3. The Nth Meeting

I stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity; I counted the cracks, listened to a muffled argument from downstairs, doors slamming and something that sounded like crying. I put the last part out of my head. I’d never seen either of my parents cry; it must have been my ears playing tricks on me.

Eventually, I heard stumbling in the hallway. It was Father, definitely drunk. The only other time I saw him like this was the day of Sara’s testing. That night was the same: sharp words, yelling, and the sound of him stumbling while Mother looked after him.

During that year, I remained mostly confined to my room; my Mother and Father were adamant that I should not face the pressures of testing at such a young age. So I got to hear it all second hand. Compared to that year? I got off easy…

After a couple of minutes, I heard my parents’ bedroom door shut. I waited a couple more, just until I could hear Father snoring. He always did when he drank; it was going to be the perfect cover for my exfil. Soon enough, those snores began to echo through the hallways.

I checked the time— 2150. Shit… I was going to be late.

Moving quietly, I reached the window. I pushed it open wider and climbed onto the sill, turning so my back faced the garden.

Once in position, I shuffled back slowly, careful not to make noise. I lowered one foot onto the trellis outside, testing its strength as it groaned. Confident, I set my other foot and climbed down until I reached the soft ground below.

Despite my silent exit, I still needed to cross the garden undetected. Keeping my centre of gravity low, I hugged walls and used cover to avoid windows and cameras, navigating the familiar hiding spots I had memorised over months of practice. Eventually, I slipped around the perimeter and made it safely beyond the house’s bounds.

I nodded to myself. A perfect extract.

The city hummed with Testing Eve energy, bars were full, restaurants were busy, and I could see families spending time with their kids in the upper district housing. Other kids my age would likely be doing exactly the same, stealing final moments before tomorrow comes.

I took the longer route to the nest, intentionally avoiding main streets. The shift from quiet neighbourhoods to the industrial district helped clear my mind. Public workers still patrolled as they prepped for the chaos tomorrow would bring.

The observation tower rose from the abandoned sector like a broken finger that pointed towards the stars. It was condemned years ago, structural damage, they said. But it stood, outlasting most of the “safe” buildings around it.

I heard them before I saw them. Alexei’s laugh, too loud, too forced; Wei’s voice, pitched higher than normal; and Diana’s silence.

My pace quickened as I checked the time on my commlink, 2215—shit. They weren’t going to let me live this down.

The climb was muscle memory. Hand here, foot there, swing wide around the broken section. Avoid the rusted beam that looked solid but really wasn’t.

After a few minutes of climbing, there they were, waiting at the very top of our spot, the nest. Below us, the city sprawled out in a complex grid of lights, and above, the two moons hovered in the sky, casting a pale glow. The illumination painted their faces in shifting hues of amber and blue, sharply outlining the features of their cheeks and brows. It felt so familiar, yet so alien.

“Took you long enough,” Alexei said.

I pulled myself up onto the platform, my boots scraping against the rusted metal. I took a moment to catch my shallow breathing. “I’m…” I huffed, “Two minutes early.”

“Nice try, but you’re twenty minutes late.” Diana retorted.

I waved my hand, dismissing her comment. “Yeah, two minutes early in Marcus’s time.” I gave an impish smile before taking a seat next to Wei.

“That’s not how time works, idiot.”

“It is tonight.”

Wei shifted as I sat down beside her. Our shoulders touched. Her hair had fallen loose from its usual professional bun, black strands caught the amber city-glow. She looked brighter like this. Less Ice Princess, more just… Wei.. “Family dinner keep you?”

“Something like that…” I didn’t say too much, not wanting to worry the group.

She didn’t push. She never did. It was one of the things I— we appreciated about her. Diana glanced at me with a strange look. I forced myself to meet her gaze. It was held for a moment before she turned her eyes elsewhere.

“So.” Alexei produced a bottle from his pack with the flourish of a bad actor. The label was faded, earth-vintage supposedly. “Last night of equality and all that. We drinking or we crying?”

“Why not both?” I replied.

“That’s the spirit!” Alexei twisted the cap. The seal broke with a soft hiss. “To the Nest.” He raised the bottle toward the sky. “To us. To the last night we’re all just… us.”

I suppressed a wince; the contrast between the toast from the dinner earlier and this was night and day. Conflicting emotions stirred within me.

Alexei took a swig of the drink first and coughed. “God, that’s awful.”

“Let me.” Wei reached for it, surprising the whole group.

“The Ice Princess is going to break some rules for a change? Ohhh the humanity~.” Alexei performed, causing a chuckle to escape my lips.

“Just give it here.” She snapped.

He handed it over. Wei took a long pull, longer than I expected. When she lowered the bottle, her eyes were watering. “You’re right. That is terrible.”

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“Told you.”

The bottle came to me next. I hesitated.

“You don’t have to,” Diana said quietly.

“I know,” I took it. The glass was still warm from Wei’s hands. I tipped the bottle up to my lips as I began to sip. It burned going down, tasted like regret and bad decisions. Perfect for tonight. “Definitely terrible.”

I passed it over to Diana, who took it last. The bottle barely touched her lips before she handed it back to Alexei without drinking.

“Come on, Ghost Girl. It’s tradition.”

“Tradition, my ass. I don’t need it.” Diana retorted.

“None of us need it. That’s not the point.” Alexei mused.

“Then what is the point?” Her voice was soft. Sad.

Alexei opened his mouth, but no words came. He shrugged and took another drink.

The silence stretched. Below us, the city hummed. Distant sirens. The hum of transport shuttles. Somewhere a child laughed, high and clear.

“My Father got drunk tonight,” I said before I even realised. The words just came. “Really drunk. Started yelling about mortality rates.”

“Shit,” Alexei muttered.

“Uncle Michael and David were there, too. They kept…” I trailed off, not knowing how to explain it.

“Being assholes?” Wei offered. I gave a nod; she was the only other one of us who came from a military family. The only one who understood the family politics.

“Grandfather pulled me aside. Told me stories about my great aunt.”

“The Lydia one?” Wei asked. “S-Grade? Died at Proxima?”

“Yeah. That one,” My thoughts drifted to the datapad under my pillow. “He does like telling that story, doesn’t he?” I gave a weak, unconvincing laugh.

Diana’s eyes were on me again. She knew I was lying. Or not lying exactly. Just not telling everything. She had this weird intuition that was scarily accurate. If she weren’t a friend, I would think it was creepy.

“My security detail followed me halfway here,” Wei said, changing the subject and saving me. “Had to lose them in the construction zone. Nearly broke my ankle jumping a fence.”