The morning was cold and dull, as it always was. The city was lifeless, and its crime rate plummeted the higher the sun rose. People were getting ready or were already working and Mia was no exception.
Sprawled in her comfy sleeping bag was Mia, who was laying there without a care.
"Ugh, what time is it?" She yawned as she stretched her thin body.
Today was her sixteenth birthday. It had taken 6 years of due diligence to reach her peak. She couldn't even recount the tears that she'd shed on these miserable streets. However, she was happy, as much as she could be.
Hearing nothing, she asked again rubbing her eyes open as she tried to grasp the room.
"Hey Falco, what time is it?"
Around her was their room, it stood, as it always did. It wasn't as nice or comfortable as her chambers back in the clouds, but it did the trick. However, Falco was nowhere to be seen.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" announcing with fury as she stood over his lukewarm sleeping bag, arms crossed.
"I don't think he had work today" she thought while looking around the room again.
Before she left for the kitchen, Mia decided to turn off the heat generator and put it safely under her bag. Her stomach grumbling and done with moving the tin box, she then decided to get something to eat.
"Falco, why didn't you wake me up" she asked as she left the room, it had been barely 5 minutes since she had awoken but it felt so much better. In her words, it felt like "living in a new body". Of course, nothing of the sort happened.
Now in her new and improved body, she should have easily been able to hear Falco's voice, yet she didn't.
"Hey Falco?" she asked, a little louder than last time.
Her stomach rumbled while her voice tumbled around the desolate kitchen, never to be answered.
With a frown, Mia quickly got some nutrition paste and led herself around, trying to find him. She moved towards the living room hoping that a clue would be discovered but the search was quickly abandoned as nothing was found.
"Seriously?" she mumbled under her breath. Her once euphoric morning was now wasted on her silly quest to find her ghostly brother. The chilly atmosphere quickly made her rethink her life's choices as she kept foraging around.
Hoping that her brother was just toying around, she made sure to search the more "obscure" regions of their home for clues. First were the lamps, then the empty pots and only after were the couch and table.
Irritatingly scavenging under the tabletop, Mia panted out her annoyance. "Where are you hiding it!"
It didn't take long to understand that there was nothing.
"Ugh" was the only word she found appropriate.
She was in a dilemma. Should she venture out and find her brother or stay here in the cold, damp, and bug infested house.
"Hm..."
At a standstill. Mia silently hummed her favourite song as she thought. It was her birthday, the day where one should go outside and do some birthday things like splurge on a decent pair of shoes or pants. However, if the world had taught her one thing, then it would have to be that she wasn't safe. Going out alone would bring in the wrong crowd, especially as a girl. How could she travel with Kreds without a trusty partner?
"Well, that settles it..."
Her brother wasn't home, and neither was a message from him. All she could do was wait. And waiting is what she does best.
"Damn it! Couldn't it be hotter in here?"
Cold to the touch, she decided to leave her trusty home under the table and move towards the bedroom once more. Having the door wide open, she laxly strolled in and went right to her sleeping bag. Her cold bones were slightly warming up as she turned the generator on.
Yawning and shivering, she quickly crouched close to the conductor. Her morning was practically ruined at this point. Her brother gone, the house frozen and nothing to do, her 16-birthday morning had practically followed the same routine it always had.
Now with her head lying on the wall, she thought of ways to pass the time.
"I should have some time before I go to work. What should I do? Hm."
It was too early to cook.
The windows and doors were already checked.
Then what could she do? What should she do?
Her body was already warming up and she had already slept. Should she daydream? Mia's philosophical questions were bound to be answered sooner or later; however, nothing truly quenched her thirst, her drive.
Quietly she observed her dusty room.
"16 huh?"
It had taken her 4 years to survive in the wilderness to understand that life is precious. She was only 12 when she had been banished to the "lower world". Her life was blissfully peaceful up there. All she had to worry about was school and what type of clothes to wear. People were treated fairly and prosecuted if they broke any laws. But now, she wouldn't be surprised to hear that parents back home was using Rosehold, the city of the damned, as folklore to scare children. Every day was a struggle for survival where many die stupidly or unjustly.
Sometimes she dreamt of her house back in the clouds, when everybody was still happy, alive, and full of determination to climb up the ladder and make it big.
