Kate and Heather each held a Ghost Patch as Erik explained how it worked. Heather turned hers over, examining every detail, while Kate stared at him, completely amazed by the creation. Since arriving at Erik's apartment after escaping the protest, he'd been updating them on everything he'd discovered.

"I'd heard about Reg Tech blockers, but this is on another level," Kate said. "This could save a lot of people."

"I hope so. But I'm still not sure how many applications it can have." Erik replied.

"It blocks all the updates that come through the Reg Bracelet, right?" Heather asked.

"In theory, yes. But I've noticed some updates are stronger than others. It's not one hundred percent effective. What I found, though, is that when Grace visited me, it made a huge difference in regaining the memory loss the patch couldn't prevent."

I turned to him, surprised. "I didn't know that."

"It's just a rough theory... I don't have any proof. But it seemed like when you came to visit and told me things about us, about our memories... All those inputs improved the functionality of the patch, or at least that's how it felt."

"That's interesting," Heather said. "So not everything relies solely on tech."

Erik shook his head. "Not at all. Human interaction seems to boost it quite a lot."

· · ·

We spent the day following the protest attacks on the news. I had never seen anything like that. Narvals had shot at least ten protesters, including techno-humans. There were two dead people and many were injured. The revolution was now unstoppable, which meant the Orb would probably push the massive reset soon. When we told Kate everything we'd learned, she could barely breathe.

Her eyes darkened as if the weight of the new information had settled on her like a heavy cloud before a storm.

"Erase all human memories... Now I get the rush with this new implant and why it's free..." She paused, processing the reality. "Fucking bastards!"

Heather slammed her fist on the table. "Not happening. We'll stop it."

"How?" Kate asked concerned.

"With your help." I said.

"Tell me everything." Kate said. 

Heather and I exchanged a mischievous glance. If Kate was in, we had a real shot.

It took nearly four hours to hammer out every detail of how we'd reach the Orb. The plan was to sneak Heather into the Nexus Court with my help, easy enough, but getting to the Orb and getting inside was a whole different story. I'd only seen Brooke access it once with her Reg Braslet, and I knew it wouldn't be as simple this time.

"We'll blow the door open." Erik said.

I shook my head. "That'll trigger all the alarms."

"If Michael creates a diversion at the border, there won't be much security left to deal with." Erik insisted.

"And I'll back you up." Kate added.

"It's very risky..." I said, my eyes locked on Heather, who was listening intently. She seemed calm, with that look that could break down walls from miles away.

"I'll take the risk," she said, steady as stone. "Grace, you stay out of this. We can make it seem like I forced you into it."

"What?! No way. I'm not letting you carry this on your own."

"I don't want this to blow back on you unless it's absolutely necessary," she continued, her calmness making it seem as if facing the Orb alone were nothing. "I can handle it alone."

"No." I locked eyes with her. "I'm not letting you face this without me."

"Grace." She paused, taking a deep breath. "We need to maximize our chances of success and avoid any potential setbacks. Keep a clear head. You sneak me in, blow the door, and I'll take it from there. Just make it look like you had no choice."

"No!" I raised my voice, and Heather was startled.

Kate and Erik exchanged a quick glance, acknowledging their role as silent spectators of our standoff. Heather looked away, running a hand through her hair, trying to hide the tension in her stiff shoulders.

I loved and admired her brave, protective spirit, but this time, it couldn't happen. She was about to face The Orb—a super-powerful intelligence capable of anything. If we succeeded, not only would the system fall, but she would also recover her lost memories; all her past—her mother, her childhood experiences—would resurge within her. There was no way she was going to do this alone. Not at all. No matter how stubborn she was, I wouldn't let her face it by herself.

I let the silence linger for a moment, trying to calm my racing heart.

"Heather, we're in this together," I said reaching for her hand. "Don't push me away now that we're so close to the end."

Heather still wouldn't look at me. 

Erik, observing with those kind eyes, chimed in, "Uh, sorry to interrupt, but can I say something?" We all turned to him.

"Heather, I know you want to protect Grace, I totally get that," he paused, glancing between us. "But after all these years going through hell with just her by my side, I've learned that our ability to rely on each other is our strongest weapon."

"Yeah, girl!" Kate added. "Besides, have you seen Grace fight? She's the best backup you could have up there. Why go it alone?"

I smiled at Kate, and she winked at me, but then a long silence stretched out as we waited for Heather to sort through her thoughts.

Finally, she sighed, not looking entirely satisfied. "Fine." She said. 

I searched for her eyes, which slowly met mine. She returned a slightly tense smile that told me she was doing this reluctantly, but she trusted me, and that was enough.

"Going back to blowing the door to the Orb... I don't think it's the best idea, even if we're taking the risk." I said.

"We don't have more options." Heather said.

I pondered for a moment. "What about making Brooke open the door?"

"You're never going to convince her to do that." Heather replied.

"We could force her." I said.

"She's not the type of person who bends easily." Kate chimed in.

"That sounds riskier than a bomb at the door." Erik said. "That woman scares the hell out of me."

"I know her well." I said firmly.

"That well?" Heather asked.

I nodded. A silence stretched around us. Our eyes gazed at each other as if trying to find a global approvement.

"Let's do it then." Kate finally broke the silence.

"Ugh... fine, let's do it." Erik added with a tired sigh. 

I gazed at Heather. "What do you think?" She seemed a bit distant.

She pondered, looking at Kate, then Erik, and finally back at me. "Let's do it."

· · ·

Once everything settled down, I shot Michael a quick message about the news while Heather and Erik whipped up dinner. Whatever they were making smelled like heaven. It was weirdly nice, watching them click so easily despite everything going on. They laughed and chatted, moving around the kitchen like they were dancing, totally in sync.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked while peeking at the counter.

