Heather was tossing and turning, clearly agitated in her sleep when I decided to wake her up. She had kicked me not just once or twice, but three times during the night. I felt bad for disturbing her because I knew she was exhausted and needed rest after our long journey, but come on, I couldn't stand to see her suffer like that. Whatever she was dreaming about, it was quite far from a peaceful morning by the lake, that was for sure. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, gave her a soft shake, and then leaned in to kiss her cheek.

It had been a couple of days since we reached the mountain pass, the point where we would part ways. She would follow the wall north to meet with Laura and sneak in undercover, while I would head south to the border, claiming I had escaped from the Phoenix Group. So far, everything was going according to plan. Now, we just had to wait one more day for Michael to give us the green light to move forward. Heather turned over and slowly opened her eyes, smiling.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." I replied, leaning in to brush my lips against hers.

She glanced at the opening of our makeshift tent. A sliver of moonlight was streaming in.

"It's still late. Sorry I woke you, but you looked really stressed." I explained.

"It's okay," she sighed. "I wasn't having a good dream."

"What was it about, if I can ask?"

She remained silent for a moment. "I was dreaming about my mother."

"Really?"

She nodded. "You know, ever since I was little, I've had these nightmares about a woman screaming... someone holding me... and... I'm starting to wonder if they weren't just dreams. Maybe there's a part of me that remembers something."

I stretched out beside her, propping my head up with my hand, and watched her while reflecting on what she had said. She reached out and gently touched the scar on my cheek, the one Ryan had given me on the day of the attack. It was almost healed by now. I felt her soft fingers tenderly caress each fold of skin left by the mark.

"You may remember things," I said. "Your memories are still there, in the implant. Maybe fragments slip into your dreams. However, I believe that no matter how advanced the technology is, you can't completely forget the people that truly matter. That's why I believe Erik hasn't forgotten Michael, even with that implant."

Heather stared at the ceiling, her eyes lost in thought. I adored her reflective expression; she seemed distant, her eyes shimmering with a peaceful spark.

"You know," she said with a tender smile, "amidst all this stress, I'm actually looking forward to meeting Erik."

"I'm glad to hear that. He's the kindest soul I know," I replied. "I just worry about what he'll be like after all this time."

Heather's smile faded. "Because of the mental control implant, you mean?" She asked.

I nodded, knowing I looked really worried, but I couldn't hide it.

"If everything goes well, we'll help him get it removed." Heather said.

I took a deep breath, not really convinced. "Yeah, I hope so."

Thinking of Erik was always bittersweet. Guilt consumed me whenever I thought about what they did to him. I could only hope that when Heather met him, she could still see a piece of his light and lovely spirit.

"What do you think will happen once we get to The Orb?" She asked.

I pondered for a moment. "I don't really know."

Suddenly, my pager vibrated, and I pulled it out. It was a message from Michael: "All clear. At the first light of dawn, go."

"Tomorrow is the day." I said showing the message to Heather.

"Great." She said as she let out a deep breath as if that news were already tiring her.

We lay there in silence for a while, side by side, staring at the ceiling of the tent. The sound of crickets, along with the wind whistling through the trees, seemed to lull the night. I watched as two little brown butterflies fluttered around our tiny flashlight, dancing together in the dim glow.

"Grace?"

"Yeah?"

"If something happens to me, don't get stuck, okay?" She said.

I sat up, surprised. "What?"

She turned over, facing away from me. "Just live your life, that's all." She said.

I felt a knot tighten in my chest. "Heather, don't talk like that."

She didn't respond.

"Nothing's going to happen to you." I said.

"Just promise me you'll keep your cheerful and honest spirit intact." She insisted.

"Heather!" I forced her to turn back toward me and when she did, I saw tears on her face.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked softly.

Instead of answering, she wrapped her arms around me, holding on tight. I hugged her back, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine.

"We'll be fine," I whispered. "And no matter what happens... I promise to keep being as much of a clown as always."

A giggle escaped Heather's mouth, and then she pulled back to lock her beautiful, expressive eyes on mine, eyes I could never get tired of.

"You're such a goof." she whispered. Then she leaned in, positioning herself over me. She gently took my face in her hands and kissed me.

As always, her lips were soft and warm, like the first touch of sunlight after a brisk swim.

"And... you are such a great kisser," I said with a grin as she pulled away. "Are you aware you could dominate the world with those skills?"

"Damn it, you just discovered my secret plan!" she said as I chuckled. "I can't let you go now that you know it..." She rested her hands on my chest, pressing her body against mine.

"I think I'll surrender. There's nothing I can do against you." I said, sliding my hands over her curved back and lifting her shirt to touch that warm skin that always drove me wild. I was always amazed by how muscular her back was.

"Well, in that case... you're mine."

She kissed me again and I slowly traced the contours of each of those muscles as our lips took control of it all.

