Although Aldous found Beta's absence unnerving it did provide Aldous some time to focus on tending to Krystal's needs.

She seemed to be recovering quite well, becoming more active around the house as her strength returned bit by bit, doing anything she can to help in return for his hospitality.

Outside of daily life Aldous did his best to answer any and all questions Krystal brought to him. Her curiosity showed no limits as she absorbed each and everything he said like a sponge.

Fortunately for him, he had plenty of books that covered a broad range of topics, providing a scapegoat should his intellect fall short. It became quite common to see her with her nose buried in a book every night when he came home from work.

With her body being restored, her mind growing sharper by the day, and Beta leaving them alone things were looking good. However her first real test

Krystal had gotten the mail for Aldous and went to his room to give it to him. She peeked her head inside to see him editing what looked like audio work on his computer.

"Knock, knock," she said, mimicking her actions by knocking on the door at the open same time. Aldous snapped his head up and turned around fast.

"Gees-lois!" he exclaimed as he closed out of the pages one handed. "You gave me a heart attack Krystal! I thought you were still reading in the living room."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she replied cringing a little recognizing her accident. "But I got the mail for you." she waved the papers in the air for him to see.

"The mail? Let me see those." He said taking the papers from her and began filtering through it.

"Hmm, let's see... Junk mail... Junk mail... Newspaper, gonna need that... junk mail. Why am I getting so much junk mail?" Krystal couldn't help but giggle a little at his complaints.

At the bottom of the stack he came across an envelope from his landlord. "Oh, rent is due again." He said to himself.

But as he opened at the envelope checking the payment a sinking feeling rose up within him when he realized something he hadn't thought of before.

"Oh shoot, oh shoot, this can be a problem," he uttered to himself, holding his hand to his forehead. Krystal could hear the distress in his voice and grew concerned herself.

"What's the problem? Is something wrong?" she asked, holding her hands together.

"Uh, yes, you could say that," he answered, turning around showing her the paper. "I forgot about the one-week limit for guest stays."

"What's is that?"

"Well normally Tenants have to pay the landlord a sum of money to stay in this apartment; that's how he makes his living." Aldous explained. "But you've been here for two weeks now, rent-free. Granted, there is some leeway as a guest regarding how long you can stay rent-free, every place is a little different, but if you're going to stay the winter..."

"You mean... I have to pay rent too?" she asked with widened eyes, realizing the severity of the situation.

"Well, yes, that's how it works," he replied with a nod.

"And... if I don't?" she asked with a hint of worry rising in her voice.

"Umm... well... Technically this place isn't ours, so uhh... should the landlord swing by he may be tempted to uhh... escort you out," he explained, trying not to scare her.

As she heard this, anxiety took her by the heart in a tight grip, reflecting off her expression. True she was no stranger to traversing the unknown. But now that she was being forced into it or faced going back to the street again, it pulled her heart down like an anchor.

"You okay?" he asked, leaning forward and reading her facial expressions. Her body remained stiff, and her face was frozen with paranoia.

Flashbacks of past winters came to her. She had spent most of her early years in the warmer south, but going in alone up here would be borderline fatal. After a moment of staring off, she looked up at him with pleading eyes and spoke with a tone of voice to match.

"Please don't let them take me," she said clinging to him like a scared child. "I don't want to go back out there again."

"Hey now, take it easy. No one is kicking anyone out," he assured trying to comfort her. "This just means we have to find you a job, that's all."

"But I don't know what to do," she replied, sounding both afraid and desperate. "I've never had a job before... What if I'm no good?"

"Nobody is good the first time," he explained with a gentle tone. "This is nothing to be afraid of. If anything, you should be excited about this."

"I should?" She asked looking at him with glassy eyes.

"Yes. It means you're taking the first step toward independence as a functional adult. That's what you wanted, right?" She nodded her head in response without breaking eye contact.

"Well then, let's get you a job," he said with a smile before breaking away to turn around to his desk, grabbing the newspaper.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Looking for the classifieds," he answered, opening the paper.

"Classifieds? Isn't classified stuff secret or something? Why would that be in the paper?" she asked, tilting her head with a raised eyebrow.

