Rebirth E-Book

Nicolette Fuller

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

After forty years of freedom and hardship, Hokura, a former peacekeeper, is haunted by her past. Determined to confront her fears, she embarks on a journey to the walled city of Meridiana, unsure of what she will find. To her astonishment, she discovers that the city has transformed into a thriving sanctuary under a new governor, rising from the ashes of a civilian uprising.
With the guidance of the enigmatic professor and the support of the governor, Hokura is determined to liberate the old city and bring its inhabitants to the safety of the sanctuary. But as she delves deeper into the secrets of Meridiana, a web of love, lies, deceit, and betrayal unravels, leaving her questioning everything she thought she knew.
In a world where mankind is on the brink of extinction, Hokura's true destiny emerges, unveiling a captivating journey filled with unexpected twists and revelations. Will she find redemption and forge a new future, or will the shadows of the past consume her?

Leseprobe

REBIRTH

THE NEW AGE SERIES

BOOK 2

NICOLETTE FULLER

CONTENTS

New Age Series

Rebirth

Epilogue

Next in the Series

About the Author

Copyright (C) 2023 Nicolette Fuller

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2023 by Next Chapter

Published 2023 by Next Chapter

Edited by Elizabeth N. Love

Cover art by Lordan June Pinote

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

NEW AGE SERIES

Genesis

Rebirth

Meridiana

Crisis

Sacrifice

Malfunction

Resurrection

New Dawn

Retribution

Lost Years (A New Age Prequel)

I dedicate this book to the dreamers.

To the romantics and to the rebels.

To the non-believers, who can now believe. To the believers (and beta readers) whom I thank.

To all those who inspired me. From main characters to the secondary ones.

The Rebel Commander’s, Dorian’s, Adam’s, and Amara’s.

To my husband, James Fuller, who I’m sure wanted to throw a thesaurus at me many times. Who encouraged me to write and do something with this story.

This is for you.

REBIRTH

IT HAD BEEN 40 YEARS since Hokura had fled the city of Meridiana with the rebel commander James alongside her fellow peacekeepers, Amara and Adam, and friends Dr. Allen and Annette. Just as the rebels had promised about looking for the free world, they had found it, a life that they could start picking up, a city where they could live with old government laws. They were welcomed with open arms, given jobs and tasks, and had lived happily, or as happy as they could be.

The peacekeepers had been anomalies from the start; their brute strength had been welcomed, but the people of the city shied away from them. The rebels from the caravan had happily embraced them and considered them friends. As the three found themselves as outsiders from those of the city, Amara had clung onto Adam while Hokura had stayed at James’ side, but even with all the freedom to come and go and live as they pleased, there had been one thing the peacekeepers couldn’t fight. Time.

Barack had been the first, followed by many of the rebels, and then Annette. Hokura watched in disdain as those around her aged and died. Even Dr. Allen became frail with lines on his face, as the three peacekeepers didn’t look a day older than when they had left. Hokura became distraught and had asked James to take her away from the city the day the doctor didn’t wake up from his sleep. Something she often asked of him, as some days being in the city had become unbearable. As much as she tried to live for the moments and enjoy her freedom, time was a continuous enemy, and death was the ugly reminder of their own immortality.

Hokura herself had become more distant. She no longer wished to take part in anything that went on within the city. From public announcements to city discussions, she ignored them all. She had even become distant from Amara and Adam as she doted upon her rebel as he too began to show his age. She was determined to spend as many of her waking hours with him, trying to absorb any knowledge he still had left to teach her. Her anxiety grew as the years weathered him even more. He had asked her the same question time and time again, but she never answered. She couldn’t think of life beyond him.

It had been just after the harsh winter that one of her nightmares had become a reality. Hokura had cried over James’ cold body for the entirety of the day before Adam had to physically lift her off him and take him away as his friend screamed in misery as Amara held her back. She was alone in this new life other than Amara and Adam. Even though it was well known who and what they were, they didn’t seem to overly fit in. Life around them was once again dying. The fertility rate in females had dropped, and the human race as they knew it was at its end.

Hokura fell into a deep depression. Once again, she felt like she couldn’t speak to the others. She felt as if she were slipping away and drowning in her sorrows and regrets. She had dissociated herself from everyone, spending hours on end alone or walking the oceanside reveling in the memories of her fallen love. Becoming detached from everyone, wishing she would just simply fade away into the darkness that came every night, hoping maybe one night her nightmares would just swallow her whole and take her from her pain.

* * *

“You haven’t been yourself for months,” Amara stated as the three of them walked down the dusty city road after dinner one night at sunset. “You barely eat, you’ve barely said a word, I know you haven’t been sleeping either. We’ve heard you wake up screaming from nightmares.”

Hokura shook her head. “The nightmares are nothing new. After forty years, they haven’t changed.”

“It’s been forty years, Hokura,” Adam sighed. “Forty years, and he still hasn’t come for you. What makes you think that he’s still out there? For all we know, the compound and the city of Meridiana don’t even exist anymore.”

Yet again, there was a wedge driven between the three of them, and Hokura found herself the outsider of the group. She was broken and alone and feeling a loss that neither the other two would ever feel. As grateful as she was for that notion, she also felt more isolated and alone without James by her side.

She had become a ghost of the person she once was, barely existing and only surviving because something had forced her to carry on.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately. We don’t know whatever happened to the compound. It might still be there…” Hokura’s voice was hoarse and tired.

“Because nobody ever wanted to find out,” Amara added, looking at her friend for a moment taking in Hokura’s peculiar look. “Don’t be stupid!” she stated but already knew what was on the first child’s mind. “Dammit, Hokura, I know you’re going through a loss right now, but there is no way in hell that I am going to allow you to go back there!”

