A furious thunderclap struck the sky, and I jolted awake. Rain cascaded down the windowpanes. It was the fifth day in a row of this terrible, fierce acid rainstorm that seemed to never end, and the days blended into one another under a shroud of darkness.

I looked around to check on my roommates. Laura, as usual, was reading quietly by a soft light, while Mark's bed was empty.

"What time is it?" I asked.

Looking outside it was impossible to tell.

"It's 9 a.m." Laura said.

"Hard to believe with this nightmarishly gloomy sky."

"Yep and again, transfers are cancelled, training's cancelled, and no Leads around. They are still abducted managing the storm." Laura explained, not moving her eyes from the page.

I sighed. "I feel like a mouse in a cage." It was so exhausting to not even have combat training to release some steam.

The way acid rain storms were handled here was a whole different thing compared to what I had experienced. On The Other side, every dark cloud was the call of hysteria. Everyone would run to find a place to hide. The luckier ones had homes strong enough to survive the storms, but the majority scrambled to find any underground shelter they could. However, if it was full (something quite frequent) you had to rush to the next one. Some people died, running endlessly from one shelter to another until the acid rain left them with no escape.

Here in the city, though, there was this magnetic wave shield that covered the entire area like a giant umbrella, while we, at the border, had nothing. Only leads, wearing special protective suits, were allowed to go outside to man the surveillance spots at the border. Meanwhile, we were left in here, like a bunch of abandoned souls.

I wandered around the house to stretch my legs and ended up in the service area, where I found Mark having breakfast with deep dark circles underscoring his eyes.

"Another night of insomnia due to the concert outdoors?" I asked as I sat down in front of him.

"Yep, I didn't know I could go so many days without sleep. This has to count as a superpower or something." He said with a grin that felt short.

"Sure, you can add it to your other superpowers."

"Which are?"

"Falling always on your ass at combat class." I teased.

"Oh, shut up! That's the only good thing about this never-ending storm. No fucking combat training!" He said, taking a spoonful of the porridge he was eating to his mouth.

"What? Combat training is the most fun we have here!" I said.

"Maybe it is for you because you kick ass. My ass, to be specific," he chuckled.

"Now that you mention it... I was about to ask if you wanted to do a light training session with me." God, I needed so badly to move.

Marked raised an eyebrow as I was mental. "Light training? There's no such thing. My plan for today is to curl up under my quilt and dream about not being here."

"Okay, man. It's your choice. But you'll regret it when we have the combat test."

"It's fine. I'm an expert at regretting things, like crossing this damn border."

Whoa. That sounded serious, quite unusual for Mark. I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. He was the kind of unreadable person who always carried the same humorous vibe, which, in most situations, was a positive trait. In others... well, let's just say it was a losing battle trying to have a deep, serious conversation with him.

"Do you really regret that?" I asked, not wanting to lose the thread he had let slip.

"One hundred percent yes." He said with his mouth full of porridge.

"Why did you cross then?"

"Why did everyone else?" He said it as if the answer were obvious. "Desperation."

His bowl of porridge was one spoonful away from being finished, but just as he was about to eat it, he hesitated and let the spoon fall back into the bowl. "I can't keep eating this shitty food."

He sighed as if tired of life itself. That was the first time I saw Mark showing something close to anger.

"Are you okey?" My tone came up with real concern.

He hesitated before answering. "I'm fine. It's just... Can you imagine being on The Other Side right now? Under this storm, without protection..." He said, gazing at the windows surrounding the service area. There was one in particular, the biggest one, that made a lot of noise. We broke it one day while practicing lace shooting in the yard. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but now, with the storm, the wind sneaked in and sounded like a shrill scream.

Imagining outsiders under that crazy storm gave me goosebumps.

"Are you worried about someone?" I asked.

"Not really. My whole family is in the city, they transferred years before me, so they should be fine," He said. "But anyway... The acid rain brings me a lot of bad memories."