"No, no, that's classified information you're thinking of. The classifieds are a section in a news paper that holds local job openings," he explained, chuckling lightly at her mix-up.

He opened the paper wide so they could both see the page together.

"Anything here catch your eye?" he asked taking a glance at her.

"I don't know what any of these things are..." She replied after scanning the sheet.

Aldous took a moment to ponder while looking between her and the paper. He knew she was at least somewhat ignorant of modern life, but it seemed that it ran deeper than he thought.

"Well, a good job should align with your interests. You know, if it's something you like to do you might as well get paid for it, right? So what's something you like to do?"

Placing her finger on her chin, she pondered the question for a moment before answering.

"I like to learn new things. Is there a job for that?"

"Umm... not really," he replied scrunching his face a little at the suggestion. "What else?"

"Well, I uhh... Oh! I like exploring things. Is that one?"

"Mmm, no, not quite," he replied, trying not to crush her passion. "Okay, let's try something else. What's something you're good at?"

"Uhh, that would be learning again," she answered with a point of her finger.

"Well, geez. This is going to be tougher than I thought," he uttered to himself. "Hmmm....oh wait a minute, I have an idea."

"What? What is it?" she asked, a twinkle in her eye.

"I think I know just the place," he said, pressing the tip of his fingernail on a particular listing. She leaned forward and read the label.

"What is a corner store?" she asked while squinting her eyes to see the small text.

"It's like a small shop pretty much," he explained. "A place like that would be perfect for you."

"It's not going to be too hard, is it?" she asked with a squeak in her voice.

"Nah, it'll be a piece of cake for you, I assume. Plus, the owner just so happens to be a family friend. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to take you on board," he assured.

Taking his words to heart she could feel a surge of confidence sweep over her, like a flood gate bursting open washing her away in the moment.

"Alright, I'm ready to try," she said with a clench of her fist and a spark of positive energy in her eyes.

"That's what I like to hear," he remarked, patting her on the back. "Now let's make some phone calls, shall we?"

He struggled to remove the phone from his pocket as it was a bit snug. But after a while, the phone rang, and an elderly female voice was heard on the other end.

"Hello, this is Mike and Barbara's."

"Hiya Barb, this is Aldous."

"Aldous Calihan? Oh my word, it's been so long! It's good to hear from you again! How are you?"

"I'm all good, Mrs. Brown, but actually, I'm calling you regarding your ad. I heard you're looking for an extra set of hands, and I think I know someone who might fit the bill."

"Is that so? Well who is this person? It's not that Jim guy again is it?" She inquired.

"Oh you mean Jimmy Z Walter?" Aldous asked for clarification. "No it's not him. That guy is just... Something else."

"Oh thank goodness, cause that goofball already did a number to my shop yesterday and I had to let him go."

"Oh boy, what did he do this time?" Aldous asked with a light roll of his eyes.

"Let me tell ya, I don't know what goes on in that man's head but I swear I turn around for a minute and he's somehow knocked over and entire shelf, not just the products but the whole shelf itself." Barb explained in a rant.

"Yup that sounds like Jimmy alright." Aldous replied with a light message of his upper nose between his eyes. "Well anyway, I can promise this next guy won't be as much trouble. I got her right here in the room with me actually."

Handing the phone to Krystal she stood there looking down at the phone and then back up at Aldous, feeling butterflies in her stomach all of a sudden.

"Go on now, you got this." he whispered in encouragement.

Clearing her throat, Krystal spoke into the phone with her standard, high-pitched voice.

"Hello? M-my name is Krystal," she began feeling her face turning pink already.

"Krystal? Oh what an adorable name!" Barb replied from the other end.

"Thank you..." Krystal said, twirling her hair around her finger to help with her nervousness.

"So Aldous said you're looking for some work?"

"Yes, please..." Krystal tightened her grip on her hair, feeling like she might explode from how nervous she was.

"Well, if Aldous says you're a good worker I believe it. I look forward to seeing you in person sweetie."

"Okay, I will. Thank you," Krystal replied holding the device with both hands.

After exchanging goodbyes, Krystal set the phone down and saw the proud smirk on Al's face.

"Way to go, Krystal, you're getting your first job."

"Really? It was that easy?" she asked, a little shaky from stress.

