Noctura

nineteen

seungyoon

THE NIGHT air is a little chillier than it usually is.

I'm on top of a building, looking down at the city beneath me, watching the life move through it.

It's only eight, but the sun has set already, turning the little light of day into night.

The video went out tonight. I saw it on a TV in a hotel. It looked good. I hope it'll make people start questioning things. I hope Nocturas and humans will both want to join.

If they do want to join, they won't exactly know how, but those who already know about the Alliance will get word out to those they know want to join. Our connections are great enough that we will be able to get recruits.

I know it was risky putting my face on camera. They won't be able to tell exactly who I am because of the mask, but how many people around here have white hair?

Now, I have to be more hidden than I was before. If anyone from the AAN sees me, or someone sees me and reports me to the AAN, they'll definitely take me in. Possibly even kill me.

I know the risks. But the risks are worth being able to help the innocent Nocturas who don't deserve to be put to death.

After surveying the area for a couple minutes more, I head over to the ladder that leads down to the street. I quickly start descending, reaching the ground pretty quickly.

Once I'm on the ground, I flip my sweatshirt hood over my head and shove my hands in my pockets. I move through the streets, moving past people who don't even bother looking at me.

People keep to themselves around here. I shouldn't have to worry too much.

But I can't get cocky. I have to know the danger I'm in. If I ever forget, the universe will definitely remind me.

The AAN will remind me.

I move through the streets at a normal pace, feeling the fresh air against the upper half of my face, since the lower half is covered by a black mask.

It feels nice out here tonight. Maybe it's because I'm happy about the video being released tonight. Maybe I've got a good feeling about the Alliance and I'm hopeful about what it will become in the near future.

Once I reach a large park, I sit down on a bench and pull my backpack around. After pulling my mask down, I open the backpack up and start eating the bag of chips in there. I look around at the park around me.

The trees are large, but they don't have very many leaves. The grass isn't a dark green, but a yellow and brown color. I wonder what the place would look like if we actually got sun. Since it's always cloudy, we never really even see the sun. The plants don't grow as well.

I should be heading back to the Alliance building down in the sixth sector. I need to check on Nephi again and see if he's been able to eat. I hope he has. He shouldn't have to wait longer than necessary.

I finish the chips and then pull out a protein bar, quickly eating that too.

A couple walks past, holding hands and speaking softly with each other.

Suddenly, I hear a shriek.

I quickly turn to my right and see a little girl running up to a man and a woman. The man picks her up happily and she shrieks again with pure joy. The woman holds the man's arm as both parents play with the little girl.

I smile to myself and then turn forward again, looking down at my shoes on the pavement.

A while ago, I used to know a little girl kind of like that. She was happy and joyous and had a beautiful laugh.