H is awake. H is awake. H is awake. The words echoed in my mind.

That meant alive. That meant safe and sound. My heart damn near burst out of my chest, fluttering like crazy, like a bird finally set free from its cage. But deep down, I felt this gnawing anxiety, like a knot in my stomach that just wouldn't untangle, threatening to choke me right then and there.

What the heck was I supposed to say to her now? Would she be angry? Sad? What kind of questions would she have? I needed to get to her, make sure she was alright. I needed to tell her I was sorry. I needed to say so many things.

I got to the medical bay as fast as I could, but when I arrived, I found Kate waiting outside Heather's room.

"Have you seen her?" I said, rushing toward the doorknob. Kate slid into my path, blocking my way.

"Slow down, Grace." She said.

"What? Is she okay? Please tell me she is okay!" I said, feeling stressed.

"She is. The doctor told me she was really lucky. The laser only half penetrated because of a metal plaque she had on her ribs." Kate explained.

A wave of relief washed over me. I was definitely starting to see the bright side of the metal prosthesis.

"Thank God. I brought her clothes, a blanket, two towels, some snacks..." I couldn't stop talking; my nerves were the ones speaking.

"Calm down, Grace," I sighed, trying to control myself. "Thanks for the stuff. I'll make sure she gets it." Kate said, gently gripping the handle of my bag.

"What? No way. I'll give it to her myself," I tugged the bag closer to me, hoping Kate would back off. Instead, she took a deep breath and said what I had feared the most.

"She doesn't want to see you."

A sharp pang shot through my chest. There it was. And I understood, I really did. It was something I could have anticipated, but it still hit me like a punch to the gut. Somehow, I had convinced myself that I would get the chance to explain, to make things right. I was sure she had so many questions. But apparently, her anger outweighed any need for answers.

"Listen, I don't know what went down between you two. But she's made it crystal clear. She doesn't want you near her. I'm sorry, Grace," Kate said.

A prick of pain throbbed in my head, and I closed my eyes. I was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. I had waited for this moment all day, afraid of losing her. And now that I was just a few meters from hugging her again, I had to turn and walk away.

"Are you okay?" Kate said, gently putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Seriously, with that stupid question again?" I muttered bitterly.

"Wow, sorry for caring," She said a bit angry.

"Sorry, I... I don't even know how I feel right now..." I covered my face with my hands, trying to alleviate the headache, and dropped the bag to the floor.

"Look, she's upset right now. Give her time. She'll eventually want to see you."

I shook my head. "I'm not so sure. I fucked it up," I said, feeling tears welling up in my eyes again. Kate gave me a searching look, silently asking for more.

"Can you explain what happened?" she said.

I shook my head. "Not now." God, I needed to talk to someone, but it was all too fresh, too raw. I just couldn't bring myself to spill it all to Kate, not yet. After what happened with Mark, how could I trust anyone now?

"Hey," she took a deep breath, waiting until I made eye contact with her. "She's okay. That's what matters now, okay?" Her eyes were kind. I could tell she was hurting too, but in that moment, her focus was solely on easing my pain and she was right. Heather was fine after all; that was the most important thing.

"Did she say anything else?"

"Not much. She's still in a lot of pain. She wasn't really up for talking. You'll have to be patient."

I couldn't bear to imagine her in pain, alone in that room, with no one beside her.

"Please, take care of her," I said, handing the bag to Kate.

"I will," she assured me.

After that, I went back every day, hoping she might change her mind. I brought her more snacks, more clothes... hell, I even snatched one of her plants. But nothing. She shut me out every single time.

A week passed, but the repercussions of the attack remained etched on our faces. Silence and sadness pervaded the atmosphere of all those spaces where we used to have the most fun. The absence of laughter from those who were lost weighed like a millstone around each of our necks. In the training field, flowers of all kinds lay in the place where the bomb had shattered and we added more every day. And then there was Mark. They took him to that Reg prison without even letting us say goodbye and we had no idea what the hell was gonna happen to him.

And as if that wasn't enough, The Reg HQ was back, and they weren't coming empty-handed. They had some big plans for the border. Honestly, thinking about it, it didn't surprise me. They had witnessed the attack firsthand, they were lucky to have survived. So it wasn't surprising that they were planning to retaliate.

