Secret Value of Zero, The Read Online Free PDF Page B

a bump. Meke huffed. She was no gentle, delicate thing to be coddled. Still dizzy, she followed Trove into the illuminated area. Arya stood, face drawn in harsh lines by the light.
    The light anchored her mind. Now her mental compass knew north from south, east from west. The faint contours and shapes around her still disoriented her, but less so when she could focus at something.  
    As her mind gained its bearings, the sight of Arya’s face soothed Meke’s jangled nerves. Arya was a known quantity; someone who could communicate with her. Meke had the strange urge to cling onto Arya and never let go.
    Trove jogged to Arya, pointing in the direction of the institution. Arya’s eyes widened as she heard Trove’s words. The next few moments descended into a flurry of motion.  
    Arya jabbed the handheld. Trove was panting and Meke could just make out the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. After a moment of harried conversation, Arya looked up at Meke. “We have to go. The guards are after us.”
    Meke glanced at Trove who straightened himself. She could feel him struggle not to gasp for breath. “Are you sure he can handle it?” she asked Arya.
    Arya looked at Trove, whose face looked impassive as his chest rose and fell. “He’ll be fine. He’s one of the best.”
    Best or not, Meke wasn’t exactly a feather. She was tall and broad in the shoulders, full of dense muscles. Meke supposed even the best had their limitations.
    Trove’s lips moved so slowly that even Meke could understand him. “Arya, I can’t. I’m exhausted.”
    Arya blinked and after some conversation with Trove. Meke stood by, feeling like a broken appendage.  
    Arya said, “Since Trove can’t carry you anymore and we have a limited number of night-vision goggles, you both will need to take the lamp.” She glanced back at the faint figures of Theria and the boy, whom Meke hadn't noticed before, but she had no time to wonder who he was. “Be careful. The lamp may attract the guards, but it seems like we have no choice.”
    Meke’s heart pounded. Despite the danger, she felt relief that she wouldn’t spend the remainder of the night wavering between nausea and dizziness. Meke and Trove walked on, the light illuminating the rocks only a meter in front of them. Whenever she looked up from the light’s glow, the sensory world made her woozy. Meke kept her eyes on the lighted area. Trove kept the pace steady but fast so Meke didn’t think about the institution getting smaller in the distance.
    The hours ticked by and the sun rose past the mountain peaks. The early morning sunlight shone through the tall, thin evergreens, splintering into little rays. Only then did Meke manage a small smile. For years, she had gazed at these wispy evergreens stretching into the sky. Now, she could feel the hard bristle of their needles on her arms and face as they passed through a thick patch of trees. The bristle made the trees feel more real, as if she was part of the world once again.
    Not only did the light bring back the beauty and color to the surroundings, but the light also anchored her mind. She could finally look up from that tiny circle and take in the world around her. Her mind cleared as they approached the others.
    A stocky boy, no more than sixteen, leaned on Theria, stumbling slightly on the rocky, uneven terrain. His blond hair hung over his unfocused eyes.
    Meke had seen him somewhere before. Her hazy memories suddenly cleared. He had been at the institution as well. Meke could see the faint glow of the Zero on his hands.  
    He looked different now. Meke tried to place it. Then the image arose in her head. He used a white cane to navigate the institution’s twists and turns.  
    He was blind.
    Meke wondered why he had been rescued and why only they had been rescued.
    As the brightening sunlight penetrated her brain, sharpening her thoughts, more questions came.  
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    “We lost them.” Arya said, leaning on a tall