Stellar Hearts: Lost in Seoul

Chapter 7: "Beneath the Surface"

Chiquita's POV

I've always loved the thrill of doing something sneaky, but this? This feels like I've stepped into a whole new world.

Asa and I are crouched behind a stack of metal crates outside the engineering building, waiting for the security guard to walk past. She's been scanning the area, eyes flicking from one corner to the next, calculating every move. Her expression is all business, but I can tell she's a little nervous. I mean, I am too. This whole "stealing a part from a top-secret engineering lab" thing is kind of... terrifying.

I glance over at her, watching the way the moonlight catches her hair, making her look like she's stepped out of a sci-fi movie. How is she so calm?

"Everything okay?" I whisper, my voice barely a murmur against the cool night air.

She turns to me, eyes softening for a split second before the mask of focus returns. "Yeah. Just... stay close. Don't make any noise."

I roll my eyes. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm practically invisible when I want to be."

She smirks, but it's quick, like she's trying not to let herself be distracted. Her smile disappears as soon as she turns her attention back to the guard patrolling the building. "This isn't like your usual escapades, Chiquita. If we get caught, there's no talking our way out of this."

"I know, I know," I say, my voice barely a breath. "But you didn't have to bring me here if you thought I'd screw it up."

She glances at me, her eyes lingering for just a second longer than necessary. "You're not screwing anything up. I just... I don't want you getting hurt."

That hits me like a lightning bolt. It's weird hearing her say that. Asa, the alien who's been on her own for as long as she can remember, worrying about me? It doesn't make sense. But I don't say anything. Instead, I reach over and give her hand a quick squeeze.

"I'm tougher than I look, remember?"

She doesn't answer, just nods and gives me that look. The one where she's trying to keep it together.

And then, like that, we're off. We sprint across the darkened courtyard, keeping low to the ground, my heart pounding in my ears. Every footstep feels like it's echoing louder than the last, but we make it to the door, hidden behind a service entrance. Asa pulls out a small tool from her bag, something shiny and sleek, and in seconds, she's working on the lock.

I lean against the wall, glancing over my shoulder, but no one seems to be around.

"This is crazy," I mutter. "You're really going to fix your ship, huh?"

Asa doesn't answer, but I see her shoulders stiffen.

"I don't have a choice," she finally says, her voice low. "If I don't fix it soon, I'll—"

"Vanish," I finish for her.

She doesn't look at me, but her hands falter for just a moment before she continues to work the lock. It's like she's holding her breath, like she's trying to pretend that the world isn't about to fall apart.

The door clicks open.

Asa's POV

The rush of adrenaline is both exhilarating and terrifying. We've done it. We're in.

The lab is quiet. I can hear the hum of computers, the soft whirr of machines in the background. But we don't have time to explore. The part I need is on the far side of the lab, locked in a secure storage cabinet. I know exactly where it is because I've been here before, studying the layout of the building from a distance.