"Maybe I'm just a fool. I still belong with you, anywhere you are." — Minefields/ Fauozia.
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After a week of sulking over her shattered relationship, Kira sat at the dining table, chewing cereal with an expressionless face as her gaze fixated on the area where Asher's fingers had punctured the surface.
Sniffling, she turned to their laptop and scrolled through her text messages.
[Hey, Kira. This is Dan from Asher's team, just checking in to see if you're okay.]
She scrolled to another text from a group labeled "Work":
The first message was from Ms. Florence, her colleague at the library: [Kira, I hope you're okay. I heard what happened; I'm so sorry about Asher.]
Next was a note from Brett, the owner of one of the comic bookstores where they delivered their work: [Hey K, Asher asked me to check up on you. I'm so sorry about what happened. Stay strong; you'll get through this.]
She bit her lower lip, her eyes welling with tears. She wasn't okay—she doubted she ever would be. He had broken up with her without a fight; they had turned him against her. If he truly loved her, he wouldn't have let her go.
The next message was from an anonymous user; it contained a link to a blog. Hesitantly, she clicked on it, and her browser revealed a post titled: [Another Ruined Love Story? Maybe Some Things Weren't Meant to Be.]
As Kira scrolled through the blog, her heart raced. It had to be someone from her school. The content featured images of her crying after Asher was taken away, edited with laughing emojis. Her pulse quickened as she read the comments:
sallyg45 — [If we can't have him, she won't.]
ilovemenxoxoxo — [What a stupid b*tch. Let's see how she does now, always clinging to poor Asher like a leech. Maybe he got mutated to catch a break.]
richstella1$ — [He really lowered his standards when he went after a stuck-up nerd and dweeb. The Universe gave him another chance.]
slutforasherprescott34[Maybe she should reverse the mutation or get mutated lol. Since she wants to follow him everywhere.]
Kira stopped.
"Maybe she should reverse the mutation or get mutated." She whispered, re-reading the comment over and over. "That's it!" Kira squealed, rising from her chair.
In what felt like mere moments, she quickly freshened up, hastily donning a long-sleeved black knitted bodycon dress, rolling her braids into a messy bun, and applying a light swipe of lip gloss to look somewhat presentable. Grabbing her bag and coat, she took a subtle glance at the table where Asher's claws had pierced the surface before grabbing her keys and sighing as she left.
Wherever this fresh surge of determination came from, she had no idea. They had faced horrendous challenges in the past; they couldn't back down now because of VORTEX. She firmly believed there was a way to help them. Their five years together wouldn't go down the drain.
Her next stop was a bus ride to Manhattan, headed straight for the library where she worked part-time.
After exchanging greetings with the security guard, she donned her library card and staff ID in the elevator that led to the Non-Fiction section. Kira walked out to find Ms. Florence, the librarian of that section, fervently clicking away at her desktop. Her short hair was neatly styled into a sleek bun, bound with a claw clip. She wore her usual attire: a short-sleeved button-up shirt and a long black skirt.
It was almost 3 PM; the library closed at 4 PM to comply with the 6 PM curfew. That would explain why only a few people were using the study rooms.
Dust on the books testified that the Non-Fiction section wasn't frequented by visitors. Most people sought fictional works for an escape from the emotional and physical wounds they carried after the apocalypse.
The only Non-Fiction shelf that had visitors was the self-help and motivational books. Ms. Florence often joked about how those titles made her job easier.
Kira typically worked in the Fiction section on weekends when Angie, the permanent librarian, was absent. She had visited Ms. Florence multiple times, and they had developed a solid friendship.
Ms. Florence looked up from her computer and stretched her back when she spotted Kira approaching. "Kira," she called, walking away from her desk to draw Kira into an embrace. Kira hugged her tightly, inhaling her familiar cologne, trying to fight back tears as she struggled to hold herself together since Asher had left.
She sought comfort from anything or anyone, but her heart still held a vast void that only his presence could fill.
"I'm so sorry about Asher," Ms. Florence said softly as she pulled away from the hug.
"You don't have to be," Kira replied with a weak smile, walking to the science and technology desk and dropping her bag on one of the tables.
Ms. Florence was taken aback by how close Kira and Asher had been. She never believed Kira would easily move on from him, though she hoped that she could rather than waste away, waiting for someone whose fate had already been sealed.
"Have you thought about long-distance?"
"No. I'm going to meet him or have him come to me," Kira stated confidently.
Florence's face contorted with confusion. She approached Kira, her pumps squeaking against the floorboards. "And how do you plan to do that? Please don't tell me you're thinking of waiting for him, Kira?"
"No. I'll go to him. Are there any books on mutation reversal? An antidote or anything? How can I get mutated instead?" Kira asked desperately, and Florence shook her head sadly.
"There's no antidote yet."
Kira trailed her fingers through the dusty books, pulling a few from the shelves and deciding to take anything that might help.
"Maybe I could get a fake result or something."
"You would risk your life for a boy?" Ms. Florence asked, raising an eyebrow as Kira continued to sift through the books.
"He's not just any boy; he's my Asher. Besides, I don't mind risking the life he saved," Kira defended, skimming through the titles. There had to be something here that could help her get mutated or even reverse his mutation.
Ms. Florence shook her head, watching Kira sift through the books with tear-brimmed eyes.
"And what if he's already moved on?"
Kira froze. "That's not possible. It's only been a week."
"So? You don't know men, Kira. You could do all this only to find him with another woman when you get there."
"This isn't one of your cliché webnovels, Ms. Florence," Kira insisted, cleaning off a book with a handkerchief. 'Introduction to Xenogenesis.'
"Yes, this is real life, and I'm speaking from experience. You're still very young. Don't waste your time on that boy. It was good, fluffy, and cute. I could literally see how he adored you through his eyes, but it's over now, and you have to accept that."
Kira's heart trembled, but she continued searching for more books. She could be seen as a foolish teenager to the rest of the world, but she couldn't care less. She wouldn't give up on him; she would fight with everything she had.
"All of this isn't worth it, Kira—"
"Asher is worth it. You have no idea how much we've gone through. I'm a mess without him; I can't just move on as if nothing ever mattered because it did. He has fought for me—in countless ways—and now that they've restrained him, I'll gladly fight for him and with him," she stated, wiping tears from her cheeks.
Ms. Florence stood speechless for a moment before walking to the shelves and pulling out another book. "You'll need a manual for the VA's structure," she said, smiling as she handed Kira the book.