The Citadel of New London was somewhere on the horizon, a grey line only visible on a clear day. Many of Kate’s fellow Underdogs (and classmates from Oakenfold) had died in that grey line somewhere, and almost everyone she loved was somewhere inside the prison at its centre.

She dropped her head, her gaze landing on the village before her. A year without humans had not done much to dent its beauty. The church looked old anyway, as did most of the houses. The village looked antiquated rather than abandoned.

She looked at Raj, whose eyes were open again. Whichever god he worshipped, he had finished praying to them.

‘You know what feels really weird?’ she asked.

‘Hm?’

‘We’re four days away from a whole year in Spitfire’s Rise. And I still don’t know the name of our street.’

‘Be thankful,’ said Raj. ‘McCormick played a smart move, getting Ewan to rip up road signs so nobody could give our location away.’

Then making him rip some up from other villages too, so Grant couldn’t just look for the place without ro ad signs.

Kate smiled, as if the memory had been a good one. In reality it had been terrifying whenever Ewan invited her along. Destroying road signs whilst trying not to read them, since the less they remembered the better. Trying to remain unobservant, whilst looking for the clone patrols that were still scouring the countryside. Knocking down every village sign within half a day’s walk to the east, and then a full day’s walk to the west so that Spitfire’s Rise couldn’t be located in the middle. Every village’s name and identity lost for the safety of thirty-two people, most of whom had since…

‘What would you call this village?’ she asked to distract herself. ‘If you could name it for yourself?’

‘Some things are too beautiful for words,’ answered Raj.

‘Stop avoiding the question,’ Kate said with a laugh. ‘I think it should have some kind of posh name… something-borough or something-ington. What about you?’

There was a noticeable pause before Raj gave his answer.

‘It wouldn’t be right for me to try.’

‘Oh, come on.’

A much longer pause.

Is that nervousness? He’s looking at his feet… that means he’s worrying , doesn’t it?

‘…My taxi to Oakenfold took me through this village every day,’ Raj said. ‘And I could read the sign well enough, so, yeah.’

Kate’s heart stopped. Or at the very least, she could no longer feel it.

‘You know…’

‘Yeah.’

‘All along, you’ve always known—’

‘Yes, Kate. I know the name of this village. But nothing more than that.’

Nothing more was needed. Kate’s arms and legs began to lighten, as if somebody had switched the gravity off beneath her.

For all my years of fighting anxiety , it still doesn’t take much. Even the smallest thing.