“It’s flattering, really,” Rucille hummed as she reached for one of the syringes that sat on the table. Briefly turning her attention to Nina’s chest for a moment, she lined up the needle before looking into her eyes. “You’ll have to tell the real me what you thought.”

Nina’s eyes fluttered open as she sucked in a breath, a hand quickly reaching for the spot at the centre of her chest. Instead of a textured patch of sickness, however, her fingers were met with a racing heartbeat which thumped underneath her sweaty skin. It was the result that she always ended up with when that rather unpleasant dream decided to resurface, and her mind was always dragged back to reality as the syringe was about to puncture skin. Thankfully it hadn’t been haunting her too regularly, although it was still frequent enough for her to wonder if it was going to have any lasting effects. She could brush a dream off if she found something else to be distracted over, but sheets that were soaked in sweat were a little harder to ignore.

Her eyes ran along the patterns in the concrete ceiling above her as her mind settled, the polish reflecting the morning light which poured in through the window. She hadn’t taken in any of the details when she had climbed into bed the previous afternoon, and by the time Saela woke her up as she returned it was too dark to make anything out. The person in question was still asleep, if the heavy breathing on the other side of the room was anything to go by, so Nina was quiet as she pushed the blanket off her before sitting up.

While being encased in concrete had its perks, the morning chill on her feet was one thing that their new accommodation certainly didn’t have going for it. A pair of socks was a quick solution, however, and soon she had thrown on her usual work gear before slipping out the door and into the hall. Pants and boots with her usual jacket might have seemed like overkill at first, but she had spent more than enough mornings out on their balcony at the Fire Fountain to know that the heat would wait. What she wanted right now was to feel comfortable, and even if she would never admit that she had come to like them, the outfit had become a part of her no matter how small it was.

If she had told an earlier version of herself that the weight of a pistol in her jacket was somewhat reassuring, her sanity would have surely been questioned.

Apart from the sound of her boots against the concrete, the hall was silent. Her quick glance at the other doors along the hall told her that she was probably the first to wake, but she wasn’t surprised considering that she had gone to bed so early the day before. After leaving the previous day she had aimlessly wandered down the street for a little while, but even though she had eventually found a small restaurant that she rather liked, her mind had wandered. She had felt out of place, stuck between returning too early which would have been uncomfortable and running into another member of the group on the street. Left with no options, so she’d simply stayed put until she couldn’t take it anymore. The afternoon tucked away in the corner with a borrowed book and an endless stream of iced tea had been pleasant, but she couldn’t put her return off forever.

The one thing that she hadn’t been expecting was to return to an empty house. Not that it was a bad thing, as she could escape from what would have been an awkward conversation by returning to her room and not coming out. Everyone else must have been out eating or exploring what the island had to offer, so she took the opportunity to wash up before sliding into bed. Waking up early would give her the chance to spend some more time to collect her thoughts, and by the time she returned after breakfast she hoped that the tension among the group would already be defused.

So far, her plan was running smoothly. She had climbed the stairs to find that the kitchen and living areas were empty, although she did note that there were a few empty bottles of wine on the counter. Reina and Svanda’s handiwork, judging by the amount, although she wouldn’t have been surprised if they had managed to rope Trim in despite her general disinterest. Jade and Aline would have gone for ale if they had been responsible, while Saela wouldn’t drink anything that expensive. Nina didn’t blame her, to be honest, as she couldn’t really taste the difference anyway.

As predicted, the morning air was cool when she stepped up onto the street. A quick glance at her surroundings returned little, and she was already crafting a theory on how the island’s inhabitants were mostly late risers. Warm and airy evenings tended to keep people out and about for longer, and it wasn’t like trading away a crisp and quiet morning for them was a bad idea. It did, however, give Nina the opportunity to stroll down the centre of the street at leisure, only joined by the birds squawking overhead. She already knew where she was headed, considering the service that she had received yesterday, and so the only remaining obstacle between her and the next stage of her morning plan was if the restaurant was open yet.

