
Zei shoved his hands in his pockets, yawning like he'd just woken up from a nap in class. Zyra strutted next to him like she'd been voted prom queen yesterday.
"Look at them," Zyra whispered with a smirk, "these humans have no idea two stellar anomalies just stepped into their science fair."
Zei replied, "Let's keep it low-key. No vaporizing vending machines today."
They made it to their homeroom, where Mira—disguised as the school principal—was scanning the halls with a suspicious gaze. They bowed slightly as they passed her.
"Morning, ma'am," Zei said with respectful calm.
Zyra added, "Love the shoes!"
Mira blinked. "Thank you. Have I… met you two?"
"We're transfers from the Cel—uh, Cleveland district," Zyra said smoothly.
Mira paused, then nodded, turning her attention back to a misbehaving student. She had sensed a shift recently… a cosmic ripple in the threads of time, like something had awakened or returned—but it couldn't be them. They were just kids.
Right?
⸻
Meanwhile: Dave's Room – Later That Day
Amanda lay sprawled on the bean bag beside Dave's bed, tossing a chip into her mouth like she had lived there for years. Betty had left already, feigning tiredness—but everyone knew she wanted to give them some space.
"So…" Amanda said, shooting him a glance.
Dave sat on his bed, pretending to be immersed in a random novel that Adele picked for him to "seem normal."
"Yes?" he asked without looking up, though he was acutely aware of her legs stretched across his rug, her silver eyes watching him.
"You saved an entire planet again yesterday," she said casually. "Didn't even break a sweat."
He closed the book slowly, set it aside. "Didn't want to ruin the jacket. Space leather is hard to come by."
Amanda chuckled. "You're impossible."
"And yet," he said, leaning forward, "you're still here."
She rolled her eyes. "Because someone needs to make sure you don't get too full of yourself."
There was a pause. The air between them tightened, and suddenly, it was like the ship, the school, Mira, the Nephirs—all of it vanished for a second.
Just Amanda and Dave.
"You ever think about what happens after all this?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
"You mean after the monsters, ancient prophecies, and cosmic wars?"
"Yeah. After the noise."
Dave looked at her for a long moment. "I think… I want to figure out what quiet feels like. With you."
Amanda's breath caught.
He stood, walked over, and sat beside her on the rug, shoulder brushing hers. "You make things feel… real. Not just epic or legendary. Just… good."
She blushed. "Stop. You're gonna make me like you or something."
He smirked. "Too late."
They laughed, soft and low. Amanda leaned her head on his shoulder. Neither said anything for a while. The warmth between them needed no explanation.
⸻
Back in the Celestial Arc – Adele's POV
Adele smiled faintly while watching through the ship's hidden visual threads.
"I like her," she whispered to herself.
Zei and Zyra reappeared beside her, fresh from school.
"Mission successful," Zei reported. "No explosions. No suspicious humans. Mira said my hoodie was 'edgy'."
Adele arched a brow. "And the drone?"
"I hid it in a soda machine," Zyra said proudly.
Adele sighed. "Remind me to recalibrate your definition of stealth."
Suddenly, her senses twitched. Time bent.
Mira.
She had noticed something. A ripple.
Adele locked eyes with the cosmos through the window. "We have to be careful now. The threads of fate are tighter. She's close."
⸻
Back on Earth: Dave's Room – Still
Amanda sat up, brushing hair from her face. "So, are you gonna pretend this didn't happen?"
Dave lay back on the carpet. "I'm thinking of writing a poem about it."
"Gross."
"I'll call it: 'Ode to the Girl Who Keeps Me Up All Night Thinking About Her.'"
Amanda threw a pillow at his face.
He caught it. "Still the best moment of my day."
She didn't say anything, but her smile said everything.