The day turned dim, an ocean of grey stretched out in the sky. If someone told me black was beautiful, I wouldn't think twice to agree. Like this one, it was a sign of the coming rain.

When I felt the sprinkle, I spread my arm wide. "Mommy! It's raining!" I exclaimed, turning slightly towards my mother, who was busy lining up buckets under the house roof.

"Yes, honey. Go put your hat on."

My tiny boots squeaked on each footing as I made way to the kitchen opening where my yellow hat was hanging near the door. The sou'wester barely touched my head before I ran to the open, giggling through the downpour. I stopped when I reached Alfie's patch.

"Baby, it's raining. See..." I sat on my heels, pointing to the clouds. "Do you like the rain, baby?" As the thought lingered in my mind, I joined my palm to collect the raindrops. Sadly, the miracle went away.

"Mommy, it's gone!" I pouted. "Why do the rain leave so fast? Don't the rain love us?" I crouched down, hugging my knees and started crying.

Only seconds later, a warm hand wrapped me into a hug. "No, honey. The rain left so we would miss it." My mother removed my hat and cupped my face.

"When you miss something, you know you love them. Would you miss me if I left, honey?" At the grace of her smile, joy seeped into me.

Out of a sudden, my sight turned hazy. My mother's smile and the slight happiness from it was torn apart by reality.

Slowly I opened my eyes, a headache attacked me before my mind won back ease, but alas, a force of panic surged in upon finding myself inside an unfamiliar room. All four walls were rosy, the bed I was lying on was a light fuchsia, and my clothes were pink.

While I tried to get up, the door slid open. A redhead appeared in my line of sight before two more of my work colleague came into view. They gathered around my bed.

"Oh, thank goodness. We were so worried!" April started.

I didn't wait for more greetings and threw my questions. "Where am I? How long had I been here?"

There were so many things in my mind; my mother, my Alfie who was probably worried about me. I tried to fight back my tears, but I failed. Along the cries was anger at myself for being so weak, how could I possibly save my mother? I fainted just by hearing the bad news.

I felt hopeless.

"Don't worry. You're at the hospital. You've been out the whole day. The doc said you could leave tomorr--"

I grabbed whoever was talking, discovering it was April once I pulled up my face. "I need to go home now. I can't stay here."

She reached my hand, making my grip weak at the touch. I was momentary confuse from it. "You need rest, Charis. Okay?"

Strangely, I nodded at her words. But after breaking out of the trance, I shook my head. "You don't understand. I can't stay. Someone is waiting for me, and I can't let hi--" Realising I almost slipped about Alfie, I bit my lip.

"Your pod men?" July voiced out, giving me a nonchalant smile.

My mouth was sealed, convinced she was only teasing me, but never had I expected what came next.

"Or should I call him, Alfie?"

It took only one name to take my breath away. My heart started beating erratically.

April smacked her shoulder. "You're scaring her, you idiot!"

July's lips pressed together into a thin line. "I thought we agree on telling her?"

"Yes, but not like that."

While the two bickered, Ember sighed when I turned to her. She pinched the bridge of her nose before walking towards them. "Could you two stop it?!"

I blinked in confusion. For some unknown reason, these women knowing my secret didn't raise my alarm. Yet I couldn't rely entirely on my judgement, my case with Alfie was a bitter prove to it.

Who are they? How do they know about my Alfie?

As if I uttered the question out loud, the room abruptly fell silent, all three women now facing me. "We're from the past, Charis, " They said simultaneously.

My jaw dropped.

"We are the original HEROINE." April's face faltered as she said it. An evident look of sadness masked her face. And it wasn't just her, July and Ember put their heads down, as if in shame.

"I could never forgive myself. I could never," Ember muttered with her voice breaking.

"It's not your fault. All of us are equal." July briskly wiped her cheeks, making the fallen tears known.

April pulled both July and Ember into her embrace. "It was mine, mine alone, " she said.

I was more than puzzled from the scene, but the sadness was contagious, I found myself feeling sorry for them. "What happened?"

Tearing from the hug, April then sat next to me. Her lips trembled as she began, "I'll tell you."

***

The Magog was approaching. I looked in horror as they slashed through the wall. Many of them fall, but more kept coming; there was no end to them. Once the concrete crumbled, we jumped down, running behind our commander, Xax. She was fast ahead, taking down the first wave.

