AKIHIRO ATLAS
As I continued walking down the hallway, the nature of the weight inside me had shifted. It hadn't completely vanished… no, things like that don't disappear after just a few conversations. But now that weight wasn't made up solely of pain. There was warmth in it, too. People sometimes forget this; there's also a weight that comes from feeling like you belong somewhere. Because the places you belong to don't just comfort you… they also force you to confront your responsibilities, your losses, and the people you love.
As my steps slowly carried me down to the lower floors, the building's nighttime atmosphere began to settle over me once more. The sounds of conversation drifting from distant corridors, the echoes of metal doors opening and closing, the muffled vibrations of mechanical systems operating somewhere… everything I'd carried in my mind for three years was returning to reality.
And to be honest…
I was nervous. I, who had spent my childhood as nothing but a daydreamer, thought I'd grown up over the years. I thought I wouldn't feel nervous anymore about the matters I was handling in my capacity. But…
Even if I didn't want to admit it to myself, I was nervous.
Because meeting Mizu was different. He was my older brother. Deep down, I knew that no matter how much time passed, the bond between us would never break.
But now…
I was about to see the rest of the team.
And looking people in the eye was sometimes harder than fighting.
Finally, I reached the wide corridor leading to the lobby. I stood in front of the door for a few seconds. I could hear the sounds coming from inside—scattered chatter, laughter, the clinking of glasses… it was just another ordinary night for them.
Until I opened the door.
The door slid open with a heavy creak. As it swung open, I slowly began to make out the faces of those inside.
And all the sounds inside…
Came to a sudden halt.
The moment I stepped inside, it was as if time had frozen for a few seconds.
The lobby was still the same as before. A spacious yet unadorned area. The warm yellow lights on the ceiling softened the harsh look of the metallic walls. There were large tables in the center; on them lay half-finished card games, files, empty coffee cups, and scattered pieces of equipment. On the right, one of the large screens was on, but no one was looking at it anymore.
Because everyone was looking at me.
For the first few seconds…
No one spoke.
There was only that expression on their faces.
There was astonishment. Not a single one of them looked blank. Even the face of the one I'd call the calmest had a drop of astonishment on it. It was only natural that they'd be surprised by their captain's unexpected and untimely return.
It took them a while to get over their disbelief that I was real.
Some had their glasses suspended in mid-air. A few had stood up but seemed to have forgotten how to move. And the first thing I noticed in that silence… was their eyes.
People sometimes show their longing without speaking.
And in that moment, I could feel it. I could feel it by looking into their eyes.
Then, all of a sudden—
"GENERAL?!"
The voice echoed throughout the entire lobby.
And chaos erupted.
In an instant, several people leaped to their feet at the same time. Chairs toppled over, someone slammed into a table, another dropped the files they were holding.
And just as I was trying to figure out what was happening—
Someone jumped on top of me.
"AKIIIIIIII!!"
I stumbled backward reflexively.
A slender yet incredibly energetic body had wrapped itself directly around my neck.
"Hikari?!"
The girl, whose auburn hair was a slightly lighter shade than my own—which was a deep red bordering on burgundy—was practically glued to me. With her arms wrapped around my neck and her face buried in my shoulder, she was rubbing against me.
"I missed you so much! I missed you so much! I missed you so so so so much!!" she was practically screaming. "You know, they told me you were dead?! I didn't believe it, but I still cried every night! If you do this again, I'll really kill you!" she screamed, squeezing me with all her might—she was trying to hug me, but it felt like an attempt to strangle someone to death!
"I'm suffocating— Hikari— I'm really suffocating—"
But she wasn't listening.
On the contrary, she hugged me even tighter. I was about to think that no air was getting to my lungs.
While pressing his face against my chest, he was literally rubbing against my shoulder, and he was doing it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Why are people looking at us strangely…?
Wait a second.
Why does everyone have that "here we go again" look on their faces?!
Just as I was thinking that, another voice was heard.
"HIKARI! LET HIM GO RIGHT NOW!"
Asahi Hiruma.
