SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 44: Last Night

Exhausting. That's the word for it after three damn endless days stucked in that meeting. We argued our heads off, diving into every little detail and tossing around a bunch of ideas, only to circle back and approve the very first one: Provoking a distraction and leaving in an SUV through the tunnels.

And we were supposed to be the elite team? Well, at least the torture of the meeting was finally over, and Heather had been surprisingly chill with me lately. Maybe since she had caught me in the middle of that panic attack in the restroom. Did she pity me now? Ugh, I didn't even want to think about it. That moment was one I'd rather forget. Why the hell did I feel ashamed? I didn't need to keep up any image with her.

We were leaving in less than 48 hours. Our first stop was the Narval House. The plan was to wait there until nightfall. Then, after sending drones to create a distraction, we'd slip through the tunnels in an SUV, and that's when the real show would begin. My heart skipped at every thought of returning to the other side. And damn, I didn't even have time to let Erik, Kate, or Laura know. No time to waste, Brooke had said. Erik was the one I worried about the most. I would leave him alone in this place for... just God knows for how long.

I sent him a message, explaining everything, hoping he'd understand why I hadn't come by to say goodbye and swearing everything would be ok. But I mean, who could be sure? Who could be sure about anything these days?

The last day before leaving to the Narval House, Brooke insisted that Beverly, Stella, and Heather stay overnight at the Nexus Court. With the rush of final preparations for the plan, there were countless things to organize and test before leaving. So, it made more sense for them to stay there for efficiency's sake.

My nerves behaved quite well those days, but nighttime was like their personal party. There was no way I could sleep well. To think I would return to the place where I was born and raised after so long was something I didn't expect to happen. And even less so as a member of the elite team of the Reg Society. I couldn't help but wonder if I would see Michael again if I would recognize him after so long... If I would recognize the places, the towns, the landscapes, the smells... Or if maybe I'd changed so much that everything would feel foreign. I was so damn scared of that.

On my last night at the Nexus Court, as usual, I found myself staring at the ceiling, waiting to magically fall asleep. Not Happening, of course. My heart troubled me and all I could focus on was controlling my breathing. No more panic attacks, please.

Beside me, Brooke slept peacefully, so calm and serene. We had kept our distance since all the chaos of the mission had begun, but I usually sneaked into her room at night. I wished I could sleep as Brooke did, even though with all the fucking responsibility and pressure she was under, she always managed to sleep perfectly.

I got up and decided to stroll around the Nexus Court, just to see if by distracting me a bit my heart would relax. Besides, this could be the last time I walked thoes long corridors, strolled through thoes perfect geometrical gardens, and admired thoes amazing cool spaceships in the hangar. Crazy to think this place had been my home for five years. Time's a wild thing. It slips away like the birds under an acid rain storm.

The night was stunning at the Nexus Court. Being on the upper side of the city meant the stars shone brightly. I took a moment to admire the Fountain of Knowledge one last time and gently stroked the blue flowers nearby. Afterward, I paid a visit to the beautiful beasts of the hangar. My favourite one: The Thanos 202 model.

It wasn't until I felt I had shed the weight of the situation along the path that I made my way back to Brooke's room. But right when I was about to get in, the third door of the corridor creaked open. It was one of the guest's rooms. I stood still, observing who had awakened and ready to offer anything they might need, but my good intentions quickly faded when I realized it was Heather. The hallway was dark, and she didn't immediately see me as she stepped out. It was only after a few steps into the hallway that she finally caught sight of me. She stopped abruptly, surprised.