A single fluorescent tube buzzed overhead, its light harsh and uneven, casting long shadows across the maps. Aki had repurposed the storage room into an improvised command center. Near the far wall, Ren sat hunched on a crate. Muffled voices and footsteps leaked through the door, alien sounds after the past few days. A single scuff mark on the concrete floor held his attention.

  Yuka.

  He saw her in his mind—perched behind her desk, round frames sliding down her nose as she scribbled notes in quick, decisive strokes. His fingers curled into his palms until the nails bit flesh. He could’ve done it differently. He didn’t. Now she lay dead somewhere because he’d run, too scared to act. His jaw tightened until something popped.

  I should’ve done something.

  But saving her meant risking everyone else—didn’t it?

  “Ren.” A weight settled on his shoulder, grounding him. “I need you with me.”

  He blinked. The room came back into focus piece by piece. Aki sat before him, lips pressed into a thin line, taking him in, reading every flicker of expression.

  “I’m here,” he managed.

  Her touch skimmed his temple, a reflex born of concern. “You’re freezing.”

  The truth caught behind his teeth. Yuka’s face flickered behind his eyelids. The same failures, circling back again. He shook his head.

  “You’re thinking about her. That woman, Ms. Fujimori. You mentioned her before… your councilor, right?”

  “She should still be here...” Somewhere out there, Yuka’s body lay abandoned, staring up at an indifferent sky.

  Aki reached across, steadying his shaking hand. “That isn’t your fault.”

  The urge to argue rose and died in the same breath. He turned away. “Have you heard from the old man?”

  Her shoulders sagged. “No,” she said. “The first day, he called once. I missed it. With everything happening… I tried calling back, but…” She trailed off—guilt and exhaustion carved into every line.

  “Hayate reached out to me too. I… I promised him I’d keep Haruka safe.”

  Aki squeezed his hand. “You kept your promise.”

  “So why am I here, really?”

  “We’re in trouble, Ren. What I’m about to say, you can’t tell a soul, not yet.” Her voice cracked. “It’s about—”

  The door slammed open. “Mom!” Haruka burst into the room, face flushed with anger.

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  Sakura appeared behind her, arm outstretched to catch something already beyond reach. “I tried to stop her.”

  “So he gets answers while I’m left in the dark?”

  “Sweetheart, it’s not—”

  “What? I’m supposed to wait? Until when exactly, when we’re all dead?”

  Sakura caught her wrist, whispering something, but Haruka tore free. Midori hovered at the threshold, one hand half-raised, as if to intervene but unwilling to cross that final step. When their eyes met, his expression folded into apology.

  Aki sighed, and when she did, the temperature of the air seemed to drop. She absorbed the outburst without visible reaction, though her shoulders stiffened. “The door,” she said, each syllable precise as a scalpel. “Close it.”

  Sakura’s gaze flicked between them as she reached for the handle. “You,” she said to Midori. “Join us.” Midori hesitated, but did as he was told. The door whispered shut.

  Ren caught Aki’s sly glance meeting Sakura’s for less than a second, some silent message flashing between them.

  “If you want to be treated like the adult you are, Haruka, act like one. This isn’t about you right now. It’s about survival. Everyone here is hanging on by a thread. One person’s panic becomes everyone’s panic. Do you understand what I’m saying?” The sharpness in her tone faltered as she pressed her fingertips to her temples, shoulders sinking. “I’m sorry, dear. I haven’t slept in days.”

  Haruka’s defiance died away. “I... I understand. I’m sorry too.”

  “It’s alright, sweetheart. You’ve been through enough.” Aki’s voice gentled into a smile. “ After the final flare check tonight, I promise, you’ll hear everything.” Her smile dimmed. “I wish they were with us now,” she whispered. “Your father… your grandfather…”

  Haruka’s fingers twisted in the hem of her shirt. “How can you say that, when you still won’t tell me anything? Knowing how I feel?”

  Aki’s face was drained of color. “Later, Haru,” she said, pressing a hand to her temple. Her knees wavered.

  “Mom?!”

  Ren half-rose from the bench, but Sakura was already at Aki’s side. “Three days without sleep,” she said, meeting Haruka’s worried look. “Running this place, worrying about you. It was bound to catch up.”

  Aki raised a hand in protest. “I’m just a little dizzy.”

  “You should get some sleep, Mrs. Sumire,” Midori said, his tone a quiet anchor in the charged air.

  “I’ll take Mom back with you.”

  “Should I come along?” Midori asked.

  “We’ll manage, but thank you, young man.” Sakura said.

  The door barely shut behind them, leaving a thin strip of light. Ren stared at the stain again.

  “You can be a real ass sometimes, you know that?”

  He looked up.

  “Every time I think I’ve figured you out,” Midori went on, “you’re suddenly a stranger again.” A pause. “What’s your history with them, anyway?”

  “I wouldn’t be alive without them.”

  Midori studied him. “It all makes sense now. And here I thought—” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. I never pushed for details about your life before. Figured some doors are better left closed.” A pause. “I’m sorry about Yuka.”Something shifted. The room wavered—another time, another loss. Leon’s face flickered over Midori’s: “I’m sorry about Sera.” He blinked, and the present settled back in place.

  “It was dark, and I was panicking. I kept looking back—trying to make sure everyone was there. But it happened so fast. They came out of nowhere and… I froze up. I couldn’t move. Not my arms, not my legs. Nothing. All I could do was watch her die, Ren. Kuro had to—” He stopped, swallowing hard. “He had to end it so she wouldn’t turn. And we left her there. We just left her body in the street. We fucking left her there.” When the first sob broke free, he buried his face in his palms, fingers shaking as if trying to hold himself together. “Mom and Dad are probably dead, or worse…”

  A vise closed around Ren’s throat. Comfort, wisdom, even empty reassurances—all abandoned him.

  Midori dragged a sleeve across his face. “Don’t worry about me. Not that we can afford breakdowns now. Always thought a good cry was supposed to clear your head. Bullshit.” He rolled his shoulders back, forcing steadiness. “I need some fresh air. Coming?”

  The thin golden line trembled across the floor toward Ren. He stepped into its path.