Letting out a sigh, Mia lowered her head and opened her eyes once again. Her sleeping bag was whispering to her, begging her to dig in and sleep within its comfy insides.
The temptation was truly cunning.
However, she had better things to do.
Her stretching body vibrated as she slowly got ready to move once more. Her limp eyes were glued to the floor and right before she took her first steps, she noticed something sticking to her flip flops.
Curiously, Mia plucked the note from her sandals and thought of flinging it across the room. Her finger, ready and loaded, instantly stopped as she noticed some handwriting. Deciding to amuse herself, she brought it up to her face.
On the crumpled and dirty note were written two words: Happy birthday.
She stared at it for quite a while, not knowing what to think. She had wasted her whole morning searching for a letter, gift or word from her brother and only after she had wasted multiple hours did she discover it.
"Seriously... That's all?" She murmured dumbfoundedly as she turned it around.
With a sigh that hurt more than a punch, she carefully examined the "letter" for any other interpretations. The handwriting was messy, rushed. Typical Falco. The penmanship didn't look superficial. Could he have really given this rubbish to her? She didn't expect much from Falco, but this? A toddler could have done better.
"The least you could have done was to write a proper birthday letter..."
The blooming energy had quickly soured at the sight. Her gaped mouth clearly demonstrated her discontent. Her frowning was unmistakable.
It had taken blood, sweat and tears to get to where she was and now, her brother didn't even care to celebrate it.
"Let him rot" she muttered, though her eyes lingered on the ink.
Almost at her wits ends, she controlled the thought of ripping the paper right then and there. Even if those two words were messily written and meant almost nothing, Mia didn't have the courage to destroy Falco's words. They were his after all... Her anger dissipated to gloominess and that gloominess evolved to disappointment; her face stone cold.
Sighing once more, she carefully picked up the note and smoothed it against her leg, later tucking it into the inner pocket of her coat, close to her heart. It was the thought that counted, she supposed, even if the thought was pathetically small. At least he'd remembered.
Looking up, she silently got up and turned off the generator.
She stood there, nodding at the fact that she had gotten played. Not by Falco but by herself.
How could she have forgotten that he's a boy? One that couldn't even cook for himself as well... Of course, he wouldn't be thoughtful enough to leave her a kind birthday present or letter.
The only thing that can betray your expectation is yourself they say.
Pouting, she left the room without a second thought. The moment she was to see Falco; his death would be unavoidable.
Her footsteps were as fast as they were vigorous; full of gloominess. The once frigid house was now bathed in the golden glow of the noon sun. The cold floor, which would instantly freeze her delicate feet was nothing but a myth; she could now comfortably leave her quarters.
Her nightgown stuck to her like glue and so was her sweat drenched hair; it was clearly time for a change of clothes.
It took only a few seconds to reach her second set of garments.
Her set of outerwear was nearly identical to Falco's, the difference being that it was smaller. It consisted of a bandanna, a coat, a decent pair of jeans, boots and a pair of black gloves.
Unlike Falco's gear, which was either bought or sown here, her gear was made way back when. Her clothes looked brand new and most of them were, at least by the standards below.
Her sweat drenched body was cleanly padded by some left over cloth, and her wet hair was neatly brushed and tied into a ponytail. With her night gown off, she took her time to not wrinkle her other garments; her note sitting closely on the couch.
With each piece she put on, her eyes would linger at her brother's side of the rack. "Where is he" She thought, her eyes drooping much too low. The eerie feeling of her brother being unwell made her uneasy, however her shitty note clearly demonstrated his situation. If he was in danger, he wouldn't have taken the time to scribble such a thing.
That said, even if the note proved his well being this morning, the rack didn't. In her eyes, her neat brother suddenly became wild and tossed his sleepwear on the floor. Why this change she pondered?
Nonetheless, it didn't take long for her to change, even with her drifting thoughts.
Putting his clothes back on the rack, Mia stowed her note in her pocket and got ready for her chores.
Her valuable time was spent getting ready for work and prepping her food. It wouldn't be long before she had to leave.
Time flew by as she tendered the meat, grounded the spices and used them to marinate it. Her knife danced in her palm as she tore through the ingredients like a vicious beast; wanting to ensure that a feast would be served later that day.
_*_*_
Wiping her forehead with her sleeve, she looked at the clock with anticipating eyes. It had taken her 3 hours to get the meat ready to cook—noon was now a distant past.
