When we approached the town's entrance, the man shook his shotgun as if it were a warning. Heather instinctively put a hand on Will's back, protectively, and Jen held my hand tight.

I took a few steps forward, leaving the rest behind. "Hello, sir. Sorry if we startled you." I said, trying to sound polite.

"Who are you?" The man said frowning in distrust. He was tall as a tower and thin as a wire. He didn't seem like a bad person, but really scared.

"We're just passing through to our hometown, and we need to cross if that's alright." I replied.

The man took a moment to scrutinize us as if he could decipher our intentions by analyzing every inch of us.

"What hometown?" He asked.

"Oakvale." I answered.

"You're from Oakvale?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"We are." Heather said. 

We had meticulously studied all the towns in the area for the mission, although I remembered them all quite well. Oakvale was a good, feasible lie. It was a big town, well known by everyone on the other side.

"What are you doing outside Oakvale then?" He probed.

"We needed supplies and got lost." I said.

The man gazed at Jen and then at Will who was still sleeping on Heather's chest, unaware of all that was happening around him.

"Well, you're lucky I'm feeling generous today. Normally, we don't let outsiders pass through, but you seem harmless enough..." He said.

"Thanks sir." I said

"Don't think this makes you immune to the rules of this town, keep to yourselves and don't cause any trouble." He warned, stepping aside to let us through.

We all nodded and crossed the entrance. Once inside, I was taken aback by how big the town was. It was much larger than I had expected, much larger than our maps had indicated.

Houses of all kinds were scattered throughout the place, almost as if they had been dropped haphazardly. They weren't like the ones in the Reg Society, but they were new and sturdy. This meant they had resources, and that they were prospering. It was shocking because all we had been told for the past years was that the other side was more dead than alive.

However, that wasn't the strangest part of it all. What left me almost breathless was seeing that they had advanced technology. A tower filled with antennas rose in the center of the town.

"Did you know this type of tech had reached little towns, Stella?" I asked her while walking through the main road of the town.

"No, not at all. We haven't detected any of that ever." She said, as surprised as I was.

As we moved forward, we could see they had stores of all kinds. The people weren't dressed poorly like I remembered from my time as an outsider. On the contrary, they looked calm, even happy.

"How is any of this possible?" Beverly said, echoing the confusion we all felt.

The smell of baked bread wafted through an open window, making me take a deep breath. Where the hell had we ended up? It felt like an alternate reality. I could hear the distant clucking of chickens and the low hum of conversation from a nearby market. The streets were simple but clean, the houses modest yet well-kept.

At the end of the road, there was a little shop surrounded by children. Jen and I were curious, so we decided to approach. It turned out to be a small, makeshift workshop filled with various tools and gadgets at different stages of assembly. In the midst of it all, an elderly woman sat, skillfully manipulating wires and gears with surprising dexterity for her age. The children were captivated by her.

"Alright, kiddos, ready for some fun?" the old woman said with excitement, holding up a tiny spaceship toy. "Three, two, one..." She pressed a button, and the spaceship sprang to life, playing a playful tune. 

The kids laughed and ran after it as the woman deftly steered the toy, staying ahead with a mischievous smile. Jen jumped in eagerly, laughing along with them.

"Where do you come from?" The old woman asked, her attention divided between the children and us.

"We're from a town far from here." I replied.

"The old woman nodded thoughtfully. "I thought as much." She said.

Stella approached the table, her eyes scanning the intricate engines before her.

"How is this town so advanced in terms of tech? We've never seen anything like it in our travels." I couldn't help but ask.

The old woman's smile widened knowingly. "Oh, you don't know? That would be thanks to the Phoenixes, of course." She explained. "They've brought advancements and innovations to places like ours."

"The Phoenix Group?" Stella said incredulosly.

"Yes, they come around from time to time making sure we are safe and sound and sometimes they bring new tech. Isn't it like this in your town?" She asked.

"Well... Not yet. They will come soon probably..." I said.

"Sure, they will don't worry." Neira said with a smile.

"Aren't you scared of... The Reg Society finding out?" Heather interjected into the conversation.

The woman glanced at her. "They can't know."

"How?" Stella blurted out.

"Thanks to the signal bouncer," She pointed to the tech tower we had seen in the center of town. "It's the best thing the Phoenix Group has made so far if you ask me. All the Reg signals bounce off it, so they can't gather any information. Even the drones avoid this place because of it."

Maybe that's why our maps underestimated the town's size. It means the information the Reg Society had could be outdated, leaving us vulnerable and unable to trust what we thought we knew.