Adam stared at Hokura in disbelief. “Did you not just state that you’ve had nightmares for the past forty years? You’ve spent the last forty years telling us about them, about how you’ve dreamt of the professor coming after you, and now you want to go back there?”

“I don’t know why… but I just need to know Adam. I need to know whether my nightmares are justified. I have this feeling inside of me that just won’t stop! Ever since James died, I’ve felt the pull to go back there, and it’s been driving me mad!” Hokura cried.

“Because you are mad!” Amara cried back.

The three had stopped walking and were now facing off on the desolate sidewalk. “Maybe I am,” Hokura shot back, then chuckled. “Maybe I’ve been mad this entire time.” Tears came to her eyes. “I don’t feel like I fit in here. I’ve never felt at home here, but I stayed for James and for the rest of you. I’ve always felt out of place wherever I’ve been, but I just need to know. I feel like this is something I have to do. What else is there for me?”

The two stood in silent shock, absorbing what was being said.

Hokura smiled at them lightly. “It's not like I expect you to come with me… or to even understand.”

“And what if something happens?” Adam asked in all seriousness stepping forward.

“Then something happens,” Hokura replied, her tone suddenly dull. It was as if her words were final. At that moment, she had felt so exhausted that she couldn’t make herself care if something happened to her.

Amara breathed. “There’s nothing we can say to keep you from going, is there? We just have to accept it and hope that you’ll come back?”

“I’m sorry, Amara, I do intend to come back if I can.” Again, her voice held no emotion.

Amara didn’t want to think about what might happen if the compound was still there and if the professor was still waiting for her. She closed her eyes. She had hated the professor. If she had ever gotten her hands on him, he would no longer be of this world. Surely Hokura must have thought about the possibilities of what would happen if he ever got his hands back on her. She couldn’t take it. “You’re putting yourself in danger!”

Hokura chuckled darkly. “When haven’t I been in danger? Please, Amara, I know I can’t convince you or explain this in any other way. You just need to trust me.”

Adam placed a hand on Amara’s shoulder as she huffed angrily at her friend. “You’ve been right about a lot of things; I don’t have your intuition, so I guess all I can do is trust you and trust that you’ll come back someday.”

Hokura nodded. “Thank you. Besides, what’s time to us when we have all the time in the world.”

“Now that sounds cryptic,” Adam stated. “We’ll help you get ready to leave and make sure you have enough supplies, I promise.”

“Good. I’m leaving tomorrow,” Hokura stated.

“What?” Amara bellowed in anger. “How long have you planning all this?” She grabbed Hokura by her arms, staring hard into her eyes. “Tell me the truth!”

Hokura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about this for a few weeks, but I started packing and preparing a few days ago.”

“And you didn’t tell us.” Amara’s words were curt.

“I didn’t think I was going to go through with it… at first, I just wanted to leave the city for a week or so and camp somewhere like James and I used to, maybe even go to the cabin. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought, what if I went a little further? What if, during my journey, my curiosity got the best of me, and I ended up there?”

“You were going to leave either way; you just didn’t know if you were going to go back to Meridiana?” Amara asked, still holding Hokura in her solid grip.

Hokura sagged. “It’s not like I haven’t left the city before…”

“With James,” Adam added.

“Who spent forty years teaching me everything he knew,” Hokura added softly, looking over at Adam and back at Amara, who still hadn’t let go of her. “Amara, I’m going. Don’t make this any harder than it is.”

She let go of Hokura with an angry sigh shaking her head. There was no use fighting with her. She knew she was going to go whether she liked it or not.

“Fine.” She added tersely, “if you’re leaving tomorrow, then let’s make sure you’re properly packed.”

Adam had held onto his end of the promise and helped Hokura secure the last few items that she needed.

Amara made things harder on her just as she expected, but she allowed it. She understood her friend and the fear that she had for her well-being, but as Hokura stood in the small apartment that she had shared with James since they came to the city, her heart had felt barren. She had held seashells they had collected from the beach, holding onto memories that had become too painful to bear.

She had packed up every memory from a few dried flowers to some geodes and other knickknacks into a box and gave it to Amara for safekeeping. The walls held nothing but memories now caused her pain, pain that she wanted to lock up but seemed to double with every breath that she took. Maybe that’s why she needed to leave. Perhaps she just had to be away from everything that ever held his memory.

“Please keep these safe for me.” She handed Amara the box.

“Are they reason enough for you to come back?” Her friend gave her a hopeful look.

Hokura wrapped her arms around her and hugged her. “Amara, you and Adam are reason enough to come back, and I promise that I will. This is just something that I need to do.”

* * *

Hokura hadn’t slept that night. She wouldn’t allow herself to have to suffer another nightmare and found herself creeping down the apartment block hallway, tiptoeing past Amara and Adam’s door in hopes the floor wouldn’t creak and they wouldn’t hear her as she made her way to the city streets.

Everyone had been asleep. There hadn’t been a soul in sight as she walked the empty city roads she had called home but had never felt like she had put roots down in it. The friends she had made had all passed, the people she once knew were all behind her, and after losing so many, Hokura gave up the idea of associating with anyone further than her fellow peacekeepers.

She had walked the oceanside and then found herself wandering the outskirts of the city towards an all too familiar place where she had spent countless hours the past four months. She had to visit him one last time.

She stood where they had buried his body. She had painted a large rock that made up the marker in front of a small wooden cross at the head of his grave to depict and honor him. She wished she could have done more. He had been a man of such strength, a man who led his people to what they had considered salvation.

