When we got back to class, there was Professor Esau, waiting for me at the door, frowning and hands in his pockets. He looked nervous, but as soon as he saw me, his expression softened. 

"Ada! Finally, I found you.'"

"Is something wrong, Professor?" I asked, a sense of unease settling in my stomach. Had they discovered my midnight escape?

"I should be the one asking that. Why didn't you show up this morning either?"

"I... I overslept. I'm sorry," I replied hesitantly.

June gestured to me and went into the classroom, leaving the professor and me to talk freely. As she passed me, she gave me an empathetic look. She probably thought the same thing I did. I was going to be in trouble for my escape.

"You overslept?" He observed me for a moment with curiosity as I felt a bead of sweat forming on my temple. I was almost certain that if he hadn't discovered me yet, he was beginning to suspect. "Alright. Let's go to my office. I've already spoken to your music teacher, and you'll be excused from that class."

"Yes, sir."

Once in the quiet of the office, I sat in the chair opposite his desk, as always. He scrutinized my expression, and I, nervous, looked down. I couldn't stand the feeling of guilt that I wasn't used to. How did Styan do it without going crazy?

"So? Is there any news?" he asked as he turned his gaze to his tablet. I felt a cold sweat when I saw my name on the screen with all my data.

"I..." I didn't even know how I was going to continue the sentence. 

"Ada, it's essential that you understand that you must be completely honest with me."

"I know, Professor." 

"You can trust me. Do you know that, too?" he raised his eyebrows waiting for my answer. 

"Yes, Professor," I replied timidly.

"Good. Your answer is fine, although your body language seems to say otherwise." He turned the tablet around and showed me my record. Sure enough, it showed all the details of the previous night's escape. "Door opened after curfew, heart rate above normal when you should be sleeping... Oh, in fact, it says here that you were awake between two and four in the morning, and... wow, how interesting. Right now, this is showing an increase in your heart rate."

"Please don't report me, Professor," I pleaded, feeling exposed. He looked at me with furrowed brows. 

"Why would I do that? Didn't I just tell you that you can trust me?" 

The professor typed in a secret code and accessed the main panel of my student profile. Then he started to modify all the data that could get me into trouble. After the changes, the previous night was exactly like any other. Just another night. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Showing you that you can trust me. Now, tell me, Ada," he leaned on the desk and looked me in the eye. "You're usually a student who doesn't cause trouble. What happened last night that made you leave your room and risk being punished?"

"My... my dream changed." I paused briefly as I put my thoughts in order.

"Go on," he encouraged me.

"I managed to understand the Naewat and..."

"You saw him?"

I looked up startled to find Esau's expression anxious. Why was he so interested in me finding the Naewat?

"Yes."

"And..." he prompted me to continue.

"Nothing happened. It was just a disappointingly casual encounter."

"What?" he furrowed his brow, confused.

"Well, basically that's it. I saw him... we talked..." I paused trying to find some information that might be relevant to my professor. "...and that's it."

"That's it? He didn't tell you anything?"

I shook my head and shrugged.

"I see." Esau took a breath and thought for a few moments."Alright, let's do this. If that Naewat contacts you again, send me an instant message and I'll come immediately. There are certain things I'd like to talk to both of you about."

The professor sent me a conversation bubble from where I could contact him at any time. I nodded, but I couldn't imagine what the professor would have to say to the Naewat. It was true that its mere existence was quite extravagant, but after all, he had been admitted to our academy, so I assumed he wouldn't have any problems talking to a professor.

"Difficult times are coming, Ada. We have to be prepared because they are closer than we think." He looked at me intently, frowning, as if behind those words there was a hidden message that I couldn't understand yet.

"I will be, Professor," I replied with a small bow.

"Go back to class for now. We don't want to prevent you from developing your musical talents," he smiled sarcastically.

I held back a small laugh. Music wasn't my forte and that was something everyone had suffered after seeing me in class trying all the instruments we had available in the academy, trying to find the one that, according to the music teacher, conveyed what was in my soul. I had other talents, but not that of music.

Esau dismissed me, and I returned to music class. As I entered, I saw the teacher awkwardly showing how to position your head when playing a violin. I took a seat, and everyone started laughing when the teacher's hair got tangled in the instrument's strings. I took advantage of the commotion to look at June. She gave me a worried look, thinking I had been reprimanded for my midnight escape, but I shook my head, indicating that I would talk to her later.

There were only a few minutes left until the end of class when a shrill noise that I had never heard before forced us all to cover our ears.

"Keep calm, please," the teacher said with an apathy that contrasted with the excitement caused by the irritating sound. "Form a line in front of the door. Calmly. Don't run, please."

"What's happening?" a classmate asked. 

"It's just a drill. Don't worry," the teacher tried to calm us down. "I hate it when they interrupt my classes for these things," he muttered grumpily.

