EARTH
The forest above Yuko's house was dark.
A timid breeze rustled the leaves, making a faint sound.
Otherwise, there was only silence.
Yuko was there, on the ground, unconscious.
His hand twitched slightly, as if reacting.
His eyes moved slowly, and a subtle buzzing echoed in his ears.
Yuko: "Ow ow ow… what the hell happened?"
He brought a hand to his forehead and touched it.
Yuko: "Why am I on the ground? And why in a forest?"
He lifted his back off the ground, legs still stretched out.
He looked around—only darkness and night.
"It feels like lightning just struck through me… then, suddenly… wait. The meteorite?!
Where did it go?"
Yuko jumped up, scanning the area, but found nothing.
He grabbed his bike, jumped on, and sped off toward Toria's house.
But the sound Yuko had heard was real:
someone was indeed moving through the forest.
A small squirrel walked along a tree trunk, far from where he had been.
Yuko: "I've gotta hurry… come on, come on!"
He pedaled downhill, skidding on the bike.
As he sped down, his mind retraced every step.
Yuko: "It couldn't have been a dream, it makes no sense…
And yet, it feels like no one noticed anything.
The air around here is calm, normal… nothing weird."
He shook his head.
"Alright, enough bullshit for today. I need to get back to Toria."
He arrived at the house. Opened the door and walked quietly into Toria's room.
She was asleep. And snoring.
Yuko: "Ah, good… still sleeping."
He gently closed the door.
Yuko: "It's super late. I'm going to bed. Otherwise I'll never wake up tomorrow."
Still dressed and exhausted, he lay down, the headache still lingering.
Yuko: "Ah… my head still hurts. But I think I have something here…"
He turned over. In the nightstand drawer beside the bed, there were some pills.
Yuko: "Let's take one, or I won't get any sleep tonight."
He swallowed the pill and fell asleep.
Morning light filtered into the house, and like every morning, Toria was already awake, experimenting.
Toria: "Alright, this is it! Today's the day!"
She poured one test tube into another, which was sitting on the stove. The liquid began to change color.
Toria: "This is beautiful… it's working!"
Then she turned to check the clock.
Toria: "Oh no, again this morning?! Damn it!"
She ran to Yuko's room. He was snoring loudly.
Toria: "He's still in bed? And dressed? What a character…"
She walked over and gently tapped his shoulder.
Pat…
Yuko: "Yes? Who is it? What's going on?!"
He shot up in bed, confused.
Toria: "Huh?! Just like that, first try?"
Yuko, turning to her: "Toria?! What the hell—calm down!"
Toria: "What? I barely touched you…
Whatever. Hurry up or we'll be late."
Yuko: "Yeah yeah, I'm coming…"
Toria left the room and Yuko swung his legs off the bed.
He yawned loudly, then clutched his head in pain.
Yuko: "Ugh, damn… this headache again."
He glanced toward the nightstand: the pills were fake.
"Well, I'll buy more on the way."
He got out of bed and went to the bathroom to get ready.
Brushed his teeth, washed his face, then ran to the living room, where Toria waited with breakfast.
Toria: "Already done?"
Yuko: "Yeah, why?"
Toria: "You usually take forever. You're weirdly efficient today."
Yuko: "Eh… I feel the same, honestly. Just this headache."
Toria: "Headache? Take something."
Yuko: "Yeah yeah, I'll stop by the pharmacy later."
They drank a glass of milk together.
Toria: "Where'd you go last night?"
Yuko: "Oh, last night? You noticed?"
Toria: "Of course. I got up to drink and you weren't here."
Yuko: "Well… I went to check something out."
Toria: "Like what?"
Yuko: "Some kind of meteorite fell, like, right above the house. I had to go see it."
Toria: "What?! A meteorite?! Are you serious?!"
Yuko: "Yeah, really. It was weird… there wasn't even a sound. So I went to check."
Toria stared at him—first shocked, then suddenly furious.
Toria: "What?! Are you insane?! Are you even normal?!"
Yuko: "Why?"
Toria: "A meteorite falls and you leave a little girl home alone?! I can't believe this."
Yuko: "You're right, but the thing is—"
Toria: "Don't care. Enough. We're late. You'll explain everything tonight."
Yuko: "Yeah yeah, sure."
They rushed out and hopped on their bikes.
As usual, Yuko rode recklessly.
Skidding, he pulled up in front of the school, where the principal was already outside.
Yuko: "Quick, get off before she comes over!"
Principal: "Mr. Rhys!"
Toria jumped off.
Toria: "You're unbelievable…"
Yuko: "Sorry, sweetheart. I'll explain everything tonight, promise."
Then he looked up and saw the principal.
Yuko: "Sorry! Gotta go!"
He hopped back on the bike and sped off, skidding away.
Principal: "Ah, damn it… Toria, your dad is really something else."
Toria: "Yeah, I know… unfortunately."
Yuko pedaled fast, weaving between people.
Yuko: "Pff… I dodged that one. That principal's insane."
Then he saw the traffic light turn red.
Yuko: "Oh no, not today too!"
He pedaled even harder. The bike picked up speed.
In two seconds, he was on the other side of the street.
Truck driver: "How fast was that kid going?!"
Yuko turned his head.
Yuko: "Whoa, I made it today!"
But suddenly, someone was in front of him.
He swerved at the last second, passing by the same old tree he had crashed into the day before.
In one swift move, he jumped with the bike, hit the tree with the front wheel, and landed flawlessly.
He stopped, mouth wide open.
Yuko: "What the hell?! How did I do that?"
Again, a sharp pain in his head.
That damn headache was still there.