It’s just another three years. Jensen pushed the thought towards Danen while taking a deep breath himself.

   Danen blinked, his poker face unmoving. 

   Angel took her seat across from him in the recliner chair and clinked her teacup down on the hardwood coffee table. A camera mounted to the wall in front of them displayed its view on her laptop. Her latest guest, Maddy, took up half the screen.

   “You’re more than welcome to visit after the race,” she continued, but Maddy cut her off.

   “No, no, I’m good with this, thank you,” Her gaze shifted past Danen and found Jensen sitting at the kitchen island alone. “I don’t know how you can manage both of them. Do you sleep there?”

   Angel raised her hand, a small gesture. Jensen stood and walked into the living room as Danen walked out. Taking his seat on the couch, Jensen calmly folded his arms over his chest. 

   “I see,” Maddy paused. She didn’t even look at him. “I’ve always been a big fan of Jensen, but Danen has my heart.” 

   A sneakered foot quickly being-

   Shut up. Jensen hissed. 

   “He is a fan favorite.” Angel beamed. Maddy didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes remained on Danen in the kitchen even as he tried to avoid her gaze. 

   The room fell silent for a few moments. Angel didn’t do anything to dissuade Maddy’s fascination, just simply sat back with her tea and slowly sipped. She loved these kinds of interactions. A chance to showcase her prized racers. The amount of attention both boys earned her was too precious to pass up. 

   “Do you have any more questions?” 

   Fluttering anxiety filled Jensen’s stomach, but he sat motionless. Danen sat at the island with his hands clasped in his lap, eyes fixed on the white tiles in front of him. 

   Maddy’s eyes suddenly flicked over to Jensen. “They both have such gorgeous feathers.”

   “Most think so.” Angel frowned and quickly set her cup down. Relief emanated from Danen and washed over Jensen like a warm breeze.

   “Their father, did he-”

   “I’m sorry, Maddy, I have another interview scheduled. I have to let you go.”

   “Oh, no worries!” She got out just as Angel ended the call. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. Jensen watched her quietly. She, of course, was lying. Their mothers schedule was wide open on Tuesdays. 

   “She seemed nice.” Danen said. 

   “Too nice,” Angel rose from her seat and moved to the kitchen, setting her mostly full teacup in the sink. “It’s people like her who put hybrids up on these pedestals without realizing why they’re in the games in the first place.”

   “I’m going out.” Danen announced abruptly and pushed his stool back from the island. He stretched his arms over his head, his gaze meeting Jensen’s for a brief moment.

   A fractured, transparent dome and a large oak tree.

   Right behind you. Jensen sent.

   “You think I’m stupid?” Angel hissed and rushed to step in front of Jensen as he stood. She glared up at him, being a good three inches shorter. “I know that look.” 

   “He’s leaving, so I am too.” Jensen stepped around her. She let him go by, but he could feel her glare boring into his back as they left the house. 

   The air was always frigid at this altitude. Weightless and free, the wild air currents could carry him anywhere. Tiny droplets of chilled water beat his face and dampened his jacket, but Jensen closed his eyes and coasted. The air rushed past his ears, ruffled his feathers, and tugged at his clothes. 

   He was safe. 

   The wind stripped the stress from that morning away. Even the cold rain felt welcome. It forced him to focus on each drop; a sharp shock that reminded him that he was out of that house and away from her.

   Danen’s bitter thoughts filtered into Jensen’s mind, forming an image. 

   Angel sits in her chair. Maddy takes up half the screen.

   He flew alongside Jensen, glaring down at the domed city of Akrisoulis. It was barely the size of a marble at this height. An empty shell of semi-functioning abandon.

   It’s only three more years. 

   Danen frowned and folded his viridian wings, effortlessly dropping out of the sky. Jensen dove after him. The intense wind roared, rain pelted his cheeks like a thousand needles, and his stomach lifted into his chest in a rush of adrenaline.