Stowing her ingredients on the top shelf, she got ready to leave. After all, duty called.
Newly reinvigorated with her new attire, Mia stepped out and locked the door behind her. Her knife tightly gripped in her hand, hidden by a pocket. However strong she thought she was, there was no way that she could win a fight. Especially if she were to get attacked by multiple people. So, the trusty knife that Falco had gifted her long ago had become her trusty companion.
The sun pleasantly hit her as she took her first steps into the light. The splintery floorboards covering the entrance quickly withstood her weight as she made her way down to the rocky road.
Her travels were swift and concise. Sharp alleyways who would confuse its ruling gang members were nothing more than a waste of time for her.
Sneaking past people? Lurking in the shadows? Crawling through dusty pipes and homes? All of these were mere playthings for her; she did learn from the best after all. She wasn't as strong as Falco and nor was she faster, she was actually weaker than most men out there.
Falco had been worried about her back then, when they had first arrived. He feared Mia getting hurt or getting dragged into a fight. So, instead of teaching her advanced self-defence, he opted for agility and prevention. He taught her how to jump high, parkour, scale walls and roofs, and simple things like window jumping. That of course mixed with basic self-defence and firearm usage, Mia was a force to be reckoned with.
It didn't take much time for her to reach her workplace; Zack's diner.
When she had first came here, Mia was quite confused with the notion of restaurants and stores in a place where people kill for food and other necessities. But when there's humans, there is also social division. Zack's dinner, even if it was in the slums, was one of the only "restaurants" in the whole city. The people, gangs and government were all willing to act "civilised" to have a semblance of a working society. All for the little bragging rights one could obtain.
Zack's bright neon lights were the only source of illumination the street had. Fierce-looking bodyguards were stationed along the street; all to protect the diner. Funny enough, the street was one of the safest in the city due to them, even if they were menacing and oblivious to the ''slum rats'' roaming around.
A few steps later, Mia found herself in the bitter turmoil of her workplace. Rows of chairs and benches stood between the customers, many of whom were already seated and ready to order.
Catching her breath after passing through several standing people, Mia finally greeted her coworkers in the kitchen. Her jubilant smile was quickly dyed null as the voice of her boss resonated with the environment.
"The food is taking too long to cook you imbeciles! I wouldn't have hired you if there were other cooks in this forsaken city! Hurry up you good for nothing slum rats!"
''Well, he's happy.'' She thought as she clocked in.
She looked around the dirty kitchen as she sighed. Rush hour hadn't even arrived, but her station was already messy. Frantic people were running around, customers were impatiently waiting for their orders, and their boss was in a bad mood. What more could you wish for?
The faces of the nearby workers worked as a pendulum as their boss came and went; their muscles contracting like hearts each time he strolled around the back area of the diner. Their fear-mongering boss was truly omnipresent.
Mia, finally done with setting herself up, led herself to her position; one that many were jealous of.
Her delicate hands, now set tight in the plastic gloves her work provided, were neatly scrubbing the grime and filth from the dirty plates; her partner doing the same with cups and cutlery.
Many were jealous of Mia, not because they fantasised about dirty plates, but because of the free reign they possessed on the clean and drinkable water that came out from the chrome-like faucet. However, that wasn't the only reason...
It didn't take long for the mountain of dishes to grow.
Afternoon turned into evening and evening crept closer to night; dawn on the edge of coming true.
After hours of work, sweat and busted eardrums, Mia finally clocked out and took off her watery gloves.
Excited that her day finally ended, Mia quickly got up and gave out her goodbyes as she put her coat and leather gloves back on. Her brushing fingers were close to the door, but before she did, the second reason why people envied her popped up and grabbed her fleeting hand.
''Hey good work today, Mia, do you have a moment?''
His deep green eyes, complimented by his wavy brown hair and great build was a sensation between the workers of Zack's diner. Mia knew that it was too good to be true, however, being 16 and all, she wasn't immune to his charms...
Quickly turning around to face him, Mia nervously answered with a tone similar to a gawking fan-girl, waving her fluttering hair back to her ear.
''Uh... Sure? What do you want to talk about?''
Taking a few nervous steps forward, Alex quietly brought up to her face a cute teddy bear key chain, not much bigger than a key.
''Well, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, that's all...''
