Aiden, still caught in the strange pull of her gaze, couldn't help but notice how her eyes seemed to linger on him for a split second before flitting away.
He felt a warmth rise in his chest, a strange sense of familiarity amidst the foreignness.
Luna, meanwhile, turned back to Miss Hernandez, her smile unwavering.
"Thank you so much, Miss Hernandez," she said, her voice regaining its formal tone. "I truly appreciate the warm welcome."
Miss Hernandez beamed, clearly taken with Luna's infectious personality.
"Of course. Now, class dismissed!"
The classroom door swung shut behind the last student, leaving Luna alone with the lingering scent of chalk dust and teenage angst.
A satisfied smile curved her lips.
Suddenly, Prism's collided with Luna's side
"Luna!" he exclaimed, voice tinged with excitement. "Did you find uncle Eos?"
Luna resisted the urge to massage her temples.
"Prism," she started, her voice tight with exasperation
"how many times do I have to tell you? You can't just follow me around like a lost puppy made of glitter."
Prism pouted, his large, cartoon eyes welling up with a suspiciously glittery liquid.
"But Lunaaaaa! It's sooo boring sneaking around like regular people. And there were SO many classrooms. And besides, I brought you a present!"
He held out a hand, and a miniature, perfectly formed unicorn manifested in a puff of rainbow smoke. It pranced daintily on his palm.
Luna couldn't help but crack a smile at his childish antics. "Alright, alright," she conceded, gently taking the miniature unicorn.
"It's adorable. But next time, try to be a little less… conspicuous, okay?"
Meanwhile, Max nudged Aiden with his elbow. "So, what do you think about the new student? Pretty cool outfit, right?"
Aiden offered a noncommittal shrug. "Different"
Sarah, her ponytail bouncing with each step "
Yeah! I love her hair. It's like a blue explosion in the best way possible." She nudged Max playfully.
"Right, Max? You always liked girls with a bit of… flair."
Max flushed a light shade of pink, stammering slightly.
"W-well, yeah, maybe. I mean, uh, Luna seems nice."
He shot a quick glance at Sarah, hoping she hadn't caught the blush creeping up his neck.
Sarah, oblivious to his internal turmoil, simply grinned
Max added, "But that outfit, did she, like, lose a bet with a rainbow factory?"
Sarah playfully swatted Max's arm. "Come on, Max, don't be mean. Maybe that's just the latest fashion trend in whatever country she's from."
"Anyways, pizza tonight? Pizza night is a tradition." Max asked
"Sounds good," Sarah agreed readily.
Aiden offered a genuine smile. "Alright, alright. Tradition it is."
As they walked, the setting sun painted the sky with vibrant hues.
As they rounded a corner, a particularly garish poster caught Max's eye. It was the same mangled car plastered across every wall in town, this time with a giant red question mark hovering above it.
"Dude" Max nudged Aiden, a playful grin plastered on his face.
"They're still milking this whole 'miracle survivor' thing. You'd think they'd run out of puns by now?."
Sarah tilted her head in confusion. "Miracle survivor?"
Max blurted out the story. "Yeah, Aiden was in this crazy car accident a couple of weeks back."
"The car looked like a mess, but he walked away without a scratch. Media's gone wild too, calling him the 'miracle survivor' and all that."
Max added, "I think it's kinda cool though, you practically cheated death man"
Aiden responded, "Cool is having a normal life, not having my near-death experience plastered on every street corner like a cheap advertisement"
Sarah's eyes widened in surprise. "What? A car accident?"
Aiden sighed, his irritation bubbling over.
"These posters. It's one thing the accident happened, but the way they're sensationalizing it… it's ridiculous."
"They're literally turning my near-death experience into a circus sideshow"
"The whole thing was terrifying, and now I can't walk a block without being bombarded by these glorified car wreck photos."
Sarah took a glance at him, "you sure you're okay? Did you see a doctor, got any scans?"
Aiden managed a reassuring smile. "Yeah, everything checked out perfectly fine. Just a bit sore, that's all."