We all obeyed and started to walk in order. We stopped in a single file next to the door, ready for the teacher's next instruction. Everything went wrong the moment we heard the voice over the loudspeaker.

"Code Onyx. This is not a drill. Please proceed to the nearest evacuation ship."

The voice droned on with the same message, as the terrible noise continued to rumble.

In our ignorance, as we didn't know what was happening, we continued to wait for the teacher's instructions, who, nervous and agitated, began to pace back and forth. 

"They... they're crazy," he groaned, not stopping to look at the door and then at us again and again as if an idea was going through his head. "I'm not going to die here!" he exclaimed with tears in his eyes just before running out of the classroom, leaving us to our fate.

"What's going on?" a nervous classmate asked.

That noise didn't help to keep calm, and without the teacher guiding us, we all started to talk disoriented. No one dared to leave the room and be the first to take the initiative. At that moment I didn't realize it, but they had turned us into a herd of cattle that only moved when herded.

"He said he didn't want to die," another worried classmate added.  "Something very bad is happening." 

"What is Code Onyx?" June asked, taking my hand, scared. "The teacher lost control as soon as he heard that. I felt him crumble." 

"I don't know," I admitted. "But something tells me we should follow his example and look for an evacuation ship."

"Follow me, girls," Styan said, taking my hand. "We have to get out of here." 

June and I followed Styan down the hallway, illuminated by flashing red emergency lights. I didn't look to see if any of our classmates followed us, but at that moment I didn't care, as the lights and noise were raising my adrenaline levels, leading me to act on impulse.

What were initially orderly lines of students with their teachers, gradually turned into a chaos of people running scared from one side to the other. No one knew where they had to go. We had never been told where the evacuation ships were. 

"We have to find Professor Esau. I'm sure he can help us get out of here," I murmured. 

"Esau?" Styan looked at me confused. "I'm sure he's also run away, like Professor Dubois." 

"Let's go to his office. If he's not there, we'll look for an evacuation ship ourselves," I insisted.

"I don't know why, but I have a feeling I'll regret this," Styan grumbled as he followed me in the opposite direction from the rest of the people.

His office was nearby, but to my surprise, it wasn't him I found there. The arrogant hybrid was sitting on the professor's desk, arms crossed, and looking at the three of us intently. He frowned slightly when he saw Styan beside me, but then smiled as if nothing was happening. 

"You!" I exclaimed, frowning.

"You," he said calmly, narrowing his eyes as he looked at me. "I'm beginning to wonder if that's how you greet each other in this part of the academy." 

I wanted to go into the office to yell a couple of swear words at him and by the way, find out where the professor was, but then I saw that, next to Dareh, a beautiful Naewat was looking at us with an angry expression. I had never seen one in our area. Who would she be and what was she doing there? Her hair was straight and white, and it fell like silk over her slender, athletic figure. But what intimidated me most were her eyes. The fiercest I had ever seen.

"What are these doing here?" Styan growled. "This is no place for you."

"Do you have a problem?" The female Naewat's deep voice silenced him, though he clicked his tongue in disgust.

"Do you know where Professor Esau is?" I asked Dareh, somewhat intimidated by his companion's intense gaze.

"Esau..." the hybrid thought for a moment as he put his hand on his chin and laughed. "I think he went to look for you, but I don't know how to contact him. If I'm not mistaken, you can send him an instant message, can't you?" 

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that sooner?"

I raised my forearm to the level of my chest and a holographic screen unfolded in front of me. It was the ISM, instant messaging system. I typed the professor's name and a section opened for me to write the message to him.

'Professor, I'm with the hybrid. Come to the office, please. Don't abandon us"

"Is that him?" June whispered in my ear as she kept her eyes on the pair of Naewat who didn't seem to be in the same state of alarm as us.

"Yes," I nodded. 

"They're not afraid..." she was surprised. "Maybe they know something we don't."

"Maybe."

A few seconds later, a panting Esau entered the office, his eyes wide with panic. 

"Ada! Are you alright? I've been looking all over for you," he said as he put his hands on my shoulders and looked me up and down. 

"I'm fine, Professor Esau. What's going on?" I pushed away from him with some effort, as he was squeezing my shoulders, and he sighed loudly.

"We have to get out of here as soon as possible. I didn't think we had so little time left. I thought we'd have at least another week to prepare..." The professor mumbled incoherent things while gathering some of his belongings and stuffing them into a cloth bag.

"What's going on?!" exclaimed Styan, losing his temper. The professor took a few seconds before answering.

"Code Onyx means the space station is the target of an attack of any kind from Earth. In a few minutes, we'll be hit by the impact." He looked down and after a brief pause, continued stuffing his things into the strange bag.

"From Earth? How is that possible?" Styan asked, alarmed.