Hikari's twin brother rushed over to us. His hair was a mess, and his face was filled with pure embarrassment. They were always like this. Hikari would embarrass him, and Asahi would try to salvage the situation.
"The General just arrived, and you're jumping right on him! Have some shame!" he said, gently tapping his fist against his shoulder.
"Shut up, Asahi!" Hikari shouted immediately. "I've been holding back my longing for three years here!"
"This isn't 'longing'—it's straight-up harassment!" Asahi replied, in a harsh tone, of course.
"WHAT HARASSMENT? ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Asahi shouted, and everyone in the lobby covered their ears—except Leonard.
I was still trying to figure out what was going on.
Those two… were the first real friends I'd ever had. I didn't think of it that way back then because I didn't know what the concept of a "real friend" meant, but… even before Aurelia, they were the only ones in my life.
Just thinking about it gave me a strange feeling inside. Because for a long time, the word "friend" had felt like something that didn't belong to me. As if it were something that naturally existed in other people's lives but that I could never truly possess.
Throughout the years I spent at the academy, I had convinced myself of this. That my life was empty. That there was an invisible wall between me and other people. And that that wall would never be torn down. I didn't even believe I could be seen as a human being.
I walked among people, but I never truly felt like I was among them. The laughter echoing through the hallways felt distant to me. When I saw students talking in groups, nothing stirred inside me anymore. At a certain point, loneliness had ceased to be a painful thing for me. It had simply become normal.
Because when a person stays alone for a long time… they don't get used to it. They just start to be unable to imagine anything else.
That's what had happened to me. A concept separate from a human being, Akihiro Atlas. I saw an Akihiro Atlas who wasn't human. Perhaps I had acquired this humanity; I hadn't been born with it. Because until I was in my mid-teens, no one had ever treated me like a human being.
I would wake up in the morning, carry out my duties, attend classes, talk to people as much as necessary, and then quietly retreat to my corner. I had learned not to need anyone. Or rather… I had forced myself to do so.
Because needing someone was terrifying.
The moment a person forms a bond, the possibility of loss arises. And I hated that possibility. So it was easier not to let anyone get close to me. It was safer.
But they… didn't care about that.
At first, I didn't even realize they were trying to understand me. Because why would they bother? I was someone who didn't speak, who always kept their distance, who didn't even fully know how to communicate with people. I didn't know how to start a conversation. I didn't know how to make a joke. I didn't even know how to be "comfortable" around someone.
To be honest… the idea that someone might actually want to be friends with me seemed absurd to me.
But they didn't give up. Especially Asahi and Hikari.
They kept talking even when I stayed silent. They sat next to me even when I tried to keep my distance. They didn't take it personally when I acted cold. It was as if they could see a side of me—a side I didn't even want to see myself.
And that scared me.
Because I really didn't know what to do around them.
Sometimes I'd take a few seconds to respond to a joke they made because I was trying to figure out how to react. Sometimes I'd just listen while they chatted because I was afraid of saying the wrong thing. And sometimes I couldn't understand why they kept spending time with me.
But the strange thing was…
They never asked me to change.
They didn't find my silence strange. They didn't try to force me to break out of my shell. They accepted me just as I was.
And I think that's why our friendship was real. Even though I had doubts in the past… I have no doubts now. I locked my gaze on Asahi's face and felt like I was about to cry. Of course, since he was busy arguing with Hikari at the moment, even though he hugged me, he didn't notice I was looking at him.
Because they didn't try to turn me into a "better" person. They just didn't leave me alone.
As time went on, some things had started to change without me even noticing.
The hallways didn't feel so empty anymore. The days I spent at the academy were no longer just about duties. Just knowing I'd see them somewhere created an indescribable sense of comfort inside me.
And the moment I realized that… I was scared.
Because for the first time in a long while, I'd started to fear losing someone.
But at the same time… for the first time in a long while, I also felt like I was truly living.
I suppose that's exactly what friendship was.
It didn't completely erase the silence within a person. But it ensured that within that silence, one was no longer alone.
