"Kira, move! Now!" A middle-aged man shouted in a Caribbean accent as he rushed toward his thirteen-year-old daughter in their garden.
"Dad?" Kira looked up just as a massive meteor struck the Earth miles away. The impact sent vibrations through the ground, and a cloud of dusty air pushed her father backward, slamming him against the crumbling wall of their home. The air filled with piercing screams, speeding vehicles, explosions, and sirens as people fled the collapsing buildings.
A woman burst from the house, her clear blue eyes frantically searching for her daughter. She spotted Kira lying unconscious just a few feet away.
"Kira!" the woman cried, the chaos swirling around her causing her vision to blur as the wind whipped her hair against her pale face. She started to help her husband. "Cornelius?"
"I'm fine, Rebecca. Take Kira and get out of here!" he grunted, struggling to rise.
The roof creaked ominously as Cornelius stood, while Rebecca dashed toward their daughter. Suddenly, the ground split, separating her from Kira.
"We can't get across," Rebecca whispered, her voice breaking and her hands trembling.
Cornelius dragged himself away from the house just before it collapsed, choking on the dust that filled his nostrils. His eyes widened as he beheld the gaping fissure.
"We can't get across," Rebecca repeated, tears brimming in her eyes.
"There has to be a way," Cornelius replied, his voice cracking. The pain in his body paled in comparison to the terror of losing his daughter.
Amidst the fog and gathering darkness, a boy came running through the debris of their yard. He approached Kira, gently tapping her cheeks before checking her pulse. Relief washed over him when he found she was still breathing.
"Hey!" Cornelius shouted, waving his arms.
"I mean no harm! I'm Asher Prescott," the boy called out, his voice steady despite the chaos. "My father is a paramedic; I'll take her to the camp!"
"Thank you, Asher. We are Cornelius and Rebecca Shawn. We work for the Canadian government. We'll meet you on the other side!" Rebecca yelled back urgently.
"Please take care of her," Cornelius pleaded.
"I will," Asher replied with determination, scooping Kira into his arms. He dashed toward the chaotic world outside just as a plane crashed nearby. The blinding flash knocked him to the ground, plunging everything into darkness.
*****
Kira sighed, wiping away tears as she recalled the blurred memory, a blanket wrapped tightly around her as she gazed out the window. For days, she had remained in this state, devoid of any urge to eat, drink, or change her clothes.
They had planned to look for her parents once they escaped Brooklyn. She could barely remember anything about them, but Asher did, clinging to the fact that they worked for the Canadian government. That was their only lead. Now, her chances of meeting them—if they were even alive—felt slim.
Her head throbbed and her heart felt unbearably heavy. It was as if she were mourning a death—even though he was alive and just miles away.
Coach Grayson had visited the day before, bringing a meal prepared by his wife, Katie. Kira had accepted the food but couldn't bring herself to eat. "How about moving in with Katie and me?" he had suggested. She had asked for time to think, fully aware that she could never bring herself to leave this little sanctuary they called home.
Checking the VORTEX visiting schedules, she saw that she would see Asher by the end of the year for a brief thirty minutes. They didn't even accept letters.
What if they performed severe experiments on him? She had read a blog about parents whose son forgot them once he got into the VA; what if they wiped Asher's memories of her too?
Kira placed her head on the pillow, sobbing as she sniffled roughly. Usually, he would be there to hold her while she slept, but not anymore. His training felt endless, and she doubted she'd ever see him again.
Her phone beeped with a text notification, but she ignored it, as she had for the past three days. Today marked the fourth day, and she was certain she could waste away in this room from grief.
Then her phone blared again. She paid no attention to it, but when a knock followed, she groaned and dragged herself out of bed, wrapping the blanket around her body.
"Who's there?" she questioned, a tiny part of her hoping it was him.
"It's me, Asher."
A surge of relief washed over her as she opened the door, quickly followed by a wave of excitement that lit up her gloomy face. She embraced him tightly, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.
Asher froze, shutting his eyes in despair as he reveled in the warmth she provided, a warmth that only intensified the pain in his chest.