The fire between us spread enveloping me by her mouth, her fingers, her warmth, and her scent. My hands followed the curve of her hips, sliding down to her legs, and with a gentle motion, we intertwined them. A soft moan escaped her lips as our bodies connected and her hands, like possessed, moved over my breasts. Touching them with all the intentions and desires existing on earth.

"I'm gonna miss this." I managed to mutter.

She smiled and placed a hungry kiss on my neck while her hands descended, slowly but with a clear urgency. Anyone would lose their mind to such urgency, believe me. When we shed our clothes, she wasted no time reaching my center. And then I was hers; it was the only way it could be. I let myself go, savoring the marvel of her from below, something only those who witness it can truly understand. Her movements sent me straight to heaven in half the time I'd planned. How foolish I was to think I could plan it at all.

"I need more." Heather said as waves of extasis coursed through my body.

"Wait." I said, catching my breath. But it was too late; she didn't obey and traced her way down my body, planting kisses along the way until she reached her destination. And when she did, oh my God. Her lips and tongue wrapped around me in a wave of pleasure that made me feel more alive than I ever thought possible.

The night was no longer cold, we had torched the air.

· · ·

The first sunlight streamed through the opening of our tent, landing on Heather's naked body, casting a soft rainbow from her hip to her left shoulder. She had slept peacefully in my arms, without a single movement since we melted into each other in that perfect, unrestrained moment of desire.

I felt her deep breaths on my chest, and the warmth of her body enveloped me, as if it was a protective shield wrapping me. I closed my eyes and swore to myself that, if everything went well, if we managed to stop the Orb from erasing all human memories, if we could save Erik, save Michael, and save ourselves, I would never leave her. Not ever again. Not for a single moment.

· · ·

The tall wall loomed imposingly before us, and that's when we knew it was time to part ways. When we first arrived, we hadn't seen it clearly because it was always shrouded in a grayish fog that enveloped everything. We observed it for a moment in silence. It's crazy how the way you perceive things changes over time. The wall that had separated us for years was once a symbol of hope. Then, when I was torn away from Michael, it became a symbol of tragedy. Now, it stood as a terrible statement, a threat that had become all too familiar.

"It's time." I said.

We turned to face each other, and I couldn't stop myself from wrapping my arms around her, holding her as if I could somehow keep her safe from everything that lay ahead.

She whispered into my ear, "You better not get yourself into any unnecessary trouble."

"Same goes for you." I said.

"Check the pager constantly, don't lose it." She continued.

"I know that, silly."

She hugged me a little tighter after that. I wove my fingers through her hair, caressing one last time.

"We'll meet in a few days at Erik's and you'll love him." I said.

"I hope so." She said as she pulled out.

We stared at each other in silence.

"So... how do we do it?" I asked.

"I think the right way is to just start walking away from each other."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

I nodded. She nodded.

Silence.

Her lips formed a tiny smile and then she turned. We both began walking in opposite directions. The sound of my footsteps seemed to echo louder than usual, or was it just the pounding of my heart? I looked ahead, but the thick fog obscured everything. I turned around, to see her silhouette slowly disappearing into the fog. She turned too. Raised her hand. A shout echoed through the distance.

"See you on the other side!"

And then, she vanished.

· · ·

I never imagined I'd cross the border again, let alone return to the place where I lost Michael five years ago, thinking it was forever. And to think the person who sealed the gates would be the one I'd fall head over heels for, in the most intense way possible. Life can be so ironic, both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

When I got to the border, the Narval Officers, two techno-humans with shiny, bleeding eyes, aimed their guns at me. I had to shout my name three times before they realized who I was. Then, as if I were some precious treasure, they practically dragged me inside the Reg territory.

I later learned that they had promised special rewards to the Narval Officer who found me, so I was basically a prize. They quickly placed a new Reg bracelet on my wrist, and a thousand messages popped up. Within minutes, everyone knew I'd been found.

I waited in quarantine at the Reg Hospital until, a few hours later, they informed me that Brooke would be coming to pick me up to take me to Nexus Court.

Is it me or they were treating me as a teenager who had run away from home and ended up in the police station?

Anyway, when I had a moment alone, I opened the secret hiding spot we had created on our boots, to find my pager. I texted Heather: "Inside. You?"

The pager vibrated a moment later with a new message from her: "Got to Laura's. All good by now."

Relief washed over me. I typed another message. "I miss you, pretty."

Her response took some extra seconds than the previous one, but it finally arrived. "I miss you too, clown."

I approached the silver window frame and looked out at the landscape. Today was windy. Strong gusts stretched the Reg flags hanging from at the hospital's entrance, almost as if trying to tear them away. The sky was a mix of dark gray and deep navy blue. A storm might hit us in a few hours, though it was hard to predict. The only thing that was crystal clear was that this unsettling weather was only the prelude to something far more ominous to come.

Author's Note:

Hey, lovely reader! Thank you a billion for being here!💖

The story is so close to the end, I can hardly believe it! OMG.

Today, I have a question for you: Heather told Grace to keep living her life if something happens to her. If you were Grace, do you think you could move on?

Love you lots!💖💖💖💖

Ava💫