August 24, 2151

The dry grass crunched underfoot as Lumina walked up to the edge of Ground 1. Once there, she collapsed to her knees in front of the steel stake with a small, red ribbon tied to it. Ground 2 was stitched in the gold on the ribbon.

Lumina sat down, her legs curling, her hand grabbing the stake and wrenching it from its spot. She's done this every year on the same exact day of the same exact month. It was the day Ground 2 disappeared from Lumina's sight and the day Eva sent her message.

Lumina twisted the cool metal of the stake in her palm, remember what had happened two years ago. Then, she remembered her resolve of nonstop work until Ground 2 was back with Ground 1.

Lumina bowed her head and sighed . Her lips pursed. Her eyes closed. She felt the pain that worked from her lower back into her forearms - from hard labor - course through her. She also felt the hole that ate away and spit a hollowness into her heart.

"I haven't lost my resolve to find a way to get you back, sis," Lumina said, right out into the open air, Eva not present. "I've worked, tirelessly, day and night, on my invention, a heaviness in my heart moving me to continue on with my project. I'm this close to finishing it, and then you can be back here with me. Home. Safe and Sound."

A tear streaked out of Lumina's eye.

"As long as Ground 2's still alive, I will not lose my resolve. I miss you terribly." Lumina's calloused hands cupped her tear stained face. Her shoulders shook with heavy sobs. Nothing felt comforting, not even the coolness of the stake against her face. Nothing would ever feel right until Eva and the rest of Ground 2 were back.

The sound of footsteps neared Lumina, but Lumina didn't quit sobbing to turn around and see who it was. She just knew no one was going to hurt her. Not here. Not while she grieved.

Soal Dienze crouched beside Lumina and put a hand on Lumina's back. She gently removed the stake, with Ground 2's ribbon fastened to it, from Lumina's hand, and twisted it in her own palm. Soal's lips curled into a frown, and then she planted the stake back into its spot in the ground.

Soal took hold of Lumina's arm and helped her onto her feet. Lumina continued to cry as Soal led Lumina back to town. A continuous little pat on the back was all Soal could think to do to comfort Lumina. But that was good enough.

Soal couldn't promise something false about Ground 2.

She just couldn't.