"Well, almost. You'll still have to go there in person, and she'll ask you a few questions, but nothing major," he assured.

She held her hands behind her back and looked away before speaking.

"Will you be there with me?" she asked in a nervous tone.

"I'll be there to drop you off, yes. But then I have to leave for work," he explained. "The boss doesn't like it when we show up late."

Her heartbeat picked up slightly as she suddenly felt afraid of doing the interview by herself.

"You're not going to be there with me?" she squeaked, looking back at him with wide, pleading eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Krystal. You can handle it. I know you can," he said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Think of it this way: you went all this time in harsh conditions on your own, right? If you can do that, you can definitely handle a few questions, right?"

She thought about his answer, taking his words to heart. Although she was still intimidated at the prospect, she knew Aldous was right.

"You're right, I can do this."

"That's the spirit," he replied with a sincere smile. "Now let's get out there and get you that job."

The two went to the entrance when Aldous stopped at the closet door.

"Wait a minute," he blurted out. "I forgot to get you proper winter gear..."

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face him.

"Huh? That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

"No, no, just a mild inconvenience." He said, taking the heavy winter jacket and handing it to her. "Here, you take the jacket just in case you need to walk back afterward."

"Walk back? What are you saying?" she asked, a little worried now.

"Well, I don't know if Barb is going to put you to work right away or not. So just in case she doesn't , you take the jacket." He explained. "It's just a short walk from there; I'm sure you can manage finding your way back."

"But what about you?" she asked while sliding her arms into the sleeves while maintaining eye contact.

"I'll be fine; I'll just layer up in hoodies and sweatshirts," he replied, pulling out a gray hoodie from the closet.

"Well... okay, if you say so. I trust you," she said, sounding a little concerned, both for his safety and for the thought of having to walk back on her own.

I'm just five minutes of driving they arrived at the corner store. Looking up at the tall brick building, she felt a second wave of butterflies within her stomach again, stronger this time now that she was here in person.

He could see the worry on her face through the reflection of the window as she stared out. Placing an assuring hand on her shoulder made her jump a little, jerking her back to reality.

"Hey, you got this, Krystal," he reminded. She returned the gesture by smiling back, though her nerves persisted.

He stayed in the car watching her on the tip of his seat as she mustered the courage to take the first steps. Taking a deep breath, she could see her breath in the crisp morning air before stepping inside.

Looking back at the windshield, Aldous gripped the steering wheel with a smile on his face before whistling that eerie tune again.

"I know something you don't know," Beta sang in a sinister tone. Aldous froze in shock at the sudden arrival and felt hesitant to engage. But at the same time, if there was something he didn't know that Beta did, who knows what he would do with that knowledge?

"What? What is it?" Aldous asked, sounding frightened.

"I believe I've solved the case," Beta replied. "The mystery of the homeless girl has been cracked. At last."

"What mystery? What are you talking about?" Aldous asked confused.

"I'm referring to the background of that girl," Beta explained. "Her ignorance of modern living, her inquisitive nature, even her physical appearance. It all points to one thing."

"And that is?" Aldous asked, piqued with interest and concern. Beta opened his mouth to speak but soon relented.

"I mustn't talk now; you have work to do," Beta replied. "Head to the library on your break; I can explain there. There is something you must see."

Beta left Aldous alone again allowing him to ponder what he meant on his way to work.

Meanwhile, in the shop, Krystal looked around nervously, not knowing what to expect. She allowed her anxiety to creep in, feeling lost in the tiny shop.

It was small, but a while new world to her by comparison. She didn't know what to do, where to go or who to speak to, when suddenly a voice called out to her.

"Need help finding anything?" Krystal recognized the voice as the same lady from the phone and quickly whipped her head toward the front desk, seeing an older, darker woman watching her.

She felt like a cornered rabbit, freezing up at the sight of a predator when Barb met her gaze, and the thought of fleeing the scene popped into her head first and foremost.

But since her body didn't want to move, she took a deep breath and confronted her fears before speaking.

"I'm looking for the manager?" she said, stammering her speech. "I called earlier about the job opening?"

"Oh, I remember you!" Barb said with a welcoming smile. "You were that girl staying with Al, aren't you?"

