Dark, cloudy skies greeted Rav, Dorian, Camila and me as we stepped out of the motel into the late afternoon of the day.

   And by the day, I meant the day.

   We were currently preparing for our journey to Zavlon.

"Well, this is ominous at all," Aarav, who looked up to see the clouds, said.

"Keep talking and your driving allowances will be revoked," Cami warned.

   As Rav and Camila began bickering over the significance of the "no backsies" rule, Dorian and I trooped down to the basement for the last set of the weapons to be placed in the rented van that Landon had ordered earlier and gone to pick up.

   We were almost out of the basement when Dorian suddenly dropped his side of the bag carrying the weapons.

"Dorian, I'm tired too. But–" I stopped, wincing at the ache that shot through my arms almost on cue. "This is our last bag. We can rest after."

   Dorian, who had begun walking toward me while I spoke, didn't say a word as he got closer. Pretty soon, the bag was long forgotten as his arms found themselves around my waist and I found myself leaning toward him with the equal urgency he did.

   This kiss, like every other one we'd shared, had its own uniqueness. His lips moved against mine with a slow, unfamiliar yet pleasant pace, going deeper each time. Dorian seemed to be savouring every second, just as I was.

   It took a while for me to catch my breath when he finally pulled away, something I was still yet to get used to.

"I want–" Dorian hesitated before carrying on, "When everything goes back to normal, like when we are no longer fighting Yunies and searching for hidden labs and saving our schoolmates and–"

"Dorian." As hilarious as it was to see him of all people rambling, we kind of had lots of lives to save.

"Right, sorry." he grimaced, slapping his forehead. "I just... I want there to still be an us if everything goes back to normal. If we go back to Zavlon as everyday students. I want us to sit next to each other at lunch and wait by each other's lockers and walk each other to class. I want to walk you to the bus stop when school ends or drive you home and stay over sometimes. I want us to go on more dates and do other couple things which I find insanely annoying but I also know will be less annoying because I'm doing it with you."

   My cheeks began to hurt from grinning so hard. "Me too."

   He ambushed me with one quick kiss before reverting to his position at his side of the weapons bag we'd been carrying.

   Dorian took hold of his end of the bag. "Good."

   And I grabbed mine, "Good."

   By the time Landon arrived with the van and we set off, the winds began to pick up as drizzles from the thick, dark clouds were light taps on the roof of the vehicle. As Rav drove away, the sound of my pounding heart wouldn't stop echoing in my ears as the motel became smaller and smaller from the van's tinted windows.

   When it was finally out of sight, I turned my attention back to the van, just in time to listen to Rav reminding us of the characteristics of the Yunies he'd mentioned while we reviewed the plan two days ago, as well as some never-before mentioned info.

   Based on his prior knowledge from his Alien Studies class and the reading done during this period, the Yunies were known for:

1. Having eight times the weight and strength of the average human.

2. Having sight that did better in bright than dark environments.

3. And hearing that extended to the inhuman frequencies. But this didn't necessarily mean that they could hear every single human sound. Sneaking around them was still possible. It would not be an easy task though.

4. Their short attention span.

5. Their inability to speak English or any other human language. They communicated through growls ranging from low to piercing.

6. Their level of intelligence was not really clear. Most studies just concluded that they shouldn't be underestimated.

7. They don't believe in labels and therefore do not identify as soulmates, partners or otherwise.

8. This, however, did stop the mating process from occurring. Which was why every mating season ended up being a series of sweaty, hairy, growly orgies. And it gets better–

"Rav!" Camila interrupted to the relief of everyone. "You know writing it down works too."

"Uhh, I'm driving?" Rav took that moment to gesture to–and not hold– the wheel as he replied in a matter of fact tone.

   Landon, sitting across from me, muttered with an eye roll, "He's going to kill us before we get there."

"Besides," Rav said, taking a left turn. "Would you prefer a quiet, soulless drive to our unpredictable future?"