   The massive, cracked dome came into full focus and Danen shot through a large opening first. With his wings pinned perfectly against his spine, Jensen whistled through the closest crack. He snapped his wings open and beat hard, slowing enough to touch his feet down on the sparse grass and jog to a stop next to Danen.

   Waterfalls of rain dumped through the cracks in the transparent dome and carved large ruts through the barren field. The newly formed streams all eventually met at the center greenhouse and its split foundation. They quickly spilled over, rushing down into the bowels of the city. 

   Danen sloshed away through the mud and dead grass towards the greenhouse. The huge structure only lived up to its name because of the sheer amount of vegetation that had reclaimed it. Vining ivy covered every wall in thick mats and the grass had grown up past the windowsills. 

   An acorn had washed away in a storm much like this one, and had sprouted in the cracked foundation. Its thick roots now pushed down through the city entrance staircase while its branches spread up and over the crumbling structure like a roof. 

   Danen paced the medium sized room and his sneakers crunched stray twigs and acorns. His breath came in quick gasps and he shook the water from his wings. 

   Angel raised her hand. He stood from the couch and took Jensen’s seat at the island. Each fine crack in the pale tiles, and as he chanced a glance into the living room, Maddy still gazing longingly at him on the computer screen. Quickly break eye contact.

   “Three years?” Danen scoffed incredulously. Jensen blinked, still processing the information being thrown at him. “Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?”

   “Dan-”

   “‘Suck it up, it’s only three more years.’ Not three days, or weeks, or months, years!” He snatched a chunk of concrete from the floor and hurled it through one of the few remaining windows. The dirt encrusted glass shattered and the concrete landed in the soggy mud outside with a wet thwomp. 

   He stood there for a second, breathing hard and staring out the shattered window. Water dripped from his dark hair and thin rivulets ran down his neck into his already soaked hoodie. 

   “You know what you’re doing though, Dan.” Jensen said softly and moved to stand next to him. “You know the routine, the expectations, the role you play.”

   Danen shook his head and stepped away. He quickly hopped down the cracked steps of the entrance and followed the winding roots. Jensen didn’t follow, Danen needed the space for now.  

   Jensen slowly took in a long breath with his eyes closed and let it out at a steady pace. Danen had blocked his thoughts from him, which meant he could let his mind wander without worrying about who was listening. 

   He knew the routine. The expectations and his role too. However, it didn’t matter. In all the years they had been doing this, it had never mattered. Tremors slowly began working down his legs as his heart began to pound.

   You don't have to be anything you see. He repeated the sentiment to himself, but their mothers face still formed in his mind's eye. 

   He was 9 years old again. He stood to the left of the white, cast iron stove as mom screamed. She towered over him, her finger flying backwards to point at Danen, who stood by the bathroom door. His baby brother, the one he was supposed to be showing the ropes to, had won because of his mistake. Because of his stupidity. It was his fault that she had lost the bet. He held onto the coiled, wire handle of the stove and stared down at her leather sandals. 

   Jensen’s eyes opened and he took in a shaky breath. 

   It’s just a memory. He reminded himself, but his heart beat as if she stood in front of him at that very moment. He shook the images from his mind and reached out towards Danen, a new one forming right away.

   The center support column.

   Jensen walked down the wide stone staircase. It ended at a platform with two main elevator shafts. The structure housed the nonfunctioning transport system, now nothing but frozen elevators. Ironically, it supported a new kind of transport system; roots. 

   They forced their way through the crumbling concrete and spiraled downward around the column until eventually touching down at the foundation of level 2. He slipped through the largest hole in the left elevator shaft and began walking down the thick root. 

   Danen was halfway down the column. He sat on the root with his back against the concrete, his feet dangling over the edge into open air. Jensen slowly sat down next to him. 

   Hundreds of floodlights in the ceiling cast their dull orange glow over the grid below them. The streets were dusted in a fine layer of dirt and every house stood exactly how their previous inhabitants had left them. Some sections were completely dark as the floodlights over the area had burned out. 

   “J, I’m...uhh… I just wanted to say…”

   “Hey, me too.”