The city appeared grayer than ever. Since the incident at the border, I had been assigned to patrol routes for three days in a row now, far from Heather and the Narval House. It felt odd to me because before the chaos erupted I had barely started to work at the border. So why this sudden change in my assignment? Was it to keep Heather and me separated? My mind couldn't stop pondering these questions every moment, and despite being surrounded by bustling streets, I felt more alone than ever.

I observed the people chatting, shopping, and strolling around. The Reg Society imposed a strict lifestyle, yet it was undeniable that most people managed to carry on and find a semblance of happiness. Or so I thought at the time.

I already knew every corner of that city, all the streets and shops and it was funny to think how profoundly chaotic and unorganized it seemed to me when I came for the first time. I had even gotten lost once. But that was over. Now, the city seemed even smaller to me, and I could perceive every tiny change. In recent days, I noticed that the Techno-humans were more present, and the kids had undergone more visible 'improvement procedures,' as they called it.

I walked into a park, and as I meandered through the pathways, my attention was drawn to a group of kids near the playground. Among them, a girl caught my eye. She was wearing a prosthesis on her neck and was going down a big slide with a wide smile. Nearby, a boy swung from the monkey bars with incredible speed and agility, thanks to the prostheses on both of his arms. It shocked me to realize it didn't affect me at all. I had already gotten used to it, and sometimes I felt more taken aback when I saw regular kids with no prostheses.

As time passed, my days on the other side had become a distant memory—just hazy images straight out of an apocalyptic movie. It was intriguing to think that my parents were once against this living system. I would have given anything to have the chance to chat with them about it, now that I was older. This place certainly wasn't the ideal choice, not the life I would have envisioned for myself. But, strangely enough, it was the only place where human life felt more bearable. Now that I had managed to carve out what I could call life, I came to realize that the alternative of staying outside was downright reckless, especially when considering having kids, just like my parents did. What would they have thought of me? Would they have understood my point, or would they have felt I was betraying them?

But I tried not to overthink it too much and I decided to visit Erik at his apartment. When I got there, he was in the middle of cooking lunch. He opened the door wearing a flowery patterned apron, and the smell that wafted from the kitchen was absolutely tantalizing.

"Hope you're hungry because I miscalculated the quantities, and there's way too much food," Erik said, stirring a red sauce with vegetables on the stove. Another pot sat next to it, and Erik danced between both, adding more spices and stirring again.

"I came at the perfect time. It's like you knew I was going to drop by; I'm really hungry, to be honest," I said, eyeing the food. "This smells delicious, what is it?" I asked curious.

"One of my favorite dishes, an Indian classic - chana masala with rice," he explained proudly.

"Oh wow, I must've forgotten you were a culinary wizard!" I exclaimed, inspecting the pot with wide-eyed enthusiasm.

"Well... on the other side, there wasn't much to cook. I couldn't expand my talent," he said with a grin. I smiled back at him. Being with Erik always made me feel at home. He was the only one who knew both sides of me: the Grace that grew up on the other side and the Grace that had established herself in the Reg Society. Only he was able to see me in full, and that was something truly special.

"By the way, I have some news about the message we sent... Wait here," he said and left for his room. A moment later, he came back with a small device featuring a screen and an antenna.

"Do you see this?" he said, pointing to the screen. It displayed a wireframe resembling those heartbeat monitors in hospitals.

"I do," I said, a bit confused. On the screen, the wireframe showed a lot of waves.

"Do you know what those peaks are?" he asked, unable to contain a wide smile across his face.

"No," I answered.

"Every peak represents each time someone intercepted our message on the other side," I explained, taking a more careful look at the screen. There were numerous peaks. Now, I was starting to get it.

"So, it worked!" I exclaimed with excitement.

"It did!" he confirmed.

"But wait, I don't understand. Can we tell if Michael got the signal?" I asked, feeling nervous.

"We can't. But there's something interesting in this graphic... See these five peaks one after the other here?" he pointed out.

"What are they?"

"They come from the same location. That means whoever got that signal intercepted it five times. All the other peaks are just one time per location, but this person listened for five times in a row... Maybe I'm being delusional, but I believe this is Michael," Erik explained.