She pulled away briefly. "How did you get out? Are they after you? We have to leave quickly—"
"I'm leaving. They're outside waiting for me," he stated flatly.
"Oh." Kira muttered, a sharp pain stinging her chest as she finally caught sight of his VA uniform through her swollen eyes. He looked colder than usual; his once calming demeanor seemed altered, and the unusual seriousness in his British-accented voice made her heart tremble.
"Have you eaten anything?" Asher asked, trying to change the topic as he stepped inside, taking in the unkempt details. The sight made his heart ache, knowing she was suffering alone.
"I'm not hungry," Kira answered. "Is there a new rule now? They let you visit?"
"No, they don't. I need to talk to you. Please, sit." He pleaded, turning to look at her but quickly avoiding her gaze, focusing instead on the door behind her.
"You can talk to me now. Why aren't you staying?" She pressed, her legs wobbling slowly from hunger and desperation.
"Kira, please." He trembled. "I only have thirty minutes."
She sighed and took a seat at the dining table, a whirlwind of possibilities coursing through her mind. It felt as if he had been enlisted in the army; at least there, visits were allowed, and loved ones could maintain contact.
Asher sat across from her, tapping his fingers on the table as he gathered the courage to speak.
"What happened?" she asked calmly, reaching for his hand, but he pulled away. Kira's heart paused for a moment as he stared deeply at her.
From the chip in his neck, Asher could hear Dr. Fowler's voice echoing in his mind. "Tell her that you found someone else, that you never really loved her. You're thankful for the brief fling you had and that she should move on."
He glanced at the woman he cherished sitting before him; her hazel brown eyes were red and swollen, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks.
He couldn't lie like that. Damn Fowler.
Asher reached for her hand, holding it gently. "I'm so sorry this had to happen. I'm sorry I didn't prepare you for this... I saw the symptoms, Kira, but I thought they were false—just a mistake."
She gripped his hand tightly.
"I've missed you terribly. Leaving you felt like losing a vital organ; you're an essential part of me, and you always will be."
"Asher..." Her lips quivered.
"What are you saying, Asher? Remember what I said!" Fowler hissed, but Asher ignored him.
"Maybe the world is far too cruel to grant us even one simple favor. I don't regret anything from the beginning. I wish it had lasted longer. I love you, and I'll still love you in a million years if I'm alive then." He chuckled. "I want you to be happy, to experience true joy—even if it isn't with me. So please, you have to move on."
"No, I'm not doing that. Asher—"
He pressed on, tears flowing from his eyes. "You'll test negative in the next tests, I hope. You're the daughter of Rebecca and Cornelius Shawn; they work for the Canadian government. I've researched their history thoroughly; the files will be mailed to you. Your father is a Jamaican police officer, and your mother is Canadian. They came to Brooklyn for a special service. You'll find them without me. Take the money from our savings account—all of it—and leave as soon as you finish your last Vortex test."
"I'm not leaving you!" she screamed, pulling her hands from his grip as she rose to her feet, trembling with grief.
"You have to. I'm too dangerous, Kira. I won't forgive myself if I ever hurt you—"
"You're hurting me now, Asher! You're hurting me!"
"I'm sorry."
"Dangerous? Is that what they're telling you? You won't even try? Aren't we worth fighting for? You'd give up just like that!"
"It doesn't work that way, Kira. I can't fight to ruin you."
"You're just a coward!" she screamed, her voice barely audible.
"Kira, just listen!" he yelled, his fingers retracting sharply, piercing through the wooden table.
His body trembled as he pulled his hands back.
Kira gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
"I'm a monster," he whispered.
"No, you're not. That's a lie." Her certainty surprised him.
"You deserve better, Kira. Please..."
"Don't tell me what I deserve. I'm not asking for better; you're better." She walked toward him, but he pushed the chair aside and stood up.
"Time's up," Dr. Fowler announced, followed by a loud knock at the door.
"I'm sorry, but I have to leave. Goodbye, Kira. I love you, and I always will."
"I'm not giving up on you, Asher."