On the field, I started to doubt my actions. Memories of my childhood with all 12 of my sisters started playing on my mind. There was only 3 of us left, and I'd witness all the other 9 taken by war.

"Emotion would be your biggest flaw."

Words from the people in charge of us started mocking me. But this time, I swallowed the shame. With a grunt, I disarmed my VDU. I knew our commander would disagree with my plan, so I couldn't risk her knowing our conversation.

Surging towards my sisters, I had to fight my way through. Shots hit me, even though it didn't puncture the armour, the pain was still excruciating. When I reached one of the enemies, I touched his hand, yet nothing happened. At my shocked, the man took the advantage and pummeled me to the ground, using his weight to crush me. The sound of my suit breaking was nothing compared to how my heart shattered, thinking I wouldn't see my sisters again. But suddenly he fell, blood oozed out of a hole on his head. July stood facing me, holding out a hand for me to take. Instead, I signal for her to remove her head armour, yet she refused. Alas, I had no choice than to tackled her down, smashing her helmet the second I caught her.

With the VDU disengaged, our life monitored flattened; it was an unintended disadvantage of the system. Xax, who received the signal spun around, thinking we had fallen. But I pulled July under, hidden among the debris.

"Stop April! We have to help Xax!" July growled. She tried to get up, but I put my hand on her face, making her stiff from the touch. Nonetheless, I felt terrible having to use my powers on her.

"Listen, if we die, it won't make a difference anyway. Don't you see?" I tried to reason with her.

The hoard of men running towards the gap on the wall proved my point. When I caught her eyes faltering, I figured she had known about it all along. Moreover, she was the brains amongst all of us.

"You knew, didn't you?" I asked, earning her weak nod.

"We have to run!"

At the evident reluctance on July's face, I was ready to use my hypnosis again. But she managed to punch me, although it hurt, I didn't fight back. I knew she was angry.

"F*ck you! Coward!" She spat, her body struggling to resist my command. But the effect was too significant for her to overcome. At the last resolve, she cried, "Please, April. Don't do this! We are HEROINES. Remember? This is our purpose of existence."

I dawned all the shame, all of it, as long as I could save my sisters. "Is that fair to you, July? Created to die? Don't we have rights over our life?"

Ignoring her, I forced my self up, biting my lip to avoid my grunts of pain from escaping. While hidden behind wreckage, I spotted Ember, lying on the earth floor. The crack on her head peace revealed her shut-eye. Before I knew it, July was running like a maniac to save her. Gunshot showered the area, but miraculously I reached my sisters. We managed to find a hidden spot in the corner. While July stood on watch, I cradled Ember, working to resurrect her. After a few minutes, she stirred, gasping for air.

"We have to help Xax, " she breathed weakly, blood was leaking from her mouth.

I shook my head, caressing her face gently. "No, there is nothing left we can do."

But still, she struggled to get up, "Let us die trying... July, say something!"

The hardheaded July ripped her gaze away, sinking near the wall. The side of her body was damp with crimson, her lips braced, and her face contorted in pain. "It turned out the suit ain't that all great," she giggled.

I was starting to cough out blood, but I clutched to Ember. With her remaining strength, she forced to the open, dragging me with her.

Xax came into our view; she was in the hands of one of the Magog. Her legs were dangling from the ground, yet she continued to kick and fight although she was small in comparison.

"Xa--" Ember screamed, but I hastily covered her mouth.

A moment of stupefaction hit us when the sky lit up. A missile carrying the X-Trex exploded in the air, releasing a solution meant to enhance females with a trait of pheromones. It was what Professor Yen Guozi believe the best weapon to fight off Magog; making them infatuated towards women.

For a moment, hope filled my heart. I wanted my sisters to live. Alas, the horror of watching Xax strangled to death, and her lifeless body threw to the ground killed my remaining faith.

In my arms, Ember started to shudder. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head before the white turned entirely black. Panicking, I took my palm off her lips. But there was no sound coming from her. "July! Help me!" When I looked at July, she was motionless. At the unbearable sorrow, I wailed, uncaring as the enemy marched towards me.

I was ready to die, but suddenly the black on Ember's eyes expanded. I couldn't grasp what was happening. The fabric of space suddenly split open, swallowing all three of us inside. What came next was the feeling of falling and anguish.

Before I lose my consciousness, I saw the light instead of the dark. I thought it was my end. But it wasn't. When I woke up, 100 years had passed.

To be continued...

***

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