But the news had everyone on edge. They were talking about major changes. At that point, I honestly couldn't care less. I mean, what more could possibly go wrong?

That day was when they were supposed to spill the beans about their grand plans. Kate was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, setting up chairs in the Grand Hall and looking nervous as hell. They'd called for a big meeting, and the entire Narval house had to show up.

"It's about time. Hurry up, Grace." Kate said while I reluctantly helped her. The Narval Officers filled the space as the minutes passed.

I was about to look for a seat when a presence behind me caught my attention.

"Hello again," Brooke, the woman from the Reg HQ, stood beside me.

I straightened up, my expression devoid of any emotion. "Hi," I replied curtly.

"Grace, right?" she asked, her tone neutral.

"That's me,"

"How are you, Grace?" It was hard to tell if she was genuinely interested or just being polite. Her half-metallic face made it difficult to read her emotions.

"I'm perfect. Better than ever," I said tersely.

"Sure," she responded with irony.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" I inquired, eager to put an end to the conversation before it even really began.

"I'd like to have a chat with you later. In private. Meet me after the presentation." Her smile felt forced, sending a shiver down my spine. What could she possibly want from me?

"Okay. I'll be here," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Great."

Once everyone had arrived and taken their seats, Brooke stepped onto the microphone. She scanned the people with her penetrating look while her partners Normand and Gabriel stood behind.

"Hello, Officers. Thank you all for being here today, though I wish the circumstances were different." Her voice echoed through the room, cutting through the heavy silence like a knife.

"First and foremost, I want to extend my deepest condolences to each and every one of you for the profound loss we've suffered. The recent attack by the Phoenix group has left a gaping void in our ranks, a void that will never be filled."

Sobbing noises started to fill the air. I looked around, and Laura was crying a few rows behind. Kate was dead serious, hanging onto Brooke's every word and Lea stood off to the side, appearing somewhat uneasy.

"But thanks to this tragic incident, we are more aware of our weaknesses."

Thanks to this incident? Clearly, they needed some serious improvement in the speechwriting department. I let out a sigh of discomfort as Brooke carried on.

"Now we can prevent something like this from happening again. For this reason, it has been decided to remove humans from the border. Starting tomorrow, all of you will be relocated to other jobs in the Reg Society. And a selected group of techno-humans, who are stronger and more prepared, will assume the tasks of the border from now on."

A collective awe struck the silence of the room, followed by an incessant murmur that grew louder with each passing second. I shot a glance at Kate, but her expression wasn't one of surprise; it was disappointment. What the hell? No more humans at the border? Us, relocated to other jobs?

"I know you might have a lot of questions right now but you have to trust that this will be for the common good. Early tomorrow morning, you'll receive your new assignments, and by evening, you'll be on your way to your new destinations. That's all for now. You can start packing your things, and remember, be grateful. This is a new beginning for you all."

Brooke's words cut through me like a knife. Be grateful. Always conveying this idea that we should be content with any leftovers they give us. As If we didn't have the right to live freely. As If our lives were now at the mercy of those who saw fit to dictate our every move.

So, it was over. In just a few hours, we'd be bidding farewell to the Narval House forever. I couldn't wrap my head around it. And what about Heather? What would become of her in all of this?

At the end of the presentation, we all stood up and eyed each other. Everyone seemed equally confused, although I must admit I also saw looks of relief. I had a knot in my stomach that had only grown since the day of the attack. I stood there for a few seconds, waiting for people to move to the rooms. And suddenly, a pair of eyes met mine from across the room. Behind all our nervous colleagues, amidst the whispers and lingering questions that hung in the air, there she was: Heather. My heart raced. Had she already been discharged? She looked different. Her eyes were gray, dimmed like fading embers. Her left hand rested gently on the left side of her stomach, where the bullet had struck. Maybe because it still hurt her. A couple of scars marked her skin, one clean cut on her chin, and another on her forehead. I immediately made my way through the crowd, eager to reach her, but before I could even take a step, Brooke cut in.

"Where are you off to? We've got some unfinished business, remember?" She arched an eyebrow, and damn, she had me. I promised I'd stick around to listen to what bullshit she had to tell me. I glanced over her shoulder, hoping to catch sight of Heather, but nothing. Damn, she left.