Aiden chuckled dryly. "Let's just say I'm glad to be alive."
Aiden hesitated, glancing down the street.
"Actually," he began, his voice soft, "Before pizza, I was thinking maybe we could… "
Aiden sighed. "I know what happened with Mark was messed up. We got him into a bad situation."
"I feel like we should do something, let's go see Mark"
Max added, "I mean we might not have been responsible for what happened, but the situation does feel… unfinished. Maybe an apology could be good right now."
Max scoffed playfully "Anyways, didn't think you'd be the one suggesting that. Especially after what happened."
Aiden sighed, a flicker of regret crossing his features. "I know things got out of hand. But the way it ended… well, it doesn't sit right with me, maybe a visit wouldn't hurt"
They walked in thoughtful silence for a moment, considering the idea.
"Alright," Sarah finally said "Let's do it. Pizza can wait."
Pushing through the heavy glass doors, they were greeted by a sterile waiting room. Sarah and Max exchanged nervous glances.
"Excuse me, officer?" Aiden began, his voice polite. "We'd like to inquire about a detainee. Mark Evans?"
Officer Lewis looked up with a raised eyebrow.
"Mark Evans, huh?" he chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"You must be the friends he was raving about. The ones who, according to him, got him mixed up in some wild encounter with a glowing-eyed freak."
Aiden felt a flush creep up his neck. So much for a clean slate.
"Uh, well, there may have been some… misunderstandings," he stammered.
"We just wanted to see if we could speak with him."
Lewis's amusement grew into a full-blown laugh.
"Look, kid, I appreciate the sentiment, but trust me, your friend's stories are a bit…. Aliens, glowing eyes, lightning bolts. Sounds like a rough night."
Sarah and Max exchanged bewildered looks, unsure of how to respond.
"Regardless, sir, we'd still like to see him, if possible. Is he… is he alright?"
Lewis's smile faded, replaced by a more professional demeanor.
"Alright, alright," he sighed. "Seems like you lot are pretty determined. Evans is in cell block B, second floor. But I wouldn't get your hopes up for a rational conversation."
Aiden took a deep breath. "Thank you, Officer Lewis. We appreciate it."
He turned to Sarah and Max. "Hey guys, I'll go check on Mark first."
Sarah hesitated, "Are you sure, Aiden? Maybe we should all go together."
Aiden offered her a reassuring smile.
"I think it might be best if I talk to him alone first. We can chat with him all together later, if he's open to it."
With a final nod, Aiden walked towards the sterile hallway leading to the cell block, leaving Sarah and Max fidgeting nervously in the waiting room.
Aiden weaved his way through the maze of steel bars and concrete walls
Finally, he reached Mark's cell
"Mark?" Aiden called out hesitantly.
Mark's head snapped up, his eyes widening in a mixture of fear and fury.
"You!" he spat, his voice hoarse.
"You came to gloat? To make sure your freak show powers kept me locked up?"
Aiden winced at the accusation. "What? We wanted to apologize for what happened. We didn't mean to get you caught up in—"
"Caught up?" Mark roared, rising to his feet, his voice echoing in the small cell.
"You think that's what this is?"
"Mark," he tried again, his voice calm despite the rising unease,
"tell me what happened. Exactly."
Mark ran a hand through his disheveled hair, a desperate glint in his eyes.
"Look, I don't know what you are, some kind of alien experiment gone wrong, but you're dangerous. You… you took down my guys like they were nothing"
Aiden's stomach twisted. It all sounded so unbelievable, but the raw terror in Mark's voice gave his words a chilling weight. Could what happened at the warehouse be more than just a fight gone wrong?
"Okay," Aiden said slowly, forcing himself to remain calm.
"Let's start from the beginning. Tell me everything that happened in the warehouse, from the moment we got there."
Mark spoke of his disbelief as a bolt of lightning ripped through the ceiling, seemingly summoned by Aiden himself.
He detailed Aiden's glowing eyes and the raw power that emanated from him.
