My room felt smaller than it usually did, the walls covered in old achievement certificates, holo-posters of famous mech pilots, and a photo from my Prep-academy graduation. Wei, Alexei, Diana, and I were at the centre of the photo, the Prep-academy in the background.

  Wei stood tall even then, dark hair pulled back into a perfect bun, wearing that practised smile she wore for cameras. Alexei had his arm slung around my shoulders, shorter and stockier, with that mischievous grin that meant he'd just pulled a prank. Diana at the edge, small and pale, looking slightly away from the camera like she'd rather be anywhere else. And me in the centre, trying to look confident, Father's sharp features and Mother's dark eyes and hair staring back.

  We looked so young. We looked so... Oblivious.

  Tearing my eyes from the photo, I shoved the datapad under my pillow and plucked my commlink from my bedside table, turning it on. I could still hear Father and Uncle Michael arguing downstairs; somehow, Mother's voice was the loudest.

  After a moment, I flicked open my commlink, and several buzzes echoed throughout my room. I clicked the first notification, which took me to a group chat, and my screen lit up with a barrage of notifications.

  [NEST PROTOCOLS]

  Alexei_V: eyooo~ still breathing?

  Marcus_T: Just finished family dinner. Still processing

  Alexei_V: processing. cute word for trauma~

  Alexei_V: speaking of. liberated refreshments from officer mess tonight. grade-a contraband

  Wei_C: You're going to get discharged before we even start.

  Alexei_V: tomorrow they sort us into corpses anyway. might as well drink like brass tonight

  Diana.S: he's not wrong.

  Marcus_T: Diana agreeing with Alexei. It really is the end times

  Diana.S: stop. need to sync up. all of us. tonight.

  Wei_C: The Nest?

  Alexei_V: affirm, neg on alternatives. everywhere else has ears~

  Diana.S: 2200 hours. marcus can you slip the watchers?

  Marcus_T: Done it before

  Wei_C: My security detail changed rotation. New guy's thorough.

  Alexei_V: security detail. must be nice being chen royalty

  Wei_C: Shut it, Lex.

  Alexei_V: make me, princess~

  Diana.S: children please. wei take southeast approach. construction zone.

  Alexei_V: sorry mooom~

  Diana.S: ew, never say that again.

  Wei_C: Since when do you know my compound layout?

  Diana.S: since always. pay attention.

  Marcus_T: Diana knows everyone's everything

  Alexei_V: anyway. secured two bottles of the good stuff. earth vintage supposedly

  Wei_C: That's worth more than my monthly allowance.

  Alexei_V: YOUR monthly allowance could buy a shuttle

  Marcus_T: Can we not do the class thing tonight?

  Diana.S: tomorrow makes it permanent. tonight it doesn't exist.

  Wei_C: Agreed.

  Alexei_V: heavy words from ghost girl

  Diana.S: alexei...

  Alexei_V: what. its true. you lurk you observe you know things

  Diana.S: and you joke because silence scares you.

  Marcus_T: She's got you there bud

  Alexei_V: ...

  Alexei_V: 2200, Marcus don't be late~

  Marcus_T: When have I ever been late?

  Wei_C: Want the list alphabetically or chronologically?

  Alexei_V: dayuum. chen strikes from orbital height

  Marcus_T: I'm wounded

  Wei_C: You'll live.

  Diana.S: will he though. will any of us.

  Alexei_V: jesus diana. save the existential crisis for after we get tested

  Diana.S: just being realistic.

  Wei_C: Realism is just fear wearing a lab coat.

  Alexei_V: who are you and what did you do with ice princess chen

  Wei_C: Maybe you don't know me as well as you think.

  Marcus_T: Nobody knows anybody. Not really

  Diana.S: marcus gets it.

  Alexei_V: great now we're all being philosophical. is this what happens before testing. we all turn into poets?

  Wei_C: You? A poet?

  Alexei_V: roses are red. violets are blue. tomorrow we're sorted. and our friendship is through.

  Marcus_T: Dark, Lex

  Diana.S: 2200.

