Charlie , or Green Lantern, stood over the strange, humanoid figure lying on the ground. She looked almost human—soft, delicate facial features, a youthful look, and short hair that gave her a childlike appearance. Her eyelashes were long, framing her closed eyes. Her skin was pale, and she lay motionless on her back, her head tilted slightly to one side. Her chest didn't rise or fall, so he couldn't tell if she was breathing at all.
At first glance, Charlie thought she might be dead, but he quickly reminded himself that this was an alien, so she might not need to breathe in the same way as a human. To be certain, he raised his right fist, and the green glow from his Lantern Ring spread across her from head to toe, scanning her for any signs of life.
The ring's analysis confirmed that there was life in her, but what it revealed next was surprising. According to the ring's reading, she wasn't unconscious or asleep. Instead, it said she was "awake."
Charlie's mind raced. Was she pretending to be dead?
He leaned down and spoke softly. "What are you doing?"
The girl's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her right eye opened just a crack. She let out a small whisper, almost playful, "Shh… I'm playing hide-and-seek."
Charlie blinked, caught off guard. Hide-and-seek? Really? The idea that hide-and-seek had made its way into intergalactic culture was surprising, to say the least. He shook his head, figuring the ring's translation might be loose—maybe it was close to Earth's hide-and-seek but with some alien twist. But her words gave him another clue: if she was hiding, then someone else might be seeking.
He crouched down beside her, glancing around the strange chamber, and whispered, "Who are you playing hide-and-seek with?"
"Shh," she replied, half-opening one eye again as she gave him a sly grin. "I'm playing hide-and-seek where no one's actually trying to catch me."
Charlie felt more confused than ever. "How can you play hide-and-seek if no one's looking for you?"
Just then, the girl gasped as though she'd just realized something and sprang to her feet with surprising speed. She stood before him, looking him over with wide, curious eyes, almost as if he were the strangest creature she had ever seen.
"Who are you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in wonder. "I don't think I've seen you before. Didn't the leader say that no one else was supposed to come in here?"
Charlie couldn't help but feel a little amused, though he kept his expression neutral. Her thought process was slow, almost childlike. But before he could reply, she seemed to piece together her own idea and spoke again.
"Oh! Wait, are you here to take me to the temple?" Her eyes brightened with excitement. "Last time, the leader said I should get ready soon, and he'd take me to the temple for my big performance. You must be the one he sent to pick me up!"
"Actually, I'm—"
"Then let's go!" she interrupted, grabbing his hand tightly and pulling him forward before he could finish.
Charlie blinked, still trying to understand what he was dealing with. This girl doesn't seem too sharp, he thought. But from what he'd learned earlier, he knew that whatever lay behind the hidden door in the temple was important to the Alliance's plans. And from the way she was locked away, it seemed like this innocent, overly eager girl was somehow the key to unlocking those plans.
She didn't wait for him to say anything else, tugging him along with surprising energy. They made their way through the corridor leading out of the inner hall quickly. When they reached the exit, the rest of the Alliance members—still restrained by the green energy cages he'd created earlier—stared in shock. The restrained aliens had been restless, wondering what was locked away in the restricted area, but now they saw it for themselves.
They watched in astonishment as the girl, looking wide-eyed and curious, emerged beside Charlie.
She stopped for a moment when she saw the other aliens lying on the ground, blinking in surprise.
"What are they doing?" she asked, studying them with a confused expression.
"Oh, they're playing dead," Charlie replied smoothly, giving her a gentle tug forward.
Her face lit up with interest. "Playing dead? That sounds fun! I want to play too!"
"Let's go to the temple first," Charlie suggested. "You can come back and play later. If you take too long, they might blame you for holding things up."
"Oh! Good idea," she said, nodding quickly. With that, she let go of his hand, rushed ahead, and practically skipped toward the exit.
Meanwhile, the aliens who were still conscious could only look on in disbelief. They had been told that the creature inside the hidden room was valuable, possibly crucial to their plans, and now they watched helplessly as Charlie led her out of the restricted area. All they could do now was hope their leader would return soon and explain whether this girl was as vital as they feared.
The girl seemed thrilled to be outside the headquarters, her eyes darting around with excitement as she took in her surroundings. She pulled Charlie along, taking everything in as if she were seeing the world for the first time.
For a brief moment, Charlie almost thought she knew where they were headed. But after a short distance, her excitement began to wane, and she slowed down, a slightly puzzled look spreading across her face. She finally came to a stop and turned to him, wide-eyed.
"By the way… where's the temple?" she asked, scratching her head as if only just realizing she had no idea.
Charlie raised an eyebrow. So she doesn't even know where it is?
"Haven't you been there before?"
She shook her head, her short hair bouncing with the movement. "Nope. I haven't been anywhere. The leader told me to stay in that room and wait for someone to take me to the temple when it was time." She gazed around again, looking almost overwhelmed by the vastness of the night sky above them.
"It's so… big out here," she whispered in awe.
Charlie nodded, deciding to rely on his Lantern Ring's star map. The ring had the temple's location marked in a place known as the "Void of the Astral Plane."
He raised his right hand, and a bright green glow surrounded both of them. The light began to take shape, forming a sleek spaceship with a metal-like shell, wings, and a propulsion system to navigate through space.
The girl's eyes widened in amazement as she watched the spaceship take form, her face lighting up as she took it all in. "Wow… that's incredible…"
Charlie activated the ship's engine, and it lifted off, heading toward the stars. The girl leaned against the transparent green window, gazing out in awe as the spaceship gained altitude.
"Hold on tight," Charlie said. "We're about to break through the atmosphere."
But she barely seemed to hear him, her eyes fixed on the starry view outside. After a few minutes, she suddenly frowned as if remembering something and began glancing around as if searching for something.
"What are you looking for?" he asked, curious.
"You said 'girl,'" she replied, looking at him with confusion. "Who are you talking about?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I was talking about you."
She blinked, clearly puzzled. "Huh? But I'm not a girl. I'm a boy."
Charlie's jaw dropped.
[TL Note - Translator's Jaw Dropped]