"Yes, that's me..." she squeaked with a little blush again.

"Well, aren't you just the cutest little thing?" Barb added walking around the desk to approach her.

"Thank you..." Krystal mumbled while hugging herself out of nervousness.

"By the way, where is Al? Did he drop you off here?"

"He did, but he said he had to go to work..." Krystal replied, avoiding eye contact, trying to hide her blush.

"Oh, that's so like him," she said with a wave of her hand. "Let me tell you, I've known that boy since he was real little; always the busy bee he is."

Krystal would stand there listening to Barb go on about Aldous and his family for a few minutes before going back to the subject.

"Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Barbara Brown."

"And I'm Krystal." She replied but sure what else to say."

"Well then darling, let's not stall any longer hm?" Barb said leading Krystal to the office.

While Krystal endured the interview, Aldous went about his job, waiting until he could go on break and head to the library.

With a half hours break time Aldous drove off to the library. Upon walking down one of the aisles, he found himself in a secluded area when he felt Beta emerging again.

"Dude, what are you doing? Are you trying to expose yourself?" Aldous whispered, leaning his back against a shelf.

"Hold your nerves, boy; there are very few people here," Beta remarked. "And if you look to your left, you will see that the few readers here have their ears covered. They will not hear us so long as we remain discreet."

Aldous looked over and saw two kids and a parent in beanbag chairs, each with a book in their hands. Sure enough, they all wore wireless headphones, listening to music while they read.

Sighing in relief Aldous regained control and continued the discussion.

"So, what is this big discovery of yours?"

"There is a book here that can explain everything," Beta replied. He turned around and scanning the shelves. "Now, where was it?... Ah, here it is," he said, plucking a thicker book down.

Aldous looked at the blue cover and read the title aloud.

"Origins of Warped Earth? What does this have to do with anything?" Aldous asked confused.

Beta flipped through the pages until he found a favorable passage.

"Right here, read this." Beta whispered.

"'It was told that before the dawn of man lived a race of humanoid beings categorized as 'the ancients.' This again? You gotta be kidding me, Beta."

"Just keep reading," Beta said with a cold snap.

"In modern study, the ancients are often used to explain historical phenomena, such as popular figures like Ranalam the Conqueror or Ayam the Wise, to the formation of long lost political entities like that of the Durogudu Empire. Many scholars believe that the ancients were an inquisitive people, experts in innovation and quick to learn and adapt to the environment and unfamiliar circumstances." He flipped the page to continue.

"For reasons unknown it's become common theory that a select few have been catapulted through time to fulfil specific events that would otherwise change the course of the world. Eyewitnesses claim to have recognized potential ancient visitors by their frail stature, young appearance, and... distinct ear points? Beta, what are you trying to get at?"

"Do you not see it? That girl in your home is an ancient," Beta declared, straightening his posture. Aldous had to put his hand over his mouth to silence his laughter.

"An ancient? Are you serious right now? And here I thought you were going to say she was an alien or something. But an ancient? You gotta be joking!"

"Do I ever joke?" Beta replied with strained eyes and a serious tone. Aldous pulled himself together and wiped a tear from his eye before speaking again.

"That's the best thing I've ever heard from you! You, a level-headed person, resorting to fairy tales to explain the history of some random homeless girl? Oh, that's just rich!"

"Hush, Aldous; you must control your volume before anyone catches you talking with me," Beta said reminding him that they weren't alone this time. "Besides, did not modern historians confirm the existence of the ancients?"

"Yeah, right. Next you're going to tell me the Federation is run by a group of hermits underground. Or that the lost city of Klegan is at the bottom of the ocean," Aldous mocked with an eye roll.

"Put your pride aside and listen to reason for once," Beta mumbled with a cold, stern expression. "That girl is an ancient, and I can prove it."

"How?"

"Think, Aldous; the vast majority of experts say that the description in this book matches the ancient peoples, do they not? And now compare those to Krystal: frail body structure, inquisitive behavior, swift learner, and if you had been paying attention, her ears are pointed, just as the description dictates."

"You're really sticking to this idea, aren't you?" Aldous asked, unsure what to make of the last statement. "Even if those guys were real, and lets say all those historical characters who were thought to be ancients were ancients, no one has seen one of them in hundreds of years."