"Since this could be our last meal, we're cooking our favorites," Heather said with a smile.

My heart ached. "Hey, don't say that."

"We're joking, Grace." Erik said, rolling up a bunch of rice with seaweed.

"I don't like those jokes." I let out a frustrated sigh and turned to leave. But just before I could go, I felt Heather's eyes on my back.

"Grace, wait." She called.

I slipped out onto the balcony, inhaling the crisp air. I used to be so positive, but Heather's assumption that something bad might happen weighed on me.

I rested my arms on the fence, staring out at the city below. From Erik's eighth-floor apartment, the view was stunning. It was wild to think how beautiful this city could be under different circumstances—colorful lights splashing across the sky, sleek modern buildings standing tall. There were so many resources here: schools, hospitals, parks... It should feel alive. But as long as that damn Nexus Court tower loomed like a watchful eye and the disgusting worm wall surrounded us, peace and freedom would remain nothing more than a dream.

Warm arms wrapped around me from behind, hugging me tightly at the waist. "Everything is going to be okay." Heather whispered, resting her head on my shoulder.

I placed my hands over hers, feeling the warmth of her body reach my skin. "You don't seem to believe that, though."

Heather stayed silent.

"You don't trust the mission will succeed, do you?" I asked, turning to face her.

"Of course I do." She looked offended. "It's just... you know how things are right now. Anything could happen."

"You keep saying that..." I cupped her face in my hands. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"No. I won't let anything happen to YOU." She said it as if it were the most firm statement in the world.

"What do you mean by that? We're both going to be okay as long as we're together."

Heather fell silent again, her eyes roaming over my face as if observing me completely. The moon reflected in her pupils, making them shimmer like silver.

"You're so beautiful, you know that, right?" She said.

I blinked, caught off guard, and she smiled. She always did that—threw me off balance. A few words, and a few looks, but I knew there was something deeper behind those crystal eyes.

"Heather..." I started, but before I could continue, she sealed my lips with hers.

We kissed under the moon, above the city, the Nexus Court looming behind us. My hands slipped under her shirt. I needed to feel the warmth of her skin. I was so damn scared to lose her. Heather held me tighter, as if she could sense the fear coursing through me and wanted to alleviate it.

When we pulled apart, her forehead rested against mine. "We'll be okay." she whispered.

"We'll be okay." I whispered back.

· · ·

The Nexus Court was bathed in a white light that grew more intense as we got closer. Even though it was the middle of the night, it stood out perfectly, like a beacon watching over the city. The rideover was painfully silent. Kate piloted the ship, with Erik in the co-pilot seat, his gaze lost somewhere beyond the window. Heather stared straight ahead, calm, and serious, while I held her hand.

It felt surreal to think that just hours ago, we were laughing in the kitchen, devouring the sushi rolls and chana masala that Erik and Heather had cooked for us. That memory now seemed so distant, almost like it had been just a dream. A good dream.

The plan was, on the surface, simple, though nothing was really simple, was it? Heather and I would enter the Nexus Court while Kate rallied the rebels at the city center to stir up chaos. More chaos would be generated by Michael at the border, and finally, Laura would create a distraction to tie up the patrols at the mountain camps. By then, security would be completely overwhelmed, and Heather and I would kidnap Brooke, forcing her to open the door to The Orb.

Simple, right? Ha.

"There we go." Kate said breaking the silence as she landed the ship.

Heather and I exchange a quick look. Her eyes were confident and strong, which made me feel a little better. We stepped off the ship, and silence crept back between us. Erik approached me, locking eyes with mine.

"Let's put an end to this." He said with a confident smile.

"Yeah, let's do this." I wrapped my arms around him and closed my eyes, memorizing his tiny body and lovely scent.

"I'd say be careful, take care, and all those cliché things, but I know you'll be okey. You're my hero, Grace. For real." Erik said.

"Don't say that now, please. You're gonna make me cry, damn it." I felt the sting of tears threatening to spill over.

Erik smiled kindly. "Alright, alright. I won't say anything else."

"Let me give that woman a big reassuring hug and say goodbye to those tears!" Kate said with a grin.

"For sure. I wanted to talk to Heather now," he replied, glancing back at her. "Heather, can you come to the ship for a moment?"

Erik opened the door of the ship and jumped inside.

"Sure." She said following him.

"What are you guys up to?" I asked.

"Nothing, that's our thing," Erik said, popping his head back out of the ship with a teasing grin.

"Not sure I can trust these two together." I said to Kate.

Kate laughed. "Well, girl, I won't farewell because I'm not ready to say goodbye yet, until we have a double date with my wife and you two!"

"I like how that sounds. But don't forget little Zoe. I'll really need something cute and adorable to squish once all of this is over." I said.

"She cries and shouts too... but If that's your wish..." We both chuckled.

Heather stepped out from the ship and came to my side.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Nothing. Don't be noisy." Erik said stepping out from the ship.

"Ready to go?" Heather asked me.

"Let's do this."

Kate and Erik flew away as we stood there, staring at the massive doors of the Nexus. The night was eerily quiet, no wind, no cracks, no distant buzz of the city. It almost felt as if time had stopped. And oh, how I wished it could. Everything would be so much easier.

But that was precisely what I wanted to fight for. For time. Time with her.

I glanced at Heather beside me, took a deep breath, and together, we pushed the doors open.

Author's Note:

Hello! What's up?❤️

Heather and Grace are about to face quite an adventure... Luckily, they've got Kate, Erik, and Michael backing them up. When I was creating the dynamic between Grace and Heather, I thought a lot about their personalities. Are you more of a protective leader like Heather or impulsive, warm-hearted, and brave like Grace?🤔

Thank you so much for reading! I know I say this every week, but it's the plain truth!!

Love you all! 💫

Ava