Thirty pairs of curious eyes watched us as Brooke repeated, for the third time, that lengthy speech. The visit to Lumina Junior School was an annual tradition. We went through all the classrooms and delivered a well-rehearsed talk to the students.

Lumina was one of the most important educational centers in the Reg Society. When I first stepped foot there five years ago, my jaw practically hit the floor. I'd never seen a real school before, at least not like Lumina. Back on the other side, schools were just these drab, crumbling buildings. Lumina, however, was in a league of its own. The classroom walls were like giant windows, so you could pretty much see everything that was going on. I loved the vertical gardens in the nature area. I even spotted some glow-in-the-dark plants! The meditation room was also pretty cool, with its ceiling projecting an amazing realistic night sky. Some kids were there, legs crossed, eyes shut, totally zen. And don't even get me started on the tech stuff! From holographic screens to gigantic robots, Lumina had it all. There was even a lab where students tinkered with REG tech implants.

But what really blew me away were the students themselves. They were razor-sharp, always hitting us with the best questions. Yet, I couldn't help but wonder if their multiple implants played a big role in that. Thoes days, it was hard to tell, especially since it seemed like every kid had at least one implant. And with the new rules the school rolled out this year, even fewer were without them.

At just three years old, you were expected to get your first implant, and parents got to pick the type. Most went for BrainSpark, which specializes in cognitive enhancements for kids. Then, by the age of nine, you had to get the second one, but this time the school took the reins, choosing based on your skills and progress. So, yeah, this year, there were more implants than crayons.

Brooke seemed happy, though. She was a Lumina alum herself, so she was always treated like royalty, someone the kids looked up to with admiration.

At the end of the speech, as expected, many impatient hands shot up.

"Wow, so many questions already," Brooke said, pointing to a girl with a mouth implant. "You, go ahead," she said.

"Why was the wall raised in the first place?" the girl asked, her lip color changing from soft pink to blue.

Brooke pondered the question, although it was just a performance. We answered that question every year since apparently, it kept popping up. It was interesting to see how much the wall amused them, even though they had always known of its existence. But there was something that seemed to spark curiosity beyond Brooke's answers. So, there we were, answering that question once more.

"The wall was raised for our protection. And it still serves that purpose." She said. The girl frowned and then, a boy interjected. "Protection to what?"

Brooked looked at the teacher as if asking for permission to continue and the teacher nodded.

"The Earth where we live is dying." A murmur filled the classroom and the teacher shushed them. "We could not live any longer without a change. Think about it, here you live under the acid rain shield, and with all thoes beautiful implants you have that make you stronger and more resistant. By staying here, and being part of this society, we are not only saving humanity but the whole planet itself." Brooke said.

"But why do people still live on the other side?" Another girl asked. She had implants in her eyes, which shifted from purple to green.

"Some choose to stay there, some are still waiting to join us. We can't force people to be saved." Brooke said. Quite a simple way to put it, I thought to myself, but I wasn't going to say anything.

"What's it like on the other side?" a tall boy asked.

"Well, the other side... it's..." Brooke gazed at me. "Grace could explain better. She was once an outsider."

A collective "whoa" spread instantly and all those eyes darted to me.

"Well, I barely remember..." I said trying to dodge the question.

"Come on, Grace, please, tell us!" A chorus of voices pleaded.

"They want a real experience, Grace." Brooke insisted.

I took a deep breath. "The other side... it's harsh. The acid rain has ravaged the land, making it nearly impossible to cultivate anything." I started and many memories came to my mind.

"Where did you live?" asked a girl with pink hair.

"In a town, we protected ourselves with whatever materials we could find, and there were also many underground refuges where we gathered during the worst moments," I said.

It was in one of those refuges where we met Erik and that memory brought a smile to my face. He was always looking out for Michael, who was usually always scared. I remember one day during an electrical storm when we were huddled in the refuge with no power. Erik, being the resourceful guy he was had whipped up a makeshift flashlight. He saw Michael freaking out and started making these goofy shadows on the wall until Michael calmed down, and before we knew it, we were all laughing.

"Why did you cross?" The little boy's voice pulled me back to reality.

