Ants were something to be jealous of.

It didn’t matter how small, insignificant, or easily killable they were. They led boring, mundane lives crawling from one patch of dirt to the other. No obligations to mandatory decorum, no being fashioned into a role in order to keep up the happy illusion of a broken family, and no worries of going insane.

“Seek and destroy,” the robotic voice overhead reiterated that same mantra it did every day. “That is your task henceforth. The original inhabitants of this planet have been forced to share for far too long. A war is brewing.”

Yeah.

He’d rather be an ant.

“Wakey, wakey, bud.”

A gentle shake of his shoulders took Rafe out of the memory.

“Shit,” he swiveled, scanning the dark room with blurry eyes. “What time is it?”

Andre stood beside him with a soft smile. “Just in time to get ready for the Abellon Club’s match. I hope that afternoon nap worked miracles for you.”

Ah, right. He stormed off to have a meltdown in private. Well, luckily, he didn’t