And they had managed to do that.
I didn't know how to be a friend. I still couldn't say I fully knew.
But they… had managed to reach me despite all those walls. Slowly. Patiently. Without ever giving up.
And without me even realizing it, during one of the emptiest periods of my life… they had made me feel for the first time that I truly wasn't "alone."
"Hm…" I said, thinking seriously. "I guess I really did miss them quite a bit."
Asahi looked at me.
Then he covered his face.
"General…" he said with deep pain, "you really are an unbelievable idiot."
He usually didn't call me "General" anyway—he'd only address me that way when we were in public or in the lobby of the team building—but if you're going to call me "General" respectfully, then why are you calling me an idiot?!
"What? What do you mean by 'idiot,' Asahi—?"
"Never mind."
I think something just happened that I didn't understand… Master Shu always teases me anyway, saying I don't understand my own words. Hmph.
Meanwhile, someone else was trying to pull Hikari off me.
The young woman with long black hair clenched her teeth as she grabbed Hikari by the waist.
"Let go of her already!" she snapped. "General, she just walked in!"
Sia was the quiet, composed woman I'd always known, and what she was doing now was a bit out of character for her. She usually didn't talk much, stayed an observer, and did her job without getting too involved in team matters.
She was a tough woman. Compared to the other women on my team, her soft and sweet demeanor was practically nonexistent. She speaks when necessary and doesn't think about whether it makes sense. She speaks little and doesn't mince words—a strange person, but one of the most important members of my team.
I always thought the reason was that she was a consciousness hunter. However, I suppose during the time I wasn't there… she's changed a bit.
I think it was Mizu who did this… These people, who spent three years under her control, must have experienced the worst possible way to learn discipline… I see a few people here who've been ruled with an iron fist…
"Don't get involved, Sia!"
Meanwhile, Sia was still trying to pull her, and as she tugged at Hikari's waist, I took a few steps forward. It was very hard to stop her.
"I'm going to get involved because you're literally stepping on our general!" Sia shouted as she tried to pull him again.
"That's unfair! I'm just showing my love!" Hikari wailed, her voice echoing throughout the lobby.
At the same time, Hikari wrapped her legs tightly around my back to keep from being pulled away, and as she was pulled, my feet kept moving forward.
"AND SHE CALLS IT LOVE—"
I furrowed my brows.
Why is everyone acting so dramatic…?
Just as I was thinking that, I heard more footsteps.
It was Kai himself.
The moment I saw him, I smiled involuntarily because he was still the same: that tall, muscular man with orange hair, carrying a childlike excitement in his eyes. But now he was bigger than before. His shoulders had broadened, and his gaze had hardened.
Still, the moment he looked at me, the expression on his face completely changed.
"General…"
There was genuine admiration in his voice.
For a few seconds, he just stared at me. Then he pounded his fist against his chest.
"You're back…"
There was such a sense of relief in that sentence that my heart ached slightly.
Kai was always like that. He was strong, but he couldn't hide his feelings. I could clearly see my own younger self in him. Just as I had been in awe of Aiga when I first joined this team, he was in awe of me in the same way. Ever since we started working together on this team, I'd felt like a truly great person thanks to him.
"Hm." I smiled slightly. "You've really grown up," I said.
Kai's face literally lit up.
"REALLY?!" he shouted, jumping up for a moment, then quickly looking away and returning to his withdrawn posture.
"Actually, you're still the same idiot," Sia said calmly.
That was Sia's usual silence. Her long, dark hair fell over her shoulder. Her face looked calm, but her eyes… her eyes gave her away. As she tried to tear Hikari from my body, her eyes resembled those of a beast.
When she looked at me or the others, they were softer than usual.
Sia was never one to wear her emotions on her sleeve. I didn't understand why she was so fixated on Hikari.
"That idiot of a brother of yours isn't leaving, Asahi!" she said, slowly parting her hands.
Then, after staring at me silently for a few seconds, she bowed her head slightly.
"Welcome back, General."
That was it.