Hokura dropped to her knees at the grave as she broke down. “I’m sorry,” she cried. “I wish Allen could have somehow taken what was inside of me and shared it with you so you wouldn’t have had to ggrow old.” She looked up at the moon as it shone over her. “I miss you, and I don’t know what to do now that you’re gone! It was something that I never wanted to think about because I didn’t want to face the reality of having to go on without you. You always asked, and I never had an answer!” Her tears flowed freely. “You were the only person who made me feel like I belonged, and now without you, I feel so lost. I don’t know why I want to go back there! I don’t know why this feeling is pushing me to leave here! If I’m being stupid, maybe you could somehow let me know.”

She sat clutching her chest as her tears continued to flow, waiting for a sign that she knew wasn’t going to come. Her heart was broken and bleeding, and she felt that now that he was gone, she was now less than she had ever been.

“I wish you could hold me one last time. I wish I could have you sleeping next to me again. I hate this so much, James! I hate that I have to go on without you! It isn’t fair!” Her voice cracked as her sobs took over. “I don’t know how to be strong anymore.”

Hokura had spent a few hours by his grave before she decided she had to leave him; she couldn’t take the pain any longer. She stiffly got up, taking in his gravesite one last time before turning away and making her way back towards the city.

After hours of wandering, she found herself sitting on an old city bench as she watched the sunrise and knew that she had to say goodbye to the last two people she had any ties with. She knew Amara was going to make things hard on her and smiled at the notion. That was something about Amara that she would miss. In a way, she wished she would just become empty, but her emotions filled her up and spilled over time and time again. By the time she had walked back to her apartment block, Adam and Amara were standing by her jeep.

“You weren’t in your suite. I thought you had left!” Amara said, running to her friend and hugging her.

“I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye,” Hokura answered tiredly.

“Were you really up wandering around all night?” Adam asked, glancing at Hokura’s tired gait.

“It seems that way,” she admitted, but quickly raised her hand to stop Adam. “I’ll be fine, though.” She raked her hands through her hair. “I’ve been surviving perfectly fine with little sleep.”

“Maybe you should wait then!” Amara pleaded. “Come inside, get some sleep, take a shower, and think things through!”

“I’ve already thought things through.” Hokura sighed. She knew Amara would try to grasp at whatever she could to keep her there. She looked at her friend with sympathy. “I’m coming back Amara, please don’t see this as I’m abandoning you two.” She gave her friend’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I promise.”

Amara pouted, looking away, knowing there was nothing she could say or do to change her friend’s mind. She let out an exasperated breath. “Fine.” She hugged Hokura again. “Please be safe and take care of yourself.”

Hokura gave a light smile. “That was the plan all along.” She looked at Adam and extended her arm for him to join her, which he did.

“Do what you have to do,” Adam’s voice was gentle, “and don’t be gone too long.”

“I’ll try,” Hokura said, trying to hold back the tears.

As she drove away, she could see the two standing in the distance in her rearview mirror. Doubt started creeping its way up in her mind. No, she needed to know. She couldn’t deny what she was feeling. She put her hand to her mirror and slowly tilted it away so she wouldn’t be able to look back at who and what she was leaving behind.

* * *

It had been just over a week of hard travel. Hokura had followed Barack’s old maps, grateful that he had marked their journey when they had escaped the walls. She had taken James’ old jeep along with enough supplies of dry food, canteens of water, and drums of fuel. He had taught her how to navigate the maps that she had made good time.

She had stopped along the way as she relived memories of the rebels making camp, of the laughter everyone shared on their journey to find a free city. She spent many nights staring into a campfire, trying to lock away any emotion still left in her until she felt hollow, trying to find her rationale as to why she had felt so compelled to go back. It hadn’t been courage that fueled her notion to know, she wasn’t exactly sure why she yearned to see it for herself, but she pushed forward.

The nights were the worst. She tossed and turned in her sleep as nightmares plagued her. Dorian’s voice screamed her name as she ran as fast as she could from him but always felt like he was right behind her. She would wake up screaming and sweating as fear gripped her.

“What the hell am I doing?” she muttered to herself, bringing her hand to her forehead and wiping away the sweat. “No…” she whispered… she had to know if Meridiana was still there, and if it were, then she would deal with the reality of it when she got there and saw it with her own two eyes.

She chuckled darkly to herself. “I must be mad, talking to myself in the dark when there’s no one else around.” The fatigue overcame her as she laughed and fell back onto her pillow. She didn’t even know what she had considered a decent night's sleep anymore. Her dreams had only gotten worse since she had left the city. She knew she needed a few more hours before moving out, even if it wasn’t sleeping, and she merely rested.

Over the days, the roads had turned to rubble and then to wasteland desert. Hokura knew she was getting close as she went over the dunes and adjusted her direction, continuously checking the old compass that she had come to rely on.

As the sun dipped down, Hokura decided she had gone as far as she could for the night. She sighed heavily in annoyance. She had made it past the borders and into the wastelands but was still a ways away from her destination. She had taken her time digging out a firepit from the sand and had thrown together some odds and ends for kindling and tinder and lit it. She hadn’t the energy to make up her tent that night and figured she would simply try to doze in the jeep. She sat upon its hood, tiredly watching the flames from the fire as it licked up towards the sky. Her eyelids had started to droop when a noise piqued her attention, and she opened her eyes. Coming towards her were three large, dangerous-looking men.

She watched them with disinterest as they walked up to her.

“Well, well, here’s an interesting sight to behold.” One of them smirked, licking his lips and staring at her. He had a nasty scar across his left eye, which made his face distort in the firelight. “It isn’t every day we come across someone traveling the wastelands… alone.”

“And a pretty someone with a vehicle at that,” the other added, dropping his large duffle bag by his feet. “Do you think you can give us a ride there, miss?” He snickered.

Hokura sat unmoved. “I’m sorry, gentlemen, but I’m not heading your way,” she answered dryly.

“That’s funny because that wasn’t really a question.” The first one countered, his tone darkening.

