Elion had spent the day in his room, only venturing out to have mandatory meals. Saturdays were endless, each hour blended into the next with nothing to break the monotony. He could watch more of the approved shows that were available on the smart desk, but they were all the same recycled plot of featureless characters. The music was no different– an endless loop of predictable sounds. It was all the same to Elion–it was supposed to be. He worked on assignments, exchanged a few messages with Jax about the internship and stared out the window for most of the day. The evening sky was clear, devoid of clouds. A perfect time for a walk. Maybe with Kira. But she was different now.

Hours stretched on, each one feeling like a lifetime.

~~~~

The lockdown began at 8 pm sharp. Metal shutters closed slowly over the windows, and the main lights turned off. They weren't able to leave the house after lockdown hours. No one was allowed outside. As the shutters closed, blocking out all outside light, the lights turned on automatically. Elion changed into his sleeping clothes and chewed on a dental cube as he waited. CANA would be walking through the hallways now, ensuring that everyone was in their designated space.

He lay in his bed, waiting for the confirmation message that the lockdown was complete.

"Lockdown complete. All exits secured. All personnel accounted for." The message rang over the comms. There was a soft tapping on his door, in familiar rhythmic pattern. Elion approached the door cautiously. When he reached it, it clicked open. Arion stood on the other side. "You're getting better at this," Elion said.

Arion smiled. "New program." A rare sight.

They moved cautiously through the dimly lit halls, their footsteps barely a whisper as they ascended the stairs to the attic. CANA was probably patrolling the east wing of the house, leaving them mostly in the clear—but they still kept their voices low, careful not to break the silence.

The dusty attic was mostly empty, except for the cot they'd built in the corner og the room by the window. It was a thin blanket with two old cushions for them to sit on. They sat cross-legged from each other. Arion's eyes gleamed under the security light that shined through the only window that wasn't blocked off.

"Nice to see you feeling better," Elion said, holding his sister's small hands.

"I'm ok now," Arion said as she stared out the window. But the sadness came back. Losing her bear was the last piece of her childhood, and it was taken from her in an instant.

"Are you sure?" Elion asked.

"I should have known better," Arion brushed away the impending tears.

Elion changed the subject. "You said you developed a new program?"

"Yeah." Arion held up the chip. "It mimics CANA's system to open doors to make it seem like the CANA system opened the door and it's not security breach."

"Thank you for explaining it simply." Arion was the software and technology adept one. She should be his father's prodigy, not him. He never took interest in anything programming related. Often allowing GERMAN to write any software required for the Academy. That's what it was for.

"GERMAN, right?"

Arion smacked his arm gently. "I wrote it myself! Not everything is done by GERMAN."

Elion giggled. It had been a while since that sound came out. He exhaled heavily, relieved that he still could laugh.

They spent the night exchanging stories. Arion mostly told stories about a distant land where children were allowed to play outside all day, run around a park. The children would splash water from the pool and laugh all day in the sun. Then a monster would come down from the sky, block out the sunlight and set fire to all the toys. Elion listened intently, lamenting and laughing when he needed to. His mind often wandered: what if this world was possible?

When it was his turn, he told a story about a boy and girl who were close friends but the girl changed in an instant. Arion, engrossed in the story, often added to its plot, stating that she was being mind controlled. She was, Elion was convinced that she was. But how did they do it? The enforcer's office was the answer. He was sure of it.

"But how will I know where it is?"

"Don't you mean Jensen?" Arion asked. Right, Jensen, the character name he'd given.

"Yes. Jensen. How will Jensen know how to help his friend, Kalley?"

"Well, if she is being mind controlled, he has to find out where she was taken. Go there and stop them."

"Right." But Elion feared that the same thing that happened to Kira would happen to him. He'd become a shell of who he was now. He needed to stop that from happening.

He placed a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder. "Arion, I need your help. But you cannot tell anyone."

Arion's brows furrowed. "Who would I tell?"

~~~~

*March 23, 2125*

Elion sat at the table in the cafeteria with Jax and Kira, a routine he had settled into over the past week. Predictable conversations ensued between Jax and himself about the impending internship. Kira was quiet. She always was. Not offering anything more than one-word answers. He was exhausted of the foreseeable topics, the lifeless environment. The glasses had revealed the truth about every student he'd observed. They were all holding back something, whether it was fear or anxiety. Elion was tired of it. Tired of restraining himself from saying what he thought, how he felt. Kira nibbled at her pizza. She was so delicate, so empty. He couldn't bear it anymore. He put down his spoonful of rice.

"I like you, Kira," Elion said. Both Jax and Kira stopped eating and looked at him. The glasses revealed the shock on both their faces.

"What?" Jax asked, looking around.

"I like you, Kira," he said louder. The students at the table beside them stopped eating and stared at him. All RPs were activating and marching towards them. Good. He stood on the chair and pointed at Kira.

"Kira!" He laughed. "Kira, I really like you!"

Kira stood up and backed away from Elion. Jax held his arm, trying to stop him. He shrugged away. The RPs closed in on them. Yes, keep coming closer. Several yellow lights scanned his face as he grinned.

He took up the tray of food and tossed it on the floor. It clacked on the floor. The rice scattered across the floor. That's right, they had to take him away.

"Elion, report to The Enforcer's office," the heavy voice boomed through the comms.

It worked. The RPs took arm and led him out of the cafeteria. He didn't fight it. This was the plan. He looked back at Kira. He swore he'd find out what happened to her. The students continued eating as they walked into the hallway. They stopped halfway down the empty hall. They released his arm. He thought they'd take him to an office.

"What's happening?"

There was a sharp sting in his neck, and everything went dark.