61

"I'll check outside for anything suspicious and then you guys can come," Jack said quietly and Iris nodded. They waited as he stepped out of the apartment and then came back again.

"It's clear," he assured, "Let's go."

Regan followed, her heart pounding like a butterfly trapped in a sealed jar. The night was quiet and eerie, but the neon lights didn't make it look dark enough. No one appeared in the streets, and Regan couldn't wait until she left this place. "We'll go this way," Iris whispered, nodding at an alleyway that was less lit.

The alleyway sent a shiver of fear down Regan's spine and she could hear the barking of an animal. She didn't know if they were going to stop by a place first, or go to South directly, but she didn't want to ask.

The alleyway ended in a bunch of streets and she followed her companions, trying to make herself as small as possible, even though Iris's height wasn't much more prominent than hers. They passed by a tall skyscraper, where a huge screen was mounted along with loudspeakers. Their voice was robotic, and she couldn't make out a word.

"Shit, it's talking about a war," Jack whispered, his hot breath rising up the cold air.

"Really?" Iris retorted, her eyes too busy scanning the roads, than hearing the speaker.

"A possible war between the royalty and Sirius," Jack's voice was barely a murmur, but Regan heard it, and she felt her stomach twist with fear.

Iris gave her a look, but turned to Jack again, "Well, if we plan our rebellion, he'd probably be too busy fighting here than bothering with us."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, but you better keep quiet about it."

But Regan couldn't shake the unease of their rebellion. She knew it was their right to want revenge, she wanted it too as much as they did. If Sirius had taken a homeland from them, from her he had taken her home, her parents, her everything. But she couldn't blurt out anything more about herself. Iris had risked enough to help her, so of course she'd pay back by helping them in their quest.

The thought of punishment was terrific, but Regan could also feel a surge of self-loathing for being so scared, for fearing to stand up for herself just because they had some dungeons and torture rooms. She wasn't that powerless, right? Yes, he had saved her from drowning, but that didn't mean she'd suddenly forget what kind of person Sirius was. That didn't mean she was magically starting to like him.

Or was she?

She felt a sharp pain in her temples as she thoughts about him, and her head hurt. She found herself thinking about his words. When he said he freed her from that cell, when he said he wouldn't let anyone touch her, or when he fought these men so fiercely. Yes, it could've been just for his own gain, but no one had protected her like that before. What if he had fee-no, she couldn't afford to sink in that again. And even if she wanted, her own pride would never let her think good about him.

"Hey, you're so damn quiet," Iris nudged her, the voice a quiet hiss in the punk night. Regan was stunned when she saw that they were totally in a different place now. It was like one of these moments in the class where you lose in thoughts just for a moment and when you look up, the board is full of equations you didn't even see the teacher write.

"I'm just thinking," Regan mumbled. She couldn't stop thinking about it. They were practical, focusing at the task in hand, and here she was, lost like a mess in her own house, in her own head.

But the voices nearby were enough to temporarily cut her thoughts. Regan looked up to see they were about to pass by a guard post, the two men drinking cigarettes and speaking in slurred words.

Regan froze when one noticed them, his burly figure barely able to hold straight. But instead of saying anything or stopping them, he just nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to his companion. Their laugh made Regan feel a small wave of relief.

A square appeared in sight, the near and distant skyscrapers making more light than ever possible. They were covered in 3D screens, promoting businesses and other ads. Regan noticed more guards and every time they passed by one, she didn't dare look at them. But her heart was flying from anxiety.

"The station is just there," Iris whispered, nodding at what was in front of them. The aliens or the civilians were near that place, and she could see flying objects high on the sky, which meant that travelling here was open all the time.

Their pace quickened and within the minutes they were at the station. It was a bustling hub, with various species coming and going. A vivid contrast to the deserted alleyways.

"We're taking the night train," Iris said, her eyes scanning the board with the departing times. The letters were in a script Regan didn't bother to read. They paid the ticket for her too, and she felt guilty, but she knew she'd repay their help. The subway was quieterl, with a mix of sleepy-looking travelers and a few guards.

They boarded the train like thieves. Found some seats in the corner and waited for the train to fill up. It didn't take much time, and various aliens were there before Regan could notice it. She was lost in her own world, her eyes staring at the aliens, but her mind everywhere else.

And why would he care about her? He had other women. She was a mere nuisance for him, a thorn on his side.

