Sade's POV
It felt so strange. So unfamiliar.
I had seen couples hold hands at the clinic, always wondering what it might feel like. I had watched them around the City, walking hand in hand, yearning to experience it myself one day.
And it did feel so incredibly wonderful.
For this moment, I belonged here.
Right here, by his side, my hand in his.
The warmth of his palm spread through me, filling me with a quiet kind of courage for what was waiting beyond those doors.
I could sense how anxious V was, and I only hoped it wasn't because of me. I hope my presence wasn't making things harder.
We walked inside and got in front of another door, my heels sinking into a soft carpet.
"Ready?" he was the one to ask this time around, his fingers pressing lightly around my hand.
I nodded. V pushed the door open.
The room was dim and crowded. The ceiling stretched high above us, draped with heavy fabric that fell over tall windows. Warm lights floated overhead, casting a soft glow on the clusters of people chatting in small groups. Voices filled the space, a low, steady hum of conversation mixed with soft music and the occasional burst of laughter.
A platter floated by V's side with two fancy-looking glasses on it. A clear liquid bubbled in them. I took the one he offered me, scanning the crowd of dark shirts and bright dresses.
A flash of red hair caught my eye.
"Oh, is that...?" I tilted my head to the side, stretching my neck to try to catch the fiery hair again.
"Someone you know?" V asked, following my gaze.
"I think... someone from..." I cleared my throat, aware of the people around us, "the meetings."
"Oh." He understood right away. "Should we go say hi—?"
But a voice from the other side of the room cut him off.
"Can't believe you're here!" A man with a wide grin, one I didn't recognize, called out to him from a small group of people. "Sam from school is here too!"
V seemed to recognize him, then turned to me.
"Go," I encouraged him.
"I'll go greet them and find you after," he said, giving my hand one last squeeze before letting go.
My hand ached for his the second he left it. It had felt so natural to find each other. This couldn't remain a rare occasion. I wouldn't let it happen.
I watched him cross the room, the dark fabric of the shirt I'd picked making him look so striking, and more handsome than cute, for once.
Gathering my long skirt, I cut through the crowd. As I'd guessed, I found the woman with long red hair.
Kira stood by a tall window, a glass of something dark and full of ice pressed against her cheek. Just like me earlier, her eyes were studying the crowd, observing the animation around us.
"Kira...?" I approached quietly, trying not to startle her.
I failed.
She flinched, then blinked up at me with tired, bloodshot eyes.
"Ah. It's you."
Her gaze swept over me. "Pretty dress," she added, flatly.
"Thanks. Yours is beautiful too."
I glanced down at the beige dress and thin string of white pearls tracing her collarbone. The glass moved away from her face, and I noticed a purplish-red mark at the corner of her mouth.
"Did you... Did you get hurt?"
I lifted my hand instinctively, but she recoiled, pressing the glass back on her cheek, against the bruise. She was probably using it to cool it down. Was the injury recent?
"I fell," she muttered, defensive. "What are you doing here alone? Where's your owner?"
"He's around," I waved toward the crowd, just as it shifted, revealing V's group. "There. The one with glasses."
Her brows lifted slightly, her eyes slowly blinking as she observed him.
"I can't believe it," she scoffed, looking away and taking a large sip of her drink.
I hesitated, unsure of what she meant. She must have noticed, because she added:
"He's really handsome," she said with an obvious fake smile, her mocking eyes squinting at me. "Lucky you," she smiled again without her eyes.
I frowned, suddenly reminded of why I didn't like her. I had thought the time we spent together at Chaoxing had brought us closer, but I was wrong.
"Is Firinne here too?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation. I already knew Chaoxing wouldn't be there as she and Henri were off on a skiing trip.
"Firinne's a nanny, Sade," she snapped, lowering her drink. "They don't invite nannies."
She was right, I should have thought of it. Kira, Chaoxing, and I were partners. We were allowed to be plus-ones at these events. Nannies and caretakers probably weren't.
I turned to the window and watched a couple on the balcony nearby, enjoying the moonlight in the garden. They leaned in for a kiss, and I looked back at Kira.
"Where's your partner?"
She stiffened and shifted on her feet.
"I don't know. Somewhere," she said quickly, downing the last of her drink. Ice clinked against the glass. "What are you drinking?"
Before I could answer, she grabbed my flute and took a sip.
"Sparkling water?!" Her expression was almost offended. "Let's get you something better. They've got good stuff here, at least." Her hand curled around my arm, tugging me through the crowd.