“I think what we mean to say here is that we’re taking you and your jeep.” The third and largest of the brutes chimed in, giving her a once over, with hungry eyes. “We can do this the easy way, or we can do it the hard way. It’s all up to how much trouble you want to cause us. Personally, the hard way is more fun.”

Hokura gave a low chuckle. “You really don’t want to do this.”

“Don’t tell us what we want to do, bitch!” The first one looked at her with dark, wild eyes. “We’ll fuck and kill you where you stand, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Hokura glanced up at them, she was so damn tired, but a wide smile came across her lips. “I’m really not in the mood for this tonight. I’ll tell you once more. You really don’t want to do this.”

The third man produced an ax, which he brought around and held in front of him. “Last chance, bitch, you’re either gonna submit, or we’re gonna take what we want.”

Hokura eyed them, all three of them as they closed in on her, the firelight dancing off her gaze dangerously. “Very well,” she said with a sigh.

She leaped off the hood with unfathomable speed at the man with the ax. Her instinct honed in on the most dangerous of the group. He tried to bring the weapon down on her, but his speed was no match for hers; she was on him before the ax had a chance. She ducked under the awkward sweep of the blade, her fist connected with his jaw with bone-breaking force. His body betrayed him, and he went limp. Standing above him, she punched, again and again, blood spurted from his mouth and nose as she concaved what was left of his face.

Finished with him, she snatched up the fallen ax and turned to the others.

“Still think you’re going to take what you want?” Her voice was hoarse. “I gave you a chance to walk away.”

The second man looked at her and back to the body. “Fuck this!” He took off running from the scene like a frightened animal.

Hokura flung the ax through the air with more strength and accuracy than any human had the right to possess. The blade flipped through the air and embedded into the back of the fleeing man's skull with an echoing crunch. Two more steps and his spasming body collapsed to the cold dirt.

The first man stood wide-eyed, trembling that his two comrades had fallen so quickly in front of him. “Just what the hell are you!” he cried, backing away as she slowly stalked towards him.

“Just a lone traveler,” Hokura said lowly, studying him as the firelight danced across his skewed face, “that was just trying to have a nice evening alone before you three had to ruin it.”

“Bullshit!” the man screamed, trying to run but tripped over his legs. “More like some kind of fucking freak!” He got back up, scrambling away from her.

Hokura pursed her lips. “Maybe you’re right.”

Three quick steps and she was on him, dropping low and sweeping his feet out from under him. He hadn’t even hit the ground as she landed a sharp kick to his ribs, feeling them break and knocking the air from him.

Hokura grabbed his leg and began dragging him across the ground.

“C’mon, I’m sorry,” he wheezed, trying to draw a full breath. “I’m sorry… we were just some guys down on our luck!” He coughed out, trying to get away, but her grip on his ankle only tightened.

She looked back at him tiredly. “You already told me about your intentions. I believe they were fuck me and kill me. Or did I hear wrong?”

“That was just big talk!” he cried, trying to convince her, his struggles all but futile.

“I bet.” Slowly she raised her arm, bringing him off the ground as she looked at his face in disregard. “I guess we all make choices that we wish we could go back on, and tonight you get to regret yours.”

“You’re fucking crazy!” he screamed.

Hokura let out a laugh. “Maybe I am…” She lowered him to the ground and stepped on his throat, not allowing the full pressure to reach him right away. Her madness took over her face, her smile dissipating back into indifference as she watched the life leave his eyes.

“Once a peacekeeper, always a peacekeeper. Thank you, Professor Dorian,” Hokura muttered as she staggered back towards the jeep. She got as close as the fire before her body collapsed from underneath her. She was so damn tired.

Hokura awoke the next morning. She coughed as she inhaled the sand underneath her. She sat herself up, trying to clear her head from the disorientation of sleeping on the ground. Upon rubbing her eyes, she looked over the campsite at the three bodies and pursed her lips. More death, there was no escaping it, even if she had caused it. No, she shook her head. She had defended herself; they had made their intentions clear. James had always warned her about raiders, that there would be a possible time where she would need to fight to keep herself alive. That had been exactly what she had done.

Hokura made a disgruntled sound; she had slept with blood-covered hands and had made a mess of herself. It was a good thing she had brought enough water to clean herself off. She stared at the sun and sneered to herself; she had lost precious time that she could have been driving. Her shirt was a loss. She stripped it off and quickly cleaned herself up before changing. She regarded the bodies. They would make good carrion. She wasn’t about to waste her time on them.

It had been early afternoon when Hokura had stopped and stared hard into the distance. Squinting for a moment, thinking that she had been seeing things, she grabbed a pair of binoculars in her pack to see if she had been correct. Off in the distance, there had been a jeep, and by the way the dust was kicking up behind it, she confirmed that it was coming her way. Her heart clenched. If it had been the watch that was still looking for her, she could navigate her way away from them easily enough. Still, she was curious. As the vehicle came closer, Hokura brought the binoculars back up and smiled. The man driving the jeep was none other than Talon. Hokura stood on her seat and waved her arms; excitement and anticipation filled her at seeing him again.

Talon had brought the jeep up and smiled as she jumped out of hers and made her way to him.

“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” he stated and gave her a quick hug.

“Talon!” Hokura cried. She took him in. He hadn’t changed a bit since the last time she had seen him. “What are you doing out here? We all wondered if you had escaped the compound.”

Talon’s smile faded slightly. “I never left.” He awkwardly cleared his throat as Hokura’s eyes widened, and her smile shrank. “I’ve actually been at the compound this entire time. I guess in a way I’m one of the professor’s and Governor’s right-hand men when it comes to scouting.”

Hokura took a step back in dismay, readying herself to run. “The professor… did he send you out here after me?”

Talon placed his hand on his bald head and shook it as if trying to find the words. “Hokura, a lot has changed since you left. In fact, everything changed after the uprising.”

