They slipped into the crowd carefully.
Too carefully.
Every step felt watched.
As they approached a clothing store, one of the locals suddenly turned and stared at them—
—too long.
Kai froze.
Noah's breath hitched.
The man kept staring...
...then walked past.
Only then they noticed—
His eyes.
Clouded.
Blind.
Both of them exhaled at the same time.
"That was close..." Noah whispered.
"Way too close," Kai muttered.
They entered the store.
Clothes lined the walls—different texture, strange design, but close enough to human fashion.
"Just grab anything," Kai whispered.
But something felt wrong.
There are too many glances.
Too much attention.
"We're being watched..." Noah said under his breath.
"Dressing room. Now."
They slipped inside the trial room and shut the door.
It was small.
Way too small.
"I can't breathe," Kai muttered, pressed awkwardly against the wall.
Noah was practically on top of him.
"I hear footsteps."
Heavy ones.
Slow.
Deliberate.
They both looked around frantically.
"There—window," Kai pointed.
Small one.
Barely enough.
"After you."
Noah climbed up, struggling to squeeze through.
Halfway out—
He got stuck.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
Kai stared.
"Move!"
"I am moving."
The footsteps stopped.
Then—
BANG BANG
A voice came from outside, sharp and unfamiliar:
"Kublikiagwavabli."
Kai blinked.
"What?"
The door shook.
Another hit—
CRACK.
"MOVE!" Kai hissed, pushing Noah from behind."
"I'm TRYING!"
The door burts open.
But—
The room was empty.
Just an open window swaying slightly.
Outside, Noah trumbled down onto the ground, gasping.
Kai jumped down right after him.
Both of them lay down for a second, catching their breath.
"...we're dead of they catch us," Noah whispers.
Kai let out a shaky breath.
"Then don't get caught."
Above them—
Someone was already looking out of the broken window.
Kai and Noah noticed, they slowly stood up and started running.
They heard a sound.
Kai and Noah didn't stop running.
They didn't look back.
Branches scaped against them as they rushed through uneven ground—until—
A hand grabbed Kai's arm and pulled him sharply to the side.
They stumbled into a cave.
Emily.
"Give me the clothes," She said immediately. No questions. No relief.
Kai and Noah handed them over, still catching their breath.
"And make the mark," Emily added.
Luna stepped forward, opening Annie's pen kit.
"Hold still."
"Don't talk," Luna said quietly. "We don't know their language yet. We observe first."
Emily nodded.
"We go to the market. We gather the information."
No one argued.
They changed quickly.
The clothes were... strange.
Unfamiliar cuts. Odd patterns.
Annie ended up with a fitted tube top and a layered skirt with sharp, uneven hems.
Asher wore a white shirt with green embroidery curling across it, paired with oddly structured cargo pants.
Noah and Kai had matching trousers–slightly too tight at ankles–and loose shirts with abstract, almost moving patters.
Luna wore a strappy top with asymmetrical lines and short denim-like fabric.
Emily's kept it simple–a fitted tank top and jeans–but even those had subtle, unfamiliar stitches.
Annie stared at everyone.
"...You both could've picked better," She muttered. "These designs look like two aliens making out."
Kai snorted.
Emily ignored her and stepped out of the cave.
One by one, they followed.
Into the crowd.
This time, they didn't hesitate.
They walked like they belonged."
Blended in.
Watched.
Learned.
The market buzzed around them—voices overlapping in a language they couldn't understand, gestures sharp, movements slightly off.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Kai's attention drifted.
Something shiny caught his eyes.
A small object—like a toy.
Curious, he picked it up, turning it in his hands.
And then—
"Hey, guys! Look what i found!"
Silence.
Instant.
Heavy.
The noise around them died—not completely–but enough.
Slowly—
People started turning.
Eyes locked onto him.
The air tightened.
Noah's hand twitched.
Emily didn't move.
Luna's gaze sharpened.
Annie stopped breathing.
Asher sighed.
Kai froze.
Because this time—
They weren't being watched.
They had just been heard.