I could relate to him. I still remembered, clear as crystal, the first acid rainstorm I experienced. My dad and I were caught off guard in the woods one day when we went hiking. We huddled under a big tree, waiting for the storm to pass. But it was so strong that it tore off almost all the leaves. However, he kept me safe under him, and it wasn't until later, when we finally got home, that I learned the skin on his right arm had melted like butter. He'd been shielding me with it, letting the drops hit him instead of me. And yet, during those agonizing three hours, he didn't complain, not even once. Instead, he kept me distracted with funny stories as if nothing was happening.

"Maybe you'll feel better by visiting your family when the storm is over." I said and I couldn't help but feel a ting of envy that he had that possibility.

"Well... I don't know. We don't talk anymore... It's complicated." He lowered his gaze but I leaned a bit to catch it back.

"Too complicated for me to understand?"

"I don't want to bother you with my stuff." He said.

"You won't."

Mark paused for a moment his eyes telling me I was nearing a wound and that I had to be careful, but somehow he decided to give me a shot. Thanks Mark.

"My whole family got The Call at the same time, all together... All but me."

He raised his eyebrows, emphasizing the "me."

"Oh no..." I said as he nodded. "That's really odd, but also possible."

"Yep. The thing is that they transferred and then... I waited... and waited... For over five years."

"Five years?!" I raised my voice a bit too much and a couple of people sitting behind me turned. "Sorry." I whispered. "That's wild, man." I muttered to him.

Mark nodded again. "I was about to give up on the idea when, finally, I got The Call. But what should've been a happy family reunion turned into something more like a reunion of strangers."

"What do you mean?"

"They'd become strong supporters of the Reg Society. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but... they were pushing me to try the implants they had. They kept saying it was the best thing for me. They'd even bought a bunch of thoes stupid paid recollections."

"That's quite a change for an outsider." I said.

"It is. My family seemed more focused on the recollections they'd bought than the real ones they had with me."

"That sucks." I said placing my hand in his.

"And since I was assigned here we've been talking less and less every time. At this point, I don't know what to do."

I pondered for a second.

"It seems like you're all trying to find a new way to live, to fit into this... new world."

Mark listened carefully it was clear he hadn't voiced these thoughts out loud before and I felt grateful he had trusted that in me.

"I think you shouldn't give up on them yet." I said.

"What if it's them who gave up on me?"

"No way. I think they're just... trying to figure things out, the same way you are. But you're part of their story. Always have been. Always will be. Give yourself some time to land everything. The love you have for each other will never change. No matter how many recollections they buy."

Mark let out a huge breath as if somehow that conversation had lifted from a weight.

"Thanks, Grace" He whispered. "I guess you're right. I'll visit them once the storm is over."

"I'm glad to hear that." I said with a smile. Mark gazed at the lonely last spoon from his plate, then took it and finished the bowl.

"Are you sure you don't want to train a bit with me now that you're done?" I grinned at him.

"Are you sure you don't want to join the sleeping party I'm going to enjoy?" He said standing up mirroring my grin.

"No, maybe another time."

"I'll dream double for you." He said with a grin.

"Only good dreams then," I said as we went our separate ways. He nodded and disappeared upstairs.

Once Mark had left to sleep kept wandering around. People seemed to be compensating for the loud sounds of the storm by being unusually quiet. Such a strange reaction. As if we could calm the fury of nature by being still. I even spot some people talking in whispers. What the heck, ha.

As I paced back and forth, I made a mental list of all the things I missed during those endless days of lockdown. Sure, combat training and running topped it but if I was being honest, there was something else I couldn't stop thinking about—and whether I like it or not they definitely had a spot on that list: those early morning encounters with Heather at the border. Don't judge me, okey? I'd barely seen her over the past month, which wasn't exactly surprising. She was the Lead of the border, after all, and probably had her hands full. But still, I couldn't help thinking about those moments quite often. Weird, right? I also found myself wondering how she'd been. The storm was merciless, and she was out there every single day. It was only natural to worry. Besides, she'd shown me the footage of Michael at the end, and after that, the next few times I'd seen her, it felt like we'd stepped out of that constant angry era we'd been stuck in.

Lost in thought, I somehow ended up on the Lead's floor. Maybe, if Heather was around, I could check on her. Just a quick How are you? Everything okay? Crazy weather, huh? And that would be it. Didn't seem out of place, right?

