“Is that… Earth?”

I stared in shock and awe at the planet I had longed so long to return to, hanging above me.

I stood. Something I hadn’t done in god knows how long. Gravity pressed me down, the ground steady beneath my feet.

I looked up at the planet.

Threw my arms toward it.

And jumped.

Jumped.

Nothing.

Again—jumped.

Huh?

What’s going on—why can’t I fly?

I looked down, remembering that I wasn’t in that form anymore. I’m human again. Bound by the laws of physics.

I closed my eyes.

Breathed in.

Breathed out.

Breathed in.

Breathed out.

Nothing.

I’m still human.

I looked up at Earth again.

Except—

It was gone.

What? Where did it go? I looked around. There it was, behind me, smaller now—much farther away. How did it…?

I looked back out to the ocean.

Except—

Something was different.

Where had that cliff come from? Before, it had been only ocean, stretching endlessly into the horizon. Now there was a vibrant yellow cliff, with a glistening waterfall.

But that wasn’t all.

Beside it stood a breathtaking sight: dozens of colossal golden structures rose into the sky. They resembled nerves, yet also the roots of some impossibly vast tree. They split and branched without end, each strand dividing into finer and finer filaments that curled back through the air before vanishing into the lavender sky. They were neither rigid like wood nor soft like flesh. Instead, they moved with an impossible grace, as though the entire formation were breathing in slow motion.

Every few seconds, a pulse travelled through them. It was neither electricity nor light, but something between the two. It raced through the immense trunk-like structures, then split into countless smaller branches before vanishing into the heavens. The entire forest seemed to breathe with it.

This can't be real.

I rubbed my eyes.

When I looked again, my breath caught.

The world had changed.

The nerves were gone.

The cliff had vanished.

Even the ocean was gone.

In its place stretched an endless field, rolling gently beneath the lavender sky.

I stood motionless. “...What?"

I blinked—a mountain rose where the field had been, its snow-capped peak disappearing into the heavens.

I held my eyes open for a few seconds awaiting to see the change for myself.

Then slowly, I closed my eyes.

Then opened them instantly. The mountain dissolved without a sound. Now countless flowers covered the landscape, their colours stretching beyond the horizon like spilt paint.

Far away, barely visible amongst them…

…the golden nerves stood once more.

I see…

I closed my eyes one more time. Deliberately. When I opened them, the ocean returned. But this time, a single house stood alone on a small island. Its pink-painted wood panels gave it a cosy finish, whilst perfectly matching the red roof.

It looked oddly familiar.

Like somewhere I'd seen years ago.

Somewhere peaceful.

I shook off the feeling.

Peace.

It had been a long time since I'd felt anything close to it.

My eyes drifted to my hands.

They looked ordinary again.

Human.

Yet those same hands…

…

The flowers blackened—they curled over, dry and lifeless.

Heat washed over me.

The ground trembled beneath my feet.

Pillars of molten rock erupted across the fields.

Sweat cascaded down my face. The pillars of magma shifted as I blinked, just as before. But they never disappeared. Just like the nerves, sitting on the horizon. Watching. Somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this place knew exactly what I’d done.

I looked up.

The sky was bleeding. It was darkened into a deep crimson. And sitting among it once more was Earth.

Cracks spread across its surface.

I could hear voices.

Billions of them.

Screaming.

The planet shattered.

NO!

I dropped my head.

Threw my hands on my ears.

Closed my eyes.

I can’t think about that. That’s not who I will become.

I breathed slowly, forcing the air into my lungs one careful breath at a time. I thought about Blue Lantern. The warm sea brushing gently against my skin. Schools of fish drifting effortlessly through the endless blue. The little one that had swum up to me, tilting its head as it studied my finger before suddenly deciding I wasn't nearly as interesting as the rest of its family.

Gradually, the unbearable heat faded. The air became cool again, carrying the faint scent of lavender. Beneath my feet, the violent trembling softened until it disappeared entirely, leaving only the gentle rustle of grass swaying in the breeze.

I slowly peeked through one eye.

The blood-red sky had vanished. Purple grass surrounded me once more, swaying lazily around my shoes beneath the lavender heavens. It almost felt as though the Garden itself had settled alongside me, quietly assuring me that, for now at least, everything was alright.

Cautiously, I looked up at the sky…

Is Earth… still…?

