"Adam. Aren't you… tired? I can carry her."
"No, it's okay. Holding her… calms me down. Just hold on to our weapons."
Minutes passed. Adam and the group had already put distance between themselves and the restaurant, leaving behind the brutality that had been served inside.
But really—were they leaving anything behind at all?
As long as they remained inside the Dome, as long as they moved through its streets, carnage would follow.
Smoke had swallowed the sky now, turning their world into an endless haze of gray and fire. Explosions echoed in the distance—maybe from stoves left on, gas leaks, failing power grids. Maybe from something else entirely.
But none of it mattered. Not now.
Because right now, it was quiet.
And for a fleeting moment, they could pretend everything was okay.
Adam walked in silence, cradling Samantha against his chest. Her tiny, rhythmic breaths were a sanctuary to him—a fragile moment of peace in the aftermath of what he had done.
Grace walked beside him, fixing her daughter's hair. She, too, now wore armor—oversized, sure, but better than nothing.
She glanced at Adam, lips parting as if searching for the right thing to say. His face was distant, lost in the weight of his own thoughts.
And of course, Grace noticed this.
"It's… normal to feel guilty." She sighed softly. "In fact, it would be weird if you didn't."
Her gaze remained forward, the tone of her voice slightly turning deep..
"That just means you're a good person, Adam. A much better person than me. When I saw all those bodies, I felt disgusted at first. But then… in my mind, I thought… they deserved it. And if I had your ability—"
Her fingers curled into her palms, her voice trembling with rage.
"I would have done worse. To protect my daughter. I'm… I'm even using you, Adam."
Adam turned his head, watching her for a moment. Then, his gaze drifted back ahead.
"Thank you," he murmured. "For trying to make me feel better."
Grace let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head.
"Well, that's the only thing I can do. Is it… working?"
"Yes. Thank you. And…I do think I'm using you too."
"How...?"
"I don't know yet."
"Hmm," Grace hummed.
And silence followed, but this time, it didn't last long.
"It's kind of beautiful, isn't it?" Grace whispered.
Adam blinked. "What is?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she tilted her chin upward.
The electronic billboards lining the buildings still flickered with life, displaying commercials and the frozen faces of Heroes. Their soft glow bled through the rising smoke, blending into the darkened sky—
Almost like an aurora.
Adam also said nothing. The two simply walked, silently admiring the eerie beauty above them.
But their moment was short-lived.
"Where are you even leading us!? Shouldn't we… shouldn't we try killing some people!?"
"That–that's right! Even if we win the Game now, it would mean nothing if we don't raise our stats!"
Unfortunately for Adam and Grace, they weren't actually alone. The other people hiding in the restaurant chose to follow them.
"You're a Hero! You should be protecting us!"
Adam closed his eyes and sighed. Even with the bright Red Halo hovering above his head—just like the rest of them—the others still thought he was a Hero.
He couldn't really blame them, not after what he had just shown them. And yet, he also couldn't just leave them behind to die.
Grace, noticing the complicated expression on his face, chuckled and shook her head.
"See? You're a better person than me. I would've already told them to go eff themselves."
She glanced back at the others, watching them continue to bicker and complain. Adam, however, ignored them completely.
He wasn't really leading them anywhere. They were simply heading toward the enemy team's Outer Crystal—that was the only plan the IBAA had given them.
Their only strategy? The path of least resistance.
They moved carefully, avoiding even the slightest noise. Whether it came from an ally or an enemy, Adam wasn't willing to take any chances.
Unfortunately, silence was a luxury they weren't afforded. The murmuring behind them continued. But after a while, Adam noticed Grace sneaking glances at the halo on his head.
"Are you wondering if I'm actually a Hero?" he asked with a sigh.
Grace's eyes widened. She quickly looked straight ahead, waving a hand dismissively.
"Me? No, psh. I'm… I'm not. And besides, you are a hero—and I don't mean like those two from earlier, Muzan and… Hilda? I mean, you're a real hero."
"I'm… not." Adam let out a louder sigh. "And I'm not a Hero. This… is actually my first time in the Game."
"O… Oh?" Grace's eyes widened even further as she turned to him. "Wait, then… are you saying you had these abilities—"
"For as long as I can remember."
Adam! Don't say anything! She'll think you're a freak, and she won't talk to you again!
His thoughts screamed at him, but he pushed them aside with a shake of his head.
"I think I was born this way. I don't really know… My earliest memory was being in a hospital. Hundreds of needles were attached to me."
"No…"
Grace's hand flew to her mouth. Suddenly, everything about Adam made sense—the way he was so distant, the way he trembled in fear, the way he was always on edge.
It all clicked.
And just imagining what he must have gone through made her throat tighten.
Adam didn't need to explain. She already understood.
"I'm… I'm so sorry, Adam."
She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm, rubbing it as if trying to comfort him without breaking him.
"It's okay. You don't have to tell me anything now. You can… you can tell me after we get out of here, okay?"
"I—"
Adam wanted to say something, but before he could, a loud noise stole everyone's attention.
They all looked up—just in time to see a familiar figure sliding down the side of a building.
No, not falling. Her fingers were buried deep into the concrete, carving a trail as she dragged herself down the wall, her other hand gripping a gigantic hammer.
It was Hilda.
One of the horns on her helmet had been snapped clean off, blood trickling down her forehead. It would seem she'd been having it rough just like the rest of them.
No.
She was still in the middle of a fight.
The wall she clung to suddenly exploded. A small, fur-covered hand burst through the debris and wrapped around her neck.
"Aw, shit!"
For a moment, Adam and the others thought Hilda was battling a Dome monster. But when she and her attacker crashed violently onto the pavement below, the Blue name hovering above the beast told them otherwise.
[Helsinki, The Little Wolf Man.]
A Hero.