We arrived at a beautiful wooden bar, framed by hanging plants and a huge mirror reflecting the restless, glittering room behind us. Robotic hands moved busily, shaking shakers and pouring brightly colored drinks into elegant glasses.
Again, I wondered how this could be someone's home.
"Try this," Kira said, forcing a glass filled with something pink into my hand.
I hesitated, then took a small sip, followed by a bigger one.
"It's sweet!" I exclaimed, surprised.
"It's sweet, but it's strong," she chuckled. "Careful," she warned, taking what looked like the same drink for herself.
A shaker machine in front of us whirred to life, vibrating loudly.
"We can talk safely here," Kira leaned closer, her voice a loud whisper in the crook of my neck.
I raised my brows, unsure what she meant.
"I've been curious... Where are you from?" she asked, without any preamble.
I stayed quiet.
Kira blinked slowly at me, then offered, "I'm from, what they call here, the Autonomous Territories." She spoke close to my ear again, the warmth of her breath brushing my skin. "Are you from a stan country?"
I bit my lower lip, searching for the courage to speak. The shaker machine started again, and I sought cover from its loud noise.
"I'm from the United Nations Belt," I answered honestly.
Kira frowned.
"That can't be," she smiled, though her brows stayed furrowed.
The shaker stopped. She took a sip of her drink, her confused gaze still fixed on me.
"Where were you born?" she pressed, leaning in even closer. I could smell the fruity sweetness of the cocktail on her breath.
The shaker started again, and in its cover, I realized I wanted to tell her. No one had ever asked these questions before without knowing the answers. I wanted to finally speak the words no one had ever asked me out of curiosity. I couldn't talk about this with V. And I didn't care enough about Kira to overthink it. There was something freeing in introducing myself to someone who knew nothing about me.
"They found me near Solarov when I was a baby," I said quickly, before the shaker stopped and I would lose my courage.
Kira had been leaning in to listen. I felt her jerk back a little at the name Solarov, her confused eyes meeting mine for a second. I could see the mental math happening in her mind, estimating my age, trying to remember when the nuclear disaster occurred.
"Are you... okay?" Her eyes dropped down my body, searching for signs of something wrong. But as far as I knew, I hadn't suffered any aftermath.
I nodded.
When the shaker whirred again, I realized I wanted to tell her the most important piece of information about me. The thing that explained everything, the one that defined my whole life.
"I'm a debt baby," I said. "I've been a Clinical Trial Worker since... forever."
Kira looked surprised, her mouth dropped, and her eyes narrowed. For the first time since we'd met, I felt like I was the one holding the upper hand. It was clear that she knew what those words meant, and for a brief second, I wondered if maybe she was one, too. But it was so rare to meet anyone like me at this age, it was probably wishful thinking.
"They tested stuff on you? Even when you were a kid?"
I nodded, though I frowned a little.
No one had ever phrased it like that before.
"That's so messed up," she muttered, raising her glass and taking a long sip. "You too," she added, nudging my arm to drink.
We both downed what was left of our drinks, our faces wincing. The sweetness had turned sour in the end, and I could feel it burn down my throat.
"How much of your debt will you pay off with this mission?" Kira asked as the shaker started again.
"Half."
She raised her eyebrows, a small, genuine smile on her lips.
"Good for you," she said, and for once, it sounded sincere.
I smiled back, feeling how close we were to each other now.
A sudden movement above our heads made us flinch.
We both looked up as a performer burst through the folds of overhead fabric, twisting in midair like liquid light. Her costume shimmered with embedded crystals that caught the warm glow of the chandeliers all around.
The crowd cheered as she spiraled downward, half of her body still entangled in the draping. With a graceful twist, she pulled a hidden bottle from the drapes. A golden liquid rained into the raised glasses below, and the room erupted in applause.
Kira and I looked from afar, and I could sense that, for her too, none of this was familiar.
"I didn't even know you could have so much..." she murmured, her eyes looking up to the high ceilings and golden moldings around us.
I felt so curious about her now. If she wasn't a debt baby, what was she doing here? What could have brought her to this mission? I also wanted to ask her about where she was from and how different it was from New Yuan City.
But before I could ask, the host called the guests to the dinner table.
"Sade," V appeared by my side, his fingers grazing along the inside of my arm.
Kira's eyes dropped straight to his little gesture before stiffening.
"I'll see you around then," she flashed a smile before disappearing through the moving crowd.
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