Fallen Sky

Chapter 6 - Stone Nation

**Unknown POV:**

We knew something had happened. Two days ago, there was a loud bang—one that echoed through the valley, sending the birds scattering from the trees. The ground trembled beneath our feet, and the sky flashed with a brightness that none of us had seen in years. But we didn’t know what it meant. Not until now.

I had been scouting the borders, checking the traps we’d set near the stream when I saw them—four of them. Kids. They were huddled around the water, their clothes worn, their faces gaunt and exhausted. It was clear they had come from somewhere far, somewhere dangerous.

The Spaceborne.

We’d heard of them, whispers carried on the wind. The descendants of those who escaped to the stars during the Great Fall, abandoning Earth as we knew it. But I never thought I’d see them here, in our lands. And yet, there they were—scared, desperate.

I was about to turn back when one of them—a girl—caught my eye. She didn’t run like the others. No, she stayed. She stood tall, her eyes fierce, daring me to move. There was something about her, something different. She was brave, strong, even in her fear.

For a moment, neither of us moved. My grip tightened on my spear, but I knew I wasn’t going to use it. Not on her. Slowly, I lowered the weapon, meeting her gaze for a heartbeat longer before she turned and disappeared into the woods.

I stayed rooted to the spot for a moment, my mind racing. I had to tell the leader. They needed to know the Spaceborne had arrived. But why? Why were they here, after all these years?

I made my way back through the dense forest, my thoughts swirling with questions I couldn’t answer. The branches clawed at my arms as I hurried, the sounds of the forest swallowing me whole. When I reached the camp, the familiar sight of our people moving through the clearing settled some of the tension in my chest. But not all of it.

The leader would know what to do. He always did.

I found him in his hut, sitting by the fire with his usual calm. Xavier looked up when I entered, his sharp eyes immediately noticing the urgency in my step.

"Luka?" he asked, his voice low but commanding. "What is it?"

I stepped forward, my heart still pounding from the encounter. "There are people. Kids, just past our borders, by the stream. They look… scared. Hungry. They’re the Spaceborne."

Xavier’s expression shifted, though he didn’t seem surprised. "The Spaceborne?" he repeated, his voice thoughtful.

I nodded, my mind still reeling. "Why are they here? I don’t understand. What would bring them down from the sky? Why now?"

For a moment, Xavier was silent, staring into the fire as if the flames held the answers. Finally, he looked at me, his expression grave. "I don’t know why they’re here, Luka. But it doesn’t matter. We need to protect them."

"Protect them?" I asked, unsure if I’d heard him right. "But… they’re in Stone Nation territory. They’ll be dead within a day if they’re found. Why would they trust us? We’re Grounders to them."

Xavier’s gaze darkened, his face hardening with resolve. "Exactly. Stone Nation won’t hesitate. They see any outsiders as threats, even kids. If we don’t intervene, those children won’t stand a chance."

I swallowed, my mind racing. He was right. The Stone Nation was ruthless, a tribe that thrived on brutality and war. If they found the Spaceborne, it wouldn’t end well.

"I’ll take care of it," I said, my voice steady. "But what do we tell them? How do we convince them to trust us?"

Xavier rose to his feet, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We’ll offer them what they need—safety, food, water. Show them that not all of us are their enemies. They’ve come to our world now. They’re no longer above us in the sky. Here, they’ll have to learn how to survive."

I nodded, understanding the weight of what he was asking. This was bigger than just protecting a few kids. This was about the future—about whether or not the Spaceborne could find a place in the world they had abandoned. But first, we had to keep them alive long enough to figure that out.

As I left the hut, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the camp. My steps quickened as I headed back toward the stream, the urgency of the situation pressing down on me. I had to move fast. The Stone Nation was close, too close for comfort.

The Spaceborne had no idea how dangerous this world was. They thought Earth would welcome them home, that the ground would be their salvation. But they were wrong. The Earth had changed in ways they couldn’t imagine.

And now, I had to make sure they survived it. Even if that meant risking my life to get them away from Stone Nation. Even if they never trusted us.

We would have to save them anyway.

Because, in the end, they were as much a part of this world as we were now.

And there was no going back.