Earth was gone.

Blue Lantern had taken its place. Its endless sapphire ocean glowed peacefully beneath the lavender sky, as though the Garden had reached into my memories and chosen the place where I had felt safest.

Then I blinked.

It disappeared again.

"What's with this place?" I muttered.

I spun around; the nerves stood in the distance. No matter what changed about this place, they were the constant that never disappeared—only changed location. It almost felt as though they weren't part of the Garden at all. They were the Garden.

There’s something about them…

I slowly closed my eyes.

…

Then—

Slowly—

Opened them again.

They towered over me now. So close—probably only a few kilometres away. I felt like… I needed to go to them. It felt as though they were whispering to me. Not with words, but with something deeper. A feeling. A certainty. I couldn't explain it. I only knew that whatever lay beyond those nerves... everything would be alright.

If I go reached them…

I’ll be ‘free’.

I marched towards them, holding my eyes open. My eyes burned, but I fought through it. I had to. Its mesmerising glow held me in a trance as I walked. At some point I stopped feeling my feet. Then my legs. Even the burning in my eyes had stopped. I couldn’t remember when they stopped, though.

…

Wait…

How long had I been walking?

I think I’d lost all sense of time as I chased the nerves. Yet, they never got any closer than before. They remained just beyond my reach, glowing with impossible beauty.

The ground beneath my feet no longer existed. I couldn't feel the motion of walking. I couldn't feel the breeze against my skin. I couldn't even hear my own footsteps.

Only the nerves. They filled my vision. They were all that mattered. My eyes had long since stopped burning. I don't remember deciding to blink.

I just…

Did.

Darkness swallowed my vision for the briefest instant. Then—

The nerves were gone. Something crashed back into me. My legs buckled.

Pain.

Heat.

Cold.

The weight of my own body.

I hit the ground hard, my hands sinking into the soft grass. The numbness vanished all at once. It was as though every feeling I'd lost had been waiting for that single moment to return.

I gasped.

My chest tightened.

Images flooded my mind.

Glassheart.

Blue Lantern.

Endless stars.

The screaming.

The star.

The silence.

“...No..." My voice cracked. Before I knew it, tears were falling into the purple grass beneath me. Above me, pale clouds drifted across the lavender sky until the sunlight disappeared behind them.

"MAN ON!”

Sweat rolled down Tom's forehead as he glanced over his shoulder. The spring sun warmed his back. His red shirt clung to him, darkened with sweat. The scent of freshly cut turf filled the air as he drew a deep breath.

He drove his boot through the ball, tearing up a spray of turf.

The smile was practically glued to Tom's face. They breezed through the opposition midfield, carving them apart with quick one-touch passes. They couldn’t compete; they were a lower league team, mere fodder for the early rounds of the TFA Trophy.

They were already five up with half an hour left.

Five-nil.

The game’s over. At this point, every goal was purely stat-padding.

With the ball at his feet, Tom slowed down. The defensive line stood right ahead of him. Connor and Ryad up front were both already tightly marked.

Then he heard running from behind.

A grin tugged at his lips as he slipped the ball through the gap between the centre-back and full-back.

The ball sliced cleanly through the gap, curling ever so slightly into Jermaine's path as he burst around the outside of the full-back.

They couldn’t match his pace—he zoomed past them.

The full-back followed, cutting off his path to the goal.

He stopped, his back to the corner flag.

The full-back stood in front of him, eyes locked onto the ball like a hawk.

Jermaine dropped a shoulder.

The defender bit.

Another feint.

Another reaction.

They danced like that for a few seconds until the defender left just a little too much weight on his back foot.

Jermaine knocked the ball past his weak foot, unable to balance himself enough to stop the ball.

Carrying the ball into the box, the goal stood just ahead.

But so did their defence.

Tom made a late run into the edge of the box.

“JERMAINE!”

Without even looking up, he passed the ball.

The pass arrived in a pocket of space at the edge of the box.

Tom ran onto it—

Slammed his left foot into the turf beside it.

Grass sprayed up.

Leaned forward—

And drove straight through it.

“WHUTTUM!”

The ball bulged into the back of the net.

Tom slowed to a jog towards the centre of the pitch, a quiet smile spreading across his face as his teammates rushed towards him.

Goal number two.