"My brother and I wanted a better life." I said.

A girl with a forehead implant raised her hand, and I gestured for her to speak. "Is your brother liking it here?"

Oof. That one stung.

"Well... um... my brother..." I didn't know what to say. Should I sugarcoat the truth? Brooke's gaze bore into me, and I could tell she sensed something was wrong.

I took a deep breath and said, "My brother couldn't cross," The kids opened their eyes surprised. They definitely didn't expect that answer. "There was an explosion at the border and he... didn't get to the gates" I continued and I felt Brooke's gaze on me like a laser, I could tell it wasn't a happy look.

"But why he didn't cross later?" A girl said.

"Well, you only get one shot to cross. That's just how the rules are." I explained.

"Only one chance?" A girl said.

"I thought everybody was welcomed." A boy with a prosthetic arm said.

"Yeah, me too. Are there people we don't let in?" chimed a girl with silver skin.

Children grew increasingly restless with each passing question. It blew my mind how these kids, growing up in this whole system, still had the same nosy curiosity and fairness radar as any regular kid. They could totally smell the dark spots of the system they were born into, yet they weren't scared to call it out and ask why.

Brooke stepped forward, taking my place. "Well, well, well, calm down everyone. First of all, yes, of course, everybody is welcome here. But you have to understand that the system we live in doesn't work for everyone, and we have to find a balance." The kids listened, but you could tell that answer didn't satisfy them.

Then, a whisper from a girl sitting right in front of me said, "Do you miss him?"

I gazed at her, stunned. The question echoed inside me. Do I miss him? It was something I didn't let myself think about. If I avoided asking, I could dodge the emotions it might unleash, right? And I didn't have to think about that day. Even less about what happened afterward. That's how I'd been surviving for the past five years. No emotions. Just going through the motions. Just acting. No reacting. Yet the girl's question seemed to strike directly at that crack inside me.

"I think we're running out of time for more questions!" Brooke interjected, breaking the tense silence.

The teacher chimed in, diverting attention. "Yes, we still need to show them the new robotic lab!" The kids erupted in excitement.

As we strolled down one of the many hallways of the school, Brooke shot me a knowing glance and murmured, "Quite the performance you put on back there."

"What? I just told them the truth." I said.

Brooke glared at me, but before she could answer, the teacher joined us. "This way, please!" she said as she opened a big double door. A massive lab filled with kiddos stood in front of us.

There were several work tables littered with gadgets and tools that I had never seen before. A couple of kids were perched on ladders that reached the top of a robot. Others, wearing protective goggles, were welding pieces without a hint of fear.

The teacher took us on a tour, and the kids excitedly explained their designs and tech projects.

Then, out of the blue, a little boy came bounding toward us. "Come, come, we are turning it on!" He said pointing at the robot. The kid grabbed my hand and led me in front of that big robotic guy.

"Let's check it out," Brooke said excitedly. A girl with a controller and a digital table coded something and then pressed a button. The robot's eyes flickered to life, and its mouth creaked open.

"It's working!" the teacher exclaimed with enthusiasm. We all marveled at the creation until, suddenly, a clunky noise emanated from within the robot. Its eyes dimmed, and it powered down.

"What?" the girl exclaimed in frustration.

The children sprang into action, swarming around the robot to troubleshoot. Some inspected the head, others the back, while the girl furiously typed on her digital tablet.

"That's odd, I don't see any bug in here," She said.

Suddenly, the power machines that surrounded every corner of the lab powered down one by one.

"What the hell is happening?" The teacher said.

And just when it seemed like every piece of equipment had been unplugged, the lights of the lab went out, enveloping us in darkness. It felt as though the power of the entire school had been suddenly cut off. The only illumination came from the flickering tiny lights of the prosthetics the kids had.

"Weird." Brooke mumbled.

"Kids, since the power's out, let's head outside and wait until the issue gets sorted," The teacher instructed. I pitched in, helping gather the students, and together we made our way to the playground as quickly as we could.

When we got outside I couldn't believe what I saw. The entire city was shrouded in darkness. No power. No lights. No functioning Reg Technology.

