The passage was on the other side of it and Maya was on this side and that was.....that was done.
Eve felt it the moment they crossed back into neutral territory.
Not dramatically. Just a settling....something that had been tight in her chest for four days releasing incrementally, like a fist slowly opening. She breathed in and the air was normal air and Maya was beside her and her mates were on either side and it was.....
"Okay," Maya said. She'd stopped walking. She was standing in the corridor with her bag over her shoulder and she was looking at the ceiling and her face was doing something complicated.
"Maya," Eve said.
"I'm fine," Maya said. To the ceiling. "I'm completely fine. I'm just....." She stopped. Pressed her lips together. "I knew you were coming. I knew it the whole time. I just...." Another stop. "It was a really long four days, Eve."
"I know," Eve said.
"The food was terrible."
"I know."
"I had nothing to read."
"I know."