But even in those two words, I could feel how much longing there was.
"Yes," I said in a quieter voice. "I'm back."
And just then…
A soft, elegant clap was heard.
"Ah…" said a familiar, noble tone. "So our dramatic return is finally complete."
It was Leonard himself.
As he walked through the crowd, he looked as impeccably stylish as ever. His long, light-brown hair was swept back flawlessly. The dark suit he wore looked more suited to an aristocratic ball than a war headquarters.
But the one thing that never changed was his gait.
It was so graceful, as if he were stepping not on the ground but on people's patience.
He gave me a slight smile as he held his coffee cup with his slender fingers.
"General Aki…" he said in his melodic, noble voice. "Seeing you again… has truly brought aesthetic joy to my eyes."
"Why do you still talk like that?" I asked in a weary tone.
To be honest, I like him as a team member. He was truly a master at casting spells with Spiritual Power and was a great help to Aurelia, but… his way of speaking and his mannerisms are starting to get on my nerves.
Leonard sighed dramatically.
"Because I'm the only cultured person on this team."
I narrowed my eyes, mirroring the expression of someone who'd been let down. My facial expression probably reflected that too.
"Actually, that's just you being weird," I said.
"And you're still a rough-and-tumble blockhead." He smiled. "How lovely. Some things never change."
Normally, I'd get angry at him and launch an all-out attack, but for now, I'll choose to be happy. Because…
The atmosphere in the lobby was slowly starting to return to normal. People were talking, laughing, and trying to ask me questions all at once. Hikari was still wrapped around my arm. Asahi was still trying to pull her away.
And I…
For a few seconds, I just watched them.
A strange warmth formed inside me.
Because there was something I hadn't noticed for three years.
I really…
Had missed this place.
Then my eyes slowly drifted to the far end of the lobby.
And at that moment…
Time slowed down again.
Someone was sitting at one of the tables in the corner.
Alone.
He held a coffee cup in his hand.
And it was as if he'd been silently watching all this chaos from the very beginning.
Aiga. The former general of Team 2.
My breathing slowed involuntarily.
The former general. The man who gave me this mission.
The man I admired.
He looked calm where he sat, but his very presence changed the atmosphere of the room. He was wearing plain, dark clothes, but the way he carried himself was anything but ordinary. When you looked at him, the first thing you noticed wasn't his strength.
It was his weight.
The weight of experience.
The silence of a man who had lost. Actually, I read him in a different, more detailed way…
By looking into his eyes…
He was looking directly at me.
As if he could understand all of these three years with a single glance. Additionally, he had likely had to take on a role similar to that of a general again during the time I was absent. Because a war had broken out…
The warm atmosphere inside the lobby still weighed heavily on me. The faces I had carried only in my mind for three years were now before me once more, and this feeling… was much heavier than I had imagined. Because sometimes people think the thing they miss is a place—the old corridors, the old rooms, the old order… but what truly brings a person home isn't the stone walls or familiar objects. It's the people. Their voices. Their laughter. The presence of those who still call out to you just as they always did. And now, as I looked at this scattered energy spreading through the lobby, I felt it deep in my bones. The childlike admiration in Kai's eyes, the quiet happiness Sia was trying to suppress, Leonard's usual theatrical politeness, Asahi's desperate attempt to control his twin brother… all of this was filling a piece that had been missing from my mind for a long time.
Hikari was still standing too close to me. She had wrapped both arms around my arm, acting as if she feared I'd vanish again if she let go for even a few seconds. When I tilted my head slightly to look at her, I noticed her eyes were still slightly moist. But there was a childlike joy on her face. When you looked at her, you saw someone who had finally found the one they loved, rather than a warrior.
I slowly raised my hand and stroked her head.
At that moment…
She truly froze.
As my fingers ran through her red hair, her body trembled slightly. Her eyes widened. A few people in the rest of the lobby started looking at me at the same time. Asahi immediately covered her face. Leonard looked dramatically up at the ceiling. Kai, however, stood there as if he hadn't understood a thing.
