A glowing yellow liquid gushed out of the capsule, covering the naked body of a pale-skinned young girl with short, closely cropped blonde hair. She lay unconscious, small white stickers covering her eyes. The cracked capsule clearly indicated that it had likely been ejected from a spaceship.
"What the heck...?" Both of them exclaimed simultaneously.
Hal was stunned, flustered and not knowing what to do. He quickly took off his goggles and averted his gaze from the sight of the naked woman in front of him. "...Did she fall out of a meteorite?"
"It wasn't a meteorite," Jacob replied, though startled, he still managed to remain more composed.
"Is she dead or something?!" Hal asked, his voice trembling.
Suddenly, the alarm blared, shattering the silence! It was the signal for the arrival of the rescue team from the watchtower. The shrill, ear-piercing siren was loud enough to startle wild animals within a radius of several kilometers.
"Don't ask any questions!" Jacob shouted, his voice barely audible over the approaching sirens. He quickly scooped the frail woman up in his arms. "Take off your coat and give it to me. She's ice cold!"
Hal quickly took off her outer coat and handed it to Jacob, who swiftly wrapped it around the young woman's body. She felt surprisingly light in the young man's arms.
"Start the vehicle!" Jacob ordered sternly.
"Wait! Where's Uncle Breeze?" Hal asked, looking around frantically as he was about to run to the scooter.
Jacob froze. He gazed in the direction Uncle Breeze had fallen. The sound of his uncle's last shot, fired to protect him, still echoed in his head. But now, the low growl of the predator was being drowned out by the sound of sirens.
"Uncle..." Jacob's voice trembled as he spoke, "Uncle told me to run away."
"What the hell!" Hal's face turned pale. "We can't just leave you behind!"
"I know! But look at that!" Jacob pointed towards the dark woods. Dozens of shadowy figures were moving in a flash, surrounding them. "A horde of nymphs are panicking, fleeing the sirens, heading this way!"
"If we don't go now, we'll all be trampled to death... me, you, and this woman!"
Now, the safety concern wasn't just for him or Hal, but also for this strange young woman. If they left her lying there waiting for the rescue team, she would surely become food for the fleeing nymphs.
Hal gritted his teeth. He looked in the direction where Uncle Breeze's vital signs had been. Although he understood the situation, it was difficult for him to accept. In the end, he had to nod in resignation.
"Get on! Hurry!"
Jacob lifted Joanie's unconscious body and placed her in the middle of the scooter, with Hal driving and Jacob sitting behind, holding and supporting the woman to prevent her from falling.
Whoosh!!! Boom!!!
The scooter's engine roared. Hal twisted the throttle to its maximum, sending the vehicle soaring through the treetops into the night sky.
The strong wind whipped against his face. Jacob held the unconscious body tightly, looking down at the ground below. The light from the burning wreckage slowly faded... leaving behind the body of the man who was like a father to him.
His only family was plunged into darkness forever.
….
"I'm sorry, Uncle..." Jacob wailed, unable to hold back his tears any longer, letting the whistling wind drown out his sobs.
Hal's scooter ascended the heights of the Horathea Tower, battling the night wind until it reached the 75th floor, where Jacob's house was located. Hal smoothly maneuvered the scooter into the open balcony, landing it gently.
Jacob carried the naked, soaked woman, drenched in a sticky, glowing yellow liquid, into the room. Hal landed the ship and quickly followed, locking the door securely.
The door to the room was flustered. "Where should I put her?" Hal whispered, his voice trembling.
"That room," Jacob replied breathlessly. He carried the woman to the door in the corner of the room. Hal quickly opened it for him to enter. The lights switched on automatically. Hal looked around the small bedroom, which had only a narrow hallway as an entrance and beds lined up. Clothes were folded neatly at the head of each bed, along with a small suitcase and a few boxes.
"Whose room is this?" Hal asked.
"This is Uncle's room. It's a spare room reserved for Uncle."
Jacob tightened his grip on the young woman in his arms, carrying her and placing her in the empty bedroom, the room his mother had prepared for Uncle Breeze to stay in occasionally.
Jacob wiped the young woman's body with a towel, removing some of the detergent residue. "I probably won't be using this room again."
The girl's skin was ice-cold and pale as paper, but her breasts still heaved.
A gentle tremor indicated that she was still alive.
After neatly tucking her in, he turned back to look before leaving the room.
Jacob walked out of the room and closed the door, leaving the strange woman sleeping alone.
Hal stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the balcony railing, watching his friend with a sympathetic look.
"I'm sorry about your uncle," Hal said, his voice soft and guilt-filled with helplessness.
Jacob didn't answer. His face was expressionless, trying to suppress the turmoil in his chest. Suddenly, the silver communication stick rang, breaking the silence. Jacob picked it up and looked at the screen; it showed who was calling.
"Who called?" Hal asked.
"do not know …"
"Your mother isn't coming back today, is she?" Hal asked to make sure.
"It's late, probably not yet..." Jacob looked worried about the incoming call.
"Okay, I'll take the ship to the Nims hunting station first, then I'll hurry back. I'll stop by and get some snacks," Hal whispered.
"Bring our scooter too," Jacob ordered. Hal nodded, and Jacob turned to initiate a conversation with the blue light ball.
Seeing this, Hal started the engine and drove away, leaving Jacob to face the reality alone.
"Hello," Jacob answered the phone.
"Hello," a voice said over the line, "This is the Bledizzico police patrol. Are you a relative of Fabreeze Fallunette…?"
"Yes," Jacob replied. He already had a pretty good idea why this stranger was calling...