"Fine. What's the matter?" I tried to sound calm, but it came off a bit too strong.

"You sure know how to throw your weight around, don't you? Even with people who outrank you. It's quite a trait, whether it's a strong spirit or just plain recklessness." She had this annoyingly philosophical way of talking that grated on me.

"Probably just recklessness," I muttered, not in the mood for her mind games.

She smiled knowingly. "Well, watch your step then."

The way she said that, made my skin crawl. There was something about her, so imposing, so wise, and at the same time scary. I couldn't tear my gaze away from her turquoise techno-human eye, and for a moment, I wondered if any regular human feelings were hiding behind all that metal. Who was she, really?

"Well, Grace, I wanted to see you because I have plans for you," she began.

"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.

"I was very impressed by you the day of the visit and also by your reaction to the attack. I've heard nothing but praise for your unwavering strength and instincts."

What the hell was she talking about? I felt like a complete wreck. Scratch that—I was a complete wreck. It was the first time someone had viewed my impulsivity as something positive.

"I want you to leave with me tomorrow to the Nexus Court. I want you to work for me," she said, catching me completely off guard. What the hell? Working for the Reg HQ? And in the Nexus Court no less: the most important and secretive place on Earth. It was like being offered a ticket straight into the heart of the Reg Society's system.

"What about the new assignment?" I asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"Consider this your new assignment. What do you think?" She asked. 

I mulled over her proposal, but it failed to pique my interest.

"Well, I don't know. What kind of job is it exactly?" I needed more information to evaluate whether this was a potentially positive outcome or a horrible fate. But even if it was the latter, did I really have a choice?

"I need a right hand. Someone from outside. Someone fresh and unaware of all the politics and power struggles within the Reg's higher ranks. I need someone human, but strong and fearless," she explained.

In other words, she needed someone unsuspecting, perhaps naive enough not to fully grasp the intricacies of Reg HQ politics, but who would still be willing to do whatever it took for her. Now I understood why my impulsiveness had caught her attention.

"What if I say no?" I said.

She grinned as if she enjoyed my question. "Then you'd simply be a letdown. That's all."

Our gazes locked. "Sleep on it tonight, and we'll talk tomorrow morning," she said before leaving to join her two partners who were fielding questions from several Narval Officers.

I stood there, rooted in place, feeling like everything was spinning out of control. Now I had to make a decision that could potentially change my life forever, and I had no idea which choice was the right one. And this was my last night at Narval House. Our last night, almost for all of us. Which meant that maybe, it would be my last night with Heather.

I left the Grand Hall and hurried upstairs towards Heather's room.

As I reached for the doorknob, my whole body froze. My hands trembled like leaves in a storm. I could hear sounds from the other side, and I knew she was there. My heartbeat echoed loud in my chest like the beat of an impatient drum. And then, like a sudden collision, that memory hit me again: the tunnel, her eyes brimming with hurt – anger, pain, and sadness – when I aimed that laser gun at her. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to erase that moment from my mind. Heather meant everything to me, and almost losing her made me realize just how deeply I cared. But reality loomed before us. We were different in so many ways. Different priorities, different approaches to life. Could we bridge those differences? Or perhaps the more daunting question: were we even willing to try?

The weight of the things we needed to talk about felt like a dark cloud over the night ahead. It was shaping up to be a long one, I could already tell. That's assuming she even let me in. But time was slipping away, and we didn't have much left.

I just couldn't let her push me away this time. Not after all thoes beautiful moments we shared. For the heartfelt cuddles in her bed, for the fiery kisses we stole in every corner, for the intimate talks at the pool,  for that intense spark that blazed every time our skins met... It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. For all of that, I had to try.

Standing there, feeling as vulnerable as the day I first crossed the border, I took a deep breath and rapped my knuckles against her door. Hoping that whatever happened, my deep feelings for her would shine through the darkness that had crept in between us. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: 

Hey lovely people! 💖So many changes happening all at once, right? Grace and Heather have some serious talking to do. On the other hand, would you accept Brooke's offer if you were in Grace's shoes?

Thanks for being here with me! Your support means everything! Love you all!

Ava 💫