Inside his room, staring into the mirror, Kie made a discovery. His tattoo looked noticeably lighter, and his scars had faded. There was no doubt—he stared at those markings every day, so he knew what he was seeing. But why hadn’t anyone else mentioned it? Maybe they hadn’t noticed. Or maybe it wasn’t as important as figuring out what had landed them in the infirmary. Or… was something wrong with his eyes? A storm of speculation ran through his head.

  After a long while of thinking, shaving, and trying to move past his near-death encounter with the Harbingers, Kie finally left his room. He found his comrades gathered by the courtyard pool. He wasn’t about to ask them about his scars—that was too personal.

  Zod lay stretched out on a lounge chair, soaking in every moment of life without pain. Gratitude washed over him with every breath.

  Tee felt the same, though her circumstances were different. Even with Sentinel-level healing, the curse of being a Xeno-victim hung over her. She could still die at any moment. That truth made her value life more, pushing her to act on impulse.

  The windy fields caught her eye, stirring something within her. She stood suddenly.

  “I’m going to the windy fields,” she declared. “Who wants to come?”

  Without waiting for an answer, she headed for the stairway that led down to the compound. The others exchanged glances until Kie finally said, “I’ll go with her.”

  Zod nodded. He liked the idea that no one went alone, though he had no desire to face gusts of wind in his eyes just yet.

  Kie, of course, didn’t leave without his black tab.

  It wasn’t long before Tee sensed someone trailing behind her. Reaching out with her foresight, she recognized it was Kie—just Kie and his tab. She sighed.

  Together, Tee and Kie walked through the compound and toward the imposing gates that stood between towering walls. Tee knew Miko wouldn't have come, her face seemingly fixed with makeup throughout their encounter, and the wind could wreak havoc on her hair.

  The two massive gates loomed ahead, not entirely closed, yet the tall walls flanking them created a sense of restriction. Tee grabbed the oversized latches, pushing one side back, and slipped through the opening. Crossing the wide-open field with knee-length grass, she strode forward, only to remember that Kie was accompanying her.

  Tee looked behind, her white hair billowing in the wind, revealing Kie standing there beneath the cascading strands. With his tab, he shielded his eyes from the gentle sun and kept his bangs from fluttering upwards. In that moment, she caught a glimpse of both his half-open red eyes—they were stunning. But she wasn’t about to tell him that.

  Turning back towards the open expanse, Tee stood firm as the wind whipped around her, assaulting her body from all directions. She stretched her arms wide, contemplating whether the wind would carry her far away from that place if she were to leap into its embrace.

  The roaring gusts drowned out any sound she could make, tempting her to surrender to the impulse to run across the field, screaming at the top of her lungs. Tears streamed down her face, but they were swiftly whisked away by the relentless wind.

  Kie, having reached a nearby tree, glanced back at her and shook his head, a mixture of concern and amusement flickering across his face. Something was definitely awry with that girl. However, he couldn't help but laugh, not regretting his decision to accompany her. It seemed that she possessed a remarkable talent for bringing out his laughter in unexpected ways.

  He sat down and opened his tab, but didn’t get the chance to start reading.

  “You will never break me!” Tee bellowed defiantly, her voice cutting through the howling wind as she looked up at the sky, arms outstretched as she ran.

  Kie heard her and burst out laughing. Tee’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice carrying so clearly through the roaring winds. She froze mid-sprint, arms falling to her sides as embarrassment crashed over her—he had actually heard her wild shouting.

  Turning on her heels, she trudged toward the tree where Kie sat. He was still laughing, and there they were—dimples, the deepest ones she had ever seen. They were so cute it made her weak. How could she be mad at him? Still, it didn’t seem wise to point them out.

  She ducked her head instinctively to shield her hair from the swaying branches, though her bun had already unraveled into a windblown mess. Choosing a spot a little apart from Kie, she settled onto the grass, leaning back on her elbows and gazing up at the towering trees.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Kie returned to his tab, only to read that yet another character had died—the main character’s love interest. He gasped softly. Lowering the device, his mind wandered back to his own near-death encounters, to how he and his comrades had survived. They were almost untouchable. Almost deathless.

  If only his mother had been like that. Then again… wouldn’t it be something, being with someone like that? Someone who wouldn’t die on him. Someone who would stay, unshaken, until the end of time. The thought made him smile, filling him with an inner peace he hadn’t felt in so long.

