Rana, Age 9
“You can come and play with us,” Lea said with her perfect smile, perfectly straight white teeth, and perfectly combed straight blond hair. “…If you want.”
It made Rana suspicious.
:No one with good intentions cares that much about how they look.:
:I’m sure there are plenty of good people who style their hair,: her brother sent.
This was the third time Lea found her after exiting Camouflage. Clearly, the girl was up to something. It didn’t help Lea seemed to enjoy hunting Rana in those short windows like this was some sort of game they were playing. The very thought made her blood boil.
She didn’t show it. Instead, her face and posture remained tranquil. ‘Never let them know what you’re thinking.’ That was one rule she’d made on her own.
“Please?” Lea gave her best puppy eyes, brimming with the tears she would shed if refused. A good performance and well-practiced. She asked nicely but obviously expected to get her way. A disgusting manipulation.
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Rana didn’t think the two of them could ever coexist peacefully. Their personalities were too different.
:Go with her,: Bufo sent as he jumped from her head and hopped away. :This is a good chance to make allies in the younger generation. Remember why we’re here.:
:Allies. Safety in numbers. Mutual benefit. I know.: Great, now she’d been given a mission. Couldn’t turn on her Camouflage to avoid the confrontation this time.
This Libra girl proved difficult to escape, drawing everyone into her orbit.
“Fine.”
“Yes! We’re going to have so much fun!”
Lea led Rana to the others, triumphant in her walk and exuberant in her speech. This girl was way too competitive.
The children seemed excited to have another playmate, debating what game to play next with enthusiasm. Rana speculated on the penalty for losing.
Though this didn’t look like a malicious plot, maybe they wanted to lull her into a false sense of security. The others could prepare any number of traps in advance while speaking on a private Rosetta Stone channel. She didn’t trust those smiles.
On the other hand, they could be as naïve as they seemed, with no idea how the universe worked. If so, she had even less reason to trust them. They didn’t understand real danger. They wouldn’t be able to watch her back. No one would, except her brother—and he’d told Rana to watch her own.
Nothing for it, though.
Nothing except to learn what was this thing they called ‘fun.’