   No one hesitated in their responses. "YES!"

"Oh, you don't mean that," he shook his head with the same unrattled enthusiasm. "As I was saying..."

***

   The already long ride which seemed much much longer–thanks Rav– finally came to an end. Rav parked the van at an area far enough for the Yunies to not notice but still a walking distance to Zavlon.

   We began to take off our clothes, revealing the armour underneath which we'd worn previously at the motel. Camila and Landon reached for the duffel bags on the floor to hand out the weapons and other last minute supplies and gadgets. Soon, everyone appeared to be ready.

   Stepping out of the van, I was surprised to see that the light rain had dissipated just in time for the most beautiful sunset I'd ever seen. Throughout our silent walk to Zavlon, my eyes were fixated on the orange-pink sky, appreciating every second it stayed that way until it was all eventually swallowed by the evening's darkness, which also happened to be the time our brief journey came to an end.

   As we stood at the edge of the woods outside Zavlon that were separated by the school's footpath/driveway, the memory of Cami, Rav, Dorian and me running through these very woods after our initial hideout and plans were discovered by the Yunies hit me faster than a bullet. My body armour and weapons started to feel heavier with each second.

   No. No. This was different. We'd come a long way from those versions of ourselves weeks ago. We were now well-equipped, we had a great team, we had a solid plan. This was definitely different.

   And the Yunies were about to find out just how much it was.

"Ready?" Camila glanced around.

"Ready." Everyone else nodded.

"Aarav, Dorian," her gaze shifted to her wrist watch. "You know what to do."

   Right on cue, they darted into the side of the woods we were standing, careful to walk in a manner that put the quiet effect of the soft yet firm rubber soles of their shoes to good use. The thick shrubs and trees swallowed up all traces of them in no time.

   Camila's eyes remained locked on her watch. If things went according to the plan, Dorian and Rav were to return in less than five minutes.

   Occasionally, I dared to spare a glance at her watch, my stare becoming more nervous with each second that passed without Dorian and Rav returning. What if they'd run into some Yunies on the way? They were all around the forest when we were here last time after all. What if they had increased in number? How did we know that they weren't crawling all over the forest right–

   A rustling noise startled me back to reality.

   Subtle sighs of relief escaped when an equally dishevelled Rav and Dorian appeared from the way they'd left.

"The speakers are well-hidden under several leaves," Dorian told us. "We made sure that the leaves didn't block the vital parts though."

"There are no Yunies in the woods or the front of Zavlon's main gate," Rav announced. "But my eyes did catch two moving shadows on the part of the compound right behind the gate."

"Good observation Rav." Camila nodded before turning to me. "Beth, are you ready?"

   Grasping Rav's phone which I had just pulled out from one of the many pockets of my armour with shaky hands, I nodded. "Ready."

   The button I was about to push was of the recording of a whistle that I presented earlier as one of the weapons I created. This whistle was, like I'd mentioned during my presentation, tuned to a frequency only the Yunies could hear and before I eventually inserted the Blackout powder into it, Rav and Camila made me record several audios of me blowing on the whistle after explaining the plan. With the help of Landon, we got access to some coin-sized, box shaped bluetooth speakers which were currently connected to Rav's phone and had been what he and Dorian had just hidden in parts of the woods.

   As my thumb hovered over the button, it wasn't easy doing away pessimistic thoughts that came flooding in. Rav had already assured me countless times before that even though all we heard were faint buzzes, the waveforms in the recording app of his phone, which was one of the most expensive, technologically advanced smartphones in the world–he made sure to emphasise that– indicated an increase in sound whenever i blew the whistle. This meant that the Yunies around the entrance and the school's main compound should be able hear the sounds from the speakers at the torturous frequency that was for their ears only.

   I pushed the button.

A/N: It begins! Thank you all so much for your patience! The next chapters are going to be everything you've been waiting for! 

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