The robot began to speak in its robotic voice, "Good morning, students. I have a task for you all. Your mission is to go outside and find a red jewel. You must bring back one jewel for each member of your team. This is not an easy task, but it is necessary for your training."
The students began to murmur and look at each other in confusion. One of the students raised their hand and asked, "How are we supposed to find a red jewel outside?"
The robot replied, "You will have to use your aether manipulation skills to locate and extract the jewel. This is your first outside mission, so it is important to pay attention to your surroundings and work together as a team."
The students then got up from their seats and started to form teams. Alan, however, sat alone with a sad expression on his face. Martin noticed this and walked over to him with a smile on his face.
"Hey, Alan. Do you want to form a team with me?" Martin asked.
Alan was surprised and overjoyed. He tried to hide the tears in his eyes and quickly blinked them away. "Yes, I would love that," he replied.
As Martin and Alan walked to join their team, Alan thought to himself, "Of all the students in this classroom, Martin picked me. I am so lucky to have a friend like him."
…
Alan and Martin stepped outside the school gates, feeling a sense of excitement mixed with nervousness. The outside world was completely new to them, as they had never left the safety of the school walls before. As they walked, they couldn't help but notice how different everything looked up close. From the school, the city had looked bustling and alive, but now it seemed like an abandoned wasteland.
Buildings lay in ruins, their walls crumbling and their windows shattered. The silence was eerie, broken only by the sound of their footsteps and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind.
As they started their search for the red jewel, other students watched in shock at the unexpected team-up. They couldn't believe that Alan and Martin, who had never shown much interest in each other before, had teamed up for this mission. The stares made Alan feel self-conscious, but he didn't let it stop him. He was determined to find the jewel and prove himself.
Alan and Martin cautiously walked down the deserted streets of the abandoned city. Alan, feeling the weight of their mission, broke the silence and turned to Martin.
"Hey, Martin, do you know how we can use aether to locate the jewel?" Alan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Martin, who was nervously scanning their surroundings, paused and turned to Alan. "Yeah, aether can spread in a large area. We can map out everything within about 10 meters, but you know the drawback of this, right?"
Alan nodded in agreement. "Yes, it also reveals our location. We can't risk being seen in these parts of the city. So, there's absolutely no way we can search using aether without getting caught, right?"
Martin nodded solemnly, "Yeah, we need to rely on our own eyes and ears for this one."
Alan took the lead, walking forward with purpose while Martin hesitated, looking around nervously. After a few moments of silence, Martin spoke up.
"Hey, Alan, you don't seem to be afraid of this place," Martin said, his voice betraying his unease.
Alan looked back at Martin with a small smile, "Me? No, I am afraid. I just like the thrilling experience, I guess. Don't you?"
Martin shook his head firmly. "Like, experiencing near-death situations? No thank you. I'd rather not die so young."
As Alan and Martin were making their way through the abandoned city, their eyes scanned every corner in search of the elusive red jewel. Suddenly, they saw a group of people being attacked by a robot, which was unlike any other they had seen at school. This robot had a more human-like appearance, complete with blue eyes.
As the robot continued to pummel the group, both Alan and Martin noticed something glinting on its hand at the same time. It was the red jewel they had been looking for!
However, the sight of the group being decimated by the robot made them hesitant to intervene. They knew that they were not equipped to take on such a formidable opponent, especially when it had already taken out a group of people.
Instead, they silently agreed to wait and observe from a safe distance, hoping to find a more opportune moment to retrieve the jewel. Their hearts racing with fear and excitement, they watched as the robot eventually left the scene, still clutching the precious jewel in its hand.
As Alan and Martin were hiding behind a nearby wall, Alan spoke in a low tone, trying not to draw attention to themselves. Martin listened intently, wondering what kind of plan Alan could possibly come up with.
"I kinda have a plan, but it's really dangerous," Alan said, chuckling nervously. Martin raised an eyebrow, surprised by Alan's guts.
Once Alan had finished explaining his plan, Martin looked up at him with disbelief. "Are you TRYING to die?" he asked, incredulous. Alan shook his head, insisting that it wasn't a suicide plan.
Martin wasn't convinced. "That's insane," he said, trying to dismiss the idea. But Alan spoke in a firm tone. "That thing is probably invincible. You know it. We can't get that jewel off of him unless we do something crazy."
Martin stared at Alan's determined eyes for a moment before giving up. "Ok, let's do this," he said reluctantly.
…
Martin's mind raced as he considered his growing admiration for Alan. He had always thought of him as timid, perhaps too scared to even try to accomplish something worthwhile in their world, but that perception had changed. Alan's determination and fearlessness in the face of danger had impressed Martin, and he found himself wanting to know more about him.
As he watched Alan survey their surroundings, Martin couldn't help but wonder what secrets lay beneath his exterior. He had always been good at reading people, but Alan was different. His bravery could be seen as recklessness to others, but Martin sensed something deeper in him.
Martin knew that in their world, showing any sort of vulnerability could be dangerous, but he couldn't help feeling drawn to Alan's hidden side. He wondered what experiences had shaped him into the person he was today, and he couldn't shake the feeling that there was much more to Alan than met the eye.
As the two of them continued on their mission, Martin found himself observing Alan more closely, trying to glean any clues as to what made him tick. He couldn't deny that he was intrigued by this boy who had managed to surprise him in ways he had never thought possible. Martin couldn't help but wonder what other surprises lay in store for him as they continued on their journey.