She stared at my direction, her hazel eyes widening at the sight of me.
"Fia? ...what are you—?!"
Before she could say anything else, I ran into her arms—hugging her tightly until I felt her breathe leave her.
This is what I mean by we have been through thick and thin together. If I ever felt like I was drowning, I ran to her. And never did she mind.
"I am sorry... I didn't mean to make this sudden," I said, my hands immediately loosenening to let her breath. However, my own breathe suddenly caught in my throat, which caused my head to spin too.
A simple panic attack... I guessed.
Her hands clamped down around my shoulders, rubbing my back while she buried half her face into my head. "Begin from the top. What happened?"
I loved her for this reason. She was my only supportive person who paused all questions in the world to attend to my incinerated sanity.
"I... Had an incredibly bad day overall. I am just overwhelmed..." I answered, having calmed down a bit. "I was dragged here against my will."
"So was I... I bet everyone of us have," she smiled down at me, patting my head.
"My mom..."
"Your mom?"
"My brother too..."
"..."
"I miss... My brother..."
"Me too," she spoke softly.
"My mom... Sold me off to die." My eyes welled with tears.
One thing you will relate to... Thinking about somethings, was easy. But speaking about it out loud was the painful part. You will stutter, you will not be able to finish it, and will just break down before you even say it.
"I will never forgive her for that!" I buried my face into her clothes even deeper, weeping out to my heart's content. I was finally alone... Yet, I was finally alone.
And I know that if you have gone through this... You will understand what I mean.
That I came here with a cost, though I came here to be free.
They say freedom tastes good. But why is it bitter to me?
Or did freedom just have another hidden meaning?
"Nada... I want to live... But not like this..." I whispered. "I want to live a life that is worth living... At least for a day... Where I don't have to find the meaning to my existence."
Nada let out a sigh. "Aefia... Your existence doesn't have to carry a meaning for you to live."
She held my shoulders as I pulled back, looking at her face, eye-to-eye. Her soft, hazel eyes immediately calmed something in me. As if saying, "this person is here... Why should I worry?"
"Your name—Aefia—doesn't have a meaning of its own... Does it?" She asked.
It was true.
It was derived from Sofia. Then into Sefia, then into Aefia.
The reason is absurd too.
Because my parents thought that one day, I will become successful, and someone will be inspired by me and name their child after me.
But they were so into their illogical thinking... They forgot that they left me to rot under the weight of a name that catches bullies from around like a magnet.
Seriously... Everywhere I go...
"Hey! Aefia! What does your name even mean?!"
Trust me, I never asked for it.
So that a why, Nada now calls me by Fia. It doesn't need a preffix, and it sounds modest for a nickname. I rather it is this way, then the other.
And now you know... Why I was incredibly determined to run away. Who wouldn't in my situation?
"Alright! Now that your mood is lifted, go get some sleep... What is your room number?"
Oh wait...
I completely forgot that my facial expressions change when I start to think deeply about somethings. But, I am still tired anyways.
"115." I answered, reaching my right hand into my pocket, and pulling out my key. "What about yours?"
"Hah... Room 109... We are pretty far from each other... Aren't we?" She furrowed her brows in a frown. The smile she always wore—didn't move an inch.
Sometimes, I wonder how she could go from this to that.
"Oh... Then that is far." I let out a sigh, stuffing my hands back into my hoodie pockets.
"Don't worry, we will meet again in the morning," she said, while patting my shoulders. We stayed silent for the rest of the way towards our dormitories.
Nada lived downstairs to me. And I got the room at the farthest corner of the building, at the toppest floor possible.
"I wonder if the rooms are assigned by candidate's numbers..." I muttered to myself, absentmindedly. I worked the key into the lock, and was about to turn it—
"Looks like you are stuck next to me!"
...Let the universe rot...
I turned my head, staring at the person who was leaning against his door. He seemed to already have settled in, looking at how he was wearing simple house slippers.
I let out a deep sigh... Looks like the rooms were assigned intentionally randomly. I wish he was in room 101 or something!
That way, he was way off my peace-radar!
Without giving him the satisfaction of a word, I turned my head away and continued turning the key.
"Don't mind me... I am just checking on my fellow neighbour. Let me know if you have a hard time due to loud noises..." He winked.
Ugh! Could this day go any worse?
I was sooo restrained that moment.
Because if I had let my ego win, he would have been in the ER from a broken nose and a broken vocal cord.
I swung open the door, stepped in, shutting it behind me. I waited for a short while, until I heard the door next to me slamming shut.
Then let out a deep sigh... Deflating my lungs as much as I could. Along with it, the tension of the day caught up to me. I slumped down against the door.
It all felt suffocating so suddenly. It all felt too... Fast-paced.
Why was I the only one to face such a day?
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
The room was dark. And the light-switch was right beside me.
I reached out my hand as high as it could go, and flicked it on. Instantly illuminating the entire, small—yet cozy—interior.
There was a bed, a closet, a chair and a table. That was enough. But there were also bookshelves, a bedside table, cabinets. White-washed curtains covered the entrance of the balcony.
I slowly stood up, dragged my feet across the room and pulled it back.
