Agent X

xx| 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚢-𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 |xx

"Rise and shine, Xara."

A gentle voice eased into the void of the subconscious. Light shone past my closed eyelids. A hand nudged my shoulder.

"It's time to get up," the voice continued.

I cracked one eye open to see Professor Nyryn standing over me. Professor Nyryn is here...I must be home.

The events of the previous day floated into my mind. Finn had driven us to IIA headquarters in Brussels. We exchanged our rental car for a jet, which Finn flew home. It was only six o'clock in the evening when I arrived home, but I had crashed the moment I stepped inside my living quarters.

For years, I had stuck to a regimented schedule, ensuring that I got enough sleep every single night. If for no other reason, this past week had been grueling due to a lack of sleep.

"Congratulations on completing your first mission," she said. She grinned, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Thank you," I said. "I didn't think that I could do it." Somehow, the words didn't come out choked. Somehow, the dam of emotions hadn't broken—at least not yet.

"I knew you would," the Professor continued. "Spy work is in your genes."

It should've been encouraging, but I couldn't help but think, yeah, but didn't you put those genes inside me? If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't even exist.

It's not like I'm naturally talented. I'm artificial, man-made.

"The Director has to talk to you," Professor Nyryn said. "You need to get up now."

"What time is it?"

"Five-thirty. The Director called a meeting in half an hour."

I wanted to flop backwards into my bed. Now? What could be so pressing that he'd need to speak to us so early in the morning? And right after we got back from our mission, no less.

Professor Nyryn smiled kindly at me. "I know, you're not used to this 'only a little bit of sleep per night' thing. But you need to go. It's what the real Xara did. It's the way espionage works. You'll get used to it. Come on, I have your breakfast all ready and your clothes laid out." A twinkle filled her brown eyes. "Besides, you've nearly slept twelve hours straight."

"I guess I have," I chuckled.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My bare feet landed on the wood floor. I never thought I would miss the floor of all things, but compared to the chemical-filled carpeting in the hotel room, I welcomed the change.

I threw on the grey sweatpants and green t-shirt laid out for me. I mechanically did my makeup to look like the real Xara, then headed to the kitchen. The smoky, salty scent of bacon filled the room, making me salivate. A bacon, eggs, and cheese breakfast sandwich sat on the kitchen island in a plastic bag. My empty stomach growled. I realized that I barely ate anything yesterday.

"I figured you could eat it on the way down. You need to get going," Professor Nyryn said.

"Good idea, thanks." I grabbed my breakfast and jogged out the door.

I devoured the sandwich in a few bites in the elevator and threw the bag into a trash can on the seventeenth floor. The halls were silent except for the light squishing of my sneakers on the carpet. I glanced at my watch. I was five minutes early.

Couldn't I have slept in an extra five minutes? I wondered. But as soon as I thought it, I realized it was not possible. Xara was always early. She had to be, it was one of her many modus operandis. This can't be healthy for me—all this getting up early and going to bed late. Maybe adults can do it, but don't teens need nine to ten hours of sleep per night?