The level of abandonment on the lead's floor was almost reminiscent of the desolation in many streets of The Other Side. I even felt uncomfortable there, as if I were trespassing in a sacred space. I reached a door that read "Border Lead" and stopped.

What are you doing, Grace? I thought to myself. I had no idea. With what excuse would I be knocking at her door? I hated my impulsive personality sometimes. What would she think of me?

Okay, Grace, move away and leave before you embarrass yourself.

As if anything that I tried to say to myself had worked even once. Right after, I knocked on the door. Damn. At least I did it softly.

No response.

Okay, she's not there, it's a sign, leave now. I kept talking to myself because why not?

But just as I was about to leave, the door softly opened. My heart skipped a beat.

"Heather?" I asked, pushing the door a bit further.

The room was empty, and I realized that the rain had opened a window and the wind snicking in had caused the door to swing open.

Stupid Grace. I scolded myself. Stupid heart, slow down right now.

I knew I should leave, okay? My parents taught me what privacy is, even though we didn't have much of it on The Other Side. But I couldn't resist sneaking a harmless, quick glance inside the room. Tell me you wouldn't.

Which was quite interesting, because the room was vastly different from all the others I had seen. Although to be fair, I'd only ever seen the newcomers' rooms. I figured the Lead probably had different ones, but it wasn't the size or the luxury that struck me the most, it was the clear and overwhelming sense of warmth and personality it exuded.

I would never have guessed that it was Heather's. For real. The walls were hand-painted in clear blue, surprising since the Narval House had no painted walls. White, grey, and silver were the only colors I had seen until now.

The furniture in the room was much better than ours. A big double bed was in the corner, a sturdy, large desk under the window, and a closet with three doors. It could have looked like a hotel room if it wasn't because it was filled with all kinds of stuff.

On the bed, there were binoculars and several Narval uniforms as if she had left in a hurry. The desk was littered with maps, journals, and gadgets. A large engine sat on it with various tools around it, giving the impression she had been working on something. Does she ever take time to rest? I thought to myself.

Next to it, a small table adorned with three beautiful plants connected to an automatic watering system gave the room a sense of natural love and care.

A thunder struck, and the opened window's glass shook. That's when I realized the rain was seeping into Heather's room. Without thinking, I instantly entered and closed the window to later rush out.

"What the hell are you doing?" I voiced called out from the end of the hallway. I turned around and saw Lea, another high-rank Narval Lead, looking at me. Panic washed over me.

"This is not your room." She said approaching as if she was going to arrest me.

"I know, the door was opened, and I saw that the window had also opened and was watering the entire floor. I just closed it," I said, trying to sound convincing. Lea raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, what were you doing on this floor anyway?" She asked skeptically.

"Nothing, I was just walking around," I said while redirecting my way to the stairs. Suddenly another thunder struck, this heavier than the previous one. The lights of the house blinked, and the ceiling trembled. Lea rushed to the hallway window and looked outside.

"God, I hope they are okay." She said concerned. I joined her and looked at the terrible panorama.

"Who?" I asked.

"The leads that were sent to keep the vigilance-" She explained.

"Who's out there?"

"Roy is at the tunnel, Monica and Rachel are at the front gate, and Heather is at the electric tower."

I had studied all those places, and I knew that being at the electric tower during an acid rain storm was quite dangerous. Yet, it was also one of the most critical locations to protect. The electric tower was not only the main source of our power but also one of the key repeaters for the city's power, responsible for crucial protection measures like the acid rain shield. As I looked through the window, I searched for the enormous electric tower in the distance.

How would Heather be doing out there? I wondered.

Suddenly, another thunderclap.

And another.

And another.

The rays were clearly visible in the sky, resembling veins pulsing with anger. Every time closer to the electric tower.

"Maybe we should get Heather out of there." Lea was seeing the danger as clearly as me.

Suddenly, another thunder struck, and the whole house shook for a couple of seconds. Darkness engulfed us as the power went off. People rushed out of their rooms to check what was happening.

I didn't need to ask; I could see it in front of me.

The electric tower was ablaze.