Her face had visibly reddened and most of the workers there were staring daggers at her, some even clutching their kitchen cutlery in their hands.
Nervously looking at the gift in his hands, Mia thanked him and reached out to grab it while making sure a riot wouldn't happen.
''Stop right there!''
The mood, set up by gift-giving and hours of work had just been ruined by a grating voice delivered in the most suspecting way possible.
Both turned and looked at the boss, whose voice was unrelenting.
''You both know that you can't be selling items to coworkers for customers! Stop that right now!''
Alex, whose face had visibly soured, quickly explained the misunderstanding by showing the item to his boss.
Before his eyes was a teddy bear with a small chain sticking out of its head.
''Sir, I mean no disrespect, but this is only a birthday gift meant or Mia's 16th birthday.''
Having none of it, he snapped and reached for the present, only for him to grab the air.
Alex, having now grabbed his wrist, stared into his eyes.
''Albert, do you understand where we are right? Back off!''
His boss, angrier than he's ever been, took a few steps back and snorted his smartest retort of the day.
''Okay then. Mia, come see me in my office! Now!''
''But—''
''No buts! Hurry!''
Her boss, Albert, had quickly retreated and made his back seen as he closed his office door, its plaque almost falling from the impact.
The silence was deafening. Most of the jealous girls, who were once ready to jump in and hurt Mia, were now giggling while they left the room.
Staring between each other, Mia excused herself before making her way towards his office; making the wordless Alex look at her back as she left him.
Her perplexed face was hidden as she moved through the vacant hallway.
Mia was perplexed. Why would anybody give her a present, much less Alex? And why was the boss so pent up by the gift?
Her heart was beating faster with each step; each breath echoed her nervousness. Her wavering body made her rethink her decisions, would she get fired today?
No normal person would fire a worker due to a gift. But normal couldn't describe her boss. His rotten personality had ruined people's hopes and dreams; his angry screams had deafened many and some had even died.
It didn't take long to reach the impossibly heavy door, whose handle seemed immovable to grasp.
The room was filled with dead colours; grey chair, black desk, dark blue clothes.
She gulped as she awaited judgement; her future on the line. If she were to lose this job, her brother would need to take more time at work. His safety wouldn't be guaranteed, not more than it already was at least.
''Do you know what you've done today?''
She stared at him, waiting to be punished, not daring to reply. The silence was deafening.
With a smirk, he looked at Mia and opened his mouth.
''Due to your breach of the contract and workplace rules, your work at the dishwasher will be revoked and your new station will be garbage disposal. This will be in effect now and as your punishment, you need to bring all the garbage out today as well. You will return to your old station after one month.''
The room had once again returned to its earlier silence.
Mia was heartbroken.
Why must he be this unfair, she thought, but that was life; some segments more unfair than others.
On the verge of tearing up, Mia quietly excused herself, on the pretence of going back to work, and returned to the empty kitchen.
Her painful sighs were drowned in the laughs of the boss back in his office. Did it pleasure him to torture people like this? On their birthday no less!
She vowed her revenge as she grabbed two pungent garbage bags and opened the exit with her boot.
Her vision was plunged in darkness as she closed the door. The rat-infested alleyway was too narrow for sun to illuminate, at least at dawn.
She walked deeper into the back passage as she searched for the lonely garbage can.
The golden sky was the only thing that helped her with her way through the mud and eventually, she made it to the disgustingly full garbage can.
With a huff, Mia threw the bags one after the other, making sure that the mysterious juices withing didn't touch her ''clean'' body.
''A day hard at work'' She muttered as she slowly walked back.
Was it worth it though? Her brother was the one that helped the most with the expenses and if she were to quit, they would still live in the same house with the same people. Her thoughts were quickly dismissed with a simple nod, how could she think of leaving Falco alone like that? Even if he was cold and heartless at times, like this morning, he would never abandon her like that. He would work tirelessly to ensure her safety. She had to put up with this, not for her, but for him.
She blocked her nose as she kept moving back and eventually, she made it to the entrance. However, the door was locked.
''Are you serious?''
She was in disbelief.
Was her boss that much of a bastard? To let her employee rot in a bug infested alleyway?
She knocked and banged hoping for an answer, only for her hopes to be crushed.
''Ugh...''
Her day couldn't get any worse as she squeezed through the tight walls.