Eh… who cares.

Funny.

Without the power Tom had, he wouldn’t even be able to play. He’d be watching from the sidelines, a leg short.

No.

He wouldn’t have lost his leg.

He’d have lost everything.

Dead in an alleyway months ago.

All alone.

…

Thank God for—

TOM

His smile faded.

I’VE GOT A JOB FOR YOU

(…)

A guitar twanged softly. A warm voice drifted through static. Country music. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy. A gentle breeze brushed against my face. It was warm and refreshing, and it reminded me of a place I’d almost forgotten completely. It smelled of dust and petrol.

I opened my eyes.

Something soft covered me. A blanket. The breeze drifted through an open window.

“…Oh,” someone said, “you’re awake.”

The man’s voice was rough around the edges, worn down by years on the road, yet there was a warmth to it that reminded me of the sort of man who'd stop to help a stranger without thinking twice.

“Huh?” Was the only noise I could muster.

“I found you on the side of the road—out cold”, he chuckled. “Rough night, eh?”

I lay my head back into the seat, giving no response.

“Yeah… I get you.”

The man continued on, yapping about a time he had a party in the woods. Apparently he got blackout drunk and woke up by a river halfway across the state. But most of it was going through one ear and out the other.

Oh, he had to get picked up by a helicopter.

Eventually, it got to the point where the man’s lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear a word.

I turned to the window, staring out blankly. The scenery flickered between two states. The world couldn’t seem to make up its mind. Purple grass faded into green. The green seemed so familiar.

But I couldn’t tell you which one was right.

Oceans appeared out of thin air. Oceans that didn’t exist.

I closed my eyes—just like the garden.

But the clash of worlds continued, even as the car entered a city. The concrete and nonexistent oceans swirled like a mirage in the desert. Colours merged like paint thrown at random on a canvas.

Is this world real? Or just another illusion sprung on me by the garden?

Am I…

Home?

…

Which one is home?

Then—

I suddenly heard the driver say—

“You got someone waiting for you?”

My eyes shot wide open.

Someone.

Someone.

Someone…

She…

She's waiting for me.

But… Who?

Who's waiting for me?

The car jolted over a speed bump. Everything lurched. My eyes drifted left. I recognised the high street. Memories of a life that felt impossibly distant.

Yes.

I walked through these streets, with…

Krista.

Light twinkled in my eyes.

In an instant, I threw the door open.

“Hey!” The driver yelled, “Are you crazy?!”

Then lunged straight through. I crashed down onto the floor; the pain of asphalt scratching my chin didn’t even register.

I threw myself up, dashing forward through the street.

The civilians lining the high street stared. But they disappeared as the memories flowed back.

There was a small Vitelian place tucked between a bookstore and a barbershop. I heard a distant giggle that made my heart flutter. The smell of garlic, basil and pizza dough leaked through the door as it swung open.

“So. You gonna keep going with these acting classes?”

I ran

“Yeah, I think I will…”

“You looked different up there; you looked like you reached your flow state.”

I kept running.

“You were great.” 

The community theatre came into view.

“I was ok.”

“You were better than ok. You brought a tear to my eye.”

“Shut up, I’m still shaking.”

“That’s what I’m saying, that’s real shit right there.”

I reached a large wooden gate. I knew this gate. I’d passed it multiple times a day.

How was it that I opened it again?

Think…

Beside the gate was a scanner.

I rustled through my pockets. Stopped. Something warm was humming in my hand. I carefully slid it out from my pocket.

It was the piece of crystal I pulled from that planet.

Glassheart.

The violet current flickered inside.

No.

That’s not important right now.

I shoved it back in my pocket, rustling through once more. I heard the jangle of keys. I grabbed it. A key fob and two keys hung on a keychain.

I tapped the fob on the scanner.

As the light flashed green, the gate clicked.

I threw it open, darting through.

I tapped on the next doors, pulling before the scanner had even registered.

My shoes thudded against the carpeted floor as I sprinted around the corner. The elevator stood alone at the end of the corridor.

I slammed my thumb into the button repeatedly.

The number eleven blared in red above the doors, lowering every few seconds.

Agonising seconds.

Fuck this.

I darted back around the corner, crashing through the door to the stairs.

My lungs screamed as I climbed the stairs to the seventh floor.