She shifted slightly, staring at him. “What are you doing out here then?”

“The watch takes shifts to scout a few miles out in the wastelands to see if we can find others in need of sanctuary. We then take them in and give them a place to stay if they so choose… I saw your dust cloud and figured you were a traveler.” He chuckled. “I got a better surprise, though. I never thought I would see you again.”

Hokura stepped back in confusion. “You’re using the city as a sanctuary?”

Talon sighed. “I know, Hokura. I know it’s a lot to process and take in after what happened forty years ago, but everything here has changed, as I said. The government that was once in power was overthrown. The people of the compound weren’t too happy about what happened when the compound eradicated the civilians. Everyone rose up against Larson, a new guy stepped up exposing the truth, and since that day, he’s been the new governor.” Talon licked his lips as if he was rehearsing the speech in his head. “He turned this place around. He ended curfews and the harsh laws and actually found a way to create a sustainable way of living. People enjoy their lives here now.” He laughed as he thought about it. “I know it sounds absolutely crazy, but I can show you.”

Hokura stood in utter dismay. “What about the professor?”

Talon knew this question was going to come up. “He’s changed too. Governor Gavin enlisted him as his right-hand man in the science department to help him make breakthroughs in everything we’ve been able to accomplish. Gavin has the mind for coming up with the ideas. The professor makes them happen.”

“If I go with you… can I leave?” Hokura asked as her voice cracked, her throat suddenly feeling incredibly dry.

“Of course you can. Everyone in the city and compound is allowed to come and go as they please of their own free will,” Talon answered.

Hokura nodded. The city was still a few miles away, but she needed to see it with her own eyes. She got into her vehicle as Talon did the same and followed him back.

She gazed at the walls as they came up in the distance and fought the urge to turn around. She had seen what she had sought to know but found herself compelled to continue forward. She followed Talon, and as they came upon the walls, Hokura couldn’t help but feel so tiny amongst them as if they were going to swallow her whole.

Talon had led them to the center of the walls. Hokura could see men posted at either side of what looked like a large gate that had been constructed. As they drove closer, the men moved to the sides opening it to allow Talon and Hokura to pass.

She looked up to see Talon waving to both men as they nodded at him. Hokura felt overwhelmed as she tried to pay attention to following Talon. Right away, she noticed the civilians, there weren’t many as they walked along the sidewalks, but they had been something Hokura had never seen inside the walls of the city before.

Everything felt so surreal.

She didn’t know if it was because she had never seen the city during the day or because the compound had rebuilt so many of the buildings. Either way, it looked so much brighter and newer. The streets and avenues blurred as she continued driving, trying not to lose herself in the moment. There would be plenty of time to take everything in. As she continued forward, glancing around at her surroundings, she couldn’t help but feel anxious as her heart rate quickened. Was she possibly driving towards her end? As the compound came into view, she swallowed the lump in her throat and clenched the steering wheel to keep her nerves at bay.

Talon brought them up to the old loading dock, which Hokura recognized right away. This was where the watch and peacekeepers had left the compound every night when they went out. The large garage door opened as Talon slowly drove in and parked.

Hokura followed him almost in a daze. She was back inside the walls of the compound. Her body tensed; up until James’ death, she always wondered but had never thought the day would come where she would physically be standing where she was now.

Talon walked up to her after parking his jeep. “Hokura, I need to be honest with you right now. Everything has changed, but I know that the professor would like to know about your return.”

Hokura felt a wave of cold wash over her as her head started to throb. “Talon…” She didn’t know what to say. “What do you think he’ll do to me?”

Talon raised an eyebrow at her. “Possibly welcome you back?” He sighed; he understood her turmoil. “Hokura, it’s been a long time. Forty years is a long time, no matter the lifespan one has. Things have changed, and he’s changed.” He looked at her, she hadn’t changed a bit since the night she left, but surely, she was wiser now. “I promise you, it’s not what you think, and he deserves to know you’re here.”

Hokura merely nodded.

“Good. Then I’ll take you to his briefing room and then let him know of your arrival.”

Talon got Hokura settled and walked nervously to the professor’s office; he had no idea how the man would react to such a thing. He had thought about involving the governor but hadn’t been able to find him as he peered into an array of different rooms. It was most likely because he was in one of the labs overseeing something or in one of the many government offices. The professor usually found himself this way during the day to take a break from the labs. He breathed deeply as he came to the office door and knocked, a deep voice came from within.

“Come in.”

Talon walked into the room and stared at the man. He hadn’t changed much over the years other than the fact that he had finally come into his own and no longer hid behind his glasses or facial hair. Dorian had been going over a new plant-based food system that required fewer chemicals. The professor looked up at him for a moment with a questioning stare. “What is it, Talon? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Talon gulped. “Hokura’s returned. She’s sitting in your briefing office.”

“That’s not funny, Talon, now tell me what you’re really here for.” Dorian scowled at the man.

“Just as I said, sir. She’s in your briefing office.”

Dorian struggled to keep a cold face. “I’ll be there in a few minutes then.”

The second the door closed, the professor trembled. How was it possible that she was here? Had it been a sick joke? Why in the name of hell would she come back here after being gone for so long? He had felt heated anger rise inside of him but tried to suppress it. He had locked those emotions away long ago. He wasn’t about to let them out upon seeing her again. Things weren’t going to be the same. He wouldn’t allow his heart or mind to open up to that possibility. He continued to scowl; how long should he keep her waiting? He shook his head; it didn’t seem real to him. He would keep his composure cold and find out exactly what she was doing back.

* * *

Hokura sat nervously in the professor’s briefing room. After forty years, it hadn’t changed, which made her feel all the tenser; she was sitting opposite what she was used to, and suddenly it all felt foreign to her.

