Mysterious Eyes and Unspoken Questions

As Maya took in her surroundings, she couldn't help but notice the old lady staring at her intently. There was something mysterious in the way the woman's eyes bore into hers as if she were trying to unravel a secret. Maya couldn't shake off the feeling that this encounter was no coincidence, that there was something important happening.

Despite the striking resemblance between Maya and the villagers, there was something that set her apart.

The fact that all the villagers resembled Maya but still differed from her means that even though their skin, eyes, lips, nails, and hair were all the same color, they were all different shades from one another.

Some had red, some had brown, others had orange, yellow, lavender, and every other color you can imagine, but only Maya had white color. In fact, she was the only one with long hair; none of them was white.

"Hui ev'u prude mniez ku ne fega," Vuleni asked Maya a question.

"Ye lume Maya'e, kha ne yu sij nlo v'ei ka," Maya replied.

“What language are they speaking in, am I hearing something else? And how is Maya responding to her?” Daehyun inquired, who believed his mind wasn't functioning properly after being hit by a rock.

"Keep quiet! Don't you remember the time when she spoke Korean for the first time with us? She said she had the power to understand languages and she can learn them on point," Jaena whispered, still very frightened by what just happened.

Maya went back to her friend and convinced them that everything was fine.

Seola leaned forward with a furrowed brow, her eyes fixed on Maya. "What did she say to you? And what did you tell her?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

Maya's lips curved into a small smile as she recalled the encounter. "She asked me where I've been all this time, and how I found my way here. She even asked for my name. But something about her demeanor was off. It was as if she wasn't expecting me to show up so soon," Maya explained, her words hanging in the air with a sense of mystery.

Seola's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean? Was she angry or something?"

Maya shook her head. "No, it wasn't like that. It was more like...shock. But in a good way. I could tell from her body language," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

As the group fell into a hushed silence, they all sensed something different about Maya. There was an air of intrigue and mystery about her that they couldn't quite put their finger on.

Maya herself was overwhelmed by the realization that there were countless creatures just like her in this world. But even in a sea of lookalikes, she couldn't help but feel that she stood out. Nevertheless, the thought of all the potential friendships she could make filled her with a sense of excitement and wonder. For the first time in a long time, she no longer felt alone.

As Vuleni beckoned them into her cabin, Maya turned to her friends, "She's inviting us in, let's go." As they stepped inside, Maya was struck by the oddity of the place. It was like a scene from a bygone era, reminiscent of the 17th and 18th centuries, yet strangely familiar.

As they entered, they were met with stares that made them feel like cockroaches under a microscope. Maya's friends were visibly on edge, some more so than others. With no common language, Maya had taken on the role of translator.

Leader 3 stood tall and demanded, "Who are you all? And why have you come here?"

Maya grinned mischievously and replied, "He's asking why you all, with your alien looks, have graced us with your presence?"

Minho was taken aback, "Aliens!? They're all aliens!" he blurted out, unable to believe that he was being addressed by creatures, not of this world.

Maya took offense, "Excuse me, sir! You also called me an alien! How dare you!" She grabbed a nearby spoon and chucked it at Minho, who ducked just in time.

Leader 2's deep voice boomed, "What is going on here? Why is this Trouble yelling? Did he say something bad about us? And why did you throw a spoon?"

Maya quickly explained, "No, no, no! He just said he's hungry!"

Leader 3 interjected, "Our cooks will prepare food for you. Just answer our questions."

Leader 4, curious about Daehyun's glasses, asked, "What is this thing in this man's eyes? Why did he put the glass on his eyes?"

Maya knew who he was talking about and decided to have some fun. "Oh, they're saying he looks like a clueless fool with no common sense at all," she teased, pointing at Daehyun.

Daehyun, a psychology graduate, was shocked, "Wh-what fool? Who? Me?" He was at a loss for words, while Jaena was howling with laughter.

Maya leaned forward, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "Do you know who we are?" she asked with a sense of urgency.

Vuleni paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before answering. "We call ourselves Ucans," she said, her voice soft and sweet, almost musical.

Maya's mind raced, trying to make sense of this new information. "Ucans," she repeated, her face brightening with recognition. "I like that name. It's nice to know that our being has a name."

The word seemed to roll off her tongue, filling her with a sense of belonging. She couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at this new discovery, as though she had just unlocked a hidden piece of herself.

The leader then contacted the popular kids' village after speaking with Maya and her friend from hell, to show them around their community and offered them a tour. Even Maya appeared to be unreliable in their eyes, so they were very apprehensive about trusting these Troubles.

But, when the Vuleni ordered them to refrain from saying or acting negatively towards them, their actions and thoughts came to a complete standstill. As Maya trusted her friends and Vuleni had something on her mind, there was no issue for Vuleni.

No human had ever come near their town before; forget about going inside, and this was the first time someone from the outside who looked like them entered. As a result, it was challenging for them to trust the "Troubles" in their area.

Maya enjoyed the lighthearted banter and felt comfortable around her lookalikes. She found herself on cloud nine in a new, enigmatic place where she could finally let her guard down and exist without the constant need to conceal her true self. She was ecstatic to have found her place in the world.

However, an unsettling feeling crept over her as she pondered what her future may hold and what underlying motive lay behind her transformation. Were the intentions pure, or had she unwittingly entangled herself in a web of impending trouble?

The answers remained shrouded in mystery, leaving Maya to wonder if she had made a grave mistake or not in embracing this new reality. Were these creatures bad or good? She needed answers, now.