Rushing through the door to the seventh-floor corridor, I ran.

A door stood up ahead.

I knew that door.

Stopping in front of the door, I reached for the handle. Then—

Paused.

My hand was an inch away from the handle. The light on the scanner was a warm green—my fob still hovering over it.

The light faded into a cold grey.

I rested my head against the door. What if… the world I knew was gone? Will the Krista I know be behind this door? If she even still lives here.

I could’ve been gone for years.

Decades.

The thought clogged my throat.

I swallowed.

Then I took a deep breath.

This is my home. Whatever happens next, I can figure out later.

But for now…

I tapped my fob on the scanner.

The door clicked.

Let me go home.

Carefully, I opened the door.

The familiar cold light bathed me in its blinding white glow, occasionally flickering subtly. The stench of musty carpets filled the air like a thick mist of gas. The stains that lined the carpet were still there. There was a single drop of ketchup in front of my door. Leakage from my burger.

The light of the common room leaked through the window slit of the door.

I gulped.

Then took slow, measured steps towards it, wrapping my fingers around the handle tightly.

I breathed a long exhale.

Then opened the door.

The woman looked at me and froze.

No one said a word.

A thick silence filled the air.

Tears began to well up in her eyes. Even though I wasn’t entirely sure if this was her, tears began to well up in mine too.

She rose from her seat, stumbling on the way. She used the chair for support, her hand shaking on the wooden frame.

My heart pounded out of my chest.

I wanted to say so much, but words failed me.

She took slow steps towards me before finally breaking the silence.

“George?”

George… that name sounds so distant. I wasn’t even sure that was me anymore. I tried muster a response.

“Uh-uh.”

She wrapped her arms around me, burying her head in my shoulder. My heart slowed down. I could hear hers too. Our two hearts pumped in a syncopated rhythm.

She tightened her grip.

“I thought you were… gone.”

It took me a moment to respond. My vocal cords started up slowly, like a computer on the verge of death.

“How… l-l-long?” My voice cracked with each syllable.

She pulled her head free from my shoulder, looking up at me with glossy eyes.

“Three months.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“…Three?”

She didn’t respond.

The silence was enough.

Three months.

Three months without saying goodbye.

Three months while she’d been waiting.

I ground my teeth. Breath escaped my lungs in sharp pants.

Krista frowned. “Take it slow, go have a shower. I’ll make you some food.”

I nodded.

Rambling over to the bathroom, I pushed the door open. The automatic light flickered to life, bathing the room in a harsh white glow. The bulb above buzzed quietly.

I stepped onto the cold tiles.

My reflection stared back at me.

My hair had grown far longer than I remembered, hanging untidily around my face in uneven strands. A thin beard covered my chin and upper lip, with rough stubble creeping towards my sideburns. I barely recognised the man looking back.

The shower whirred to life.

Warm water cascaded over my shoulders. Steam slowly gathered around the room, softening the mirror until the reflection disappeared behind a sheet of white.

One hand rested against the tiled wall, supporting my weight. My eyes settled on the thin line of grout between two tiles.

I didn't think.

I couldn’t.

I just stood there.

The water ran through my hair and down my face, carrying away dried blood, dirt and dust from worlds that no longer existed beneath my feet. All dissolved into the drain before disappearing completely.

Every ache.

Every ounce of tension.

Every world I’d left behind.

For a few precious minutes, the shower convinced me that all of it could simply be washed away.

I rested my forehead against the wall and closed my eyes.

It wasn't enough.

I dried myself and pulled on a clean set of clothes. The clothes that had been hanging on my chair for months. Abandoned. I also grabbed the crystal from the desk, just in case. The smell of cooked onions, herbs and spices leaked into the corridor.

I followed the smell into the kitchen.

When I entered the kitchen, the table was already set. Two plates sat opposite each other, with cutlery on either side. The dish looked like pasta and chicken in a rich tomato sauce. It smelled like a hybrid of oregano, paprika, and various other herbs and spices, chucked together with the passion of a chef who loved to cook. The dirty pots, pans and utensils were piled up in the sink, soaking in hot water.

Krista was already sitting in front of her dish; her eyes shifted to me with a solemn look. The cutlery on either side of the plate remained untouched. The seat designated for me was pushed out slightly, as if awaiting its occupant.