  [Diana.S has gone offline]

  Alexei_V: she always does that. drops a text then ghosts

  Wei_C: It's her thing.

  Marcus_T: Everyone needs a thing

  Alexei_V: chens is being stupid.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Wei_C: Yours is bad jokes.

  Alexei_V: theyre good jokes delivered to the wrong audience

  Marcus_T: Sure, Lex.

  Wei_C: 2200. Don't make me wait.

  Alexei_V: wouldn't dream of it princess~

  Wei_C: Call me princess again, and I'll break your nose.

  Alexei_V: promises promises

  [Wei_C has gone offline]

  Alexei_V: you still there marcus?

  Marcus_T: Yeah

  Alexei_V: you scared?

  Marcus_T: Terrified

  Alexei_V: good. me too

  Alexei_V: see you at the nest brother.

  Marcus_T: See you soon brother

  [Alexei_V has gone offline]

  I stared at the ceiling for what felt like an eternity; I counted the cracks, listened to a muffled argument from downstairs, doors slamming and something that sounded like crying. I put the last part out of my head. I'd never seen either of my parents cry; it must have been my ears playing tricks on me.

  Eventually, I heard stumbling in the hallway. It was Father, definitely drunk. The only other time I saw him like this was the day of Sara's testing. That night was the same: sharp words, yelling, and the sound of him stumbling while Mother looked after him.

  During that year, I remained mostly confined to my room; my Mother and Father were adamant that I should not face the pressures of testing at such a young age. So I got to hear it all second hand. Compared to that year? I got off easy...

  After a couple of minutes, I heard my parents' bedroom door shut. I waited a couple more, just until I could hear Father snoring. He always did when he drank; it was going to be the perfect cover for my exfil. Soon enough, those snores began to echo through the hallways.

  I checked the time— 2150. Shit... I was going to be late.

  Moving quietly, I reached the window. I pushed it open wider and climbed onto the sill, turning so my back faced the garden.

  Once in position, I shuffled back slowly, careful not to make noise. I lowered one foot onto the trellis outside, testing its strength as it groaned. Confident, I set my other foot and climbed down until I reached the soft ground below.

  Despite my silent exit, I still needed to cross the garden undetected. Keeping my centre of gravity low, I hugged walls and used cover to avoid windows and cameras, navigating the familiar hiding spots I had memorised over months of practice. Eventually, I slipped around the perimeter and made it safely beyond the house's bounds.

  I nodded to myself. A perfect extract.

  The city hummed with Testing Eve energy, bars were full, restaurants were busy, and I could see families spending time with their kids in the upper district housing. Other kids my age would likely be doing exactly the same, stealing final moments before tomorrow comes.

  I took the longer route to the nest, intentionally avoiding main streets. The shift from quiet neighbourhoods to the industrial district helped clear my mind. Public workers still patrolled as they prepped for the chaos tomorrow would bring.

  The observation tower rose from the abandoned sector like a broken finger that pointed towards the stars. It was condemned years ago, structural damage, they said. But it stood, outlasting most of the "safe" buildings around it.

  I heard them before I saw them. Alexei's laugh, too loud, too forced; Wei's voice, pitched higher than normal; and Diana's silence.

  My pace quickened as I checked the time on my commlink, 2215—shit. They weren't going to let me live this down.

  The climb was muscle memory. Hand here, foot there, swing wide around the broken section. Avoid the rusted beam that looked solid but really wasn't.

  After a few minutes of climbing, there they were, waiting at the very top of our spot, the nest. Below us, the city sprawled out in a complex grid of lights, and above, the two moons hovered in the sky, casting a pale glow. The illumination painted their faces in shifting hues of amber and blue, sharply outlining the features of their cheeks and brows. It felt so familiar, yet so alien.

  "Took you long enough," Alexei said.

  I pulled myself up onto the platform, my boots scraping against the rusted metal. I took a moment to catch my shallow breathing. "I'm..." I huffed, "Two minutes early."

  "Nice try, but you're twenty minutes late." Diana retorted.

  I waved my hand, dismissing her comment. "Yeah, two minutes early in Marcus's time." I gave an impish smile before taking a seat next to Wei.

