Breaking point.

Anna glanced at the helmet she set aside yesterday and felt a tingle in her core. But there is no way. Her alarm is ringing in 6 hours and she is so sleep deprived her mind played tricks on her.

Tomorrow. She will see him tomorrow. They already talked about it, he has to understand.

Anna hoped for the best and lay down, completely drained.

Again. Stand up, get ready, go to work, and try to stay useful for a bit longer. But it was harder than ever, her whole workday was filled with thoughts about the second world. She blushed when she remembered what or rather who was waiting for her to come back.

"Anna, how much do you have left?" a distant voice reached her.

She twitched and raised her eyes from the microscope.

"Is this the last batch of samples you have left?" Her supervisor repeated and tapped beside her sheets.

"Yes, I'll be finished in just a few more minutes," Anna nodded and returned to her senses. Focus for fuck sake!

"Good job. Don't let Mr. Miller get in your head, all he cares about are numbers, he has no idea how much you improved. Andrew might have the best results, but he makes mistakes, and dealing with him is such a pain," He said quietly and sighed.

Anna knew exactly who he was talking about and glanced at a man standing just six rows in front of her.

"That's true – but I wish to have as many experiences as he does. I still feel like a beginner in comparison with him," She admitted as she wrote down her last result and reached for a new sample.

"You are too humble. I'll let you finish, sorry for interrupting your work," He excused himself and Anna got back to the last task. Could it be him? The one who hid the food in her purse yesterday? But it's better not to know, anyway. At least, she was indebted to an unknown face.

Even though her headache finally weakened, her frustration remained rooted in her mind.

Her mood got worse when her bus failed to arrive on schedule and she hurried through the unsightly neighborhood she lived in. The walls were smothered in graffiti and illegal ads, depicting heinous crimes and human trafficking.

The constant reminders of violence and despair only served to deepen her longing for a better life. Better world.

Closing her eyes in search of solace, she yearned to reach the safety of her room as soon as possible.

Finally reaching the entrance of the apartment building, she took a moment to gather herself before climbing the stairs, her determination to escape this bleak reality growing stronger with each step.

After she reached her apartment door, a sense of exhaustion washed over her, both physically and emotionally. She typed her code in and the door unlocked with a quiet clap.

As she stepped into the darkness, a glimmer of hope flickered within her. Despite the emptiness that surrounded her, she knew she was about to get away from this all. With a deep breath, she switched on the lights and stepped in.

A numb pain rose from her abdomen, a constant reminder of her hunger.

Anna prepared the protein brick she got yesterday and set it aside to eat it later. The shower can wait too.

Her body moved on its own and before she knew it, she woke up fully covered in their blanket. Alone.