That’s when the door opened. Hokura gazed up at him, looking the same as always, other than three small changes. Hokura noticed right away that his beard was gone along with his glasses and that his large signature navy suit was now black and was cut to fit. The changes made him look so much younger, but there was no denying his steely blue eyes, which were now upon her.

He glared down at her. “After forty years of you abandoning me, what makes you think that I would welcome you back with open arms?”

Hokura looked up at him. “I didn’t think you would. I didn’t know what to think or expect,” she said. “I didn’t even know if Meridiana or the compound would still be standing.”

He continued to look down at her in hatred. “All this time, and you still doubted me.”

She couldn’t help but feel so small as he stood in front of her. “All I know is that this was the only place I felt that I fit in, the outside civilizations are dying off, and…” She looked down, not knowing what else to say.

Pity flashed across his face. He masked it again quickly. “I know I lied to you, but it was to protect you from this very thing. How many people that you loved have you watched grow old and die out there?

Tears filled her eyes as his cold expression gazed down at her. She couldn’t help herself as she broke apart. “They’re all dead…even…”

“Even him,” he said coldly, “of course, Hokura, the compound was a life source, and you all walked away from it. What did you expect to happen?” He then looked at her questioningly. “What about the other two?”

She glared at him; she wouldn’t allow him to go after them. “They’re dead.”

“That’s a lie!” he countered back at her angrily.

“Does it matter?”

He stepped back, taking her in. “No,” he answered, “it doesn’t.”

Hokura took a small breath of relief. “So, what are you going to do with me?” she asked shakily.

Dorian clenched his fists; how could she ask him such a cold question? “What do you want me to do with you?”

She stopped for a moment and tried not to whimper. “I don’t know. I didn’t know what I was going to find once I got here.”

He raised his eyebrows at her. “Are you surprised?”

“A little,” she admitted.

He grunted indignantly. “You can stay here if you wish, or you can leave. The choice is yours.”

“What?” She was taken by surprise.

“I can have Talon show you to a block of rooms and get you settled.”

She looked at him, not believing what he was saying.

“It’s been forty years. We’ve done a lot of renovations.” His tone was indifferent as he turned away from her. He was about to reach for the door when she spoke again.

“That’s it, then?” she asked. She didn’t know what to make of the situation as her mind reeled.

He stopped and looked at her in annoyance. “What else more do you want?”

She had so many questions for the man who was standing in front of her. “Am I not a prisoner?”

Dorian glowered at her. “And what use would you be as a prisoner?”

Hokura shrank back; he was so cold to her now, she didn’t know what to say. Then again, could she blame him? She had left him bloodied on the floor, screaming her name as she ran from him.

“We’re done here then,” he continued coldly and walked out of the briefing room.

Hokura slunk in her chair. Was this really any better than what she had just left? She thought of Adam and Amara. Had she just made a huge mistake by coming back?

Talon came through the door a moment later. “He said I was to show you to a room.”

As Hokura followed him, she didn’t know what else to do. She would bide her time here and at least rest herself before she left again.

As she followed him, she couldn’t help but take in all the changes. Familiar hallways were now upgraded; the lighting seemed to be so much brighter. Even as they walked past the cafeteria, the set-up had been completely changed.

“This is all so amazing,” Hokura whispered in awe.

Talon chuckled as they got into the new elevator. “It’s been forty years in the making, and we were considered advanced forty years ago.”

“So much has changed,” she quietly mused as they got off at the second floor.

“Are you talking about the compound, the city, or the professor?” Talon asked; right away, he knew and sighed with an answer. “Whether you believe it or not, he was a very broken man. He never loved anyone else and has spent the past forty years grieving not only his life’s work but you specifically. How did you expect him to react when I told him that I had brought you in and that you were sitting in the briefing room?”

Hokura sagged. “I didn’t know what I was expecting. I didn’t know what had happened after the uprising.” She trembled. “I left, and I never looked back, but I always wondered. He was so cold to me.”

“Well, now you’ve gotten your answers, you’ve seen it with your own eyes. And yes, the professor has grown cold over the years, can you blame him?” Talon then looked up at her and smiled gently. “Whatever you decide to do now, it’s good to see you again.”

He stopped at the door. “This would be you.” He opened it.

Hokura gazed inside. It was about the same size as her old suite, but everything in it seemed so much brighter and updated. The floors were tiled instead of carpeted; the kitchen was white instead of a dull beige.

“The professor stated that you could come and go as you please.”

Hokura turned to him, still not believing her eyes. “And did the professor tell you my status while I am staying here?”

Talon grinned. “You’re considered an honored guest. I’ll let you get settled a bit, and then I’ll come back and show you around.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Dorian had locked himself in his briefing room in a fit of rage. He had thrown his reports that were strewn across his desk onto the floor and angrily stormed about pacing, swearing to himself.

Soon the rage subsided into misery. She was back. He had thought he would never see her again. After the uprising, he had exhausted all efforts in sending men out to look for her, but the trail had gone cold.

He spent months grieving her and closed off that part of his heart. He swore he would never feel such things again. Such emotions only made a man weak; instead, he dove into compound projects and rebuilding at the hand of the new governor. He no longer had the peacekeepers, but he had those still living in the compound. None of them had yet been successful with regenerating their own cells but himself.

“How dare she,” he choked, “how dare she come back here!” He trembled as what was left inside of him shattered, and he was on his knees, gripping his chest as his tears fell. It was like having her come back from the dead. Even after forty years, there was a slight notion in his mind that, like when she had supposedly been abducted that she would return to him.

That abduction was a lie; she had gone willingly with the rebels, and, from then planned to escape the compound, the emotions battered him. Surely, she had loved somebody else in this time, the rebel perhaps enough to leave with him to a new world. His heart ached. It hadn’t been him, and maybe his love towards her had been skewed, but he had loved her with every inch of his being.