"That's... I can't believe it. If that's true... Oh my god," I stumbled over my words and felt my eyes fill with tears. Erik came straight to me, wrapping his arms around me in a warm embrace. When I felt him, I couldn't contain my emotions, and tears streamed down my face.

"I'm so stupid, we don't even know if it's him or not, and look at me," I said, wiping away my tears.

"You're not stupid, Grace. I cried like a baby as well when I saw it. Just the possibility—it's so comforting," he said.

I remained in Erik's arms for a couple of seconds, letting it all out. In that moment, I realized how much I needed that cry. I had been under so much distress, and it felt so relieving to finally let everything go in the comfort of a good friend, or rather family because Erik was that—a cherished family to me.

We started eating, and her dish felt like the perfect ending to that day. For the first time in the last few days, I felt lively and positive, and each spoonful of that chana masala made me feel more comforted with the idea that everything was going to be fine as long as we were together.

Suddenly, before we could dive into dessert, Erik's reg bracelet vibrated, and when he took a look at it, his face shifted.

"What's the matter?" I asked, scooping up the last bit of sauce on my plate.

"It's a message from work, the radio station. Apparently, they need me to go in a hurry," he said, a bit confused.

"Oh, okay. Like, right now?" I questioned.

"Yes, it looks like it's urgent, but that's odd," he mentioned while reaching for his coat.

"Okay, so you're leaving. I'll go with you," I suggested.

"No, no, please, you stay here and eat the dessert. You can't abandon the ship without experiencing the marvel that is my chocolate coulant," he insisted with a mischievous grin.

"See you soon, then," I said as he sprinted to the door.

"Love ya," he called out before the door closed, and he disappeared. I turned my attention back to the chocolate coulant, took a bite, and OH MY GOD, it was incredible. Solid on the outside but creamy and fluffy on the inside—exactly everything you expect from a good coulant. Erik was a genius.

After that, I returned to my patrol routes, and once I had finished, I came back to the Narval House. Everything was very different since the incident. Everyone was more alert and disciplined. I missed the lively chatter in the dinner area and the hallway gossip. Everyone seemed tense and quiet. Besides, I hadn't seen Heather in three days, except for a couple of brief encounters. I was desperate to see her; I missed her so much, and there were too many things we needed to talk about that were already piling up. I knew she didn't have a night shift today, so I went down to the pool to see if she was in her usual hiding place.

The pool area was dimly lit, and the soothing sound of water echoed through the space. I scanned the surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of Heather. As I approached the edge of the pool, I noticed a silhouette in the far corner, sitting with her feet dipping in the water.

"I expected to see a speedlight swimmer," I said, trying to inject a bit of humor into the somber atmosphere. Heather turned her gaze towards me and attempted a smile that didn't quite make it.

"I just wanted to relax, no energy for speedlight swim today," She said, her eyes reflecting a hint of fatigue.

"Are you okay? It's been a while... I missed you," I said, taking a seat next to her and dipping my feet into the pool. Heather remained silent, her gaze fixed on the shimmering surface of the pool.

"I've been dealing with a lot," she replied, her voice distant. "The border incidents, the Techno-humans coming, and... other things." She paused and I wondered if by "other things" she meant us.

"Not sure if you're aware, but my position as a lead is hanging by a thread," she said.

"I'm really sorry, Heather. That sounds like nonsense," I said, placing my hand gently on her thigh.

"Now, with all the stolen data from the electric tower, I have no idea what we're going to do," Heather explained.

"Stolen data?" I asked, surprised by this new information.

"Yes, we didn't want anyone to find out, but on the night of the flood, someone broke into the electric tower and stole a bunch of data," she explained. "We are not telling it because we suspected it might be one of us, and we want the thief to believe they're in the clear."

A freezing cold sensation invaded my veins as my mind rushed back to that night when I caught Mark in the electric tower. He never told me what was he looking for as I left when the border alarm blared. Could it really have been him? Heather picked up on my concern and locked eyes with me.

"Because... you don't know anything, right?" she asked, curious. My heart started racing, and I felt a tremor taking control of my hands. What should I do now? Tell the truth and expose Mark, or lie to her again?