Pod
[Kuoh, Japan - Sixteen Years Ago]
The Hayado family had always been ordinary. A humble household in a quiet neighborhood—nothing special, nothing remarkable. Mr. Hayado worked as an accountant. Mrs. Hayado taught at the local elementary school. Their son, Issei, was two years old and already showing signs of being… energetic.
Everything changed one autumn night.
Mr. Hayado had been driving home late from work when he saw it—a streak of light cutting across the sky, burning brighter than any shooting star. It crashed into the forest just outside town with a sound like thunder.
Curiosity and perhaps something deeperdrove him to investigate.
What he found would change their lives forever.
A crater, still smoking. And in the center, a spherical pod made of material he'd never seen before. It was damaged, cracked, but still intact enough to protect what lay inside.
A baby.
No more than a few months old, wrapped in strange cloth, with a small furry tail curled around his waist.
Mr. Hayado should have called the authorities. Should have reported the crash. But when those tiny eyes openeddark, innocent, aware in a way no infant should be
he couldn't do it.
He picked up the child and brought him home.
Mrs. Hayado: (cradling the baby, tears in her eyes) "He's so small… where did he come from?"
Mr. Hayado: "I don't know. But I don't think anyone else should know either. If the government finds out about him, about that pod Thats over thier
They shared a look of understanding.
Mrs. Hayado: "Then he's ours. We'll raise him as our own."
Mr. Hayado: "And what about his tail?"
Mrs. Hayado: (examining it gently) "We'll keep it hidden. Tell people it's a birth defect if they see it. But mostly… we just keep it wrapped up."
The baby who they would name Andrew made a soft cooing sound, his tiny hand gripping Mrs. Hayado's finger with surprising strength.
Mrs. Hayado: (smiling) "Welcome home, Andrew."