10.

**CHAPTER TEN.**

“What about you, Amanda?” The guy next to Caitlyn asks and I figure he's Amanda's survival coach.

Amanda sighs like she's given up, “Lost, Micheal,” she replies and I note the guy's name. He also hands Amanda a tablet—Unlike Caitlyn he doesn't toss it, before joining her on the floor to explain things to her.

“You’ll need to learn how to navigate the terrain, locate water sources, and avoid dangerous areas,” Caitlyn repeats, crouching beside me and pointing out different markers. “These are safe zones,” she taps a few green spots on the map, “and these—well, let’s just say you don’t want to hang around here unless you’re looking for ways to end up on one thousand ways to die on planet Xyriel.” The red zones she taps look like death traps.

I try to focus, but my attention drifts across the room to where Xyriel—the guy—is sitting, completely isolated. He’s staring at his watch with an expression that makes me wonder if he’s memorized the entire map already.

Caitlyn doesn’t miss a beat. She taps the map harder, bringing my attention back. “Focus, Ophelia. You don’t want to wander into alien hellholes because you’re daydreaming about Mr. Mysterious over there.”

My face heats up, and I glare at her. “I wasn’t daydreaming. I was thinking about how weird it is that a schizophrenic guy is going on this mission with us.”

“Uh-huh,” she says, standing up with a knowing smirk. “Well, whether you trust him or not, you’re all going to have to work together. This isn’t a solo mission.”

“It might as well be.”

“Try talking to him,”

“How do you think I know he's crazy? I've tried.”

Caitlyn gives me a look. “Maybe, try again. Get to know him. I heard he got along well with those at his prison ward. Even the guards spoke well of his mannerisms — a bit withdrawn from reality, but he's helpful.”

Great. I sigh in defeat. “Fine! I'll try talking to him again. Happy now?”

She passes me a wink and leaves to wherever. At least she leaves the tablet with me. Amanda is still busy learning how to read the map, with Micheal by her side, that I'm almost certain she doesn't see me leave to go join Xyriel at his corner.

“Do you need some help?” I ask him as I make myself comfortable on the floor next to him.

He glances at me, his amazonite-colored eyes reflecting my own face back at me. It’s unsettling, but I ignore the awkwardness. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me?”

I gently rub my forehead, offering a sheepish grin. “I don’t remember saying that.”

“I heard your conversation at the cafeteria with that other lady. You think I'm crazy, said I speak like one. You disrespected my choice of breakfast just because I don't eat any animal produce unlike you earthlings. You even think I'm a guy with schizo, a walking landmine who can easily snap,” he says, voice sharp but calm, and it's the most I've heard him speak in one breath.

However, what bothers me is the fact that he heard the conversation between Caitlyn and I, when, I know for a fact that, he was sitting so far away from us. Besides, I didn't even raise my voice when speaking. His hearing must be super good. “I didn't mean to say that. Um…I'm sorry, I guess?”

He shrugs, turning his attention back to the map on his wristwatch. “It’s fine.”

The silence between us stretches on for a moment, and I fidget, unsure of what to say next. Finally, I ask, “So, how’s the map reading going?”

Xyriel gives a small, almost amused smile that lights up his face. “It’s funny.”

“What’s funny about it?”

“The map. It's not the correct map of the planet.”

Oh, right, for a minute I almost forgot this dude is unstable. “It’s not?” I decide to entertain him.

He hums, glancing at me again. He stretches out his hand then nudges his head towards the tablet I'm holding. I hand it over to him immediately, curious. He holds the tablet in a position which makes it easier for the both of us to see it clearly as he begins to zoom in to some area of the map, focusing on the ones marked with green dots — the one Caitlyn declared as the safe zones. “These places are not what they seem. My elder brother, Xykel, drew this map after over a hundred years of exploring our planet, and this isn't how I remember it. The places with green dots are the parts that are dangerous for humans.”

Xyriel keeps on amusing me. First, it was the story about eggs hatching and now stories about how hundred years ago his elder brother drew a map that's supposedly meant to be of a planet that was just recently discovered.

“You don't believe me, right?” He asks after I don't give him any response.

“I do,” I lie. “Actually, tell me more about the map and where you're from.”

He smiles, showing off the two puddles in his cheeks which helps brighten up his face. It's a pain that such a really handsome guy just happens to be mentally unstable. “My planet is called Xyriel.”

“Oh, the one we're heading to?” I ask.

He nods enthusiastically. “Yes. It's named after me.”

“What does Xyriel look like?” I decide to keep entertaining him. At least hearing his fake stories is way better than reading the map that only manages to keep riling me up.

“It's way different from earth,” he replies. There's a look on his face. Something fond as he speaks. “Xyriel is way more colourful than earth is. Our clouds aren't blue both at night and in the evening, they're like the northern poles, but even more colorful.”

“Like the rainbow?”

“Yes, like the rainbow!” His energy is like a baby as he speaks. “But brighter, and at night it's littered with huge stars. We have multiple moons in Xyriel also.”

“How many?”

“Like a million.”

“I see.”