Nothing hit better then slidding down the lock of the glass door and pulling it open, then heading out onto the porch—which over-looked the entire field on the ground floor.
And far ahead, I saw the cyberpunk city with its tall glass sky-scrapers.
It felt much like I was back on Earth, and I was grateful for this view. The acidic scent of rain hit my nose again, as it got carried into my room by the soft wind.
I walked forward to the railing, resting my elbow on it, then my chin.
This wasn't too bad afterall.
"Psst!"
Turning my head to the sound, I walked over to the left side of the balcony—leaning over the lifted walls to look down and diagonally across.
"Nada?" I breathed out.
"Hey!" She chuckled. "Now we have a way to keep in touch whenever you are feeling down, alright?"
"Alright..." I said, fully content to know she had found a way.
"Now go get some rest. You deserve it more than enough." She smiled.
I nodded, then head back inside my room and shut the door. My eyes trailed over to the most pristine and beautiful furniture in the entire room.
The bed looked back at me.
Well? What can I say?
I leaped half-way across and slammed face-first onto it, stretching my arms and legs as far as they went.
Some say peace is expensive among humans...
I say... Just go get a bed!
Who is asking you to spend so much if you can just get them a pillow and a blanket, and tell them to take a well-earned nap. That way, you are doing them one good thing and yourself another.
No one here wants to know what the deal was or who the dealer was. All that matters is...
...Sleep.
We all have a long way to go in the morning.
***
"So yeah, I think the diplomats were wrong." I told Nada. "They say one thing and then the research paper suggested otherwise. Clearly they were either making this up to gain attention, or there was a conspiracy that was made up between them—that they presumed was most probably the truth..."
And suddenly it was lunchtime on the third day. I will say... It had been going quite smoothly these past few days. I wonder when the storm will hit though.
"Well, if you say so..." Nada answered as she twirled her fork, collecting a bite of pasta and eating it.
My plate remained untouched of course—
"Hey ladies!" A tray slammed down on the table beside me. "How is it going?"
—Why does he even exist?!
"It has been going good! How about you?" Nada asked, her smile returning full-force, until the shininess from both directions blinded me.
One side, sunny kid with his shiny hair, and on the other, my pretty cousin with her blooming happiness.
I groaned, leaned my right elbow on the table and used it to block his view from the corner of my eyes.
"Wonderful," he answered. "Although I was wondering why my favourite neighbour has been avoiding me."
"I haven't been avoiding you." I answered... I wish I had a tape with me.
"Oh? So you admit you noticed me?"
"I noticed an annoying noise."
Nada blinked between us. "...Do you two know each other?"
"No," I answered immediately. Better she stayed out of this as well.
"Yes," he answered at the exact same time.
I slowly turned my head towards him.
He smiled.
I awkwardly smiled back. Not the friendly kind.
The kind that meant I was imagining several different ways to throw him out of a window.
Nada looked completely clueless. "Wait... So you two met before?"
"Unfortunately."
"Fortunately," he corrected.
I kicked his chair underneath the table. He flinched, looking irritated at me.
Nada frowned. "What happened?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, straightening himself. "Her foot slipped."
"My foot did not—"
"Aefia!" Nada interrupted, looking at me with that same innocent expression. "Don't kick people under the table."
I stared at her for a long time. What the...
"Thank you, Nada." He responded.
I was officially surrounded by... Idiots.
"You're welcome."
He bit his lip, clearly trying not to laugh.
I narrowed my eyes in a mocking glance.
And he looked away. Going completely still.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Because this idiot was acting far too innocent for someone who had been irritating me since the moment I met him.
Then he must be trying to get along with Nada to get me isolated... Yeah... That isn't happening.
"Anyway," he spoke, opening his packet of sandwich. "I heard someone was asking about the research reports this morning."
My fork stopped halfway to my mouth. "How do you know that?"
He shrugged. "You were speaking about it."
"What the fuck?!"
"So now I can't listen to my neighbor's conversations?"
"Or course not! Ugh!"
Nada simply continued eating, completely unaware that there was an invisible war happening across the table.
I leaned back with a sigh. "Whatever. Just stay out of my business."
He smiled quietly. "Of course."
But there was something in his eyes. Something far too pleased.
And somehow, I had the horrible feeling that he was hiding something. I just didn't know what yet.
Actually... I didn't want to know.
"Anyways. I have an announcement." He spoke, yet again.
"What?" I said.
"I am officially Squad Three." He declared.
Hah! Nah, nah, nah!
What is going on?!
"Hey! Who have you been bribing?! What is wrong with you?! I only bumped into you once!" I stood up. The cafeteria was half-empty anyway. Save for the three of us.
"So? I can't be where I want?"
"No you don't! Definitely not near me!"
"I chose to. You can't change it anymore..." He leaned towards me, his smirk widening.
One of my eyebrows twitched. I slowly lifted my fork to push him backwards.
And there... My peace restored.
Or so...
A shadow fell over our table.
I turned my head over my shoulder. A smirk settling onto my face. The perfect person...
"Oh, hi! Looking for a victim?" I asked.
*************
First draft: 26.10.2025
Rewritten: 16.08.2026