  "That's not how time works, idiot."

  "It is tonight."

  Wei shifted as I sat down beside her. Our shoulders touched. Her hair had fallen loose from its usual professional bun, black strands caught the amber city-glow. She looked brighter like this. Less Ice Princess, more just... Wei.. "Family dinner keep you?"

  "Something like that..." I didn't say too much, not wanting to worry the group.

  She didn't push. She never did. It was one of the things I— we appreciated about her. Diana glanced at me with a strange look. I forced myself to meet her gaze. It was held for a moment before she turned her eyes elsewhere.

  "So." Alexei produced a bottle from his pack with the flourish of a bad actor. The label was faded, earth-vintage supposedly. "Last night of equality and all that. We drinking or we crying?"

  "Why not both?" I replied.

  "That's the spirit!" Alexei twisted the cap. The seal broke with a soft hiss. "To the Nest." He raised the bottle toward the sky. "To us. To the last night we're all just... us."

  I suppressed a wince; the contrast between the toast from the dinner earlier and this was night and day. Conflicting emotions stirred within me.

  Alexei took a swig of the drink first and coughed. "God, that's awful."

  "Let me." Wei reached for it, surprising the whole group.

  "The Ice Princess is going to break some rules for a change? Ohhh the humanity~." Alexei performed, causing a chuckle to escape my lips.

  "Just give it here." She snapped.

  He handed it over. Wei took a long pull, longer than I expected. When she lowered the bottle, her eyes were watering. "You're right. That is terrible."

  "Told you."

  The bottle came to me next. I hesitated.

  "You don't have to," Diana said quietly.

  "I know," I took it. The glass was still warm from Wei's hands. I tipped the bottle up to my lips as I began to sip. It burned going down, tasted like regret and bad decisions. Perfect for tonight. "Definitely terrible."

  I passed it over to Diana, who took it last. The bottle barely touched her lips before she handed it back to Alexei without drinking.

  "Come on, Ghost Girl. It's tradition."

  "Tradition, my ass. I don't need it." Diana retorted.

  "None of us need it. That's not the point." Alexei mused.

  "Then what is the point?" Her voice was soft. Sad.

  Alexei opened his mouth, but no words came. He shrugged and took another drink.

  The silence stretched. Below us, the city hummed. Distant sirens. The hum of transport shuttles. Somewhere a child laughed, high and clear.

  "My Father got drunk tonight," I said before I even realised. The words just came. "Really drunk. Started yelling about mortality rates."

  "Shit," Alexei muttered.

  "Uncle Michael and David were there, too. They kept..." I trailed off, not knowing how to explain it.

  "Being assholes?" Wei offered. I gave a nod; she was the only other one of us who came from a military family. The only one who understood the family politics.

  "Grandfather pulled me aside. Told me stories about my great aunt."

  "The Lydia one?" Wei asked. "S-Grade? Died at Proxima?"

  "Yeah. That one," My thoughts drifted to the datapad under my pillow. "He does like telling that story, doesn't he?" I gave a weak, unconvincing laugh.

  Diana's eyes were on me again. She knew I was lying. Or not lying exactly. Just not telling everything. She had this weird intuition that was scarily accurate. If she weren't a friend, I would think it was creepy.

  "My security detail followed me halfway here," Wei said, changing the subject and saving me. "Had to lose them in the construction zone. Nearly broke my ankle jumping a fence."

  "The Ice Princess, breaking more than just one rule tonight." Alexei's grin was genuine this time. "I'm so proud."

  "Shut up."

  "No, really. There's hope for you yet."

  "I said shut up, Lex."

  "Make me, Prin-"

  Wei punched his shoulder. Hard. He laughed and rubbed the spot.

  "I hope you bruise."

  "Worth it."

  "Children," Diana said. No heat in it. Just observation.

  "Yes, mom," we all said in unison.

  "Never call me that again," she replied.

  A moment of lightness permeated.

  "Do you think it'll hurt?" Wei's voice was small. Vulnerable in a way I'd never heard from her before.

