My watch beeps—6am. I sit up to find Dani already staring at me, wide-eyed and nervous.

“How are you feeling?” I mumble.

They shake their head, frowning a little.

I inch closer and pat their hand. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re going to go see Caleb today, alright?”

Dani’s frown deepens, but they don’t offer any comment.

Investigating the apartment, I find stale crackers and a few tins of food in the kitchen. I open a can of peaches and share them with Dani, who is at least able to eat without my help. We pass the tin back and forth wordlessly while I plot our path ahead.

We need to cross at least five blocks unseen. Emotiv will certainly be under watch for the next few days, so it would be best if we take the longer way around—that’ll mean skirting around an extra four blocks.

Walking there should take five minutes. I’m going to need the entire hour, maybe more, to get there unnoticed.

Once we’ve had our fill of peaches, I touch Dani on the shoulder. “Do you want to stay here? I can come back for you later.”

They shake their head violently and pull my hand closer. “No. No…” It seems like they’ll find the words to continue, so I wait a moment longer, but a cloudy look passes over their eyes.

If I leave without Dani, will they follow me?

“I wish I could figure out what made you so lucid yesterday.” I rake my fingers through Dani’s hair, taking care not to catch any knots, and tie it back in a loose bun.

Dani reaches a hand up to inspect my handiwork with a small smile.

“You’re welcome,” I say with a smile, holding out my hand. “Come on, we’ll figure it out as we go. Can you keep quiet with me?”

Dani nods and follows me to the door.

“Okay. Let’s just take this one block at a time.”

I press against the door and look through the peephole. The corridor is empty, save for discarded wrappers and cardboard boxes. The tenement building isn’t officially inhabited, but there must be squatters living somewhere, just like Dani.

Holding out a hand, I place my other finger over my mouth. “We’re going to go up the alley, alright? Away from Emotiv. We’re taking the long route.”

Dani nods and takes my hand. This is good—an improvement from the time they punched me, at least.

We creep down the stairs, pausing at each floor to listen for anyone coming the other way. The alleyway is clear, too—quiet and lifeless. I motion for Dani to wait inside the doorway while I check both directions. They step back into the shadows, pouting at being left behind.

I venture outside and peer towards Emotiv’s back entrance, about a hundred feet to my right. There’s no one standing guard, though I’m sure there’ll be a warden or two inside. To my left, the path stretches another two hundred feet before curving right—a shortcut through the nearest block back to main street. But we can’t take that route. Wardens patrol every inch of main street. Our path takes us left, deeper into the old housing complex.

Back inside the doorway, Dani waits for me with a panic-stricken face. I smile and hold up my hands. “See? I told you I wouldn’t leave you. Trust me?”

Dani nods.

“Okay. We need to keep quiet. Come on.”

We crouch low and pick our way through the alley. I push Dani ahead of me, keeping an eye over my shoulder for anyone following us. At the end of the empty path, we turn left, back into the shadows between two tall apartment blocks. Most of these living spaces are empty, marked for demolition and rebuilding. Premier Sheridan announced the project five years ago—half of Skycross’ worker population was to be housed here, in a state-of-the-art complex fit for VIPs.

That won her the vote, and she’s maintained control since, but she never set up the project.

On the plus side, it gives us a quiet route—the only other people here are abandoned, and they’re not about to report us to the wardens. Two men huddle against the brick walls, their threadbare clothes covered in stains.

They nod to Dani as we pass, but the older of the two stares at me with curiosity. I keep my head down and push Dani forward. “Keep going,” I say in a low voice.

The man shakes his head and looks away.

Maybe there’s a warden notice out about me? Is my face plastered all over Skycross? Wanted for attacking a warden? Or maybe my clothes make me stick out. I’m still wearing my work clothes from yesterday—fitted trousers and a white shirt, minus the apron. Compared to Dani, in ripped t-shirt and torn jeans, I must look like a VIP straight out of Centre Square.

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And I was worried about Dani getting us noticed.

Around the corner, I pull Dani to a stop and make sure no one can see us. “Keep watch,” I tell them, and move to a pile of rubbish against the wall. The concrete is thick with dirt and damp grease stains from years of decay.

I press both my hands into the thick layer of sludge, hissing through my teeth. “Ugh, so gross.”

Spreading the grime over my clothes doesn’t take long. Soon I am covered in brown and black stains, and smell like the sewers. With the remaining filth on my hands, I close my eyes and rub them on my face, holding my breath to avoid inhaling the gunk.

I stand again and present myself to Dani. “What do you reckon? Am I fit for the sewers yet?”

Dani frowns, a hint of sadness in the tilt of their eyebrows.

“Come on.” I take their hand and guide them forward. “We can move quicker now. Let’s stick to the back streets.”

Working our way through the alleys, we pass more abandoned, propped against corners and warming themselves near steam vents. It’s a stark contrast to the routes I usually take. Clean concrete and steel replaced by crumbling asphalt and rust.

We pause at each intersection between the alleys and the central roads, checking for wardens before we cross back into darkness. We take the best part of an hour to travel this way, slowly and carefully, but eventually we reach the arcade. It’s still closed—the AI system won’t open until lunchtime—so we sneak around to the back without attracting any attention.

