Riding the monorail train was like falling again.

The moment Fei Hong stepped into the belly of the gleaming obsidian train, she had felt her chest tighten, her heart seeming to flutter inside her ribcage like a trapped bird. For one fleeting moment, it reminded of the sensation of falling as her cargo ship had hurtled into space. Her heart quickened at the familiar sensation of hanging suspended in the air, feeling the universe blur until it was only a swirl of colours.

She gripped onto the armrest of her chair, flinching as the train lurched to a sudden stop. Passengers trickled out of the train, and Fei Hong's eyes followed their dark silhouettes until they were swallowed by the dark looming buildings overhead.

Faintly, she could hear Marice talking excitedly to Elora about the hub, and she felt an unexpected twist of envy at the ease of their conversation. Unlike her, they had opted to stand, with their hands loose around the straps that hung suspended from the ceiling. They swayed, balancing effortlessly as the train jolted forward again. Marice threw her head back with a laugh at something Elora said. Her violet curls bounced as she giggled, and the fluorescent lights brought a soft glow to her caramel skin.

"Fei Hong, what were the stars like back on Earth?" Elora suddenly turns to ask, her pale blue eyes glinting as she tossed her red hair over a shoulder. She spat out the last word with barely hidden disdain, hiding it with a smile and gleam of perfectly white teeth. Fei Hong clenched her jaw, raising her chin to meet the pale-eyed girl's gaze.

"They're lovely. But the clouds cover them most nights."

Elora raised an eyebrow before a smirk tugged on her lips. "You must be so glad when you left Earth. I can't even believe you stayed there for so long. It must've been hard, living in that dump of a place. I even heard that the outbreaks for the Spiderweb Virus started there."

Elora shot Fei Hong a look of mock pity before pursuing her lips. Her eyes lingered meaningfully on Fei Hong's white-blonde hair, her mouth twisted into a sneer. Contaminated. Poverty-stricken. Earthling. Outcast. Her cold blue eyes seem to say.

Marice caught Fei Hong's burning gaze, but her eyes quickly darted away, suddenly absorbed in studying the hologram paintings that decorate the walls.

Fei Hong's hands curled into fists, feeling a wave of anger cloud her vision as her nails dug into her palm. It rose hot and fast, clouding her vision with a layer of red at Elora's words. She's struggling to find the right words when the train skidded to a sudden stop; its screech against the tire tracks making her flinch.

"We're here," Marice said, her voice slicing through the thick veil of tension that hung in the air.

Elora led the way off the bus, with Marice close behind. Though her blood was still boiling, Fei Hong forced herself to uncurl her fingers, leaving them at her sides. The rest of the walk is silent, an uncomfortable tension hanging in the air.

They stopped at the hub, and Fei Hong had to bite back her gasp of shock as she raised her face, her eyes tracing the building that loomed before her. It was a tall, spiralling structure that cut into the sky, the glass walls gleaming under the moonlight. The soft sounds of laughter and music drifted from the inside, hanging in the air before a soft breeze of the wind swept it away. Even when the sun had long set, the city still brimmed with life.

Marice pushed the doors open, and Fei Hong let out a small breath, trying to keep her steps steady and her face expressionless. The effort of controlling the waves of anger made her tremble, but she looked to the hub as a lighthouse, attempting to avoid Elora's gaze. I'll be able to see the stars again, she reminded herself as she felt a spark of excitement. And with a rueful smile on her lips, she followed Marice and Elora.