Beneath a Different Sky

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The next day as Alego entered the school gates, she was greeted by the sight of her friend Lando and Randy waiting for her. Instantly, her guard went up, sensing trouble in the air. Lando's casual demeanor did little to ease her suspicions, and Randy's presence only heightened her sense of unease.

"What does he want?" Alego asked Lando, her voice laced with skepticism.

Randy rolled his eyes, a hint of exasperation in his tone. "Good morning to you too," he replied, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"He wants to talk about the 'push'," Lando emphasized the word push with air quotes as if to underscore the absurdity of the situation.

Alego's brow furrowed with irritation. She had no desire to entertain Randy's antics, especially not after the events of the previous night. "I don't want to talk about anything," she declared, her voice firm with determination.

With a resolute tug on Lando's hand, Alego began to walk away, determined to put as much distance between herself and Randy as possible. But to her dismay, Randy followed close behind, his persistence unwavering.

"Come on, Alego," he called out, his voice pleading. "Aren't you curious about how my books fell to the ground?"

Alego stopped in her tracks, her patience wearing thin. She turned to face Randy, her eyes flashing with irritation. "No," she responded curtly. "Your books, your problem."

With that, she turned on her heel and continued on her way, leaving Randy standing alone in the schoolyard. But despite her efforts to brush off his insistent questioning, Alego couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of her stomach.

As she made her way to her first class, her mind raced with questions. What did that thing at night want from her mom? And why were they so insistent on dismissing her in whatever question she had asked?

But try as she might, Alego couldn't find any answers. All she could do was focus on getting through the school day, hoping that Randy's persistence would eventually wane and she could put this whole ordeal behind her.

Little did she know, however, that the events of that morning were just the beginning of a series of events that would shake her world to its core. It set into motion a chain of events that would challenge everything she thought she knew about herself and the world around her.

As Alego and Lando made their way to the school library during their free period, Alego couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her since her encounter with the storm last night. Despite her best efforts to push the incident to the back of her mind, her thoughts kept drifting back to the strange darkness and its cryptic questions.

As they entered the library, Alego's attention was immediately drawn to the row of computers lining the far wall. With a sense of curiosity tinged with trepidation, she made her way over to one of the terminals and powered it on. The screen flickered to life, and Alego found herself staring at the familiar desktop background of the school's logo.

But as she began to navigate through the menus, something strange happened. Lines of code began to appear on the screen, scrolling rapidly as if possessed by some unseen force. Alego's heart raced as she watched the letters and numbers dance before her eyes, forming intricate patterns that seemed to pulse with a life of their own.

"What's happening?" Lando asked, his voice filled with concern as he peered over Alego's shoulder.

Alego shook her head in bewilderment, her eyes fixed on the screen. "I don't know," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

But even as she spoke, the code began to coalesce into coherent words and phrases, as if guided by some unseen intelligence. Alego's breath caught in her throat as she read the message taking shape before her eyes.

"Ask your mom about your planet," the message read, its words appearing on the screen in stark black letters.

Alego's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to make sense of the cryptic message. What planet was the computer referring to? And why was she being instructed to ask her mom about it?

Before she could dwell on the questions racing through her mind, the bell rang, signaling the end of the free period. With a sense of unease gnawing at her insides, Alego shut down the computer and followed Lando out of the library, her thoughts consumed by the mystery unfolding before her.

By the time her parents arrived to pick her up from school, Alego was bursting with questions. As she climbed into the car and buckled her seatbelt, she turned to her parents with a sense of urgency.

"Mom, Dad," she began, her voice trembling with excitement. "Can I ask you something?"

Her parents exchanged a glance, concern flickering in their eyes. "Of course, sweetie," her mom replied, her voice gentle and reassuring. "What's on your mind?"

Alego took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. "Do you know anything about a planet called Aeloria?" she asked, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Something about... about pushing boundaries or... or breaking free?"

Her parents exchanged a puzzled look, their brows furrowed with confusion. "Aeloria?" her dad echoed, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, sweetheart."

Alego's heart sank at their response. She had been hoping for answers, but instead, she was met with only more questions. What was Aeloria the computer had referred to? And why did it feel like there was something her parents weren't telling her?

As they drove home, Alego's mind raced with uncertainties. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something significant about the message she had received. Something that held the key to unlocking the mystery of her past and her connection to the strange occurrences that had been happening around her.

But as the car pulled into the driveway and Alego climbed out, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of her stomach.

Alego vowed to get to the bottom of the mystery, no matter the cost. For she knew that the answers she sought held the key to unlocking the secrets her parents were hiding. And with that thought in mind, she stepped through the front door, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead in her quest for the truth.