I settle Dani down against the wall and peek around the corner to keep watch for Caleb. “Won’t be long now,” I murmur. “He’s on his way.”

Sure enough, after a few minutes have passed, I see Caleb’s familiar silhouette approaching from the college quarter. He’s wearing a hoodie and jeans, covering his face. I curse silently—he couldn’t look more suspicious if he’d tried.

He spots me, quickening his pace to a light trot. I wave him over and duck behind the wall to wait with Dani.

“Kyla—”

I jump at him, gripping the back of his hoodie and hugging him tightly. “Are you okay?” Pushing him away, I inspect his face, checking for injuries. “What happened?”

“I should ask you the same! What the hell happened yesterday?” He glances at Dani. “And who’s this?”

“This is Dani.” I lower my voice. “They’re not doing too great today.”

As if on cue, Dani gives Caleb a blank look and points to me. “Melly’s on the fritz.”

Caleb looks from Dani to me and back again. “What the hell is going on?”

I explain what happened with Harding, leaving out the story about serving the abandoned woman. Something tells me that sharing too much right now would be a bad idea. I instantly feel sick at the thought—I trust my brother with my life, I always have, but right now it’s not only my life on the line. Dani and Frank are relying on me, too.

“Shit, Kyla. This is bad.” Caleb sinks to the floor, his face pale.

“What happened to mum?” I sit next to him.

“The wardens broke in to the house, looking for you. They must have gone straight there. She’s okay, it’s alright—they didn’t hurt her. But she was really shaken up. She’s worried about you—”

“You didn’t tell her—”

“Oh Gods no, do you think I’m an idiot? She doesn’t know anything. But she’s worried sick, Ky.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s staying at a friend’s house. The wardens broke the front door down—I’ve found someone to do the repairs.”

I zone out, my ears ringing. She’s okay, mum’s okay. The muscles in my neck and shoulders relax by a fraction.

“What are we going to do?” Caleb asks.

“I was hoping you’d be able to answer that.”

“What can I do? I’m just an engineering student.” He almost laughs, but it’s humourless. We’re both powerless in this moment.

“Do you know anywhere we can take shelter? Dani has a place, but it’s really close to Emotiv—”

“Oh Ky, no, I can’t.” Caleb stands, shaking his hands nervously. “If they find you, we’re all screwed.”

“I know. There’s no one else I can ask.” Disappointment swallows my initial excitement. I don’t know what I expected—for Caleb to harbour fugitives, risk his future, his livelihood?

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”

I keep my face a calm mask. “It’s okay. I get it. Just make sure mum stays safe for me? And maybe…” I glance at Dani. “Do you know anyone at college who might help Dani? I think they’ve been dosed with Oblivion.”

Caleb hisses. “Shit. I know a guy on the chemistry—”

“That’s great, that’s perfect!”

“Uh, it’s really not.” He rubs his neck.

“What?”

Caleb closes his eyes and heaves a sigh. “You know what it’s like in college, right? Most of the students are VIP.”

“Of course.”

“Well, this guy is linked to the wardens. He likes to throw his weight around, too, always bragging about it.”

“Linked to the wardens, how?”

“His dad’s the chief warden.”

I gape. “Harding?”

Caleb nods. “Yup. So he’s out of the picture. But uh… his girlfriend…”

And the blush that creeps over Caleb’s face says it all. “Gemma.”

“Yeah.” He shakes himself, like a dog shaking off water. “You know what? Screw my problems right now. Forget Gemma. I’ll see what I can do. I’ll ask around. It’s gonna be tricky—I had to sneak out this morning without wardens seeing me—but I’ll see if anyone knows anything.”

“Thanks, Cal, I appreciate it.”

He shrugs. “It’s literally nothing. I’m sorry I can’t do more. Ooh, here—” He reaches into his pocket and produces a phone and a charging pack. “I got a burner phone for you. At least we can keep in contact?”

I take it and give him a hug. “Thank you.”

“I have to go.” He squeezes me back and pulls his hood back over his head. “I’ll let you know about Dani.”

After watching him trot away, back to the main streets of clean concrete and self driving cars, I sink next to Dani and rest my head in my hands. “Shit.”

That could have gone better. At least I have a phone now. Perhaps I’ll be able to contact Frank soon, too, so long as I’m careful. “What now, Dani? We’re stuck. I doubt we can even go back to your place at this point.”

Dani nods. “Melly’s on the fritz.”

“Yup. She is.” I nod, indulging them like a child.

Wait. A thought hits me, and I turn to Dani. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

A smile lights up Dani’s face, and they nod. “Melly’s on the fritz!”

The code word we used after serving one of the abandoned.

I reach into my back pocket and produce the small bottle of Blessed that I’d taken from Emotiv yesterday. “I need to drink this?”

Dani nods again, more eagerly this time.

What does the syrup actually do? I recall the label I’d read weeks before. ‘A mixture of Luck and Bliss, this blend ensures a smooth day for the patron.’

Dani pushes gently on my hand, easing the bottle closer to my chest. I lift it to my lips and raise my eyebrows, and they nod even more emphatically.

“Alright, bottoms up.”