I was just acting normally. Just like always, like Akihiro Atlas.
"Hikari," I said in a calm voice, "can you come down for a bit?"
The girl just stared at me for a few seconds. It was as if her mind needed extra time to process what I'd said. Then she pursed her lips slightly and shook her head reluctantly.
"…Alright."
But even as she said that, her arms still didn't want to let go of mine. When Asahi finally came over and gently pulled her back, she grumbled like a child who physically didn't want to be separated.
"General…" Asahi said with a deep sigh, "you really are an incredibly blind man."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
If he insults me again, I'll beat him up on our training grounds. I'll even break his bones. Aurelia will heal him anyway—so what?
"Forget it."
I really didn't understand what you meant.
But at that moment, my eyes fell upon the entire team again, and something heavy settled inside me. Because now I could see them more clearly. Three years… was changing people. Kai's shoulders had broadened. There was more silence in Sia's eyes than before. Even beneath Leonard's elegant mannerisms, fatigue was palpable. And despite all this, when they looked at me, there was the same thing in their eyes.
Waiting.
They really expected me to come back.
I was silent for a few seconds when this thought settled inside me. The lobby had also gradually calmed down. Everyone was looking at me. And at that moment, I realized that all the emotions building up inside me couldn't be expressed with just a few words.
I took a deep breath.
My gaze wandered over each of them one by one.
And then I started speaking.
"For three years..." I said slowly, my voice echoing slowly in the silence of the lobby, "when you are away from people, you think you will forget some things. You think you'll forget the voices. You think you'll forget the faces. You think the ordinary moments you spent together will fade away over time."A small, broken smile formed on my lips. "But the truth was quite the opposite."
No one was speaking.
Everyone was just listening.
"A person begins to carry... the things he misses the most in his mind." My eyes slowly shifted to the tables, chairs, faces. "At the end of every day I spent on duty, there were some nights... quiet, long nights where one couldn't escape one's own thoughts." And on those nights, I realized that it's not just ideals that keep a person going." My voice has become a little heavier. "Sometimes there are a few laughs. There are meaningless discussions going on around a table. Before going on duty, there are some stupid looks exchanged between each other. One can only truly appreciate the value of things that make one feel at home when one is on the verge of losing them.
Kai's eyes slowly dropped to the ground. Sia's lips trembled slightly. Hikari, on the other hand, had already begun to feel emotional again.
I continued.
"This team..." I said in a deeper voice, "has never been just about people wearing the same crest for me. You were the people I knew would stand behind me when I turned my back. And I realized this…" I closed my eyes and took a short breath. "In some wars, he survives not by the strength of his human body, but by the people he carries in his mind."
The silence grew deeper.
Then I opened my eyes again.
And this time my voice was more personal.
"I really missed you."
This sentence collapsed into the lobby.
Tears started to trickle from Hikari's eyes. Kai turned his head slightly. Leonard closed his eyes and put his hand on his chest.
"Ah…" he said in a dramatic but this time truly emotional voice. "Our general has finally returned home. "
I couldn't help but laugh slightly.
But the heaviness inside me was completely real.
Then I slowly turned and began walking toward the table in the more distant part of the lobby.
Aiga. The man I grew stronger by admiring him.
The crowd was silently moving out of my way. My steps were heavy without realizing it. Because when I was approaching him, I felt not only respect, but something else in me.
I felt confident. This was a physical confidence, different from the one I had received from my master.
Even as someone who has traveled the world for three years, seen countless things, witnessed the worst and most fragile sides of people... I still felt like a student when I sat next to him.
When I sat down in the chair opposite, Aiga took a small sip of her coffee. The calm expression on his face remained unchanged, but his eyes were examining me carefully. It was as if he was looking not only at my appearance, but at all the weight I was carrying.
"Three years," he finally said in his calm voice. "It's on your face."
Involuntarily I laughed slightly.
"I think a little."
Aiga placed her cup on the table.
"Is there anything you want to tell me? You know you can always talk to me."