But she wasn't jealous. She knew what kind of relationships he had with women. Regan wondered if he had ever seen someone for who they were, not for what they gave. But even that thought, of him loving someone else for who they were, instead of what they gave, filled her with an absurd bitterness she couldn't ignore.

The loudspeaker of the train brought her back to reality and she looked at Iris, who was now looking at a hand-sized device, a mix of a flip phone and walkie-talkie. Regan missed having a phone, not even remembering the last time she'd used one.

She was making a big mistake thinking about Sirius. Her biological parents were her priority and the only hope she carried in that unknown world. If she never found them, she'd be lost forever.

But everything led back to him. He knew more about them, of course he did. But he wouldn't tell her. Who would?

There were a thousand questions and for a moment, she remembered Seraphina mentioning a woman named Agnes. Agnes. If she found that woman, it could provide some insight on her parents. But for now, she had to get out of this trouble first.

After what seemed like hours, the train slowed down and came to a stop. The doors slipped open. But no other passenger dropped off, and when Iris stood up, Regan realized they had arrived somewhere. But she couldn't see anything outside.

Once out of the train, they met with a freezing strong wind of palpable pressure. It was dark, but the sky remained grey and they had flashlights with themselves. It wasn't impossible to navigate. She stayed close to Iris, though. The land looked dead, everything a mist of snow and ice that reminded her of that place with Sirius.

"So we're finally here," Iris breathed, her voice shaking from the cold.

"Where are we?" Regan asked for the first time. She hadn't said anything since the last time Iris asked why she was so quiet. She didn't even know where she was.

"The border isn't very far from here," Jack answered, his breath forming little clouds in the frigid air, "We're going to enter a cave through a mountain. I've been there before, and trust me, it's going to be a piece of cake."

Cave? Mountain? Regan wished she'd have payed more attention to their words. Now she had found herself here and had no choice but to follow. She was glad she wasn't in the city anyway.

"And where's the mountain?" she asked.

"Over there," Jack pointed to nowhere, "It's covered with snow. We'll have to enter inside." He then took a device from his pocket, a holographic map appearing from it. Why couldn't they just use a normal map, Regan thought.

Regan tightened the coat around her and followed them. But uncertainty lingered.

The thick snow and the strong current, made it hard to walk fast. Slowly, Regan began to see a tall white mountain, it's height undecipherable.

"That's the mountain?" she asked again.

"Yes," Jack replied.

Soon, they got closer to the mountain, the path showing some dried out woods. Maybe they were plants or just woods. They followed the path and then, they came to see a tangle of shrubs and vines. Actually, the area was all with those, but Jack stopped at that certain point.

He grabbed the bag he had on his back and began to search for something. Then, he got a tool like knife and started to cut through the harsh vines.

"Here is the cave?" Iris asked, her body visibly shaking.

"Yes," Jack, unbothered.

After what seemed like eternity, Jack finally broke all the vines that were interrupting their way. As they fell on the cold, soft snow, they revealed a small opening on the stone. The entrance was narrow and dark, but Regan knew she could fit inside. She was worried about it, though.

Iris gave Jack a playful pat on his shoulder, "Can you get through here, bro?"

Jack glared at her, "Wait and see."

He searched down his bag again and took three flashlights. He gave the girls two of them and tried to use the other one to see across.

"But is that safe? What if it crumbles?" Regan asked, her voice filled with a hint of fear.

"This is a mountain and this is a cave. There's no such thing," Jack assured, "I'm going first." He added and pressed himself on the narrow entrance. He managed to squeeze through and yelled for them to come as well.

Iris entered and Regan took a deep breath, fearing the outcome. Eventually, she followed in. The cave was less narrow, but still cold. It was dark and the only thing that lit it was the flashlight. The air was filled with the faint sound of water drops that sounded like a countdown in Regan's head.

"Alright, guys. Now, we should go straight?" Iris asked as she eyed around.

"Just where the cave leads. It'll lead to the neutral border. I'll admit, I only have gone near its half," Jack replied.

Regan felt a shiver ran down her spine but she didn't want to seem like a coward anymore. She gripped the flashlight tightly and threw each step cautiously.

As they continued to walk, the ground and walls of the cave expanded more. They found themselves in front of an abyss. The abyss was wide and staring down it was like staring into the voidness of a black hole. It only raced Regan's pulse and Jack told them to not look down. 

The ground had narrowed again, they had to walk as close to the rock wall as possible. Re

gan took a deep breath and gripped the surface tightly. When they finally passed the abyss, she slowly exhaled.