While sleepy was an adequate term to describe the surface of the island in the mornings, she also knew that that there was another world below. Houses, shops, and even bars took advantage of the ability to escape from the afternoon heat, and as a result the only street in town was condensed. Getting around was easy, although Nina didn’t know what many of the residents did for a living. Customers for all the shops had to be getting their money from somewhere, and they certainly weren’t all out catching fish. She was one of them, although she didn’t know if she was technically at work now or not. It wasn’t a question that she had ever bothered to ask Reina, and she probably wouldn’t raise it either as long as she kept getting paid. Her bonuses were something that she was certainly looking forward to once they got back though, considering what she had been through, but to collect she would have to make it back alive. It wasn’t that she thought she wouldn’t, but yesterday’s discussion was still concerning. She wouldn’t be going in blind, but she certainly didn’t have a good idea of what she was in for either, especially if Reina was going to remain tight-lipped.

“You’re early,” said the heavyset woman who had served her the day before as Nina pushed her way through the door, the light ring of chimes filling the otherwise empty space. She had a striped white and cream cloth wrapped around her head which contrasted well with her wrinkled dark skin, a matching apron wrapped around a waist that probably saw a fair share of the leftovers. A thin smile hung on her lips, but Nina thought it was because she was done with her morning preparations. The broom in her hand swept a final pile of sand under the railing before she breathed out a sigh of relief, and her dark eyes glanced out across the ocean for a moment before she turned back to face her guest. Nina couldn’t smell coffee, nor could she see any steam rising from the kitchen behind the counter though. Maybe she may have been too early after all.

“I’m sorry, if-”

“It’s fine,” the woman said as she leaned the broom against one of the timber pillars that stretched upwards to the ceiling, leaving it there before walking over to the counter. “Your timing is perfect, actually. What can I get you?”

“Umm…”

The woman smiled at the response, nodding her head in the direction of the seats. “Sit down and I’ll bring something out for you. Is coffee okay?”

Nina nodded before heading for the seat she had occupied last night, thankful that someone else was happy to make the choices for her. Choosing food was often a game of lucky-dip when she dined by herself on a new plate, although thankfully she hadn’t had to do very much. Aline had been excellent at suggesting things she would like so far, while she had also learned to ignore Svanda’s recommendations. At least her poor endorsements didn’t go to waste, as Svanda herself was always on hand to finish off whatever was left.

The restaurant was cosy, with only a loose smattering of tables strewn about at random over the hardwood floor. Like many of the restaurants that were somewhat open to the elements it had a thick thatched roof, and currently there were heavy plastic sheets that dangled from it to protect them from the cold breeze outside. The sun wasn’t too far from the horizon yet as though it was still sluggish from a long night’s sleep, but Nina still had a good view as she sank into one of the cushions that lined the wicker seats. The smell of coffee drifted across the room moments later, and soon it was joined by sizzling sounds from the fryer.

Closing her eyes, Nina leaned back and relaxed her shoulders. The warmer atmosphere of the restaurant felt much homelier than their concrete accommodation did, even if she was alone. A morning of peace was exactly what she needed before she re-joined the fray that was The Cloud Orchestra, and her newfound escape was going to provide it.

At least she had thought it was.

The door chimed as it was pushed open once more, Nina’s eyes opening slightly at the interruption to examine the two men who had just stepped inside. One of them seemed to be more interested in loitering by the door than anything else, but Nina had already relegated him to the back of her mind as her full attention was occupied by the man who was currently strolling across the floor towards her. With flowing emerald hair that hung below his shoulders and a thin neat beard to match, Nina didn’t even need to look at his sharp blue eyes or neat navy suit to understand who exactly she was looking at. It was true that they had never met, but the resemblance between the siblings was striking. How he recognized her was an entirely different question, but before she could even say anything he had pulled out the chair opposite her before taking a seat.

“Do you mind if I join you?” Alan asked with a smile. He’d already signalled to the woman behind the counter that he’d also eat breakfast, so apparently it was a rhetorical question. “I’m early for a meeting today and Rop over there doesn’t like to eat in the mornings, as ridiculous as it sounds.”

It seemed like the peaceful morning Nina had been chasing would have to wait.