…She’s waiting for me.

Swallowing my anxiety, I sat down in the seat.

Krista put her head down and filled her fork with a few pieces of pasta and chicken. Then slowly placed it in her mouth.

No one said a word.

I grabbed my own fork, following suit. I pierced a piece of pasta, then a small, sliced pepper, then a chunk of chicken.

Slowly, I pulled the food towards my mouth.

As I opened my mouth, my stomach began to turn.

I’m not hungry, but I can’t let her food go to waste.

I placed the fork into my mouth. The vibrant flavours exploded in my mouth.

I chewed.

Something wasn’t right.

My stomach began to scream.

I gagged.

Krista looked up. “George?”

After chewing vigorously, I finally mustered up the strength to swallow.

My stomach rejected instantly. The food, along with bile, rushed up.

I held my mouth, forcing the vomit back down.

Krista stared, eyes wide. She slowly placed her fork down.

I slowly removed my hand from my mouth, reaching once more for the fork.

My hands were trembling.

I took another bite.

Chewed.

Gagged.

Chewed more, finally swallowing.

The gagging continued.

This time—

I knew I couldn’t hold it in.

Krista rushed out of her seat and grabbed a bucket from the corner, placing it in front of me.

Within an instant, I unloaded the contents of my stomach.

Krista placed her warm hand on my back gently.

What the hell is going on?

I didn’t eat the whole time I was in space. How can I not eat? I wasn’t even hungry when I sat down at the table.

It can’t be the power; I could still eat before…

Before…

Don’t tell me…

Three months…

I hadn't eaten once.

Could it be…?

No…

No…

Can I not eat anymore?

No…

I can never taste Mom’s cooking.

…Dammit.

Krista crouched down beside me. Her warm, gentle gaze soothed my heart. She sat quietly as I panted heavily, each breath reverberating in the bucket. She held out her hands. I handed her the bucket.

She set the bucket aside before returning to her seat.

She stared quietly for a moment. Then, in a quiet but stern voice, she asked, “What happened?”

I looked up slowly.

“I… I…” I mumbled before the words died in my throat. I closed my mouth.

Where do you even begin?

With the ship?

The planet?

The people?

The… star?

Krista didn't rush me. She simply waited, hands folded together on the table.

I looked down. ”I left Earth," I finally whispered.

Her brow furrowed.

"I know that sounds impossible.”

She didn't interrupt.

"There were... people." I swallowed. "Not human.”

"The ones that invaded?" she asked quietly.

I nodded. "They're called the Calenarians.” The name felt strange in my mouth.

Silence lingered between us.

"I kept trying to come home.”

I rubbed my hands together, unable to keep them still. "But every time I thought I was getting closer..." I laughed weakly. "...there was another planet.”

"What were they like?”

I stared at the table for a long moment.

“Beautiful.”

The answer surprised even me.

"There was one…" I smiled without meaning to. "It was all ocean. Warm. There was this tiny fish that swam up to me…" I laughed quietly. "...it spent about ten seconds staring at my finger before deciding I wasn't interesting enough."

Krista watched me carefully. “I don’t even… know what to say.”

“There was more. I saw a world made entirely of crystal.”

“...Crystal?"

I nodded. “Rained it too. I brought a piece back.”

My hand drifted into my pocket. The shard was still warm. It hummed. I placed it gently on the table between us.

Violet currents drifted beneath its surface, faintly illuminating the table.

Krista stared.

“...George..."

"I took it from the planet.”

She reached out cautiously, as though afraid it might disappear if she touched it. Her fingertips brushed the crystal. "It really came from... another world?”

I nodded. "It was called Glassheart.”

I told her about the forests of crystal, the endless violet light dancing beneath the surface, and the silence that seemed to stretch across the entire planet. I left out the fighting. Left out the pain. Just enough for her to understand why I'd carried a fragment of it all the way back to Earth.

When I finished, neither of us spoke.

Krista's eyes glistened. She looked down at the crystal. Tears welled up in her eyes, then she looked back at me.

A tiny smile found its way onto her face. "I guess..." she said quietly, "...you're a spaceman now.”

For the first time since I'd come home…

...I smiled.

But quickly that smile faded.

“So… what have I missed?”

Her smile faded just as quickly.

