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Eske gently lifted Nona from the car and carried her inside their home on Earth 3.14. She was still in shock and barely responsive, but he knew he had to take care of her. He laid her down on the bed and began to undress her, taking care to be gentle and not cause her any pain. Only now, he noticed all her wounds and bruised and all that Day did to her. He then drew a warm bath for her and helped her into the tub. As she soaked in the water, he sat beside her and washed her hair, massaging her scalp and trying to soothe her. He looked at the basket with balloons she left before the mission and regretted not having to get rid of it.

After the bath, Eske wrapped Nona in a warm towel and helped her into a fresh set of clothes. He then brought her a hot meal, which she barely touched. Eske knew that Nona was still in shock and needed time to process what had happened. He sat with her for hours, holding her hand and comforting her as she cried.

Finally, as the sun began to set, Nona spoke up. ‘Baby, why can't our baby be born?’ Her voice was quiet and shaky, and Eske could see the pain in her eyes.

He took a deep breath and looked at her, trying to find the right words. 'Nona, the reason the baby can't be born is that... he is like you.'

Nona's eyes widened in shock and horror. 'Like me?' she whispered.

Eske took her hand and squeezed it. 'Before I found you, I met him at the park... with the ducks. And he asked me. He didn't tell me much.'

Nona shook her head, tears streaming down her face. 'Why being like me is wrong? That is a really fucking bad excuse.'

Eske leaned in closer to her, his eyes filled with tears: 'Do you remember what you once made me promise? That Ava would always come first?'

Nona looked at him, her eyes filled with doubt. 'But the baby is also ours!'

'Eve, his name is Eve.'

'It's our baby!'

'No, Nona, he's not. Eve doesn't exist. He can't exist.'

Nona stared at Eske, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. 'What do we do now?' she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Eske took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. 'He told me that all answers are in his room. I guess the one you gave me the keys for.'

Nona nodded, her tears still flowing. 'And then what? Do we just forget that he ever existed?'

Eske shook his head. 'No, Nona. We won't forget him. He'll always be a part of us, a part of our story. I'm so sorry, baby. I... I don't know.'

Nona reached out and touched Eske's face, her own filled with sadness and pain. 'We'll figure it out, baby. We'll get through this together.' Eske leaned into her touch, grateful for her love and support. 'Yes, we will. But for now, let's just rest. We can deal with everything tomorrow.' Nona nodded, curling up beside Eske on the bed. They held each other close, finding comfort in each other's presence as they drifted off to sleep, their minds and hearts heavy with the weight of what had transpired.

Nona walked down the dimly lit hallway towards Eve's supposed room. Her steps were hesitant and slow, as if she was afraid of what she might find. As she pushed open the door, she was surprised to find that the room was not a room at all but a server room. Rows and rows of blinking servers lined the walls, each one humming softly as they processed data. The air was chilly and smelled of electronics and metal. Nona's eyes scanned the room, searching for any signs of her baby. But there was nothing. No furniture, no baby decorations, no toys, nothing that would suggest that this was a room for a child. She took a step forward, feeling her heart sink with every passing moment.

As she walked deeper into the room, she noticed a large flat-screen television mounted on the wall. It was paused in a video with her own face. Nona's heart raced as she walked up to the screen and but she didn’t press play.

She turned to leave the room, her mind spinning with questions and confusion. But as she walked towards the door, she saw Eske.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

'I don't think you should do this alone.' he said.

'Is not a baby room.'

'Yeah, it doesn't look like one, love.'

'I knew... I mean, I know, but I don't remember like always.'

Eske nodded, understanding the confusion and pain that Nona was feeling. 'We don't need to do it now. We can wait for tomorrow morning and...'

'I don't want Ava here. I don't want her to know this.'

'Now is a good time as any. When you're ready, Nona.'

Nona took a deep breath and turned back to face the screen. The video continued, showing her in a white room, sitting in front of a camera. She looked scared and confused, her eyes darting around as if she was unsure of what to do or say.

'Hi, I should say first that I'm sorry. And I know because I remember something that is still far away from happening..., and it is too much. I can still feel him, and my skin still aches. But knowing I won't meet him hurts me the most. But I also remember giving him birth. It is funny to remember the loss of someone and to remember to hold them for a second. Because that is what it took, that beautiful little thing took a couple of seconds to absorb everything. Nothing was left. Eske will be gone, friends, home, timelines after timelines. Such little thing caused such... But those seconds are so precious. I don't have words to describe it. Besides, I know I will remember it. As I remember others that will come. There are other rooms, and I need to think also about them. I need to be strong. I need to stop feeding in pain and accept that time sometimes sucks. Sometimes it is like overcooked steak. Others taste like wet paper. Or pennies and rust. But sometimes, it tastes like peppermint and oranges with cinnamon. And it is worth trying for those really tasty moments. Do what you must. Do it for me, do it for him, and do it for them.'

Nona felt a lump form in her throat as she watched the video. She couldn't believe that the person on the screen was her, talking about a baby that had never existed. Her heart ached as she thought about what could have been, about the moments that she would never get to experience with her child. But at the same time, she felt a strange sense of comfort, knowing that her baby had existed in some form, even if it was only for a few precious seconds. As the video came to an end, Nona wiped away her tears and turned to Eske. 'I'm ready.'

Nona sat in front of the screen, her body shaking with sobs as she watched the video of her past self. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, and she gasped for breath. She brought her hand to her mouth and coughed. She saw small black particles being expelled from her mouth.

The particles were small, almost like grains of sand, but they were spreading rapidly. They seemed to be drawn to the servers, burrowing into the circuitry and spreading their dark mist.

She could feel her child fleeing her body to find comfort in the machinery. She could feel him leaving her, and it was a bittersweet feeling. On the one hand, she was relieved that her child had found a place to exist, even if it wasn't with her. On the other hand, she felt a deep sense of loss and sadness, knowing that she would never be able to hold her child, watch him grow, or experience all the joys of motherhood. Eske stood by her side, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. He didn't know what to do or say, but he knew that he had to be there for Nona. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she continued to cough and cry. After a few minutes, Nona's coughing subsided, and she looked up at Eske, her eyes filled with tears. ‘He's gone.’ she whispered, her voice barely audible. Eske nodded, his own eyes glistening with tears.

‘I know.’ he said softly. ‘But he'll always be a part of us, Nona. He'll always be with us, in some form or another.’ Nona leaned into him, taking comfort in his words and his embrace. She knew that she would never fully heal from the loss of her child, but she also knew that she had Eske by her side, and together, they would get through this. As they stood there, holding each other close, the servers continued to hum softly, the black particles weaving their way through the circuitry. And somewhere, in the midst of all that data and code, their child existed, in some form or another, a part of their story forever.

This is the story of the Girl who could taste Time. Sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, it is nevertheless part of her story.

image [https://i.postimg.cc/7ZFWT8L3/The-Girl-who-could-taste-time.gif]