Her back was aching, her hands were dirty, and she smelled horrible. ''I'll get him for this'' she vowed as she stepped in rat shit again, who splattered itself on her pants and wall.
Day ran thin with every corner she passed; with each step she took. She wasn't in any danger for now, but night was still dangerous.
Minutes later, Mia finally found herself close to the street; on the verge of stepping on it even.
Having barely any time left until sundown, Mia was expected to run home, however, having noticed something on the floor, she bent down and grabbed it.
Inside her muddy hands lay a keychain, one in the form of a teddy bear...
''Why would Alex leave that there? Did the boss throw it out? No. Alex didn't let him take it. Maybe—''
Her concentration was broken as she heard laughter coming from the exit of the alleyway. Hadn't she known that laugh, she would have run away. Her face grew red as she looked at her boss, Albert, who had just appeared out of nowhere.
"I knew I would find you here." he howled as he gulped for air; his laughter too intense.
"You came here just to make fun of me?"
Mia's mood was abysmal, first she had been switched posts unjustly, then she had been locked out of her own workplace and now the owner is making fun of her? How much more could she take?
"Oh of course not! I just wanted to have a little fun before the main course..." His hysterical attitude was quickly suppressed as he looked at her with venomous eyes.
"..."
Mia was star struck.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know exactly what I want. You still haven't guessed why some of the girls working here have disappeared, never to be seen again? Well, no matter, you weren't the talkative type anyway, nobody would notice your absence."
Her blood ran cold as he kept on talking about some of her coworkers disappearing every now and then. He talked about "Sophia's" disappearance and what he did to her. How "Eva" had been defiant and tried to fight back. Her face grew a different shade of somber with each name mentioned. Amelia, Emma, Olivia. She knew all of them, not closely, but could never have guessed that they had been...
Her vile thoughts were quickly flushed as Albert moved up.
Even though she was disgusted and somewhat afraid, Mia was more than ready to fight back.
"If you don't let me deal with you, Falco will die." Albert's word shook deep, and her heart sank as well as her stance.
Her boss quickly noticed the change and trotted forward without a care. What could a girl, whose weight is inconsequential, do to him?
His frame was like an impenetrable wall, a barrier so limitless that Mia couldn't do anything. It was just like usual, routine like even.
Albert was certain that he could easily take care of the frightened Mia; who was shaking uncontrollably.
''Good thing you understand, Falco would be proud.'' He joyously explained, now only a few steps away.
''I win'' He thought as he reached for her.
It was only after his wrist was violently cut that he understood that he was much further from his reality.
He ducked and weaved through Mia's strikes, making sure that his cut wrist wouldn't get in the way. ''How could this be'' he asked himself. It had been a long time since he'd last felt the unwelcome feeling of pain.
"You rotten little shit! I'll kill you!"
He was angry; angrier than he'd even been. Mia was pushing him. He was losing ground.
The fight had just begun, yet it seemed almost over.
''I'll carve your tongue out for threatening me you sick bastard!''
Albert was on the verge of dying as he kept getting pushed back, the wall only a few centimetres from his back.
Each stroke from her knife swished the air around and made the blood lusted owner fear as he kept cowering away from her strikes.
''You'll regret this!'' Mia growled as she tried to land a devastating kick to his stomach.
''Regret that you'll die a horrible death? Bitch!'' He snapped back as he dodged and swung back with one arm, her pivot foot shifting off her balance.
Being open to attacks, Mia lunged backwards while holding her hands high up; protecting her head from his violent blows.
''Why does this have to be so difficult?!'' He fumed, not caring for a reply.
Both had something to lose, Mia her life and Albert his dignity. How could he dare lose to her, a man so imposing that most would rather avoid him then meet him face to face.
Now much angrier, Albert pushed back relentlessly. His cornered self was about to counterattack.
Mia was scared but not defenceless. She had almost won the fight but now he was becoming increasingly difficult to handle. Having surprised him with her acting, Mia was bound to win against him. However, with him being fully aware of his deception and him being twice the weight of Mia, her chances of victory were getting slimmer as time progressed.
Each blow was dealt with purpose, vigour and a strength that could only be described as horrifying. She would have never imagined her power 4 years ago; however, dark times make strong people.
The fight balanced between the two. Some moments being advantageous to Mia and others to Albert. Time seemed frozen as they fought for survival, hurling taunts between the fleeting moments of repose.
