Dawn Is Coming

Chapter 18

Akira

My eyes fly open, my body physically jolting in the passenger seat. I notice Lyndin give me a sour look out of the corner of her eyes as she eyes me up and down.

"You're lucky I haven't thrown up while you were getting your beauty sleep. Otherwise, I would've directed it at you."

I stare at her, honestly not giving a damn about having vomit all over me.

The blood of a fellow soldier is much worse.

I stare ahead out of the windshield, noticing that it's raining. I feel my gut unclench slightly, the calming presence of rain doing wonder to my nerves. Raindrops race each other down the plexiglass, blurring the view of the greying sky outside.

"You know, this vehicle can't be that old. It's almost certainly made with the newest model of zirconium. I looked at the wing camera – no signs of effect from the rain." Lyndin explains, pointing to one of the buttons on the panel. Hesitantly, I press it, flinching as a holographic screen pops up right in front of my nose. The plane wing. And true to Lyndin's word, there's not a single mark or streak of rust on the metal.

But according to General Flynn, these AVs haven't been used in decades, meaning that they existed for decades. The newest model of zirconium was developed two years ago, immune to any rust from water.

How?

"We're close."

I turn to look at her, brows furrowing. "How do you know?" I ask, searching for some sort of GPS screen among all the knobs and levers on the panel. In response, to my surprise, she just shrugs.

"I feel it."

I glance at my hands, realizing that they haven't been wrapped.

It was all a dream.

I take deep breaths as I stand up from the seat, nearly collapsing as a sudden wave of turbulence hits. Immediately righting myself, I head down the narrow pathway, eyeing all the seats, as if expecting that Spider will somehow manage to turn up again. Once I reach the bathroom, I'm stunned to see that it looks exactly as it had in my dream.

Even though I never saw it.

Brushing it off as a mere coincidence, I open the cupboard, eyeing its contents. A half empty bottle of white pills, sanitizer, clear liquid in a prescription bottle, and a stale roll of bandage wrap. I grab the roll, wrapping my wrists while occasionally glancing at the toilet seat.

You will be betrayed. He doesn't love you. Only I do.

The words keep echoing in my head like a haunting melody. What's that even supposed to mean? Was he talking about Grant somehow?

Impossible. My stupid, insecure consciousness is meddling with itself. I can't afford to be distracted by my own self, especially when we touch down.

A strong wave of relief hits me the moment I exit the bathroom, as if I had actually believed somewhere deep down in myself that my dream might come true. But true or not, something about Spider's words really resonated within me. You will be betrayed.

Ha, well, I already was. Shame on you, Spider.

Grant doesn't care about me.

The last part was sweet, though. It brings me a strange sense of comfort that a cat with bare heels holds some love for me in his small, furry heart. Even though it was my own consciousness that told me.

I plop back into the passenger's seat, shooting a glance at Lyndin before averting my eyes. Would it help if I was prettier, or maybe more outgoing like her? Or just... not be me?

I rove my hand over my face, pressing hard, as if to squeeze the thoughts out. I need to be focused and alert, focused only on the mission. My fingers fidget with the rough, frayed ends of the bandage as I turn to Lyndin, making sure she's okay.

"You remember the plan, right?" I ask.

"For the third time, yes."

Upon my insistent gaze, she sighs, speaking up again.

"Land as far away from the walls as I can, walk to the walls on foot, hack into the entrance, find a lighter in a landfill, burn off our IDs, split up and search for an Infirmary." Lyndin says, without hesitation nor stuttering. I nod, finally satisfied. She gives me one last look before turning to focus on the sky ahead. Lyndin had started acting more worried after I told her that we'd have to search for an Infirmary, but she hasn't questioned it.

Yet.

My heart jumps into my throat as Lyndin squeals, pointing up ahead.

"There it is! Akira, look, Neorexa!" She shrieks in excitement, her grip tightening around the wheel. My eyes focus on the blurry image of a huge construction up ahead, far into the distance. I shift my vision, my heart racing as I see the construction in intricate detail. The whole country is surrounded by a fortified wall, similar to Ruinexus. A handful of buildings rise above the rim of the wall, but the one that really catches my attention is a bright, marble building that stands out like a sore spot – undoubtedly the Arcade.

My heart races as I nod in confirmation, feeling an overwhelming rush of nerves, both in excitement and stress. Remembering the reason we're here, I take deep, relaxing breaths, backing carefully away from the edge of the precipice that I always seem to be teetering on. My hands grip the armrests as Lyndin tips the AV down, preparing for landing.

I can't seem to tear my eyes off the magnificent constructions up ahead, drawn to the view like a moth to a flame. It gives off a different vibe than Ruinexus. It looks isolated, yes, but it stands proud, as though heaven itself lies behind those pearly, fortified gates. And if we don't manage to get inside, well...

Then heaven will probably be my next destination.

Or hell.