"But... where are we going to go?" June cried, frightened. "If they evacuate us, what's going to happen to us?"

Esau gave her a look of compassion.

"Haven't you realized yet, June?" said Styan, clenching his fist in anger. "The students were never taught how to act in situations like this. We don't even know where the evacuation ships are."

"There's another space station," said the professor, frowning as he closed his bag. "But only those with alpha access can go there, and I'm afraid you don't have it."

"And what about those of us who don't have alpha access?"

"They'll die."

"What?" I was stunned. Why wasn't there an emergency plan for the students?

"What can we do?" asked June. "I don't want to die here... I don't want to! I still have so many things I want to do... we have to..."

"June!" I hugged my friend as I felt her shaking from the sobs.

Esau looked at the hybrid and nodded. Dareh returned the signal. With their eyes, they had said many things that were beyond my understanding. Did they know each other?

"Don't worry, guys," said the professor in a trembling voice. "Nothing will happen to you, and Dareh will take care of that." He placed his hands on my shoulder and Styan's. For a moment I thought I saw tears in his eyes. "Take care of yourselves."

I didn't know how to answer the professor, but we didn't have time to say anything. He took his cloth bag, slung it over both shoulders, and left the office.

"But what..." Styan began to say, dumbfounded.

Dareh didn't give us time to think about what was happening and immediately took charge of the situation.

"Form a circle and hold hands," he said, extending his hand for me to take it.

For a moment, I looked at his hand. It was the same as in my dream, although the environment around us had nothing to do with it. I didn't hesitate. I took it and an electrifying sensation ran down my spine. I didn't know what we were going to do, but I trusted him.

"And why should we obey you, cat?" protested Styan.

"Stay here if you want, human. No one will miss you," growled the other Naewat, who had already taken Dareh's other hand.

Styan, once again intimidated by the woman, was silent, however, June couldn't stop crying in fear. She was overwhelmed by all the panic from the people who were still running and screaming outside the office.

"The professor's gone..." she mumbled, wiping away her tears. "He's left us too..."

I took her hand and tried to instill as much calm as I could. She looked at me and I knew she had felt my effort to comfort her. She smiled gratefully and took Styan's hand, who was still grumbling under his breath.

Dareh took a breath and frowned as he concentrated. I had no idea what he was doing. Why weren't we looking for a way to escape? Why were we standing there holding hands while everyone else was desperately running away?

"This is stupid," Styan snorted. "You just want to kill us all, you damn cat. I'm getting out of here."

Dareh was unfazed by Styan's hurtful comments. He simply looked at him without showing a hint of annoyance or resentment. Styan let go of June's hand ready to leave, but she held on to him more tightly and shook her head.

"Don't leave us, Styan..."

"But..."

"If you want to live, you'll do what I tell you." Dareh's voice was deep and rough. "Hold hands and, please, be quiet. I need concentration."

Styan snorted but said nothing else. He looked at June and me with a frown and then at Dareh, who again had his eyes closed and his brow furrowed. Then we felt a tingling sensation that went from the palms of our hands to the rest of our bodies. June looked at me and I saw horror drawn on her expression.

"Ada..." she mumbled. "What's..."

Her voice became softer, as did the sound of the alarm. The office around us became dimmer and, in a wink of an eye, we were suspended in a state of weightlessness, where there was nothing around us. I couldn't feel any part of my body, nor those who had been beside me a few seconds ago. It was like being in an absolute void. I couldn't breathe, but I didn't need to fill my lungs either. I wanted to move my hands to find my face, but there was nothing. It was like absolute peace.

I wondered if we had died, but the way everything ended so abruptly confirmed that we were not. We were alive. The first thing I felt was the cold. I filled my lungs and they froze, forcing me to cough. My vision was blurred, so I groped around, but there was no one. I had no hand to hold. Just cold and dampness. I coughed again and rubbed my arms trying to find some warmth, but it was in vain.

My vision slowly came back into focus. I rubbed my eyes, trying to make sense of my surroundings. It was dark, barely lit by a faint glow on the white landscape. Looking down, I realized with shock that we weren't on the space station anymore. My knees buckled as I hit the freezing ground.

"Snow!" I murmured, surprised.

I stood up again and took another look around for someone else, but there was no one. I was alone. Completely alone.

I felt a sharp headache and walked over to lean against a wall. All my muscles ached as if I had some kind of fever, but according to my wristband, my vitals were stable.

A foul smell hit me, forcing me to cover my nose and I looked back at my surroundings. Some buildings looked somewhat dilapidated and above me, the sky looked cloudy and very dark, only illuminated by the dim light reflected by the streetlights.

The street.

A street, buildings, cold, snow, clouds, streetlights...

A wild idea crossed my mind.

Was I on Earth?