After the first year of studying at The Guardian Academy, Elisa and Jackie split apart to focus on their detective career. Even in different cities, each of them continues the investigation to find the gang that sells drugs to teenagers.
However...
In the reception room of a Guardian House, Elisa sat on a sofa covered in a soft blanket. She stopped shivering, but her shoulders and back still hurt from the recent accident. Her Lightning Gift protected her skin from burns. However, the hit was strong enough to knock her down. There was another kind of damage. Her hand ran over her short hair, getting used to a new sensation.
Since she was a little girl, Elisa always wore long plaits and tails, the subject of her pride. Now, her golden locks were gone. She sighed. It was a small price to pay for her neglect. Today, she made a silly mistake when she revealed her Light. Usually, she would rely on her intuition before putting herself at such risk, but her inner voice was calm and quiet back then. And it all happened because of the drug she had to take.
She placed her hand on her chest. A small glass bottle still was hidden there, in her decolletage. When the guardians saw the glimpses of the fighting, they busted into the dining room and pulled her out of there. They searched her damaged cloak and confiscated the Moon Dust, but they never found the bottle.
Her thoughts twisted around it. She wished she had never tried it, but at that moment, in the drug dealer's kitchen, it seemed to be the only right choice. Otherwise, the dealer could suspect her. Ironically, taking this potion led her to ruin the whole mission. She didn't give the bottle away to the guardians. Maybe she could keep it as a reminder of her failures like Don kept a sample of Moon Dust in his office. But it must be her secret.
The door opened, and a woman with kind brown eyes walked in. She wore a guardian uniform and flaxen plaits. In her hands, she held two steaming mugs.
"Hot chocolate for you." She smiled. "And a coffee for myself."
"Thanks, Lana." Elisa smiled and took the mug in her hands. It was pleasantly warm for her palms. "But I didn't deserve it."
"Don't say that." Lana sat nearby. "Undercover is always unpredictable. After all, you stayed alive. Plus, we caught a dealer red-handed. Now, he is under interrogation."
"Will he speak?"
She shrugged. "With proof we got, he would be imprisoned for at least a decade. He has no other choice but to cooperate. So, we must find the suppliers sooner or later."
Elisa nodded. "I saw Moon Dust samples in Middle Lake. Do you think they relocated?"
Lana took a sip of coffee, visibly enjoying its taste and sharing her expertise. "Such people never relocate. Like vermin, they multiply. Sometimes they stay still to avoid trouble but always return to rip their profits."
Elisa looked out the dark window. The night was gloomy, but there was no rain. If Jackie were with her tonight, she would probably worry about how many more young people were in these streets, recklessly looking for this 'fancy' drug. After months of being her closest friend, Elisa couldn't stop admiring her compassion toward everyone. Interesting, how is Jackie now? More than anything, she wanted to write her a letter, just to know that she was all right. But she must keep her distance. Maybe then her inappropriate desires would fade away.
"Still thinking of her?" Lana placed her empty mug on the coffee table.
"Never mind," she replied in a dull voice. "I had much worse problems than a broken heart."
"It's been two months since you have been here, and I can't stay aside anymore. You both are so in love with each other. Doesn't it deserve some hope?"
"It's a hopeless case." Elisa finished her drink in two gulps. A hot chocolate warmed her stomach, but it couldn't make her relax. Not a bit.
Lana gave her an encouraging smile. "The truth is - the World is constantly changing. Just two years ago, no one would let a woman be a guardian but look at us now. Who knew we would be sitting here like this?"
"But it's different." She minded. "You happened to solve a complicated case and found a serial killer who threatened people for almost a decade. Plus, your father is a chief in Triville."
"Agreed. That's why they let me become a guardian after I passed the exams. But I also was a person who sincerely wanted to help others. I did it because I couldn't stay aside when I saw injustice. And I still see it. In your case, it's unfair to be the one who must refuse from your beloved one to be allowed to do your job."
"Well, life isn't a fair thing." Elisa wrapped herself in a blanket. "And I can't put Jackie in trouble by neglecting the guardian code."
"You are right," Lana said quietly. "Now you are just a cadet, and no one would listen to you."
Her eyebrows flew up in surprise. "That's... honest."
"But don't you dare to give up on your dreams!" Lana raised her hand. "The rules might change when the time requires it. So do your best at work and become a valuable, irreplaceable detective. Then, when you have enough support and respect from your colleagues, change these freaking rules."
"Like they would listen to me." Elisa sneered.
"As long as this change is reasonable. Same-gender relationships won't hurt anyone, so they will surrender to it sooner or later."
"When you talk like this, I start believing you," Elisa said. Her heart beat louder in her chest, getting tuned with this new, astonishing dream. For now, it was just an idea, like a sketch in pencil that got imprinted in her mind. But what if it becomes real one day?
"To be honest, I think this change is inevitable." Lana's hand softly landed on a sofa back. "And you can be a part of it. The question is - how badly do you want it?"
"Desperately."
"Then, you will have my full support when the time comes."
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