Aiga was very kind-hearted towards me, contrary to her terrifying side towards her enemies. This was one of the reasons why I admired her. He was an excellent general.
Then, he left it to me. He trusted me with this task, and here we are today..
I took a deep breath and began speaking. I talked about the Sacred Domains. About the months I spent protecting people. From Kings and Queens. From Magnus. From Nyoko. From Team 11's experiences. From suspicions about Black Dragon Company.
But most of all...
I talked about people.
"I noticed something strange," I said at one point during the long conversation. "Humanity is weak. They are too fragile. Selfish. Coward." My eyes fell on the coffee cup on the table. "But despite this... they are still trying to protect each other. Despite everything, they continue to love." I took a deep breath. "And I think that's what changed me the most."
Aiga remained silent for a long time.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
After taking a slow sip of the Aiga coffee, he placed the cup on the table. His fingers remained on the cup handle for a few more seconds; it was as if he wasn't just listening to what I said, but weighing it. The warm lights of the lobby were shining on the sharp features of his face. He was leaning back in his chair with his usual relaxed posture, but there was that familiar depth in his eyes; the look of people who not only hear a person, but read inside him. Then a small, tired but understanding smile formed at the corner of her lips.
"That's why," he said in a calm but heavy voice, as if he was finally expressing the thoughts he had been carrying for a long time, "people have always interested me, Aki. Because what you call a human being is not a complete being. Human beings are constantly born incomplete. They are constantly broken. They constantly make mistakes. And they spend most of their life trying to figure out what that missing piece inside them is." After his eyes shifted to the coffee cup for a brief moment, he turned back to me. "Some people seek power. Some are love. Some want to be forgiven. Others try to understand why they are alive. But at the end of the day, they're all doing the same thing—they're searching for themselves."
His voice was growing deeper and deeper. The other sounds in the lobby seemed to have faded away now.
"And do you know?" he said, smiling slightly. "Most people think that finding yourself is the big end. It's as if they think one day they'll wake up and have all the answers. But that's not the reality." He shook his head slightly from side to side. "One does not find oneself in a single moment. One sometimes finds oneself in the midst of a loss. Sometimes in the eyes of someone one loves." Sometimes, right in the middle of a pain they've hated for years. And sometimes... right when they think they're lost.
Their eyes locked directly with mine.
"You've changed too, Aki. Because you've finally stopped looking down on people and started to see the value of their vulnerability." The smile at the edge of his lips has grown. "That's not a bad thing. On the contrary... this is the transformation of people who have survived long journeys."
He took a deep breath.
"And remember this..." he said, this time in a slower, heavier tone. "Every person finds himself one day. Some people do it early, some people do it late. Some, however, continue searching until they die. But even those who haven't found it yet aren't living in vain." He leaned his head back slightly. "Because sometimes a person lives not to find the answer... but to see who he is while he is looking for that answer."
My admiration for him was not in vain. Perhaps with a general like him around me... I too would be able to find the true meaning of my life. Maybe even I could have been a hero and general like him.
He broke into words again and reminded that he had not lost his ego Decently among those perfect words, "Of course I have found my perfect power and the meaning of my life!" he said, placed five fingers on his chest, and laughed egoistically.
While I was initially surprised when I watched him, I then smiled calmly. I love this about him.
Just then...
The lobby door opened.
And my brother Mizu entered.
The atmosphere suddenly changed.
The team members straightened up by reflex. So I stood up. As people looked at her, they involuntarily squared their shoulders because Mizu's presence was changing the atmosphere.
"Lieutenant!"
The voices rose simultaneously.
Mizu acknowledged the salute with a short head movement. The long dark cloak she was wearing was falling down from her shoulders. In the same way, her bright blonde hair was falling over her shoulders. His face had regained its stern lieutenant expression, but I could still see traces of the previous broken state in the depths of his eyes.
And at that very moment...
Something caught my attention.
My gaze began to wander around the lobby.
I looked around the tables.
To the seats.
To the wall edges.
Then my eyebrows slowly furrowed.
There were shortcomings.
Significant deficiencies.
