𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭

Chapter Eight

"What if we just ran away?" Oberion questioned aloud, the now 18-year-old boy Victoria had grown closer to since that first dinner all the chosen children had together. The question hung in the air, absorbed by Victoria. She had pondered it silently before but had never dared to voice it aloud.

The following moments were silent, punctuated only by the click of Octavia's tongue. She let out a sigh before murmuring, "As if they'd ever let us escape."

They sat in Victoria's aunt's bedroom, their late-night refuge after curfew, where their conversations had shifted from random chatter to earnest discussions. As the mission's deadline drew closer, their once-stoic faces would soften, and they would quietly scheme about escape. Yet each time, Holton would firmly reject their plans, viewing the group and Ironlight as his family, declaring repeatedly that he would never betray them.

But unusually, Holton remained silent. Victoria sighed, sensing the anticipation among the others as they awaited Holton's response.

"Where would we go? Definitely not back to our families we miss, it's the first place they'd look," Elric replied. Imogene nodded in agreement, echoing the groans and sighs that rippled through the group of six children.

Victoria knew they all wrestled with the same dilemma.

Years before, that day that it was broken to them that they had eight years to be prepared for the mission, Doctor Reed and Sinclair declared two teams, Doctor Sinclair's team, Team two in which the chosen children from Stellar Bay, Ember Hollow and Crestal Shore was in. The rest was claimed by Doctor Reed, which the group of six, Victoria, Holton, Oberion, Imogene, Octavia and Elric, had been tightly knit together since.

Holton finally cleared his throat, standing up from the bed. "We still have training tomorrow; we better get some shut-eye before then," he declared.

Everyone yawned, acknowledging Holton was right, silently agreeing as they got up.

Holton was the first to move out of the room, glancing back at Victoria to silently ask if she was coming. She nodded, and they all filed out, whispering goodnight to each other. Just as Victoria was about to leave, Oberion grabbed her hand. She turned to him, and he checked the corridor to ensure no one could overhear them before speaking.

"Did you tell Holton?" Oberion asked quietly, looking back at her.

She knew exactly what he meant - years ago, when Victoria was nine, she and Oberion had devised a plan. They wrote letters to Holton from his orphanage, hoping to persuade him to reconsider escape plans, to show him that those he grew up with still cared. Victoria had been the one to deliver these letters each week, carefully altering the postmarks to avoid suspicion.

She avoided eye contact, she'd tell Oberion that she would stop, but every week when she would deliver the letter to Holton, she liked the smile that etched his face and the happiness she felt at the thought of the boy being happy when he was always serious. She wouldn't tell anyone else but she did not once feel guilty even if Oberion since felt guilty of the plan they'd made a long time ago.

"I haven't," she sighed, moving back to the chair she had sat in before. Pulling her knees to her chest, Oberion closed the door and moved to Victoria. Before he could say anything, she responded with, "I don't have the heart to tell him, Oberion. Imagine you in his shoes, having no real family, and then you get letters from the people who raised you, giving you hope, only to find out years later that your best friend wrote them." A silent tear rolled down her cheek.

Oberion said nothing but absorbed Victoria's words. "It's good you haven't told him yet, Tori," he sighed, placing his hand on hers. She looked up at him. He was Holton's close friend as well, and he probably understood how difficult it would be to break such news. But then he backed up, "We might have a chance at escaping. Holton didn't mention anything about our escape plans tonight," he said with a soft smile.

Victoria was confused. "What do you mean?" she asked, standing up and crossing her arms around her waist.

Oberion glanced at the door once more. "Don't tell him about the letters. I know I've been pushing you to tell him, but I think he misses his home as well, especially with the letters you've been writing him all these years."

Oberion's gaze softened as he considered Victoria's conflicted emotions. "Victoria, we need to focus on our plan to escape. Holton's longing for his home might give us the opportunity we've been waiting for."

Victoria nodded slowly, wiping away a tear. "I know, especially after all these years."

Oberion closed the gap between them, embracing her as she hugged him back. Then, he pulled away, smiling softly. "I believe now is the time for you to write Holton's letter," he said, and moved to the door without looking back, closing it behind him.

As she stood there, guilt set in-not for secretly writing Holton's letters all these years, but for the thought of going home. She hadn't seen her family in a long time, and she knew they wouldn't turn her away. But would it be the same? They were practically strangers now. She had grown closer to Olive, Xanea, and even Doctor Reed, who had called her in after her sixteenth birthday. Victoria thought back to that day.

"Happy birthday, Victoria," Doctor Reed said, smiling as she held out a small box when Victoria entered her office. Victoria returned the smile and closed the door behind her before approaching the woman.

"I appreciate the gift, Doctor, but it wasn't necessary," Victoria said, taking the box from her hand. It wasn't unusual for the doctor to give gifts to Victoria or anyone from her team, but this year felt different. It was eight months before the mission, and if they didn't return at all, the mission would fail. There was a lot of pressure on the chosen children's shoulders.

"It was absolutely necessary," Doctor Reed replied, her smile fading as she watched Victoria sink into her seat. Victoria could feel the doctor's anxiety emanating in waves.

"Is there something wrong, Doctor Reed?" Victoria asked, breaking the silence.

The doctor cleared her throat and took her seat. "I wanted to talk about your aunt, Isobel."

Victoria was stunned by the sentence but remained quiet, waiting for her to continue.

"Your aunt was the only real friend I ever had," Doctor Reed began. "We met when my mother, also a doctor here like I am now, brought me in to train for my future in medicine. I remember it clearly-I was drawing her blood, and she confessed she was afraid of needles." She chuckled softly. "So, I had to reciprocate. I told her one of my fears too-aging. And she burst out laughing at me." A bittersweet smile formed on Doctor Reed's face, tears welling up in her eyes.

"For years, we were friends. When she turned 18, she had to leave for the same mission you're on now. At that time, I was in medical school and gave her a device for one-hour calls between us. I tried to postpone my studies, but my mother wouldn't allow it," she said, her face filled with sadness though she held back tears.

"We communicated every day until two weeks after she left. After that, there was complete silence on my device. I kept trying to call her until I returned, only to find my mother wouldn't say anything," she sniffled. "That's why I'm here now, to uncover the truth of what happened."

Victoria looked puzzled as she asked, "But didn't you find out what happened to Aunt Isobel?"

The doctor shook her head. "My mother knew I would make it my life's mission to find out. She prevented me from accessing the mission files. All I know is that it failed. She ensured I would never get those files."

Victoria examined the gift she had received from the Doctor: a small bracelet engraved with the message, "In dark times, remember who you are." She wasn't certain if it held a hidden meaning, but she resolved to cherish those words dearly, especially in the face of the challenges looming ahead.

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I would like to extend a personal thank you to butter_imagination for
her invaluable assistance in helping me revise all of these chapters.🤍

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Author's Note:

Hello readers! I hope you're enjoying this story. Please let me know in the comments or by voting. Onto the next chapter!