Every emotion came flooding back as it did the night she had left screaming her name and trying to go after her. He hadn’t been able to find her that night, Talon had brought him to his lab, and he had spent the night following up on his promise to the watch commander to keep the watch guards alive with injections.

She had been long gone before the sun rose that morning, and it had been confirmed that every civilian in Meridiana had was either dead or had fled the city. He had wanted to die that morning but sent every man that could still physically stand upright after them, day after day, week after week, month after month. There had been nothing. He had yearned for death's sweet release, he had wanted to merely shut himself down and never wake again, but there was a tiny ounce of hope that clung to the idea of her possibly someday coming back. He didn’t know when that hope had died. After years, it seemed to have faded, and now everything had just crashed back down on him.

“Stop it!” He sneered. “I command you to stop it, don’t even think about her.” He continued clutching his chest at the physical pain. He didn’t want to see her. He wanted to send her back on her way. And yet he yearned, he hated himself for it, but he had simply wanted to hold her one last time.

“You’re going to fuck everything up if you keep this up,” he swore at himself, “just let her go!”

* * *

Hokura sat on the couch in her room, merely staring at the blank television after washing up. What was there to settle in? She hadn’t even decided whether or not she was going to stay. Her duffle bag was the only thing she had on her that wasn’t still in her vehicle, and unpacking, when she was still undecided, felt pointless.

“What the hell am I even doing here?” she muttered. Was this even what she wanted? She felt a pang of guilt. This is what she had run from, the life James had tried to keep her from, and now that he was gone, she was back here.

“I must be crazy,” she continued as she brought her hands to her face and rubbed it. She resolved that she would stay a few days and then leave. Amara was right. She was always right. Coming back here was a mistake. There was no magical resolve. There wasn’t even a place for her here.

There was a light knock at the door. Hokura smiled at Talon as she answered it. “Would you like to see what’s changed here?”

She nodded. “Sure, it’ll kill some time, which is better than just sitting in my room.”

They took the elevator and walked down the hallway, which used to be the training facility.

“Although we still have a watch on the walls, we no longer need hardened training the way we used to,” Talon explained. “The simulator is still sitting there unused, but we still have the training facility, which we turned more into the compound gym. This way, the residents can come and physically blow off steam.”

“That’s interesting. Residents weren’t allowed in areas such as the training facility before,” Hokura said. “Even the peacekeepers were only allowed in certain areas of the compound.”

Talon wore a grim expression. “Before the scientists… heck, everyone here worked around the clock, their lives were work. Now they have time to take up personal activities and hobbies. The gym is one of them. The governor stated that we needed to work fewer hours and take up personal interests, that it was better for morale.”

Hokura stared into a large room, which used to be the track room. It looked fresh and new. There was a new track which had been laid down. A few people were even stretching and running on it casually.

“Do the residents use the monitors to track their physical achievements?”

Talon chuckled slightly. “No, this is purely for enjoyment.”

The idea seemed foreign to her.

“We have gardens now too.” He smiled.

“That’s not much of a change,” Hokura said, scuffing her boot against the white flooring.

“Not like they used to be, Hokura. We cultivated land outside and have gardens.”

Her eyes widened. There were farmers in the city she had come from; they stretched out the land for miles fighting to grow crops. Some years were successful; others were a struggle. She remembered that the potatoes were always the most successful. She had sworn she never wanted to see another meal based on the starchy vegetable again. “That’s amazing, Talon, can we see them?”

Talon nodded. “We’ll have to get to the jeeps; there are also gardens located outside of the compound in the city.”

“I can’t believe everything that has changed here. How is it even possible?”

“A number of months after the uprising, the people of the compound overthrew the government leaders. They saw Dorian as mankind’s savior. He came out and stated that they were no longer aging, that they were evolving into more intelligent beings. He had wiped out sickness and weakness, but he wasn’t applying his skills to bettering the outside world. We were still prisoners of the compound. That’s when Gavin came into power and took over as governor. That’s when everything started changing for the better. He released all old-world files and information. He wanted to make this place a self-sustained sanctuary.” Talon grinned. “People were allowed to leave, but with all the new changes, they soon realized they wanted to stay.”

“All this so soon after the uprising?” Hokura sadly mused for a moment. The first year had been a struggle for her. She recalled so many nights waking up from nightmares that never ceased. She remembered the stomach flu caused by food contamination, which had ravaged the city, making so many people sick. She remembered begging the doctor on more than one occasion to use her blood and find a way to protect the city's people. To try and create more medical cures, but between himself, Barack, and a few other doctors, their technology was nowhere near advanced enough. The outside world was filled with hardship and death, but at least she had her freedom.

Talon had turned them around as they made their way to the garage. “We now have activity rooms for games and such as well, card games, old-world games, new games that people make up and write the instructions down as they go.”

They turned towards the cafeteria. “Our food is still enhanced; it’s enriched with nutrients that even old-world food didn’t hold. We need a lot less of it now since the professor was able to create a serum that’s used in our food properties so that our bodies now slowly burn through what we consume. We don’t fatigue as we used to either.”

“But you’re still all being altered,” Hokura said in a small voice.

Talon stopped in front of her. “Hokura, you were the first child. You saw the hardships out there in the real world. Don’t you wish your friends could have stayed young forever? Don’t you wish Annette and the doctor would have stayed youthful as they were here?” He shook his head. “When they left, their bodies had gotten stronger, but without replenishing them with the genetically modified food and water, they faltered as anybody would. It’s only been the peacekeepers that have been able to continue on their own without the help of the compound. You three were still special.”