“Honestly… not a lot. The world is still recovering after the invasion. And due to the damage to the campus, the Uni’s shut.”

“Shut? So…?”

“So we’re no longer students anymore.”

“Wait… so when the year ends… all this… is over?”

She nodded.

“And we go back to our old lives,” I mumbled quietly.

…Back to my old life. Can I even do that—even if I wanted to? I can’t eat. What if I can’t sleep either? How much of my humanity has been stripped away?

Will it affect… other people?

“And then what about us?” I asked.

She froze for a second, then blushed, “Erm… us?”

What’s that reaction?

What’s got her so flus–

Oh…

I suddenly remembered the events from the invasion.

I waved my arms, “No, that’s not what I…” I stopped. “Actually… yeah… what about us?”

She thought quietly to herself for a moment. Her eyes wandered, her expression changed constantly, like she was having an internal argument with herself.

Then she stopped.

Took a deep breath.

And—

“Well—”

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

We both turned to the door instinctively.

I looked back at Krista, brows furrowed.

Krista stood up carefully. “It’s probably just the council; they’ve been running routine checks frequently.”

She walked up to the kitchen door, opening it. I followed.

Whoever it was knocked once more. It must be urgent.

Krista wrapped her fingers around the door handle.

Opened it—

Then her eyes opened wide.

“Y-you?”

“Kurista, was it?” The woman said.

The woman stood at the front. She wore a perfectly tailored black suit with a matching tie. She wasn't very tall—barely over five feet—but she carried herself with quiet confidence that made her seem taller. Coal-black hair was tied into a loose bun behind her head, and beneath her left eye sat a tiny beauty spot. There was something familiar about her eyes. Calm. Focused. Like she'd seen far worse than whatever stood behind this door.

Beside her stood a young man dressed in the same suit. Unlike the sharp, disciplined appearance of the woman, his curly hair parted naturally down the middle, giving him a softer look. Thin, round glasses framed striking crystal-blue eyes that seemed to study everything at once. He didn’t say a word. He simply watched, as though quietly taking in every detail of the room.

The woman turned to me, with a gentle smile on her face. “And you’re George?”

My brows lowered.

“We’ve not formally met—not in this form at least.”

Huh? Wait…

“My name is Himiko Suzuki; my friend here is Kaoru Nakamura.” The man smiled, raising a peace sign. She pulled out a badge with an ID. M.E.I… “We’re with the Ministry of Extraterrestrial Investigation. Is it OK if we come in?”

“Uhm… s-sure,” Krista said with a nervous smile. “The kitchen’s this way. Can I get you a drink?”

“Green tea would be great.” The woman said.

“Sorry… I only have breakfast tea.” Krista quietly responded.

“Sure, that’s fine.”

“I’ll just have a coffee.” The man said. “Black, please.”

Himiko, Kaoru, and I sat around the table. The two sat opposite me, while Krista poured boiling water into four mugs. We sat in agonising silence, only broken by the sound of Krista tapping the spoon against the mugs.

I gulped.

Krista poured milk into the three mugs, leaving the coffee. Then opened the fridge, placing the milk back. Every second that passed felt like hours.

At this point, I wish I were still in space.

Finally, Krista brought the four drinks over, placing them down in front of us before sitting in her seat.

Himiko took a sip of the tea and placed it back down. “Tastes good,” she complimented with a warm smile.

“Enough of this,” I interrupted. “How do you know who I am?”

“Don’t worry,” She said calmly, “No one other than the two of us knows your identity in MEI, and we’ll keep that way as long as you’d like. But as to how, I placed a tracker on you back at the university. One manufactured by Kaoru over here.”

“Yeah… sorry about that,” Kaoru mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I also would like to apologise,” Himiko said in an ashamed voice, “I wish it hadn’t come to this, but we have to.”

“Why?” I asked.

Himiko’s face stiffened. “Every battle we fight gets harder and harder. And the losses become numerous.” She paused. “Every time we prepare, thinking we’ve done enough. The enemy comes back better than we’d ever expected.”

“So where do I come in?”

“I’m not going to mince my words. We need you.”

My eyes widened.

“Would you—not George, the Purple Entity—join MEI and help humanity fight back against the growing threats?”

“Join…” I whispered.

Krista’s brows furrowed, she looked at me, as if she was also awaiting an answer.

Join MEI?

I…