SCARS

Beneath the Surface

Snap.

With a soft click, Calypso finally closed the box after she was finished tending to everyone's wounds. Night had descended fully, casting an eerie glow over the brightly lit undercity. Sighing, Calypso surveyed the scene around her.

Mylo and Powder lay asleep in various positions, fully bandaged up. Mylo slouched on the couch, his face buried in the cushions, while Powder was curled up in the lounge chair, clutching one of her trinkets tightly. Claggor, having suffered the least damage, had retired to his own room earlier.

Vi was absent, having left the basement when Calypso and Powder immersed themselves in conversation about medical technology. Powder's fascination with tech delighted Calypso, who cherished the spark of curiosity in her eyes.

Amidst the quiet, Calypso's stomach rumbled, reminding her of her neglected hunger. She hadn't eaten all day. Vander had been out, and she avoided him when he returned; she didn't want to lie about where the others were.

Hoping to find something to eat, she ascended the stairs, gazing out the window at the bustling city below. The Undercity never seemed to sleep.While aware of the risks, Calypso couldn't shake the urge to step outside the safety of the bar. She craved the company of people who didn't know her past. She longed for social connections that wouldn't inevitably lead to snarky comments about the fact she's a topsider.

Pulling up the hood of her cloak, Calypso approached the door, aiming for stealth.

"Where do you think you're going?" a voice rang out.

Turning abruptly, Calypso's heart raced as she faced Vi, eyebrows raised in suspicion. Vi, with tousled hair, had clearly just woken up. She wore a dirty tank top and dark trousers—an unusual sight for Calypso.

"I... um, I haven't eaten yet, so I thought I'd grab a bite," Calypso replied, smiling softly, hoping to end the conversation quickly. "Maybe from a bakery or something... I have a bit of a sweet tooth. But I won't be long."

"Yeah, right," Vi scoffed, rolling her eyes. "They'll eat you alive out there, Callie," she teased.

Calypso felt her cheeks flush at the nickname, hoping the darkness hid her blush.

"Look, I haven't really been out since I got here. I just wanted to—"

Vi's eyes narrowed as she interrupted Calypso. "All you topsiders are the same. You just come down here to gawk, to see what it's like—"

The word 'topsider' suddenly pushed Calypso off the edge. Her anger bubbling up ferociously as she cut her off, voice rising with frustration. "You're Impossible!" She whisper shouted. "Despite your hostility, all I've done since I've gotten here is be kind to you, to Powder, Mylo, and Claggor. And it's still not enough for you—you still only see me as a topsider."

Vi scoffed, sneering. "Because that's what you are."

Calypso's expression hardened, her frustration reaching a boiling point. "You don't know me. We're more alike than you think."

"I'm not like you at all," Vi snapped back defensively, stepping closer with a challenging glare.

Vi's face was taut with unspoken pain, her voice low and bitter. "Do you want to know why I don't like you? My parents were killed by enforcers—by topside enforcers."

Calypso's response was swift, her voice breaking as she cut Vi off. "So were mine."

Vi staggered back, her face etched with shock. "What?"

Calypso looked away, her eyes filling with tears. She took a steadying breath before continuing. "My father was a high-up in the medical field. But he wasn't just a medic; he was someone who believed he could change things here. He began accepting bribes, but it was for a cause— to fund a clinic here, in the undercity, where no one else cared to help. But the more he saw, the more he tried to fight against the corruption, the deeper he got pulled in. One bad decision led to another, and soon, he was involved in distributing a drug that he thought could help... but it didn't. It only made things worse here."

She swallowed hard, her voice a mere whisper now. "When he tried to stop, to fix the chaos he'd helped create, the enforcers came. They took him and my mother in the night. I heard them scream..." Calypso paused, choking back a sob. "I hid, terrified. By morning, they were gone. The house was silent."

Calypso faced Vi again, her cheeks wet with tears. "The enforcers thought I was part of it too. They came back for me. I had no choice but to run here, somewhere where no one knew of me."

Her voice cracked under the strain of her memories. "So don't tell me I don't understand what it's like. I'm not your enemy, Violet. I'm just trying to survive, like you."

As tears streamed down Calypso's cheeks, she searched Vi's eyes for any sign of acceptance. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of understanding, maybe even sympathy, in Vi's gaze. But Vi remained silent, averting her eyes.

Feeling a mix of disappointment and resignation, Calypso turned to leave, her shoulders slumped slightly. But as she stepped back towards the basement, Vi's hand shot out, gripping Calypso's wrist tightly. Calypso stopped, her heart skipping a beat, surprised by the contact. She turned back, facing Vi, whose expression was conflicted, torn between her usual defensiveness and an apparent reluctance to let Calypso leave. 

"I didn't know, I..." Vi started, but her voice trailed off, her grip loosening slightly.

Calypso waited for Vi to continue, to say something, anything. But when Vi remained quiet, Calypso turned again and hurried down to the basement, leaving Vi standing in the doorway, her hand still outstretched. 

--

The next morning, Calypso awoke to the dim light filtering through the small basement windows, her eyes still puffy from last night's tears. As she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she noticed something unusual: a small bag rested at the foot of the couch. Curious and a bit cautious, she reached for it, finding it slightly warm and heavier than it looked.

Inside, she discovered an assortment of food: a couple of thick, crusty rolls, a small jar of jam, a piece of fruit, and a wrapped, still-warm pastry that smelled of butter and sugar. 

A peace offering.