"I swear, you're not human"
Aiden, momentarily eclipsing the confusion churning in his gut.
"Look man, you drag us to a creepy warehouse with your goons, try to kill us, and now I'm the alien here?"
"Don't play innocent with me!" Mark roared back. "I saw what I saw"
Aiden clenched his fists, " I don't know what you think you saw, but you're clearly delusional. That little beating from the cops you got messed with your head more than you think."
"There's no such thing as freak powers Mark. There's only your twisted imagination and a desperate need to blame someone else for your own mess."
"You really have some nerve, man. You almost got us all hurt, and now you're blaming me for something I don't even understand" Aiden added more.
"You condescending little prick!" Mark roared, spitting the words through gritted teeth.
"You think you can waltz in here, deny everything, and then walk away scot-free? You're acting like it's all in my head?"
Mark slammed his fists against the cold metal bars, the sound echoing through the sterile hallway. "Don't try to gaslight me"
Aiden responded. "if you really believe that, then you're even more messed up than I thought."
"You're the one who turned into some kind of glowing freak. You're the one who should be locked up here, not me"
"Freak?" Aiden spat back,
"Who's the freak? The one who uses fear and intimidation to control people? Or the one who defends his friends?"
"This is pointless," Aiden said
"You're lost in your own world. I came here to apologize, but clearly, that was a mistake."
"Stay away from me," Aiden growled,
"Especially Sarah and Max. If I ever see you near them again, I won't be so forgiving this time"
He turned to leave
Aiden pushed back through the heavy cell block doors, his face filled with a frustrated frown.
He spotted Sarah and Max fidgeting nervously in the waiting area, their faces etched with concern
"How'd it go?" Sarah asked
"Hey," Aiden said, his voice flat. "Let's just go."
Sarah frowned. "What happened? Did you talk to Mark?"
Aiden sighed, slumping into a chair beside them. "Yeah, I talked to him. But it was a complete waste of time."
He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident.
"Why?" Max chimed in, his brow furrowed. "What did he say?"
Aiden hesitated, then blurted out, "Look, forget it. He's… delusional. There's no point trying to reason with him."
Lewis leaned back in his chair, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "Told you so, kid. Aliens and glowing eyes, right? Sounds like he hasn't quite come down from whatever he was on that night."
Aiden felt a flicker of relief wash over him. "Yeah, well, thanks for your time, Officer."
With a curt nod, Aiden turned and rejoined Sarah and Max.
"By the way," Lewis added casually, leaning back in his chair,
"what's your name, son?"
Aiden hesitated for a moment, then answered, "Aiden"
Lewis couldn't help but be surprised. Mark, in his rambling accusations, had indeed mentioned Aiden's name as the one with the strange powers.
His surprise flickered for a brief moment before he plastered a smile on his face.
"Well, take care of yourselves. And stay out of trouble." He waved them goodbye
Sarah and Max rose to their feet. They followed Aiden out of the police station
Back inside, Officer Lewis leaned back in his chair, he called Officer Rodriguez
"Hey, Rod," Lewis greeted casually. "You got a minute?"
"Yeah, shoot," Rodriguez replied.
Lewis lowered his voice slightly. "Remember that Evans kid, the one with the glowing-eyed freak story?"
"Yeah, the one who got roughed up, and the one you said sounded like a bad acid trip?" Rodriguez chuckled
"What about him?"
"Well," Lewis said, his voice laced with a hint of intrigue,
"one of his buddies just came down to visit him. Name's Aiden"
There was a beat of silence on the other end.
"Aiden? Isn't that the name Evans kept mentioning?"
"Bingo," Lewis confirmed.
"Now, don't get me wrong, I still think Evans is about ten sandwiches short of a picnic. But something about that Aiden kid…"
He trailed off, unable to articulate the strange feeling Aiden had given him.
"What is it?" Rodriguez pressed.
"I don't know," Lewis admitted. "Just a feeling. But hey, can't hurt to keep an eye on him, right? See if there's anything to Evans' crazy story"
"Sure thing." Rodriguez responded.