Shrouded in shadow, Yves's eyes shot open. The sun had just risen, still fighting its way out of the horizon. Yves looked around, noticing the familiar walls and windows - she was in her hideout outside of Eden. Next to her, ViVi slept - she looked unharmed, sending a small relief through her body. The memories of yesterday… or just a few minutes ago? She fell back into bed, gazing at the ceiling as she convinced herself she had just fallen down half the height of a hotel. She raised her arms, moving her hands around: this was her body. Of course it was.

    Yves just shook her head, covering herself in the blanket until ViVi got out of bed, some thirty minutes later. Feigning drowsiness, Yves stretched her arms out, oddly enough still able to pull a yawn out of her.

    "Morning," ViVi said, spreading butter over slices of bread.

    "ViVi," Yves simply replied, "We have to go back."

    "Guess what? I had this dream that I was a cyborg." She grabbed another plate. "My eyes were stars or something, and I was running on this track, and it brought me here."

    "... Do you know what I'm saying?" Yves pressed.

    ViVi handed her a plate, two slices slid onto each other. "But… we haven't figured it out yet."

    "We just have to unite. I'm telling you, time is running out. Look… I was just Kim Lip."

Before ViVi could cut in, "As in my dream. But it's what she has lived her life out as. It's what's been happening this whole time, why we haven't ever left. It's what's been eluding us this entire time. They're out there, trying to save all of us, and we're just going on about tearing down Eden."

    ViVi put her plate down at the table and sat. "But what of everyone else? Of Go Won, of Chuu, Olivia Hye? Yeojin? And whoever the last girl is?"

    "We can't do it without them. Look - don't you feel like that's where you belong? Not with just me, but all of us."

    ViVi took a handful of her own hair and squeezed, "I don't know how long you've been here, and if you've been here as long or even longer than I have, then you should know exactly what I'm talking about: I want this over, too, but if we're going down the wrong path to make it happen, I just want my forever to be the happiest I can see it being. And if we keep on running and fighting and… I just feel like a mess inside, and it hasn't cleared."

    Yves smiled. "Trust me, I'll get you your… agh, what's the word?"
    "What?"

    "Like, the end of the relationship, when they both state how things are and they can move on?"

    "Oh, right… I don't know."

    "Anyway, are you up for it?"

    ViVi looked at her lap. "Wanna hug for it?"

    Yves exhaled, getting up to gather her things. "No, we're going. Hurry up." She looked around, shoving piles of papers with scribbles and writing across into a folder, stuffing it into her bag of shirts and snacks. She grabbed the strap and opened the door, looking back underneath the arch at ViVi. As she zipped up a jacket, she grabbed her bag.

    "How about," she started, her voice more vague as it reverberated out of the corner of the room, "if we kiss for it?"

    Yves just wrinkled her nose. "You're hopeless, you know that?"

~ ~ ~

    Thinking back to last night, Yves hoped the portals had oriented themselves correctly. Making it out to the field, she shielded her eyes from the reflection of the Sun, shooting blinding rays into their direction. She also thought about the rest of the girls, if they'd have to go through the same ridiculous process to wake up. As long as you only have to do it once to believe…

    Yves peered into the portals, searching for the hotel. Muddy scenes of towns and schools came into view - nearing the last few, she spotted the inside of the hotel bathroom, Yves once again thankful it was large enough. A pang of guilt struck her, how they must have imagined her rash actions to be - they had to get back.

    Holding out her hand, Yves waited for ViVi to come up and grab on, pulling her along as they fell through, a twisting and ripping of darkness before the room materialized around them, a blue-white glow. They fell onto the floor, their feet colliding against the tile - the force however dragged them forward, forcing their hands outward to slap against the floor as well. Looking up, Yves got to her feet quickly and barged into the room.

    Jinsoul, busy running her fingers through her hair on the bed, sat up - wide-eyed, she exclaimed, grabbing a pillow. Yves held her hands up, "It's me! We're… here. We're on your side."

    Suddenly, Jinsoul's expression grew dark, aggressive. "You almost killed Lip, you psycho!"

    "What, no, I - Lip, explained it all to you!"

    "Yeah, and if I had just gotten here, I'd probably believe her - but I've seen enough to allow for some disastrous tactics here and there. What do you want with us?"

    At this, Yves was at a halt. ViVi stepped out behind her.

    "You have to believe us. I've seen it, too."

    At this, the door clicked open and Hyunjin entered the frame. Looking up, she flinched and stopped, trying to analyze the situation.

    Again, ViVi spoke, "Hey, bread boy. It's over… we need each other."

    Yves cleared , "Where's… where's Lip?"

~ ~ ~

    Down at the opening, Yves spotted a group of them. Jinsoul and ViVi ran ahead, deep in conversation. As she approached, they made eye contact before backing up, isolating Kim Lip on the cushioned bench. Her head in her hands, her hands in her lap, she sat rocking her body with the smallest movements back and forth. Her heels lifted up and down, white sneakers with the blue soles.

    Yves kneeled down in front of her. Lip's fingers slicing open to peek, she sniffled and wiped at her eyes, only to cover them again.

    "I'm sorry," she managed.

    Looking around, Yves figured she had to do something - she grabbed Lip's hand with her own. As their palms pushed against each other, something squeezed them together, and Lip's eyes darted, panicked for a solution. At this, they synced again, and darkness swallowed them whole. Just the two of them stood there, illuminated in a golden light as a path below them hovered. Rigid, filled with sparking light, and disappearing into the darkness at both ends, the golden path shined with moving light. Around them, the darkness began to light, encapsulating them into a sphere of visions. As Yves watched, she recognized the sights: all the adventures she spent with the girls in Eden, her first escape, and many more.

    Lip patted her shoulder. "Are we… fully bonded, now?"

    Yves met her eyes. "I suppose so. We need to bring everyone into it, find what's left to accomplish."

    Lip just shook her head in disbelief. "How far do you reckon Heejin's goes back?"

    "Tough to say. Probably miles…" Yves replied, as various thoughts began to orbit around her.

"We could probably use this to find the rest of them. Even Yeojin."

Yves nodded in response, though the increasing responsibility they had put on themselves began to itch at her.

In a realization, Yves looked back at her. "Before we go, I'd… like myself back. I mean, I'm not sure what any of this means anymore, but," she looked at her body, "I just feel off."

Lip nodded, "I agree." They held up their hands again, and Lip was filled with new air as she felt herself again, a bit cold. Looking up, Yves found the hotel lobby, and willed herself towards it. The thought approached her, and the sights around them shifted and molded - floors of the hotel jutted out towards them, and soon the golden path beneath them faded into tile.