Hybrid: The Awakening

Chapter 28-Asher

"Interesting..." Zogi looked lost in thought.

"Well?" I asked him. "What are you thinking?"

He shot me a glare. "Patience, kid. What you described is clearly different from your other friends. Meaning you probably have a different ability as well."

"But that isn't possible," Tesha argued. "The Jh'ai give each species one ability."

He snapped his fingers. "My thoughts exactly. I also found his mark to be peculiar, especially when I compared it to the other chosen humans."

I furrowed my brows. "So...what are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is that you're not normal, kid. There's only one explanation for this, that being you're not human."

His words took a few moments to sink in. I replayed it in my head, just to make sure I heard him right.

Not human.

The claim was so absurd that I did what every sane person would do in the face of such a wild assumption.

I laughed.

The chuckles shook my entire body as I struggled to catch my breath.

"Right. Good one Zogi. Now seriously, what's the real reason?"

I expected the tiny alien to start laughing as well. To tell me that it was in fact a joke. That I was possibly the most humanly human he'd ever met.

But he just stared at me with all the seriousness in the world, not a hint of teasing on his face.

My laughing ended abruptly as I met his gaze with wide eyes.

"You're...not joking," I said slowly.

"No, I am most definitely not."

I felt the urge to laugh again, though I was pretty sure this time it would sound a little more unhinged.

Because what he said couldn't be true. And if it was...

"If he's not human," Tristen questioned, "then what is he?"

Zogi lifted his shoulders. "How should I know? You kids probably know more earthen species than me!"

Meanwhile, Diana was shaking her head. "Nah, I don't buy it. Asher is definitely human. There has to be another explanation." I wanted to jump up and hug her right then.

The little alien glared. "Who here is the one with hundreds of years of knowledge about the Jh'ai, huh? I said what I said. You can either choose to listen or ignore the truth." He slid off the counter. "Now, I'm going back to my comfy little home. Try not to die while I'm gone." With that, he stepped out of the hospital room and waved goodbye before running off.

I sat still, staring at where he had just been. Zogi's words refused to sink in.

I looked at my hands, just to make sure I hadn't suddenly grown claws or scales. Scanning them, I searched for anything that could even hint that the alien's assumption was true.

But they were still tan, normal, human hands.

My friends kept their eyes glued on me, as if they were also trying to discover how I could be anything but a human boy.

The hysterical laughter I had been trying to hold back escaped in small giggles. I traced my fingers through my hair roughly as I said, "You guys think he's crazy too, right? I mean, there's no way..."

Tesha wore a frown on her face. "I think...he might be right. It is the only explanation."

That was definitely not what I wanted to hear.