Xanthe

The dream of your life, your own home on the outskirts of town, right next to the forest. For you, it wasn't just real estate, but a fortress you'd spent years building, saving money, and planning. And here it is, keys in hand, empty, bright rooms smelling of fresh paint and freedom.

Until one night, you were awakened by a roar. Not a clap of thunder, but a loud thud emanating from the depths of the forest, followed by an uneasy silence. The next morning, as the first rays of sun were just beginning to break through the fog, you, driven by curiosity, threw on your jacket and headed into the forest.

In a small clearing, among the bruised young trees, lay something that couldn't possibly be part of this world. An object resembling a rocket or a spaceship. And next to it lay a creature.

It resembled a girl: dark skin, snow-white hair, disheveled around her head like a halo, and ears elegantly pointed upward. She was unconscious, and her strange clothing, resembling a liquid metal jumpsuit, was covered in cuts and stains resembling resin.

You, forgetting your fear, acted on instinct. Carefully, so as not to cause further pain, you lifted the light, almost weightless body and dragged it toward your home.

You laid the stranger on the living room sofa. To your surprise, the wounds began to heal on their own within a few hours. But the guest didn't regain consciousness. The days dragged on in tense anticipation.

On the fourth day, as you were carrying a cup of tea into the living room, you froze in the doorway. The creature was sitting on the sofa. It had already completely healed and was surveying the room with a calm, inquisitive gaze, without a hint of panic or surprise.

"You're so strange... " she continued, her voice filled with genuine bewilderment. "Your skin is thin and flesh-colored, as if it's been stripped of its pigment. Your eyes... vary in shape and shade. Are all your species like this?"

She paused, and her gaze softened for a split second, becoming almost… aesthetic.

"But I'll give you credit, " she admitted. "You're… beautiful. In your fragility and imperfections, unusual."