She lowered her head. “I guess I understand.” She did more than anyone. The horrors of watching James age haunted her every day she was with him. As she stayed youthful, his hair grayed, lines creased across his face, his body slowly weakened. So many times, she had asked him about being immortal like her. Finally, during one of their last days together, he had chuckled to her and asked her to ask the question again. He said that he feared living forever, but if he had been able to stay by her side forever, he would have done so.

She felt sick to her stomach, not from illness but from the memories.

As the two walked, a man approached them. Hokura looked up at him in awe; he was like the walking embodiment of sunshine. He looked so youthful. He was taller than Adam. He had light brown hair, which was slightly longer in front and fell in front of his eyes. That’s when Hokura gazed into them, his eyes were golden, and his smiled seemed to sparkle. He was wearing light gray dress pants with a white button shirt and a gray tie.

“Talon!” he greeted, smiling at the man. He then looked down at Hokura and smiled at her.

“Hokura,” Talon stated, “this is Governor Gavin.”

Gavin produced his hand for Hokura to shake as he eyed her. As she gave her hand to him, he brought it up to his lips and lightly kissed the back of it. “The infamous peacekeeper,” he said, studying her. “So, you must be the reason why Professor Dorian has locked himself in his office and refuses to answer his summons.”

Hokura stepped forward. “Please, sir, I didn’t mean to come here and cause such a stir for everyone.”

Gavin raised his hand; Hokura stopped in her tracks. “Please, call me Gavin. You’re as welcome here as anyone else. I find it fascinating that you spent so many years beyond the walls! If you don’t mind, I would love to talk to you later about life beyond Meridiana. I’m incredibly curious about it myself since I’ve never been beyond the city walls.”

Hokura pursed her lips, not knowing what to say.

Gavin stepped forward and brushed a stray hair away from her cheek. “It would be my honor if you did, my lady, but the choice is yours.”

She cleared her throat. “Since you’re allowing me to stay here, I would be glad to share with you.”

Gavin’s beamed in excitement. “Since it’s mid-day, how about we make a date of it tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have Talon find you and bring you to my conference room.”

The first child nodded.

Talon tipped his head to Gavin. “Will you need me for anything this afternoon, sir?”

“No, Talon, please see to our guest for the day and make her comfortable. I’m sure she’s had a long journey.” He looked over to Hokura. “It’s been a pleasure; I hope that you find being back here more hospitable than it once was.” With that, Gavin turned on his heel and walked the other direction.

Hokura turned to Talon. “How come I’ve never seen him before?”

Talon looked to the side and pointed his thumb towards Gavin walking away. “He was holed up with the rest of the government officials. He was a number of spots under Larson because he was deemed too young with too many wild attributes of bringing the compound to a more pleasant order. After the uprising, Larson didn’t hold much favor with his cutthroat ways, so the underdog ended rising up from under him. Apparently, Gavin was very much against the uprising and was reprimanded for trying to go against Larson, but afterward, he made things very public and ruffled many feathers. Still, the people liked him, and so Larson was made to step down.” Talon’s mood darkened. “Begrudgingly and with a fight which didn’t end up in his favor, mind you.”

The first child didn’t know what Talon had directly meant, but she figured the old governor was no longer in the compound.

“Come on, let’s get to the jeeps so I can show you to the gardens,” Talon continued.

* * *

Gavin made his way down to the professor’s office and gave the door a hard knock. The door didn’t open, causing Gavin to scowl. “If you’re going to spend the day avoiding everyone because she’s here, you can at least be useful and have any information about her sent up to me,” he commanded.

The door opened a crack as a very disheveled Dorian peered through it. “Why?” His voice was hoarse.

Gavin smirked. “I asked her to sit down with me tomorrow afternoon and tell me about where she’s been. I’ve never been beyond the wall; I would love to hear about what’s still out there. Wouldn’t you?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Besides, I’m curious about her origins, and that’s something you’ve kept very quiet about.”

Dorian slammed the door in Gavin’s face.

The governor’s smirk widened. “Suit yourself, but I still want those files sent to my office.”

Dorian stormed back into his office, he was letting his emotions get the best of him, and now the governor had taken an interest. “Her files,” Dorian sneered. He kicked himself for still having them. He wanted to lie and tell Gavin that he had destroyed them, but that would have been a slight against the compound and his work. He had wanted to destroy them. He had wanted to eliminate every hard drive that had anything to do with the peacekeepers on them. Wanted to burn every piece of paper that ever held her name. He faltered. He hadn’t been able to do it. Even buried in his closet was the canvas with her letter, along with many other things that he had secretly stored. He had wanted to destroy those too and had come close so many times but couldn’t. It was all he had left of her. He never shared the peacekeepers' files with anyone else, not even the doctor, not even Governor Larson, the copies of files that were kept in the compound had all been fakes. Only he had the true files, and he’d be damned if Gavin was going to see them.

* * *

Hokura looked around the garage; it had appeared relatively similar to before.

“There are some things that have stayed the same.” Talon gestured her to come closer as he got into the jeep.

“So I noticed when I parked,” she commented.

“If you have anything else in your vehicle, you can grab it when we come back and take it back to your room, that is, if it’s worthwhile to do so,” Talon stated. He didn’t want to push her to stay in case she hadn’t made up her mind yet.

The large garage door opened as Talon brought the jeep out and drove along. Hokura sat back, taking everything in. She had been eager to truly take in the city, which she once protected had transformed.

The buildings seemed under better repair now. There was greenery. It almost seemed like where she had come from… but in the distance, she eyed the wall, which still surrounded Meridiana. “Some things change, while other things just stay the same.” She sighed.

Talon raised an eyebrow to her. “We find the wall useful actually, not only for protecting us from the winds but also for scouting people wandering in the wastelands so we can send people to bring them in. Of course, when we do so, we urge that they go through medical examinations.”

“Wouldn’t want some non-superior being within the walls,” Hokura mumbled.