(Viewpoint: Roum)
Once I was out of that cage, I felt light.
It's like a tide slowly receding from my eyes.
I blink several times.
My head is buzzing.
My stomach is still floating as if I've been turned upside down.
I can still feel Ela's hand in mine.
Fort.
Anchored.
I am standing.
On real ground.
Not translucent.
Not vibrating.
A true matte grey floor, slightly scratched, as if it had been crossed too often by people in a hurry.
– …are you okay? I whispered to Ela.
"I'll ask you the same question," Ela replied.
Behind us, Beta-2 walked slowly, hands behind its back.
I turn around.
Always that vaguely annoyed, vaguely amused look.
As if none of this was really serious to her.
The space around us is immense.
A kind of suspended indoor terrace, open to a magnificent bright blue sky studded with tiny points of light.
Night in the day
Platforms are floating in the distance.
Some are extinct.
Others are only partially active.
"You have done a lot of damage," murmured a soft voice.
Well… almost.
His hair was white, so white it gave it a fragile look; his pale blue eyes seemed broken by the light; with that cup of tea in his hand, his apparent simplicity made the atmosphere peaceful.
Ela reluctantly lets go of my hand.
"It's my fault, I'm sorry," she said.
–You know what that implies, don't you?
Murmura alpha 1, bending down onto a flowerbed
I'm fixing Beta-2
She simply shrugs.
– Am I going to get yelled at?
Oh no. Tragedy.
She looks at me.
"A training partner…" Alpha murmured, smelling her flowers.
She tilts her head slightly.
– Ela will be placed in another unit for training
.
My heart aches.
"I understand," she said.
I'm always in the way.
Ela turns towards me,
– Roum-
– No, leave it, I said quickly.
It's okay. I'm used to it.
Beta-2 snaps its fingers.
– I'm leaving you now, we're going Ela.
– Ok.
She approaches.
He plants himself in front of me.
- see you soon
I swallow.
- All right … ?
She turns away and follows Beta-2, leaving me alone with Alpha-1.
"Okay," she continued.
– Do you want a cup?
– no, I said.
She gives me a strange look.
– Come sit down.
A silence falls.
I can feel the old pressure returning in my chest.
I want to disappear
I raise my head.
She stroked my head
- Why?
– … No idea.
She squeezed my hand
– You are adorable.
Pathetic, but adorable.
She squeezed my hand so hard it hurt.
I jump up
I blink.
My heart skips a beat.
But I was looking over his shoulder, avoiding his gaze.
– Oh Roum, sit down.
I startled at the sudden order but complied.
I feel my heart exploding.
"That's good," she murmured.
By placing a hand on my shoulder.
– Rome.
– Yes, you want a cup
I swallow.
– Yes, I'd like that
She smiled.
- NOW…
While stroking my hair
A light breeze drifted across the terrace, lifting the sweet scent of the flowers.
Hoping to survive long enough
to understand why I'm here.
I feel completely alone.