  When he finally looked up, his eyes fell on Tee—the girl with white hair. Her pale strands almost matched the faded scars on his body. She had always stood beside him in training. Was that a sign?

  “Isn’t it amazing out here?” Tee mused, her voice full of awe. It felt like she was soaring, even with her feet still on the ground. She knew Jack would have loved it.

  Kie stayed silent, his black tab held up in front of his face, completely absorbed in reading. Tee stole a sidelong glance at him before bursting into laughter, doubling over and clutching her stomach.

  “How can you read in all this?” she asked, incredulous. “And what are you always reading, anyway?”

  Kie didn’t even flinch. Annoyed, Tee reached to snatch the tab, but he shifted it out of her grasp with practiced ease.

  “Dammit!” she huffed, slamming her fist into the ground.

  “DGS,” Kie finally said, his voice muffled by the device.

  Tee blinked at him, confused. “What?”

  He sighed and lowered the tab slightly. “Death-Guard Saga,” he drawled, carefully enunciating each word.

  She knew what DGS was—she just couldn’t believe it. Tee erupted into laughter again, wiping tears from her eyes.

  Kie flushed, clearly embarrassed.

  Stretching her legs out in front of her, Tee looked from him to the vast field. “That pile of made-up Mid-Guard stories with more drama than Keeping Up with the Kroones?” she teased. “For people without a life.”

  Kie snapped the device shut and leaned back against the tree, folding his arms behind his head. The tab came to rest across his face, hiding his eyes from view.

  Purple ink peeked out from the edge of his quarter-sleeve shirt. Tee inched a little closer, noticing that the tattoo didn’t look the same—it seemed less vibrant than before. Faded, almost. Was it even real?

  “Your tattoo looks faded,” she blurted before she could stop herself.

  Kie felt a warm breath brush against his arm, startling him into a flinch. A moment later he sighed, realizing it was just Tee.

  “Didn’t want to think about it,” he admitted, lifting the tab just enough to glance at his arm. “But I guess it’s true. When I woke up in the infirmary, not only did I have no wounds, but some scars I’ve carried for years had faded. Some were gone without a trace. I thought it was just me, but I suppose it’s real if you noticed too.”

  “Wait,” Tee said, eyes narrowing. “You mean you had more scars than you do now?”

  He shifted, crossing one leg over the other. “If this keeps happening, it’s only a matter of time before all my scars vanish. Then how am I supposed to prove the things I said happened to me actually did?” His tone was mock-sad, but inside he was relieved.

  Tee frowned, unable to understand why he sounded disappointed. To her, this should have been great news.

  “This tattoo will be completely gone,” Kie added, concern edging into his voice. “And while I’m here, I won’t be able to re-ink.”

  That was what worried him? His tattoo fading? He should’ve been grateful his scars were disappearing. Tee certainly was. If only her curse mark would vanish too.

  Her thoughts lingered bitterly. Why was even his tattoo fading while her mark stubbornly remained? The scar on her neck itched again, but she ignored it. It was unfair—and what made it worse was Kie’s lack of gratitude. He cared more about his tattoo than the miracle of being healed.

  Kie leaned back, reflecting. He knew he wasn’t close to his comrades, but their resilience—how they refused to die—gave him hope. Maybe he could build bonds that wouldn’t break. Still, he feared losing people. Every death took pieces of him he could never get back. His mother had taken the largest piece of all.

  “I’m guessing you don’t like reading, huh?” he asked suddenly.

  Tee turned from the scenery. “Not really.”

  “You’ve been in the MG too. So what do you do when it’s pouring rain and patrol duty’s canceled? You must have a hobby.”

  “I beat a punching bag until it bursts.”

  Kie looked at her, expecting a joke—but she was serious. The moment cut short whatever easy conversation he’d been trying to spark. With a shrug, he went back to reading, while Tee lay back, letting the wind wash over her.

  Time passed, and the sun dipped into shades of orange.

  When Kie pulled his legs in and rose to his feet, Tee glanced up in confusion.

  “We should head back,” he said, impatience lacing his tone.

  “Why? I’m not ready to leave yet,” Tee shot back, brows furrowed.

  Kie turned, walking off with his tab in one hand and the other tucked into his pocket. He didn’t look back as he said, “Fine, stay out here by yourself.”

  Tee clenched her teeth, anger flaring. She jumped to her feet, eyes fixed on the back of his head, burning with frustration.

  “Fine!” she shouted, her voice echoing across the open field.