Chapter Text
The sun shines brightly at its highest point on an old red car, rolling through the narrow dirt roads leading to a small village, hidden by the towering oaks growing in the area.
The car, the standard size of a Beetle, offers little comfort to the two passengers. However, being the first car they bought with their savings, they don't mind. They've even named it after their little dog, Lady, whom they couldn't bring along. It was also nicknamed 2024 PT5, after the asteroid that orbited Earth between September and November.
The driver, the older of the two brothers, is a young adult with tanned skin, striking blue eyes, a bright smile, and dark brown hair nearly black, accented by a prominent green streak. He wears a white shirt and denim pants.
As the radio plays in the background, the “responsible” co-pilot, seated behind him, is scrolling through Instagram reels before they completely lose connection to the outside world. Dressed in a gray shirt and black polka-dot shorts, he has grayish eyes and hair of a matching tone.
“Put down that phone already, and you complained when I did the same thing!” The tanned driver tries to snatch the phone from the other's hands, but fails.
“If you keep doing that, you're going to crash! And we don’t even know if there’d be an ambulance nearby. We’d be stranded in the middle of nowhere.”
“Don’t be so dramatic; we’re almost there.”
“Me, dramatic? Look who’s talking. Earlier, you were saying we might not make it in one piece just because ‘my hands are tired.’ And that was barely 15 minutes into the drive.”
“Water under the bridge. Besides, weren’t you the one who said you loved nature? Weren’t you the one who suggested going to a remote place? This is practically a horror movie setup, where the protagonists camp in an inescapable spot. Only here, it’s a one-year volunteer program,” he added with a smirk.
The co-pilot chuckled. “Oh, it really does feel like I’m about to kill you in this tiny town. Nah, but that’d be too much effort for nothing.”
“What do you mean, for nothing?! Let me tell you, I’m worth a lot! You don’t know how many people would pay to have me.”
“Sure, at most, a hundred bucks for you, if I’m being generous.”
“What?! I’m pretty sure just one of my kidneys costs more than that pitiful amount.”
“Relax, I’m not selling you anytime soon. But why are we driving so absurdly slowly? I feel like we’ve seen the same scenery for hours. I’m starting to think a turtle would get there faster than you.”
“Excuse me, Your Highness, I’m trying to keep us alive in Lady, who looks like she could fall apart at any moment. And besides, we’re almost there, so put on your best face and look presentable for the others.”
“Ha, I didn’t think you’d seriously name this car.”
“Of course, I would. We bought it with our hard work,” he replied, then switched to a more serious tone. “No jokes, we’re really about to arrive, and I need you to clean up the back and front. First impressions are what count the most.”
“Okay, Mom,” the co-pilot teased, laughing as his brother grew annoyed at the remark. Processing the information more carefully, he exclaimed, “Wait, seriously? How close are we?” He moved between the seats to get a better view of the road, squinting to spot some distant brown houses and a sign that read “Welcome.” A big smile spread across his face, excitement coursing through him.
The gray-haired brother began cleaning up the back, dusting off snack crumbs and collecting wrappers into a plastic bag.
Within minutes, the car reached the entrance of the town, where a young man with chestnut hair—shining reddish-orange in the sunlight—stood waiting. He wore a T-shirt with an alien design, shorts, and emerald-green eyes. He greeted them enthusiastically with a wide smile, waiting until they stopped in front of him.
The driver quickly got out of the car to greet him properly, while the one in the back was still fixing his hair, not having had enough time before they arrived. Despite this, he managed to catch the latter half of the red-haired man's introduction.
“Welcome to our village! We’re so happy to have you here. I’m sorry Sol couldn’t meet you right now, but he’s tied up with a few things at the moment,” he said warmly. The stranger continued, “My name is Mars, and I’ll take you to where you’ll be staying.”
The older brother nodded slightly, replying, “Thanks so much for your courtesy, Mars. But I don’t think we’re that tired yet, so I’d like to ask if you could show us around the place. Oh, almost forgot—my name’s Earth, and this is my little brother, Luna.”
Luna, seeing no need to introduce himself, simply shook Mars’ hand and climbed back into the car, blushing slightly at the nickname. The others quickly followed, but Mars decided it would be easier if he drove. Earth, a bit surprised at the trust of this near-stranger, let it slide and got in.
Luna noticed the surroundings: old but large houses painted in vibrant colors, some adorned with beautiful murals bearing a carved "U" at the bottom of each, sparking his curiosity about their creator. Across the cobblestone street hung papel picado decorations, reflecting the cheer of the locals.
As they got comfortable and moved along, a small conversation arose between the two in the front. “It’s been a long time since anyone signed up for this exchange program. Not that it’s bad—on the contrary, I’m glad. Not much changes around here, so meeting new people is exciting,” Mars said, his gaze fixed on the road. “I get why many people turn it down—being far from home, the limited internet connection, and so on. So, I’m curious—what made you decide to come?”
The question briefly took Earth back in time, his eyes clouding with a hint of regret, his shoulders tensing as if bearing a weight. But in a single blink, his expression shifted, hope shining in his eyes. With a relaxed tone, he replied, “I needed an escape. You start to feel stifled after so long in one place. Plus, this will help me meet new people.” He glanced back to see his brother marveling at the surroundings, oblivious to their conversation. “Sometimes you just need to reconnect with nature, take a breath, a little break.” Turning back, he asked curiously, “What’s the community like here?”
“Everyone’s very friendly. Most of us have known each other since we were kids. Many of our parents left to seek better futures, leaving us in the care of Sol, Saturn, and Jupiter—though the latter has become a bit distant, so you might not see him much. Some people may seem tough, but they’re really soft inside. Don’t worry. And if you ever run into trouble, I’m here to help.” As he finished speaking, Mars turned right and parked in a driveway. “We’ve arrived.”
The house was newer than the others they’d seen, with three stories painted in turquoise shades. The exterior of the first floor featured a horizontal line of painted handprints crossing multiple windows.
The three young men quickly got out. Earth and Moon moved to the trunk to grab their luggage—three suitcases, two large and one small. Mars approached to help, but they declined. In a few steps, they found themselves in front of a large wooden door, which opened to reveal a figure behind it, greeting them warmly.