  Alexei rolled the bottle between his palms. "No idea, we're not actually told how it works. Maybe they just take some blood. Machine analyses it. Poof. A couple o' minutes later, you know your whole future." He shrugged. "Probably doesn't hurt physically."

  "That's not what I meant."

  "I know."

  The bottle made another round. Slower this time. We had begun rationing it, like the alcohol could somehow stretch the night longer. Diana took a real sip this time, not the pretend one from before. Her face twisted.

  "I'm going to be F-grade," Alexei abruptly said, like he was making a casual comment on the weather. But I saw his fingers tighten around the bottle neck. Saw the muscle in his jaw twitch.

  "Maybe D if I'm lucky. Probably F."

  "You don't know that," I tried.

  "Sure, I do." He gestured with the bottle, the liquid sloshing. "Parents are both D-grade. Grandparents were F. I probably won't even awaken."

  He took another drink. Longer this time. When he lowered the bottle, his eyes were wet. From the alcohol? I doubted it.

  "Alexei—" I tried. I wanted to reassure him. But I couldn't; there was nothing I could say.

  "It's fine." He lied with a grin on his face.

  That grin again. God, that damned grin. The one I know he used to practice alone, so it would look effortless.

  "I've made my peace. Someone's gotta keep the toilets working, right? Glamorous."

  "Stop," Wei said. Her voice had an edge I'd never heard before.

  "Why? It's true."

  "Because-" She looked at me. Then at Diana. Back to Alexei. I could see her trying to find the right words. Words that wouldn't be a lie. "Because... Because you're more than a Grade."

  "We're all just Grades, you should know that by now, Princess." The nickname came out harder than usual. Sharp. "Some of us get to be born into it."

  Wei flinched like he'd slapped her. Alexei saw it. I watched something crumble in his expression, the mask slipping for just a second.

  "Sorry. That was-"

  "True," she finished for him. "That was true."

  She pulled her knees tighter to her chest, in an attempt to make herself smaller. Wei, she who walked through the academy as she owned it, trying to disappear...

  "I'm going to test high. Probably A. Maybe S." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "And I'm going to hate every second of it."

  I wanted to say something. Comfort her somehow. But what could I say? At least you'll be powerful? At least you'll matter? All of it tasted like ash.

  "That's—" Alexei started in my place.

  "Don't—" Her voice cracked. Actually cracked. "Don't tell me I'm lucky. Don't tell me I should be grateful. Just... don't."

  The silence pressed down on us.

  Diana shifted. The movement caught my eye; she'd been so still I'd almost forgotten she was there. It seemed as though she was about to say something, but no words came. Only silence persisted.

  I tried to find something, anything. I refuse to end the night like this.

  "Are we still on for our plan?" I forced.

  Alexei quickly caught on and spoke up, "Oh, for sure, same unit and same deployments, right?"

  I forced a smile back towards Alexei, "Just means that we'll all have to get D-Grade, otherwise how else would you keep up?"

  That finally got a proper laugh from Alexei, and soon Wei joined in, but Diana's voice was notably missing from it.

  "And if we don't?" She finally chimed in.

  The words stung for a moment, but I forced myself through. "We remember," I said, "That's what we do. Even if it couldn't last, we remember that it was real" I gave a real smile this time.

  "It was real," Alexei echoed.

  "It was real," Wei agreed.

  Diana paused for a long moment before finally nodding. "It was real."

  "In two years, before our first deployments, we get a month's leave. Even if we're separated by stars, let's make a promise that we'll meet here. On this day, in this very spot, twenty-two-hundred." My voice wavered. "Don't be late."

  I placed my hand out, palm facing downwards, and without hesitation, Wei put her hand over mine. Her warmth passed through me, reassuring me. Alexei soon followed, that pained grin formed into one true. Finally, Diana's hand rested gently over Alexei's.

  "Two years from now!" We all echoed in unison.

  The first ray of sunlight broke over the horizon. 0600. Time was up. We sat in silence for a moment. Hands intertwined as we watched the sun begin to rise over Eridani Prime. Watched the city wake. Watched as our last morning as equals began.