"But enough of that. I didn't even tell you my name. I'm Neira," the old woman said, a twinkle in her eye. "What brings you here?" She glanced at Will, who had just woken up, and returned her curious gaze.

"We found these kids lost in the woods. We were looking for a safe place for them." I explained.

"Oh, poor things. Where are their parents?" Neira asked, gently caressing Will's cheek.

Heather chimed in, "That's the thing. We don't know, and they don't know either." 

"That's heartbreaking," Neira said, placing a hand on her chest.

Stella interjected, "Yeah, plus we're in a hurry and need to leave them somewhere safe."

"Well, I can take them for a while if you're okay with that. I have space in my house." She offered.

"Perfect. Thanks." Stella said happy to know we could soon resume the mission.

"That would be awesome, Neira" I added.

Suddenly, a drop of water fell on my shoulder and I gazed up at the sky.

"A storm is coming. Better pack everything up." Neira said, guiding the little spaceship back to the shop, followed by all the kids who groaned when it stopped.

"Sorry, kids. Time's up." 

The rain intensified within minutes, just like it always did in this crazy-weather part of the world. We ducked into Neira's house for shelter and took the chance to check out the place where Jen and Will would be living from now on. Heather thoroughly inspected every room of the house. Honestly, it seemed like a good place. Neira's house was packed with all sorts of gadgets she had made herself. She had even built her own kitchen and had a ton of kids' toys, which lit up Jen's face.

As the night fell, we gathered in the kitchen and whipped up some porridge for Will. Neira took Jen to the living room and started reading a story, one she had illustrated herself. They seemed to get along pretty well.

Stella studied a couple of maps we found that seemed more updated than the Reg coordinator device. "We'll leave at the crack of dawn." She said, tracing a path on one of the maps.

Heather wasn't paying attention. Will, with his mouth covered in porridge, was taking up all her focus.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Stella asked.

Heather snapped back to reality, still holding the spoon for Will, who had his mouth open wide as if he could swallow the world.

"Oh, yes. Sorry. Early morning. Got it." She replied.

"Come on, let's get organized," Stella said. "Bev, can you help me with the bags?"

"Always at your service." Bev said while following Stella to the entrance.

I was left alone with Heather and Will in the kitchen who happened to be enjoying his food in a very wild yet cute way. I grabbed a napkin and handed it to Heather.

"Here, take this." I said, settling down beside them.

"Thanks." She took the napkin and cleaned Will's mouth. 

"How are you so good with babies?" I asked.

"I'm not good with babies... It's just that I used to help a lot at the sanctuary. There were many," she said.

That made sense. Heather, who grew up without a family, had to become like family to all the kids at the sanctuary. She knew what it was like to be alone in this world.

"Can you pass me another napkin, please?" She asked. I stood up and searched for the napkin, handing it to her a moment later.

"This little guy treats mealtime like playtime." She said, while cleaning Will's mouth for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Yeah, but I can't blame him. He's too adorable. I'd let him make all the mess he wants," I said, reaching out to gently caress his little hand. "It's going to be tough saying goodbye tomorrow."

Heather's smile faded. "It's for the best. That's what matters." She said, her tone serious.

"Sure. But it's okay to feel sad too." I said placing my hand softly on Heather's shoulder.

"I'm fine. They'll be fine too."

She fed another spoonful of porridge to Will, who giggled happily. Heather couldn't help but return a smile to him.

She looked incredibly cute. Her skin seemed to glow with happiness, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"What are you staring at?" She asked, catching my eye.

"Nothing. Just taking a break here with you." I said.

"You keep looking at me." She said.

"Is that not allowed?" I teased.

"It's not if you don't tell me why." She said.

"You happen to look too cute." That slipped out of my mouth.

Her cheeks flushed slightly pink. "Oh, really?" She replied incredulously.

"Yeah," I said. "Those smiles you give him...They light up the whole room."

Heather chuckled softly and a warm glow spread across her face. "Well, I can't help it. It's true, he's too adorable."

I nodded. "They're lucky to have you looking after them."

"They're lucky you convinced me to take them." She corrected with a smile.

We locked eyes for a moment, those beautiful eyes of hers. However, I got distracted by her lips, which were perfect too. The soft kitchen light highlighted the gentle curve of her jawline and the way her hair fell in loose waves around her face, framing her features like a halo.

