Moira

35.

Arcan City below me looked almost as small as it did from Esmond's apartment. From up here, though, it was smaller. The way tall buildings suddenly seemed average-sized — some even small, compared — and the way you couldn't even make out any people on the ground.

Whites and light greys taking up most of my field of vision, the sky the same color, instead of dark blue, for the first in weeks, if I remembered correctly.

9:00 AM, and as expected, the door opened.

What was unexpected, though, was that only one person was entering it, the one I wanted to see least out of all of them.

I was pacing back and forth behind my usual seat, halting in my movements only when the door slid open with its familiar sound. Eyes connecting with Monroe's as soon as I whipped my head in his direction, the door closed behind him.

Closed and locked.

The white suit he always wore as well-fitted as always, grey hair sleeked back, and his beard trimmed to perfection. The way he stood before me now, he embodied everything The System stood for.

And if my best friend wasn't missing, I might've even admired him for it. Admired him like I had all those years of my life.

Just as his mouth opened to say something, his lips already twisted into a smile as cruel as it was innocent, I made sure I was the first to speak; a little shocked my by own initiative as the words left my mouth.

"Where's Eniola?"

His brows raised in surprise, head tilting. "Oh?" He wondered, making sure not to break our eye contact as he stepped further into the room.

His hands propped on top of the circular table; he diverted his gaze only for a second. "Since when do we interrupt, Amidelle?"

My breath already heavy, my brows furrowed lightly at his words.

Since when did I?

A little perplexed, I blinked up at the man stood opposite me, on the other side of the table. I swallowed thickly as he continued speaking.

"We have to assume she knew just as much as you do," He went on, shrugging as if this was the most casual of conversations.

"I didn't tell her anything—" I muttered, nose scrunching up slightly as the words left my mouth. — "I didn't tell anyone anything." My voice sounded weak, exhausted and tired when I was feeling nothing of the sort.

"Of course," He mocked. "The System included." A snicker passed by his lips, a victorious smile on them as he watched my mouth close without another word escaping it. "You really should've told us, Amidelle."

The smile on his face faded, then — turning it into a far less pleasant sight — my breath hitching at the words, the ringing in my ears growing louder and far less tolerable.

"Your friend is being taken care of just like you'll be." His voice was entirely too calm for the words coming out of his mouth, though there was something so relaxing about them, I couldn't help but feel safe as he lulled them comfortingly.

Something so comfortingly that made my tense muscles relax as I held onto the chair in front of me for support. I feared I might fall over if I didn't. "Don't you think you need help, Amidelle?"

My eyes previously pointed at the table batted open at his words, connecting with his blue ones right after. I nodded. Even though I wanted to shake my head vigorously, simply nodding seemed so much easier with the ever-growing buzz in my head and ringing in my ears practically begging me to do so.

He himself nodded at my subtle motion. "The System wants to help you," He continued, starting to take careful steps around the circular table, the same, calming smile he always wore on his lips again. "You see what he's done to you, don't you—?" His finger tapped against his temple a few times to visualise what he was talking about. "I apologise for Esmond's behaviour."

The mention of his name made my eyes fall onto my wrist, the countdown still against my skin;

000d, 00h, 00m, 00s

Esmond.

He was the only reason I was in this situation in the first place.

And while my head continued to feel heavier and heavier, my eyes staying shut for a little longer whenever I blinked and my entire body feeling like it was slowly shutting down, I thought of him.

I thought of how we met, I thought of how we fought, I thought of how we kissed.

I thought back to that evening at the lake, and how adorable he looked with that apron he wore just before he kissed me; thought back to our conversation this morning and how he didn't want me to go — and maybe he was right about it— just this one time.

I wanted to be mad at him, blame him for a situation that was entirely his fault in the first place. I wanted to think about nothing else but how much I despised him and everything he brought into my life with him.

I wanted to remember how arrogant he was, how condescendingly he spoke to me and how little he respected me.

But, instead, I remembered what he had told me about his family; his mother, his father, Monroe. I remembered our conversation about his sister — and how he agreed with me — and I remembered how he offered to talk about us in hopes it would make me stay.

I couldn't help but feel like, maybe, I wouldn't be making it back to him in time to do so;

My legs giving in underneath me as my eyes shut completely, the ringing in my ear becoming unbearable before it slowly faded into the black abyss around me.

I expected to feel my body fall against the floor of the conference room just seconds later; a harsh hit to my shoulder — maybe even against my head — when I hit it.

That expected pain that might've managed to pull me back into reality never came. 

- 

I forgot I had this chapter written I'm sorry for the "long" wait. 

Next chapter tomorrow! 

See you then. <3