"They fear what they don't know."
Thrashing. That's all she could make of him at first. Thrashing and writhing in panic. When she saw strange bubbles forming on the lake's surface and decided to investigate, she was surprised to find him upon submersion. Roughly ten feet down in the depths, his frantic motions bore the signs of desperation. A crimson cloud had formed around him and his muffled cries became audible as she swam closer. Tentatively tapping on his shoulder, she alerted him of her presence. He jolted in surprise, his face an overwhelming combination of agony and fear. It was only then that he stilled long enough for her to view the grizzly sight. Just below his right knee - camouflaged by the algae-filled floor - the steel teeth of a trap were embedded in his flesh. She recoiled for a moment. Had she not been able to breathe underwater, she would have sputtered from the involuntary gasp that left her lips. How he stumbled upon this predicament was unclear, but she didn't have time to wonder.
"Us, our gifts, as a threat to them."
Cautiously approaching the ensnared limb, she gripped the steel jaws on either side and began to pull. The action earned a pained whimper from him. His cries had grown weak from dwindling energy and lung capacity. A quick glance at his face confirmed this, as well as a look of defeatedness that fell over his features. Perhaps a 9-year-old was not the most reassuring rescuer when in the clutches of death. She started to agree with this sentiment when, at first, the trap didn't budge. After a few yanks, however, the jaws sprang open. The release of blood started to obscure her vision, but she gingerly guided his leg out of the teeth, then hooked her arms under his to pull him to the surface. She pushed him ahead of her as they neared the top, trying to get him to air sooner.
"They can't know who we are, Lena."
As Lena hauled the two of them across the lake, the injured Sao man stiffened in shock. Lena's fins, sprouted subconsciously during the rescue, were visible to him. He began weakly struggling against her, suddenly fearful of his rescuer. Lena let go as if burned. Intense dread washed over her. A splash to her left caused her to whip around towards the source. Another Sao had jumped in to retrieve the man, dragging him the few extra feet to the lake's edge.
Lena glanced up, immobilized by panic, as she surveyed the shore. A small crowd had formed. Those who weren't immediately assisting the man as he was hoisted from the water were staring at her. Too stunned to hide her fins - a fruitless move at this point - Lena could only replay Lex's warnings in her head. She tried to heed his advice: heading home, keeping to herself like any other day. But in her rush to save the man she did not consider the risk of exposure.
Mumbles of "halfbreed" could be heard from the shocked spectators. Finally snapping into action, Lena dove under the surface, propelling herself deep. As she raced away from the scene, Lena became certain of three things:
She was an anomaly on Nodeisi.
She was a red flag for the Nodei.
She was a catalyst for everything that would go horribly wrong.
Lena awoke with a start, heart pounding as the residue of an all-too familiar dream subsided. She kept her head on the pillow, attempting to ground herself. Her eyes scanned the space above her, tracing the lines of the tray ceiling as she focused on her breathing. Once her pulse calmed, Lena glanced at her phone. 3:30am.
Even though it was a full hour before her usual alarm, the CEO decided to rise early for her swim. There was no rest after those dreams, which hadn't happened in over a year.