"Then perhaps the proof is in the pudding," Beta said with a sly tone. "You and I can both agree man does not have pointed ears, do we not?"

"Well, yeah, but that can be chalked up as a deformation." Aldous argued. "I'm sure lots of people are born with pointed ears as a result."

"The formation of a pointed ears is the result of an extra fold of the cartilage along the top part of the ear." Beta explained almost robotic sounding. "These folds are easily spotted should the view be clear. However, this girl doesn't have those."

"She doesn't have the extra fold?"

"Not at all. Her points are as natural as any other part of her." Beta explained holding his hands behind his back.

"I'm still not buying it." Aldous protested moving his hands to his chest in a cross.

"Then tonight, when you and her are together, I will show you her ears as proof, then you will believe. If that is something you are willing to allow that is." Beta said in a challenging manner.

Aldous knew what he was asking for and felt uneasy about giving him control again, even for a small period.

"I don't think so. If she knew about you and me-"

"Forget about how you feel about her opinion," Beta interrupted, speaking a little faster than usual. "I can assure you she will know nothing of my existence, or of our system. If you would allow me a mere five seconds with her, that will be more than enough to show you. Is this or is this not within your ability to grant?"

aldous could feel it in the pit of his gut that this was a bad idea. It would be the first time in a long time that Beta would be permitted to act outside their arrangement, but at the same time it was only five seconds, and he wouldn't be hurting anyone in that time, if he even could in such a short window.

"Oh, and uh, I can promise you that the girl will not be harmed within my allowed time," Beta confirmed as if he was reading Aldous's mind.

After thinking it over Aldous sighed to himself and took a deep breath before responding.

"You get five seconds, and no more," Aldous said in a commanding tone, as if to remind Beta who was really in charge.

"That is all I need, my old friend. That is all I need..."

When the day came to an end, he made his way home and turned on the main lights, expecting to see Krystal reading a book as she usually wpuld. But to his surprise, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Hello? Krystal? You here?" he called out, cupping his hand to his mouth. He walked through the apartment looking for her but found no one.

"Let me guess, you're concerned for her again?" Beta asked all of a sudden.

"Well, yes, I told her to come right back here after her interview," Aldous explained. "I showed her the way there and back so she couldn't have gotten lost... You don't think she's lost again?"

"It is a small town, Aldous. Even someone as ignorant as her cannot lose herself in a place like this," Beta explained.

"You think we should go looking for her?"

"Are you stupid, or deaf Aldous?" Beta asked sounding puzzled. "Look, why waste your time scouring this pipsqueak town when you have the phone number for the woman interviewing her in the first place?"

Aldous looked at the phone and slapped himself on the forehead feeling stupid for a moment before grabbing it.

But before he could make the call, the door opened up behind him.

"Aldous? I'm back," Krystal said, holding the door open.

"Oh, there you are!" he exclaimed turning around to see her. "I thought you would be here after the interview."

"I was going to, but she put me to work right away," she explained with a look of pride on her face while removing the jacket.

"Wait, really? You got the job?" He asked setting the phone down.

"Mhm," she replied with a few nods and a large smile.

"You see Krystal? I knew you could do it. Way to go," he said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

"It's all thanks to you, Al," she replied, wrapping her arms around him in a grateful embrace. "Thank you so much again... I don't know what I would do without you..."

"Of course, Krystal," he said returning the gesture.

She remained in his arms for a minute, keeping her eyes shut as she savored the feeling.

But as they embraced, Beta took his agreed upon five second window to tilt his head in a way so that Aldous could see the side of her head. When Aldous switched back he saw the top of her ear poking out from her hair. To his shock, Beta was right once again; her ear was pointed like that of a fictional character.

When the moment was gone, she broke away and went to her room to rest, leaving Aldous dumbfounded by the discovery.

"Now do you see it, my boy?" Beta asked as soon as the bedroom door was fully shut. "She fits every professional description to date."

Aldous couldn't believe what he had just seen. Her personality and character quirks could be brushed off as individual traits. But seeing those unfolded, pencil-pointed ears opened his eyes to the cold hard reality.

"Oh my gosh... We have an ancient in our house..."