Suddenly, a strange uneasiness arose within me.
I turned my head and looked directly at Mizu.
"...Just a minute," I said in a more serious voice. "Where are the others on the team?"
Mizu turned her head directly towards me and stared at me angrily for a while. I guess he'll beat me again for asking something else instead of greeting my brother first...
However, then he closed his eyes and lowered his head a little. The way he bowed his head was truly astonishing.
"Jared has been in his room for a while. He doesn't come near us much these days and chooses to be alone. Dec. Aurelia is in the general's room. He was usually there because he was taking care of your affairs during your absence. And because you came early, that girl must be dealing with this kind of thing again. Don't forget to stop by. Finally... Kuren and Kazami…"
Jared…
Aurelia…
There were many things I wanted to think about for both of them, but... My brother for some reason didn't finish his sentence. That's what I'm stuck on right now.
"What's the matter, brother? Did something happen to both of them?!" I asked, raising my voice a little.
Mizu opened her eyes, but we didn't make direct eye contact. Her head was turned in another direction.
"Aki, we have an evening meeting. Generally, you will be there. This issue will be discussed there. For now, let's postpone this. Is that okay?"
The warm atmosphere inside the lobby had changed within a few seconds.
The air that had just been filled with laughter, longing, and complex emotions now felt as if it were being crushed under an invisible weight. The reason for this was Mizu's voice. More precisely... it was that little inflection in her voice. Because I had known him since my childhood. I've been with him long enough to notice even the smallest changes that people wouldn't even notice.
A few people inside the lobby tensed slightly. Even the expression on Hikari's face had changed. Kai shifted his gaze to the ground. Leonard had lost that slight smile at the corner of his mouth.
Something inside me began to slowly tighten.
This was not such a momentary uneasiness. Sometimes a person doesn't immediately realize that something bad is happening; he just feels that the air in the room has changed. He notices that although the voices remain the same, their volume has increased, and that there are small, inexplicable glances of avoidance in people's eyes. And that's exactly what I was feeling at that moment. The moment Mizu's sentence was left unfinished, all my thoughts were focused on a single point.
Why did he remain silent?
This question was echoing inside my mind.
Because I knew my brother. I had grown up around him all my life. I had lived under the same roof long enough to distinguish which silence was anger, which was fear, and which was guilt. And the look on his face right now...
It was the expression of a person who didn't want to tell me the truth.
My gaze locked directly on him.
The warm lights of the lobby were hitting her face, but there were tired shadows under her eyes. His shoulders were as straight as ever. He looked strong. He looked as unwavering as always.
But only for a few seconds...
He looked away.
And that was enough for me.
"No," I said in a clear voice. "No way."
The moment I said those two words, the atmosphere inside the lobby changed.
The area where people had just been talking and laughter was circulating was now slowly sinking into silence. It was as if everyone could sense what was about to happen. Hikari's fingers tightened slightly on my arm. The excitement on Kai's face completely vanished. Leonard's calm smile disappeared.
Mizu slowly turned to me.
His gaze was heavy.
He was tired. It was mixed with anger, but he was too emotionless to speak.
And for some reason, this made me even angrier.
Because that expression... would be on the faces of people delivering bad news.
Pressure started to build inside my chest, but I continued talking.
"For three years I wasn't here," I said, in a tone that slowly but gradually hardens. "I was on duty for three years. I was protecting people. I was walking through death." My voice has forked out slightly. "And one of the things that was on my mind the whole time was this team."
No one in the lobby was moving anymore.
"I'm going back now..." I said, "and you tell me about two important members of the team and then say, 'we'll talk later'?"
Mizu's jaw contracted slightly.
"Aki."
"No." I took a step forward. "Indeed no."
My footsteps echoed on the floor of the lobby.
"Where is Kuren?"
Silence.
"Where is Kazami?"
There was no answer.
And the human mind…
In the silence, he was beginning to create his own monsters.
Suddenly, my thoughts began to spiral out of control. Tasks. Missing reports. Funerals. Failed operations. Betrayal. Death.
