She sat alone.
A small lightbulb hung from the ceiling, buzzing gently. The room was filled with bunk beds, numerous steel frames lined up in rows. It was a maze of steel cages. In the far corner, in a bunk just obscured from the circle of light, was Aiko curled tight, knees drawn to her chest, arms wrapped around her shins. Her eyes peeked just over her knees, staring aimlessly through dilated eyes at the bunk opposite.
The door opened slowly—metal hinges sighing in protest. Aiko's eyes focused, but her body didn't move.
"Jesus, Aiko."
The voice was familiar, soft—almost a whisper— and gentle.
He let the door close behind him with a quiet click. The sound seemed to echo longer than it should.
He stepped towards Aiko gently, each step deliberate, and once he stepped into the light, his brown hair and eyes glowed. As he approached, he hesitated ever so slightly, his hand twitching towards his sleeve before dropping back to his side. Aiko's eyes shifted, looking the man up and down. It was Nozomi. She shifted her posture, rotated on her rear and hung her legs down the side, feet touching the floor.
She didn't answer. Her gaze dropped back to her knees. A muscle jumped in her jaw.
Nozomi slowly exhaled.
"You've been in here since we got back."
No answer.
He waited. The silence was palpable, like it was there in the room with them.
Aiko's shoulders twitched. She pressed her forehead harder against her knees.
He lowered himself onto the bunk opposite hers. The frame creaked under his weight. He rested his elbows on his knees, hands loosely clasped, thumbs brushing back and forth against each other in the small space between them.
"Come on. Talk."
He spoke quickly. His voice was neutral, unaffected by emotional biases; he was determined to get to the bottom of what Aiko was thinking.
Aiko's fingers dug into her shins. Fabric bunched under her nails.
"I can't just sit here,"
She whispered. The words came out cracked, barely audible.
"They're still out there. Himiko. Kaoru. All of them."
Her voice trembled on the last word. She swallowed hard.
Nozomi's hands stilled
"I know."
He let the words hang.
Aiko lifted her head just enough to look at him through the curtain of her hair. Her eyes were red-rimmed, pupils blown wide in the dim light.
"Then why are you here telling me to stay?"
Nozomi closed his eyes and pursed his lips. Silence sat in the air for a moment, but Aiko didn't care; she was willing to wait for his answer.
Eventually, he exhaled slowly through his nose.
"I'm scared."
The admission came out quietly.
Aiko blinked. Once. Slow.
"Scared?"
She mumbled
Nozomi looked down at his hands.
"You still need time."
"Time we might not have."
She whispered into her forearms.
"Do you not trust them, in Himiko, Kaoru-"
"Of course I do... It's just... I hate sitting here while they're out there risking their lives."
Nozomi waited, not interrupting her, just listening with his eyes locked shut.
Aiko noticed him. Her blood began to boil.
"You think I'm weak, don't you?"
Her voice cracked on the last word.
Nozomi jumped up, opening his eyes.
"What, n-no I-"
"I mean... What agent gets spooked by some..."
Her voice began to crack. In her head was a collage of photos, all of the rat's layered teeth, dripping in the blood of her allies. the way it stared into her with hunger. She could still feel the breath on her arms—meaty, metallic—popping out goosebumps all over the surface of her flesh.
"Some... Boars... Right?"
"Aiko,"
"I can't take this anymore."
She dug her face into her knees again, hiding her eyes from the world.
Nozomi leaned back, supporting himself with his hands placed on the bed behind him. He stared up at the bunk above him, darting between the small scratches in the frame holding the mattress up.
"You're not weak, Aiko."
Aiko's head lifted—subtly.
"You've seen more in this past month than anyone has in their lives. It's natural for those experiences to stick with you."
"Then why only me?"
"The only one?"
He muttered, now looking through the bed frame.
"You know how many mangled bodies I had to see in the school. Once the op ended, it was the field medics' job to find injured or deceased in the other rooms."
He slowly exhaled through pursed lips.
"The state I found those bodies in, in-in the classrooms."
Aiko sat up, legs crossed. Nozomi looked back at her, his eyes lost all light, dilated and dry.
"Limbs missing, bones shattered. The look on their faces."
He ground his molars.
"Frozen in pain, like they were screaming in silence."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Aiko whispered.
"It's my job..."
He responded instantly. His voice was blank, as blank as his relaxed expression.
"Well, it's my job to be out on the field; I need to get over it."
"But..."
His voice was a whisper; his eyes were locked on his lap.
Aiko rose swiftly.
"I'm leaving, I'm taking the Gurkha and going back in."
She strode off, but her hand floated back for a second. This gave Nozomi all the time he needed to grab it tightly.
They were both frozen in silence...
Nozomi didn't even look at her, just silently gripped her wrist.
"What are you doing, Nozomi?"
"Don't go..."
He uttered—barely audible.
"What?"
"just..."
Grinding his teeth together, he forced out the words.
"Just… stay here…"
"You sound like a dying cat. I'm going."
Aiko shrugged off his hand and walked off, the stomping of her boots deliberate and forced.
As she closed in on the entrance of the room...
"I don't want to see you... like them."
She stopped. Nozomi's voice was finally clear enough to be heard.
"Like what?"
"The bodies… I don't want to have to wrap what's left of you in a body bag. Or worse… not have anything left to take back."
Aiko couldn't bring herself to make a sound. She'd been through this many times with her dad: getting home after being suspended for some fight, then storming off, out of the house when he tried to talk to her, to some woods where she could think alone.
She looked back. Nozomi was still sitting down, hunched over, staring at his lap with clasped hands.