"What the hell is going on?" I blurted out, completely stunned. The streets erupted with shouts from everyone else as they too caught wind of the situation. It seemed like the entire neighborhood had spilled out onto the streets, all of us trying to wrap our heads around how the power had just up and vanished, especially with no bad weather in sight.

"Hey everyone! Look at the sky!" One of the kids yelled.

We all turned our faces up and saw several shiny drones hovering over us.

"These are not our drones" Brooke stated.

The drones moved forming a big circle and then projected a massive hologram into the sky. A big wing on fire floated over us. Then, the drones moved forming a a composition of lights that formed a sentence:

From ashes, we soar. 

Down in flames to the Reg Society.

How was any of that possible? The Phoenix group appeared to be gaining strength by the day, and now they could even shut down all the city's power. I glanced at Brooke, and from the seriousness etched on her face, I could tell she was worried too.

A couple of minutes after the drones flew away, the city's power returned.

"What was that? A warning?" I said to Brooke, whose eyes were still fixed on the sky.

"More than a warning, a threat... It's time for you to know your next mission. We can't wait any longer," she said.

· · ·

Brooke spent several hours at The Orb following the power outage. Then, she, along with Norman and Gabriel, locked themselves in the Nexus Court meeting room. The Reg Society was freaking out after the incident, people talked about more upcoming attacks. They had to react fast to maintain a good image with the public and prevent a potential population crisis. What mission would Brooke be preparing? I was so intrigued I found myself pacing back and forth.

Once they finished, they made me enter and I sat on the other side of that massive rounded table that held all their Reg secrets. I half-expected a secret button under the table that would open a trapdoor and drop me into a pool with crocodiles, but all I found was a cup holder. Guess they were more civilized than I thought!

On the center of the table and hologram floated showing a map. A red flicking point was marked in it. Brooke crossed her arms on her chest and stuck her eyes on me. Normand and Gabriel as usual, held their digital notebooks and took notes. What the hell were they always writing?

"We've been preparing this mission for quite a long time. We thought we would wait one or two more years, but the recent events have forced our hands," Brooke explained.

"I'm all ears," I said.

"Do you see that red point on the map, Grace?" Brooke said and I gazed at it.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It shows the seismic disturbances generated by a substantial energy source. Like the one The Orb would cause. The problem? It comes from the other side." She said.

"So?" I said.

"It means that the Phoenix group is developing a powerful technology," she explained.

"And you are afraid it could surpass The Orb, right?" I deduced.

Brook smiled. "Nothing will ever surpass The Orb, because we will destroy it."

"But how do you plan to do that, when it's on the other side? Someone would have to cross the border," I said.

"Exactly. You will do it," she stated.

"Whoa. Me?! You want ME to return to the other side?!" I exclaimed, my heart pounding with disbelief.

"Yes. You've seen what they are capable of; we need to destroy any potential weapons," Brooke said. 

"Yeah, but why me? Why not send techno-humans?" I questioned.

"Techno-humans would attract too much attention. You're strong, and fast, and you've been an Outsider; you know the place better than any of us. Plus, you won't go alone," Brooke explained so calmly that it was making me crawl up the walls.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Brooke took Gabriel's digital notebook. "We have selected the most skilled individuals to join you on the mission. You, along with them, will cross the wall to the other side. You will locate that technology and neutralize it. That's all." Brooke said as if it were a walk in the park. I arched an eyebrow as she handed me the digital tablet with a list of names.

"Let's see the dream team..." I murmured.

First name: Stella Chan, someone I knew quite well because she was the city's head commander of the Security Department. So every important event Brooke attended, Stella was there. Then there was Beverly Duklas, an experimented Narval Officer. While I hadn't crossed paths with her personally, her reputation preceded her. She was the most famous shipbuilder in the entire Reg Society. 

And then the third name...

Shivers went down my spine. No. My blood ran cold. Damn. A knot tightened in my stomach. It couldn't be. But there it was, staring back at me, the third name on the list: Heather Anderson.

Author's note:

Hey lovely people! 😱We're sensing a reunion...😱(screaming out loud) But changing topics... What did you think about Lumina School? Would you like to study in a place like that?

Thanks for being here, love you all! 

Ava💫