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It was one of those nights, where sleep just wouldn’t get to Neon. Laying awake in bed and staring at the ceiling wasn’t part of the plan for the night. But it was often like this. When her thoughts became too loud and she was trying her hardest to not think about failed missions, she also sometimes lost control of her powers. Sometimes the voices got to a volume, she had to went to Sage for sleeping medicine. Sage then always tried to comfort her, and sometimes it really helped, but she also didn’t want to bother Sage so often.
It wasn’t even late in the night, only 11pm, so Neon got up again and went outside. She sat on one of the benches in the garden from the HQ, where she could easily watch the sunset. A quiet sigh left her. Why? Why was life so hard right now? The sun crawled through the the horizon, getting smaller with every second. The air was still hot, it was a typical summer evening. Neon knew she couldn’t just go back and try to go to bed, she was far too awake for that. Another sigh left her and she leaned back on the bench.
“What are you doing here, all alone?” A voice suddenly said.
Neon nearly jumped at Fade sneaking up to her from behind.“Tangina mo, don’t scare me like that!”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. But why are you out at such a later hour?”
Neon shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. And why are you awake?”
“My radiance keeps me awake often. When too many people dream, I can’t concentrate on sleeping.”
“Why?”
“That’s complicated.”
“I have enough time. Don’t think I’m going to sleep soon.” She yawned. “Even though I’m quiet tired.”
Fade moved to sit next to her and crossed her hands behind her head.
“The thing is, that I can sense dreams from people a few hundred meters around me. It’s like I’m inside of them, I can hear what’s happening in the dreams. For example, right now Sage has a nightmare.”
Fade sighed heavily.
“And then, if too many people dream, the voices in my head get too loud. That’s the time when I can’t sleep.”
“I know that feeling.” Neon muttered under her breath.
For a few minutes both agents sat there in silence, enjoying each other’s company and watching the last drops of the sun fade away from the sky and the stars rising.
“Y’know, I love the stars out here. I lived in Ìstanbul for long, never got to see the stars like this.”
Neon chuckled.
“It’s true the stars are beautiful. Back at home, I often stargazed half of the night, until my ma called me inside. You could see the stars much better then here at the base, cause there wasn’t so much light.”
“Sounds good. You miss your home, don’t you?” Fade asked and Neon just nodded.
“…Yeah. I mean I love it here, with all of you, but your home is something you’ll never forget. Knowing I‘ll might never see my family again just breaks me sometimes.”
Fade sighed: “ I can’t really relate to what you’re referring to. For me the headquarters are my home. I didn’t really had one till Brim recruited me. I’m really grateful he did so. I was on my own since I was fifteen. Living on the streets was hard.”
Neon was silent for a moment. “I didn’t know that.”
“How should you? I never told you before and only Brim and Sage knew. I let them promise that they don’t tell anybody.”
Neon gave Fade a small smile. “Well then, thank you for sharing your story with me.”
“You’re welcome. And what’s your story?”
Neon furrowed her eyebrows. “What exactly do you mean?”
“You said you want to see your family again. Why don’t just visit them?”
“Ah.” she sighed, “ That you mean.” She was quiet for a few seconds. “My family, they…kinda threw me out of their house and my home, when they noticed my radiance. They didn’t see me as their daughter anymore. I still lived there, but it felt like I was a stranger in my own home. So with the first opportunity I went away and searched for a dorm I could live in.”
“Sounds just as bad as my story.” Fade let out a low chuckle and for a moment they both just sat there in silence.
“Y’know I think I’m going to sleep now. Thanks for clearing my mind a bit.” Neon said, yawning.
“Happy I was of help.” Fade stood up and reached a hand out to Neon.
“Let me walk to back to your dorm?”
“Yeah…why not.” Neon smiled and took the hand that was being offered.