"Is that really why you don't want me to go?"
He didn't answer.
"Is there really nothing that will stop you?"
He mumbled.
"No."
There wasn't a moment of thought between Nozomi's question and Aiko's answer.
"Dammit."
He grunted.
"Then I'm coming with you."
"What are you saying? Why the sudden-"
He jumped up suddenly, causing the bed to creak loudly. His fists were clenched, and his jaw was clamped hard.
"If I can't convince you to stay, then I'm gonna make sure you get back home safe."
Aiko grinned slightly before raising her hand out, open—inviting.
He took the invite, striding over to her, offering out his own.
Their hands locked in a firm grip—a declaration.
"You my chauffeur now?"
"Nope, I'm your bodyguard, just like Himiko ordered."
"Right... Get the Gurkha ready, I'm getting my rifle."
"It won't be that simple, unfortunately."
"What do you mean?"
"Himiko ordered that you be restricted from leaving."
"So... All this was pointless anyway?"
"Not quite, not if we plan an escape..."
A couple of minutes later, the bunk room door opened.
The corridor outside was quiet except for the distant hum of the base generators and the occasional bootstep from the ready-room down the hall. Nozomi moved first, holding the door open just wide enough for Aiko to slip through behind him. Her rifle was still in the armoury, and the Gurkha was parked in the small motor pool outside.
They moved fast and low, keeping to the shadowed side of the hallway. Aiko's breathing was still too quick—shallow, audible even through her nose. Nozomi glanced back once, eyes tight with worry, but said nothing. He knew if he spoke now, she might stop.
The armoury sat at the end of the corridor, lit by a single cold bulb. An agent, Ellis, stood inside, back half-turned, logging gear returns on a clipboard, humming under his breath.
Nozomi pressed himself against the wall just outside the door. Aiko mirrored him.
"Wait."
He whispered.
The door swung open. Nozomi strolled in.
"Ellis. How's it going?"
The armourer turned, startled but calm.
"Not bad. What brings you here?"
"Bored out of my skull."
Aiko slipped through behind him — low, silent.
Ellis's pen paused. His eyes flicked to the cage, then to Nozomi.
"Armoury's an odd choice for boredom."
Nozomi stepped sideways, blocking the view.
"Checking Aiko's gear. She's… feeling down."
Ellis hummed, noncommittal.
Aiko reached the cage. Wrapped her hands around the rifle stock. Slipped the sling over her shoulder.
Ellis's pen paused.
He glanced sideways—saw the empty spot where the sniper rifle had been.
A long beat.
His eyes met Nozomi's.
Nozomi didn't flinch.
Ellis exhaled through his nose — not quite a sigh.
The corner of his mouth twitched — the smallest, knowing half-smile.
"Nothing,"
He said, voice flat.
"You can go now."
He turned back to the clipboard.
Didn't look up again.
Nozomi nodded once—slow.
"See you, Ellis."
"Take good care of Aiko."
Nozomi froze for half a second.
Then he left. The door clicked shut behind him.
Once the armourer heard the click of the door closing, he traced his pen down the list of weapons, down to a sniper rifle. He signed under the box that says borrowed.
Nozomi closed the door, making sure he heard the click.
Aiko was already there, standing against the wall of the corridor.
She stared at the muzzle.
Her fingers curled around the stock — cool, familiar weight settling into her palm.
The sling slid over her shoulder like it had never left.
A small, fierce breath escaped her.
Her third arm was back.
She heard the click and greeted Nozomi with a smile.
"How was that for stealth?"
"Perfectly executed."
He answered.
"Let's go."
Nozomi jolted his head to the right of the door, legs following. Aiko paced towards him, echoing his movements.
The two turned the corner, entering a long corridor. At the end was a door with a sign that said Motor Pool. The door hissed. Aiko jumped back behind the corner.
Two logistic techs stepped through, laughing with each other. Nozomi stood at the end and greeted them with a smile.
His smile fell on blind eyes; they were too engrossed in their conversation to notice. They entered through a door.
Nozomi turned to Aiko, hiding behind the corner, and nodded.
They made it.
Diesel and rubber filled the air. Steel rows of Jeeps and vans stood in formation. Nozomi scanned the area, car by car, looking for where he parked the Gurkha. He found it in the far corner.
He went first, crouching down, carefully stepping into the space between the jeeps.
Aiko waited a moment, checked both ways, and followed.
The two slipped between the two-tonne bodies, passing jeep after jeep.
"There it is"
He pointed.
"Stay low."
Nozomi opened the back door, waving frantically for Aiko to get in. She complied.
She scrambled in, staying low lest they attract attention.
Nozomi followed suit, crawling into the driver's seat. He started the engine and looked at the front mirror, where Aiko's eyes met his.
"You sure? No turning back now."
"Go."
One of the technicians banged on the window, shouting something neither of them could make out.
Nozomi glanced at him, eyes stretched as wide as they could, brows low and tense. The man stepped back.
In the side mirror, Aiko saw lights flick on behind them. A radio crackled somewhere — "Motor pool, unauthorised vehicle exit. Pursue."
Nozomi gripped the steering wheel tightly until his knuckles turned white. The leather groaned.
He pulled the handbrake and slammed his foot on the accelerator.
The wheels screeched as he zoomed out of the parking lot.
A second technician stepped into the lane, waving their arms.
Nozomi swerved—tyres screeched—the man dove aside at the last second.
Aiko's heart slammed against her ribs.
She could faintly taste metal in her mouth, and in the back of her mind, she could see those teeth.
She swallowed it all down.
The base shrank behind them.
The giant trees loomed ahead.