There weren't many things in her immediate surroundings, however. Having been distracted by one of his punches, Mia failed to realise that she had stepped in a hole.
Her stable footwork had tumbled down to a ragged mess of what it once was. Her knee buckled, pain shooting up her leg. Albert resisted the urge to laugh as he sent a low kick, only for it to be dodged at the last second by a graceful half jump.
Mia was exhausted. Her bruised-up body ran low with energy while her buckling knees threatened to give way. Prideful and full of spite, she stood In front of Albert as they took a small second to think before their next attack; her last fight, her last chance...
As if there was a countdown, both lunged and gave it their all. As they came body to body, Mia straightened her hand and threw some leftover mud towards Albert's eyes whilst trying to escape by fainting a hit and lunging to the side, the exit being right behind him. Nonetheless, Albert's strength and experience rendered her attack void as he grabbed her by the neck and dragged her to the ground—her back pinned to the ground.
"Got you now runt!"
His twisted face was a mirror image of his corrupted and irredeemable soul. Mia was truly scared, not pretending this time.
"Get off me you pig!"
She was fighting back.
Her knife was on the ground beside her and Albert clearly didn't pay attention to her actions, if only because he was more focused on his bleeding wound, for the moment at least.
Her fingers edged on the grip, and she had almost delved into his brain before he caught notice and put a stop to it with a solid punch to the face.
She was in a horrible situation. One that could truly spell out disaster for her.
Her life flashed before her eyes. Her dreams, her plans, life goals would all vanish with a simple incident, by a single person.
Her inner screams were running ramp. She was, for the first time in a long time, terrified.
Only a few seconds had passed, but an eternity seemed to have manifested.
"I'll enjoy this."
Closing her eyes, Mia waited for her fate. However, after a few seconds of tense horror, Mia felt nothing coming her way. Instead, a new voice came from the entrance. One that she was familiar with.
"Get off her!"
With a punch to the head, Albert went limp for half a second—just enough time for Mia.
"Mia, get to the exit quick!"
Her saviour held his hand open, waiting for her to take it, and so she did. The light-headed Mia felt her hand tighten in his grip as they ran towards it.
Albert was far behind them screaming profanities. He was wounded and had taken a blow to the head, could he really catch up? She thought rapidly.
She was considerably far as she turned around to check his progress. What she saw didn't soothe her wounds.
Albert was running towards them. It seemed that his wounds weren't as serious as she thought.
Adrenalin pumping, Mia cried out hoping that one of the security guards would come and help, however, their posts had long been vacant.
"Damn that vile pig!" She cursed as they went past the diner. Of course, he would disperse the guards before he did anything. No witnesses, right?
She grew tired with every minute spent running. Albert was somehow keeping up with them.
Her once clean body was covered in mud, dirt and dust as they traversed through shortcuts only her saviour knew about. Relatively speaking, it didn't take long to find their destination, but Mia felt as if it took a year.
"Right there! That's the building!" He panted out as he gripped her hand tightly, making sure she couldn't lose him.
They were close to their salvation.
The building was empty as he kicked the door open and ordered Mia to act.
"Quickly push the closet!"
With their strengths combined, the closet was pushed. Once the door was blocked, he immediately grabbed her arm and dragged her up the stairs. "Move! That won't hold him for long!" he hissed as they reached the second floor.
Running through some rooms, he finally stopped by an open window, its curtain fluttering in the wind like a flag waving by its soldiers.
"This is it. Go!"
The boy, after unhanding Mia, then decided to climb the window and jump down to another building, waiting for her to do the same after a loud thud resounded.
"Hurry!" He shouted from down below.
With the banging of the door downstairs becoming more frequent, Mia decided to trust him and jump down as well, all doubts vacant.
With her landing and almost losing her balance, her saviour quickly steadied her as they descended to its first floor.
Breathless, Mia flopped on the floor and closed her eyes, her partner doing the same.
"Thanks Alex. I don't think I would've survived..." She uttered between her hyperventilation.
She was in disbelief. Did Alex really come and save her? Her of all people? Nevertheless, she didn't really care who saved her and who didn't. She was more than ecstatic to have survived that encounter.
Quickly breathing as well, Alex kindly responded back with a simple "My pleasure".
Mia had no words.