Disability

At that moment, everyone fell silent, stopping their conversations as if by unspoken agreement and gazing at the sun.

It passed through the thin mist at a slow yet steady pace, gradually illuminating the world.

"I'm actually surprised you came with us this time," Lin Jiao said softly. "You skipped three weeks of club activities without even saying anything. I thought you weren't planning to show your face again."

"Sorry. Something came up."

"What are you planning to do over winter break?"

Hesta shook her head.

"We still have several events next semester—"

"I probably won't be in District 14 next semester," Hesta said. "Once I finish this term's studies, I may go somewhere else."

Lin Jiao glanced at Hesta. She had guessed this would happen, but she had not expected it to come so soon.

"This is the poetry club's last event of the semester, right?" Hesta looked at her. "So this should also be my last event with the poetry club."

"Where are you going?" Before Hesta could answer, Lin Jiao voiced her guess. "District 12?"

Hesta drew in a breath and looked at Lin Jiao. "...How did you know?"

"I guessed." Lin Jiao smiled smugly and walked around to Hesta's other side. "The situation in District 12 has been making quite a stir lately."

In the distance, two club members took several cups of coffee from Xiang Hanshan and specifically ran over to hand them to Lin Jiao and the others. Hesta reached out and accepted one as well.

"I heard some news," Lin Jiao said. "Something related to District 12. The Mother City over there seems to have been on the brink of disability for a long time. I wonder whether the Quicksilver Needles' disaster has anything to do with it."

Hesta neither confirmed nor denied