L.O.V.E.

Chapter 14 - Roone

'What is this place?' Her voice echoes in the whole terminal, cascading in infinite waves. Chaos prevails for a short minute as the vibrations scare off a few birds that found a home under the pitched roof.

It's so strange to have her here. No one else has set foot inside the depot for more than a century, and the odds of her finding out about this place were practically non-existent. I've thought of it to be my secret cave, a sanctuary during my short stay here, but now that its sanctity has been broken, it gained a different meaning. I must be punished for something I've done in my previous lives.

Before coming on Terra 1, the boys had asked me if I plan to live with them. I bet my face had said it all, as I didn't have to put it into words for them to even know it. It's not that I don't trust my team, but rather I enjoy being by myself too much. I can't even imagine them barging in here and breaking the serenity of this place. That's definitely not going to happen! I reassure myself, recalling the times we spent in camp together, during our training. Let's just say it's not easy living with them.

I shift my stare to her as she stands on the tip of her toes looking curious above the rail at the stationed freight wagons downstairs. Auburn locks cascade over her shoulders framing her delicate face. I'm bewitched by her beauty once again, and I cannot make myself stop looking at her. A slightly turned-up nose rivals soft voluptuous crimson lips, so contradictory to her petite frame. My stubborn eyes pause on her parted mouth, watching her teeth gripping hungrily on her lower lip. The power she has over me right now is beyond me and she doesn't even know it. All of a sudden, I feel like burning. This cannot happen, Roone! Reason starts yelling, taking control over my body and forcing me to stare at the golden rays invading through the translucent roof.

'Home-sweet-home!' I reply hastily, just to shift my weak mind on something else. Then, grabbing the cold metal, I continue climbing the ladder to the attic.

'You've got to be kidding me! You live here?' She asks all excited, as she follows me through the hole in the floor.

'Yes, I do, actually. Hate living with my folks.', I reply on a neutral tone, hoping her curiosity stops here. 'Are you hungry? I don't have much, but I could make up a decent breakfast.' I continue, diverting the subject to a lighter topic, something that doesn't require me lying straight ahead. Not yet, at least.

For this reason, I don't want her here. I already feel bad for hiding the truth from her, especially now when she's mourning the loss of her grandmother. She doesn't know it yet, but if Iron Guard really took her, then she'd be gone forever. I am a soldier, not a con man after all.

Unresponsive, she stares outside the window, charmed by the city that lies in front of her. I admit, not only that I have the high ground vantage point, but a spectacular full panorama of everything under the skies, as well. It's past noon, when the sun envelops the white, all alike, houses, its beams shining in the glazed central towers. She nods and escapes a 'Yeah, it's fine'. However, I can tell her mind is far away, lost in her thoughts and floating somewhere above the city.

Seeing her like this it's really bothering me, for I'd known her for my whole life and not once have I ever seen her so miserable. I was only ten when they assigned her as my mission. We had all been given a purpose in life, something to train hard for and keep pushing, and Nerissa was my target. To no surprise, I feel like I failed her. I mean, she looks so empty, a hollow vessel waiting to be filled with sadness. She quivers under my touch and I swear I could see a pale blush on her cheeks, yet the terror in her blue and green eyes tells me a different story. Does she not like to be touched?

'Are you alright?' I ask worried.

Her glance shifts back and forth between myself and the colorless monoliths outside the window. The silence is killing me, but I know better than not to push her in this fragile state. She might still be in shock or too afraid for her life. What on Earth does Iron Guard plan to do with Nerissa's grandmother? And most importantly, what were they looking for?