002

I step into the elevator, my shoes clicking against the granite floor as I press the button for the Augments quarters. Top floor. My stomach plummets as the elevator shoots upwards and the searing towers of the Seoul skyline seem to inch lower and lower below me.

When I had first visited Ravi and Leo after they had been discharged from their procedures, I had gotten such bad vertigo that I accidently crushed the flowers I had picked out from the store when I had collapsed on the floor. By now, I was used to the height, but the faint sense of dizziness was still there, just not as prominent as before.

The doors slide open with a ding and I walk out into the brightly lit corridor. In front of me is a large, open space with cream colored couches and matching coffee tables clustered in the middle of the room. The Commons are where Augments socialize and spend their down time when they’re not training. People cluster in various groups throughout the room, the sound of airy laughter and quiet chatter washing over me. I scan the Commons for any hint of a familiar face when a boy a few years older than me, N, catches my eye and jogs over to where I’m standing.

“Good morning, Mari,” N says, “what’re you doing up here so early? Does your dad have an assignment for me or something?” He his head to the side and smiles.

N is an aspiring intern who works under my father since he wants to go into the same line of work. Whenever I walked past my father’s office, N was bent low over a tablet or typing madly away on a computer, rewriting codes and designing potential features for the new Augment software update. The poor guy was so obedient and never complained about anything. But to say the least, N was good at programming, and there was no question that he would be promoted soon.

“He hasn’t told me anything yet, you should relax when you get the chance, N.” I look around the room again before my eyes settle back to him, “you waiting for someone?”

N laughs sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck, and for a moment, I think he’s actually waiting for a girl. It definitely wouldn't surprise me if he was. His black hair was always styled tastefully, framing his tan, kind face and dark eyes handsomely. His crisp dress shirt and white lab coat made him look even more clean-cut and sophisticated.

“No, your dad just told me to people watch. Be here in case anything happens,”

I frown at his words, “Sorry to hear that. I’ll be sure to talk to him about giving you some breaks, you’re practically my dad’s slave,” N smiles in embarrassment and shoves his hands into his pockets, “that’d be really nice,” he admits.

“I’m here to drop the software off to the boys,” I say and hold up the chips for him to see, “I should get going so I don’t miss my train,”

“I wrote a little bit of that,” N states proudly and nods toward the sleek, black devices in my hand. He rocks back on his heels, “see you later Mari, tell everyone at the Academy I miss them,”

~~

I knock on the door to Ravi’s apartment and glimpse at my watch. 7:45, I still have enough time to meet Rebecca at the station. The door slides open and Ravi leans against the frame.

He’s definitely gotten taller since the last time I saw him. I have to tilt my head back to look him in the eyes. His broad shoulders nearly span half the doorway and the fabric of his black hoodie are strained in places where he’s been building muscle. A snapback rests against his messy, electric blue hair and he has dark jeans tucked into red sneakers.

“Mari, hey, I just got back from training. C’mon in.” Ravi steps back from the doorframe and lets me in.

Since the Augments possess such an honorable status, their apartments are one of the most luxurious in Skypeak. A crystal chandelier hangs down from the high ceiling over a glass coffee table adorned with bowls of exotic fresh fruits. Ravi must have been cooking breakfast since he has all the ingredients for omelets laid out on the granite countertop of the kitchen island. A polished, cobblestone fireplace rests on the far side of the room next to two sets of tall windows, boarded by elegant white curtains. I loathe Ravi’s apartment, it’s much more inviting and cozier than my own. Too contemporary, too cold and modern. Even if his apartment was rather enormous, especially for just one person, Ravi didn’t seem too lonely since he invited Rebecca over to spend the night practically every weekend.

There’s a boy sitting on the loveseat in front of the windows, his nose buried in a book, his back to me. He’s dressed in a simple white shirt and grey sweatpants. His hair, dark and lustrous, could almost be mistaken for a deep onyx. His knees are drawn up to his chin in a position that looks slightly uncomfortable, yet he looks completely at home, and I can hear him humming a tune to himself. Ravi gently brushes past me, a water bottle in his hand.

“Leo, Mari came to visit us,” Leo flinches at his sudden voice, the book spilling out of his hands and landing with the cover face up with a firm snap. There’s a short pause before he speaks again.

“She’s only gonna be here for a little bit since she has to go to the Academy, so why don’t you say hi?” Leo looked so relaxed a moment ago, I almost want to scold Ravi for disturbing him.

He twists his upper body to face me, his knees still drawn up. His bright amber, catlike eyes are slightly hidden beneath his fringe of hair, yet my body stiffens under his cold gaze. His irises flicker and glow a vivid teal as he examines me and he sits up quickly, not breaking eye contact as he scoops up the book with one hand.

“You made me lose my spot,” Leo breathes, his quiet voice but an angry whisper. He moves silently, like mist, his barefeet padding against the hardwood floor as he goes into one of Ravi’s spare bedrooms and clicks the lock behind him.

Leo is one of the few Augments that had actually experienced an accident during his procedure. While the surgeon had been working in his brain to insert the cerebrum implants, his hand had slipped, prodding his frontal lobe; the section of the brain solely devoted to personality. As a result, Leo, who had once been so dynamic and spirited, had turned reclusive, withdrawn and quick to anger.

Ravi’s lips purse into a thin line.

“,”

He takes off his cap and runs his fingers through his hair and lets out a sigh before he turns back to me and stretches out his hand.

“I’ll take ‘em. I’ll make sure Leo gets his,” I nod and give him the software.

“If you have some time later today, you should meet up with us after the Academy let’s us out. Everyone’s gonna meet up at the Cosmo to celebrate the end of exams, even Hyuk.

Ravi snorts, “no way in hell they’ll ever let Hyuk in,”

“You should come!” I insist and punch him hard in the shoulder, though my knuckles sting madly and I realize I hurt myself more than it did him. Ravi was always either drilling himself with workouts or sleeping. Getting him out of here would do him some good since he was so cooped up all the time.

“Plus, Rebecca really wants to see you. She’d be really happy if you came out with us tonight,” Ravi’s eyes light up at the sound of her name and he casts his gaze to his shoes and smiles warmly at the thought of her.

It’s not like the couple didn’t see each other enough, it was more the question of how often. The two are literally inseparable, and it was no secret how much he truly loves her. We can all see it. The sole decision of why he chose to undergo Augmenting was because of Rebecca. He wanted to join the counter force in order to restore Seoul to the haven it once was. He wanted to be able to protect her from ever getting hurt.

“Yeah, ok. I’ll be there,”

I shoot him a thumbs-up and grin. Rebecca is going to love me forever. Another glance at my watch tells me I need to hurry and I say a quick goodbye to Ravi before I leave his apartment and call the elevator back up with the push of a button. The descent is swift down to the lobby and I slip past the main mirrored glass doors of Skypeak and out into the crisp air.