I follow my heart.
That's why when a guy who only used to daydream starts running, I follow. When something changes, the shape of my heart quickly does too.
Just like when I first arrived on Earth.
My name is Drum. I'm an alien. And also, a prince. Part of the royal family… among a dozen other royal families in PA-99-N2(or N2), a planet in Andromeda Galaxy. Because as long as all members in a family are a RED, they're qualified. RED, ORANGE, the rest of the rainbows in capitals are the types of aliens there are—that differ only in skin-color and strength. And the higher you are in the rainbow, the bigger the lifespan, stronger, and rarer you are. Though you can cheat it with genetics.
As a RED, I can live for about 1000 years.
Aliens can bend hard stuff, extend our bodies, move objects and communicate through mind, have an extraordinary sense and speed, emit fire, and shapeshift. Aliens are just like humans. Besides the colorful skins that are rough to touch; tails, antennas and eyes drastically differ in sizes so we can go from creepy to cute (I'm cute), we also think about our purpose in life.
It was only recently when The Board(our government) allowed citizens to go to Earth and it's for war. To why is another story.
But only the TOP 3's (RED, ORANGE, YELLOW) can volunteer to Earth for the goal of finding "The Ally", a military tool to be used against humans. You see, we're just as vulnerable as humans: one shot to the brain and we're dead. They're greater in firepower and number so we can only rely on "The Ally", an exclusively-human who can betray his kind- Coz we can lend our powers and make them 2x stronger than us. The minutes we lend would be the same amount of hours when they can use the powers, meanwhile our strength is reduced to half.
If a RED shares their powers to "The Ally", one flick from them and you're dead.
But don't get me wrong, I didn't volunteer coz I care about the war or some adult validation.
I was just bored.
And wanted to get away from this alien life.
I came from a well-off, intelligent, and conservative family. My parents had an arranged marriage and have been pretending to be in love ever since. If they even know what that means.
They had three children: the older brother wanting to become a part of The Council, the middle child wanting to be a housewife, and then me wanting to be a house husband… But I can't since I'm a guy and not like I really want it, I just thought I'd have a lot more freedom if I did because everyday in N2 was to be like my family.
But I wasn't. I was lazy, reckless, and flashy… But I do have skills in combat, the only class I never skipped because I love winning which is EASY when you're a RED. But if there's another RED, I surrenderrr.
At home, I also don't try to be like my family but instead of them despising me, they just find it funny. Typical youngest who's uncontrollable, the comedian at the dinner table, and the subject to make our relatives laugh every week!
The joke of the family.
But I'm their sun, too. The one they admire but could never dream to become. Because even though I was a brat, I was kind- or maybe not kind enough to be called kind. But I saw them for who they were and accepted it. My dad didn't want to be a general. My mom loved someone else. My brother hated my dad. My sister didn't like men.
During the day, they mock me. At night, they cry to me. And I accepted it really well.
I comforted and supported them which they never did to me. When I didn't want to be like them, the thing they hated the most, they saw me as weird.
Maybe they never saw me as the sun but just a loser.
And since I can never be as mean as to stop anyone from doing what they want,
I just wondered.
Then I heard about the dispatch to Earth.
In my heart, I wanted adventure. And the mission was to find "The Ally", someone who can abandon humanity.
But humans are just like aliens.
Everyone was afraid to be different. So they hurt others, don't question things, wallow in their own sadness to not hold responsibility, and copy each other until someday they're better than the other. But they're all just the same.
It's all just the same!
So again, I got bored.
And when I thought it was all over, I met him.
Marco… is a loser too. He always sleeps, only has like two friends, and is very blunt that you can consider a form of social awkwardness. He, like, doesn't try anymore. It's funny.
But he's nice. And funnily enough he believes in aliens. He believes in me…
I just watched over him, making sure he wouldn't get hurt for just being weird. But even that I couldn't do, with the way he attacked his friend, the one person who he shouldn't have any reason to kill.
What am I good for?
I accepted that I can't be like my family or a proper person.
I'm different because deep down, I wanna be different. While telling everyone I don't when maybe it's true, I'm tragically just like them.
Someone that would hurt others, wouldn't question things, would wallow in his own sadness to not hold responsibility and copy others until someday he's better than them… I did all that too, I just wouldn't say.
I followed my heart and I'm trapped. But that's not the whole truth. My heart is just loud but my brain helps filter out. I actually also wanted to be a proper kid, that's why I was kind, but I also just didn't have the guts to be on my own. So everyday, I imagined myself as this unfortunate protagonist to think I'm more. To think I'm more than my family.
But Marco, you think differently.
Among everyone calling for you, you took the glimpse for me. So the only thing left for me to do is to keep up. Then suddenly I'm also a prisoner coz that's what it feels like to run away. But I was smiling. Smiling coz you took me for the sun. Always took me for the sun.
You captured my heart. So I'll follow it.
Until it lands on whatever planet.