“Tian! Faster!” he heard Fenix’s scream.

  They ran.

  They wanted to catch, not kill. Every living animal that could survive on the planet, they needed to catch for protection and further breeding. They didn’t need to kill to eat—they ate substitutes.

  What he had managed to read in the materials, translated from the Sect’s documents, allowed them to improve their farming. In the water, the conditions were good. The fish were already in such quantity and without genetic problems that they could eat them. However, not all the water was fine, and other animals…

  The planet was as if broken—the terraforming done so badly, most of the lands had no animals, no plants even.

  Planet Three was as dead as Planet One was after the Disruption.

  Tian was surprised to hear something running free in the woods. But something indeed was there. Two hours ago, the movement had been noticed, and there they were, on the trail.

  He and Fenix went to check it.

  Fenix was great, so petite, and yet she commanded them; her energy was so impressive.

  They ran.

  Why was she so pushy about running fast? They didn’t have to exhaust themselves. She could also learn how to transport, then they would not need to run at all.

  Tian sighed.

  No logic, sometimes, in people’s behavior.

  “Look! Tian! Unbelievable!” Fenix screamed; she sounded very surprised.

  Because, yes, it was surprising.

  It was a dog—a dog! Here, a dog, how was it possible?

  Then, he noticed, Fenix prepared her Ability to strike.

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  “Nooo, Fenix, don’t!” Tian screamed and grabbed her hands. “Don’t, nooo, you don’t kill.”

  “Tian, that’s a dog; it will need to eat meat. We don’t have meat, Tian; we keep animals, but not this kind. You know about it, Tian,” she was talking to him, as if to a small kid.

  But she stopped her attack.

  “I will manage, nooo, Fenix, please,” he asked, using his trick on her—his ‘sad eyes’ look.

  Many fell for it, but not her.

  It caused a spark of anger; Tian noticed it, but then she laughed.

  Fenix made a move to make the dog fall—stroke it to make it unconscious. Not to chase after it any longer.

  They could calm their breaths and talk about what could be next.

  “You should focus on work,” she said, as if Tian being focused only on science would prevent what had happened.

  Tian was nine. He was a kid—no, a few days ago, he was a kid. Now he was not allowed to be one. He needed to use his, as they said, talents. Work, as they said, for the greater good.

  As their future was difficult.

  The Gate was damaged. Their leaders: one disappeared, and the other one closed the camps and threw people out without any food.

  It was only days, but many started to panic.

  Fenix assembled whoever she could, tried to organize it. She said fights would soon start.

  Over food.

  Tian shivered. He was nine—and he wasn’t. He often acted like a kid, Fenix complained. He did it deliberately. It was easier. He didn’t like being treated as a weirdo. He was one. But he didn’t like it when others called him that.

  … A few days, and everything was in chaos.

  “We are soon to be hungry if we don’t find a way. Read what Yura had left before he ran away; we need to find a way to grow crops fast. Tian, just read these papers he left; I have them. They will want to take them back. Dennis, he disappeared, but let me tell you, he soon will find out I took it with me. It won’t be nice.”

  Fenix was serious.

  Tian knew she was right. He knew it.

  “Let’s try, Tian. I promise, later, when we manage with it all, we will use Ability to try to fix it and activate the Gate. Just before, we will need to think about what to do, what to send, and whom to send if it will work, as it certainly won’t be simple. Politics are complicated; I am… all right, why am I saying this about politics to you… but I promise,” she said.

  “You definitely promise?” Tian asked.

  His body reacted with happiness—he snorted. He wasn’t a kid, but his body was still very young. Emotions were swinging.

  Tian wanted the Gate to be open.

  He wanted to meet his water guardian again. If Shadows had bodies like this one, it would have been great. As Tian noticed, he didn’t show it, but he did notice. It was a body, but it wasn’t at the same time. Was what they said about Shadows true, then? Not humans? Or what was it? Tian wanted to know. He needed to meet his water guardian and check.

  Curiosity ran deep in Tian. His brain had to know.

  “Are you nine, Tian?” Fenix suddenly laughed. “In fact, you are. I promise. Tian, I do. Now this dog. Think quickly about how to feed him,” she added.