Chapter 19: FREE DAY
The joint training persisted for an additional three weeks, pushing the group to its limits. When they were finally granted a day off, a collective sigh of relief echoed through the base. Eager to unwind, the group gathered at their usual table, immersed in joyous conversations.
Ashley seized the opportunity to address a shared experience. "I wanted to ask if you experienced some pain after the meteor hit?" she inquired.
Myra's eyes widened in surprise, "You experienced it too? I thought I was the only one. God, I was so scared."
Opening up about their ordeal, Ashley recounted, "I was coughing up blood, and so was Josh, and we couldn't move." Josh, sitting beside her, offered a reassuring caress of her hand.
Meanwhile, Thomas, ever the nonchalant one, scoffed, "That's not scary. Try experiencing it while in a Lamborghini with this psycho driving. I legit almost died," he declared, pointing at Dylan, who promptly defended himself, "I'm a great driver."
Ashley, siding with Thomas, quipped, "Now that's scary."
Myra, leaning her cheek on her palm, added a playful twist, "What about if it happens in your private apartment where you live alone, and all your doors are locked?" Her mischievous smile hinted at a deeper, more ominous layer to the scenario.
"That's not dangerous," Thomas asserted confidently.
Dylan, however, was unsettled by the revelation. The realization dawned on him that Myra could have faced a life-threatening situation if help hadn't arrived promptly. The gravity of the situation lingered in the air, tempering the light-hearted banter with a touch of somber reflection.
"Wait, you have your own apartment," Ashley exclaimed, genuinely impressed.
Myra nodded, explaining, "Yeah, my university was far from home, so they got me an apartment. I used it until my final year of medicine."
"Your final year of medicine?" Ashley echoed, her shock evident.
Myra continued, "Yeah, well, I was in my final year before when the meteor hit, and now I'm here."
The revelation left the group stunned. Ashley, recovering first, asked in disbelief, "How old are you?"
Myra, confused by their reactions, answered, "Twenty-four."
A heavy silence settled over the table. Sensing the awkwardness, Myra questioned, "What's wrong?"
"How old are you guys?" Myra asked, attempting to shift the focus.
"We're nineteen," Ashley answered.
Dylan chimed in, "I'm twenty-four too."
Thomas, always the blunt one, couldn't resist exposing a secret, "He's lying; he's eighteen and eleven months."
Myra chuckled, "Wow, you're so young."
Dylan, feeling the need to assert his maturity, declared, "I'm not young; I'm a man."
Myra teased, "Right."
The others held back their laughter, realizing that Myra wouldn't be seeing Dylan in a romantic light anytime soon. Josh, however, couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for his friend, who almost looked crestfallen.
"What were you guys studying at the university?" Myra inquired.
"Accounting," Ashley responded.
"I did business," Dylan chimed in.
"Same for me," Thomas added.
"Psychology," Josh said.
Myra nodded in understanding. As they continued their conversation, Ashley noticed a lone goth girl searching for a place to sit with her tray of food.
"Hey, who's that?" Ashley pointed out.
The group turned to look at the goth girl, who seemed to be having trouble finding a seat. Ashley felt a pang of sympathy and suggested, "Poor thing, we should invite her to sit here."
Dylan, however, wasn't on the same page, stating, "Or how about we don't."
Ignoring him, Ashley called out to the girl, "Hey, over here!" waving her hands to catch her attention. The goth girl seemed surprised but hesitantly made her way to their table.
"Hi, are you new here?" Ashley asked.
The girl nodded, replying, "I'm just passing through."
"What's your name?" Ashley inquired.
"Denise," the girl answered.
"Well, you can sit with us until you leave," Ashley offered.
Dylan added a less welcoming comment, "Or you could leave and sit somewhere else."
"Dylan, don't be mean," Myra scolded, attempting to promote inclusivity.
"I can tell you when you die," Denise, the goth girl, suddenly said.
"What?" Ashley asked, stunned by the weird change of subject.
"I can look into the future and tell you when you die," Denise explained.
"That's cool, I guess," Thomas said.
"He's lying; that's creepy as fuck," Dylan commented.
"Be nice," Myra urged Dylan.
"I can check it for you if you like," Denise offered.
"Sure," Ashley said.
"Um, I'll pass," Myra declined.
"Why?" Ashley asked.
"No offense to you, Denise, but the only one I trust with my fate is God," Myra explained.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "Come on, it'll be fun."
"I think there's a horror movie about this," Thomas remarked.
After some hesitation, they all agreed to do it. Denise clenched her fist and opened it to reveal black strips of paper and a black pen.
"Okay, that was a bit scary," Ashley admitted but still wrote her birth date on the black strip of paper and handed it to Denise.
The others followed suit. Denise covered all the strips with her hand and then gave them back. As they read what was on the paper, the table fell silent.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone