The vibration of the earth under my feet. The buzz of the drones. Blood stains. A shout. A shoot. I woke up covered in sweat. My lungs shrinking in on themselves. The air, gone and I choke. I clenched my fists furious at myself, furious at my uncontrolled body that seemed to rebel against me. Not a single night's rest. Not. A. Single. One.

Brooke who was sleeping beside me, woke up due to the fuss.

"Again?" She said with sleepy eyes, then she left the bed and took a pill from a little container inside her pocket's jacket, which was hanging from a chair. She handed it to me along with a glass of water.

I could barely talk. I took the pill and swallowed it right away. Brooke sat next to me waiting patiently and placing a hand gently on my back. After a couple of minutes, I began to notice the effects. The pressure in my chest was fading, and my crazy heart returned to its normal speed. I took a deep breath that felt like the most precious thing of the world. Never take anything for granted and I collapsed backward to the bed. Because seriously, thoes attacks left me drained.

Brooke lay alongside me, resting her head on her hand and observing me. "What did you dream about this time?" She asked.

"I don't remember." I said although I did remember.

"I hope this has nothing to do with the visit to The Orb the other day." She said.

"I've had these attacks for five years. Don't worry, The Orb is innocent." I replied

"Good. Because you'll soon be called for an important meeting and I'll need you to be ready for more announcements." She said as if that wasn't important at all.

"What?" I asked, now concerned. What other surprises could await me after knowing that an A. I was leading the system.

"I can't tell more now." She said.

"Brooke. Come on." I insisted. So we could share a bed but not news?

"We are still arranging the details. I'll just say, I'll miss you." She said and threw me a sad smile. It had to be a huge announcement to get that reaction from Brooke.

I frown. "Are you sending me elsewhere?" I asked.

"That's why I didn't want to say anything. It's too early. Let's sleep some more and we'll talk later." She said as she covered herself with the blanket.

"I can't sleep now." I said.

She smiled. "Then we can do something else." And moved on top of me.

"I don't feel entirely myself yet." I said.

"Are you sure?" She slid a hand under my shirt and placed a soft kiss in my neck.

"I mean it." I insisted

"Alright." She said and after giving me another kiss, turned to the side.

"Hey." I touched her back. "I'm sorry." I said.

"It's ok. Just take some rest. I need you full of energy in the upcoming weeks." She replied.

I rolled on the bed for a while but nothing. Sleep didn't conquer me. The sun was about to rise anyway, so I put on my running shoes and went for a run.

I circled the sprawling gardens of the Nexus Court twice, passed the Bridge of Honor three times, and kept running around The City. I loved seeing it in the early hours of the day. The streets seemed to breathe a sigh of relief in their emptiness, enjoying a moment of rest. 

Although it was almost always cloudy, that day, a few rays of sunlight, like bright arrows, managed to pierce through the clouds and hit my skin. Sometimes, when I felt the warmth of the sunlight bathing me and the silence of a turbulent city still in profound sleep, I wondered, could life be that peaceful someday?

I had been running for over an hour when I decided to stop and stroll for a while to give my legs a break. I didn't use my speed sensor since I wanted to see how much my body could do on its own. I was relieved to see that my legs were still strong in their natural state. When I joined the Nexus Court five years ago, Brooke was pretty insistent on me undergoing some kind of enhancement procedure. At first, I flatly refused it, but in the end, we had to reach a middle point. So, I agreed to get the speed sensor, which seemed like the least invasive option for me. But we also agreed to keep an eye on other possible implants down the line. Thankfully, that day hadn't arrived yet.

I paused by a fountain to cool off, and the sight of the building in front of me twisted my stomach: "Zero-Gravity Circuit," the bright letters on the sign said. It's remarkable how our perception of spaces shifts as we live through them. A place that once filled you with joy can, years later, water you with sadness. That place... Ugh, it was one of our final happy days together. Her laugh, the fluorescent tunnel, those kisses... Flashes of that day like missiles impacted my memory.

A sudden shout snapped me back to reality. What the hell?

"Leave him alone!" A voice of a woman yelled.

I hurried across the street toward the source of the sound, which led me to a nearby alley. There, I saw three people violently engaged in an argument.

A techno-human was grabbing the arm of an older man, somehow trying to force him to go with him. Next to them, a furious girl pushed the techno-human, trying to release the man from his grip.

"If you don't let him go, I'll kill you, you rusty shit!" the girl shouted. She was tiny, but definitely strong since she almost made the techno-human fall with her pull. She also wore a patch over her left eye, which made her look even more badass.

"Don't touch me, nasty human. You don't even know him," the techno-human said. 

"He's my father, you idiot! I've already told you!" the girl yelled back.

"What's going on here?" I interjected as I stepped forward, catching the attention of all three.

"I'm patrolling the area and this man was wandering around looking suspicious. I just wanted him to answer some questions." The techno-human explained, and I noticed his Narval Uniform.

"My dad is sick and left the house without me realizing. That's why he was wandering around." The girl insisted.

"She is lying, and her refusal to let me talk to the man makes them even more suspicious. He's going with me," the techno-human said and pulled the man towards him. The girl raised her fist, ready to throw a punch at him, but I grabbed it just in time.

"Oh wow!" I said lowering her fist. "You both need to calm down!" I raised my voice.

I turned to the man, who seemed oddly familiar to me, and realized his left eye was completely white. I froze. Was he...? My mind rushed to remember.

"Sir, is this your daughter?" I asked.

"No, I don't know her," he replied, bewildered.

Before the girl could respond, the techno-human interrupted, "See? He doesn't know you! How can we know who's telling the truth?"

The old man looked quite confused, not suspicious at all to me. 

"Enough. Let them go," I instructed the Narval Officer.

"Why? Now I have to take orders from you?" He said defiantly.

"You most certainly do." I replied, showing him my REG bracelet with the Nexus Court badge.

The techno-human opened his eyes in awe. "I... I... I'm so sorry." He mumbled.

"That's better man." I said.

"Can I do something for you?" He asked. All of a sudden he was a real gentleman.

"No, go back to your patrol routes and have a nice day." I ordered.

"Sure, sure." He said and hurried to leave.

The girl didn't pay much attention to us, she inspected the old man's arm. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?" She asked.

"Just a bit. If I didn't see him, I'd have said a gorilla had grabbed my arm." The man said.

"Let's go home now, Dad." she said.

As they passed by me, the old man gazed at me. His eyes sparkled. The same spark I'd seen in Erik's eyes when he could connect with a memory.

"You... you..." he muttered and clenched my arm. "I need to cross," he said, his white eye piercing my memory like a dagger.

The girl quickly pushed him, and he released my arm. "He has some memory problems. Don't listen to him," she said, clearly nervous. Then she glanced at me, her gaze lingering for a moment. "We have to go now, please." They walked out of the alley while I stood still.

That man. That woman. Those white eyes. My mind resisted the inevitable conclusion. I knew them. Both. He was that father who desperately crossed the border years ago in search of his daughter. I had been there that day. I had seen his desperation to find her. I had seen how he was given the white color: a fateful color. Now, years later, I saw that he had succeeded. He had found her, he could be with her. Everything could have been wonderful if it weren't for the fact that he couldn't even recognize her. 

Author's Note:

Hey everyone!💖 Thanks for sticking around! I had a thought while writing this chapter. Did that mysterious man with the white eye catch your attention? Remember him from before? Let me know!

Lots of love,

Ava 💫