She had been right when she told me she had changed. At that moment, I hadn't fully grasped what she meant. I thought it was normal; after all, five years had passed, and we had both evolved. But during those days on the mission, witnessing how she respected my decisions and cared for Will and the team, it dawned on me. A new Heather was emerging, blending with the old one, creating someone who now made my heart race even more than before.

Time seemed to stand still, and my body yearned to lean in toward those lips.

"Are you done? I've prepared Will's bed." Neira said, popping her head in from the doorway and completely interrupting whatever was about to happen.

"Yes. We are." Heather said and rushed to take Will and follow Neira out of the room.

I was left alone. I sighed. Alright. Maybe that was for the best, too. I'd better think of it that way.

We decided to sleep together in the living room, moving the couch to one side. Neira gave us a couple of old mattresses and heavy blankets to keep us warm. Will and Jen fell asleep immediately; they were exhausted after the long journey. Surprisingly, Heather also fell asleep faster than I had ever seen before, and then I realized that she, besides walking for hours like the rest of us, had also been carrying Will the entire time. She hadn't asked for help even once and Will, a two-year-old, was no lightweight.

Heather always looked so peaceful when she slept, almost as if in her dreams she could escape to a world where she was truly at ease. Sometimes, I could even see a small smile on her lips during those hours of sleep.

No rest for me, though. The Phoenix Group invaded my dreams: red faces, wings ablaze, the acrid smell of smoke choking me awake. My eyes snapped open like a flash of lightning. "Breathe, Grace, breathe." I silently reminded myself.

I felt something poking at me in my pants pocket. I reached inside and pulled out an envelope Erik had given me for Michael the day I left the Nexus Court. I had completely forgotten it was there. Thank goodness I hadn't lost it during all our adventures. What could be inside? Erik never had the chance to tell me, and out of respect for him, I couldn't bring myself to open it; especially since it wasn't meant for me. I wondered what Erik was doing right now. I missed him, and I missed Michael too. I missed them together. But the memory felt distant in my mind. I hated that. Would Erik and Michael ever see each other again? I would do anything to make that happen.

The night was quiet. I went to the bathroom and then checked on Jen and Will, sleeping next to Heather; all three of them were calm and serene. Stella was on the other side, bundled up in her blanket. But when I was about to check on Bev, I realized she was gone. The blanket was pushed to one side, and the mattress was empty and cold. Where the hell was she? I stood up and walked to the kitchen, thinking she might have gone for a glass of water, but it was empty. I checked the whole house and the front garden. Nothing. She had vanished.

Shit. We couldn't afford any more unforeseen problems. I returned to the living room and gently shook Heather awake. I felt awful about disturbing her sleep, but I didn't know what else to do.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" She asked, her eyes half-closed.

"Sorry to wake you up, but Beverly is gone." I said.

Heather immediately sat up, scanning Bev's empty spot on the mattress. "What the hell?" She muttered. "Maybe she's in the bathroom."

"No, I've checked the whole house. She's not here," I replied. "What should we do?"

Heather paused for a moment, then glanced towards the window. "The storm has cleared. Let's take a walk around town and see if we can find her." she suggested.

The town glowed softly under a string of lanterns strung like garlands between the houses. We strolled down the main road, checking the market, the shops, and several houses. Nothing.

Just as we were about to give up, we turned into a secluded alley and noticed light spilling from an establishment. As we approached it, we began to hear the murmur of people talking and laughing. Hanging on a sign at the entrance, it read "Your Last Day Pub." Heather and I looked at each other confused while opening the door.

Warm lights momentarily blinded us before we could see anything. Then the sound of laughter and chatter intensified until we could see where we were: in a bustling pub full of people having a great time. A large bar welcomed us, lined with countless stools occupied by lively patrons drinking and chatting animatedly. A woman with a long braided blonde ponytail served drinks swiftly and with a smile. On the sides, at several square tables, groups of people of all ages were eating, talking, and some were even playing cards. There was background music coming from what seemed like a handmade radio. 

And there, nestled in a corner on a well-worn couch, sat Beverly. She held a drink in one hand, her other casually draped over the leg of a mesmerized brunette woman, who seemed on the brink of falling for Beverly's charm.

Author's note: 

Hello reader!

How are you today? 💖

What did you think about Beverly sneaking out to... party?? Can't get enough of this character; she's so much fun to write! 😁

Thank you so much for being here. I know I repeat myself every week LOL, but I don't take anything for granted and I need to tell you that you are the best for giving this story a chance! So thanks, folks, you're, again, the very best! 💖💖💖

Love ya! 😊 

Ava💫