No.
No, calm down.
But I couldn't calm down.
Because Mizu still wasn't looking at me.
This... was making everything worse.
"Look at me," I said this time in a harsher voice.
At that moment, the tension in the lobby seemed to become physical.
Kai involuntarily straightened up. The expression on Hikari's face turned to fear. Sia quietly looked up. Leonard's fingers rested on the coffee cup.
But I was only looking at Mizu.
And for the first time...
I was really starting to get scared.
"Something happened," I said slowly. "And you're hiding it."
Mizu's shoulders stiffened slightly.
"Now is not the right time."
This answer...
It also broke the last patience in me.
"I didn't ask you what was the right time!"
My voice echoed in the lobby.
The glasses on the tables shook slightly.
The moment I heard my own voice, I realized how angry I was. Because this wasn't just curiosity anymore. This... was the anger at being lied to when you returned home. The anger of someone who fought for people's lives for three years, unable to uncover the truth about their own team.
My chest started to rise and fall hard.
"I'm still the general of this team," I said in a heavier, harsher voice. "And when I'm told about missing people, I'm not going to ignore it."
Mizu finally looked at me.
And that moment…
Something has changed.
I saw suppressed emotions surfacing in your eyes.
Fatigue.
Nervous.
And much deeper...
There was pain. I knew my brother. I excel at reading him. He was my big brother, always. However, since I was a general and he was a lieutenant in this team, he acted as everyone's big brother.
This made me pause for a second.
But I couldn't back down anymore.
"Aki," he said, his voice getting harder this time, "I told you. This issue will be discussed at the meeting."
"And now I want to speak!"
At that moment, lightning began to flow through my body involuntarily.
First, in small sparks.
Then, more intensely.
The lights of the lobby flickered. Subtle electrical sounds emanated from metal lines on the ceiling. One of the glasses on the table shattered with a faint cracking sound.
I wasn't even aware of it.
Because my mind was now completely filled with bad possibilities.
When Mizu saw this, the expression on her face hardened completely.
"Enough."
That's one word…
He collapsed on the lobby.
But I couldn't stop.
Because now I only wanted an answer.
"What happened to them?!" I shouted. "Answer me!"
And at that moment...
Mizu exploded.
"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO WEAR THAT EXPRESSION RIGHT NOW!"
The intensity of his voice shook the entire lobby.
In an instant everything fell silent.
He really fell silent.
It was as if even the air in the room had frozen.
Even I couldn't move for a few seconds.
Because I...
I had never seen him like this in a long time.
Mizu took a step forward. His eyes were angry, but there was something else under that anger. His anger at himself. Tiredness. The burden it carries.
"You've been asking the same thing since the moment you opened your mouth!" he said sternly. "You act as if I didn't want to talk about it!"
His chest was rising and falling hard.
"You don't know what's been going on here for three years, Aki!"
This sentence…
It sat right inside me.
Because he was right.
And sometimes it hurt even more when a person was right.
Everyone in the lobby was silent. No one was intervening. Hikari's eyes filled with tears. Kai was clenching his teeth. Sia had her head bowed slightly.
And Aiga...
Even Aiga was silent.
This detail really scared me.
Because if he doesn't talk...
So the problem was worse than I thought.
Mizu closed her eyes after a few seconds. It was as if he was angry at himself for shouting. His jaw was still clenched.
But I couldn't think clearly anymore.
My chest was tightening.
It was really becoming difficult to breathe.
Because my mind kept saying the same thing over and over:
Something happened.
Something bad has happened.
And everyone knows it.
Only I don't know.
As this thought grew within me, my anger began to give way to something heavier.
Fear.
I clenched my teeth.
Then I turned my head slightly.
"Okay," I said finally, in a low but icy voice. "I understand."
Mizu immediately looked up.
"Aki—"
But I couldn't listen to him anymore.
I was afraid that if I listened, I would hear something really bad.
I turned around.
And I started walking.
The lobby door opened in front of me with a loud bang.
The moment I stepped out into the corridor, the warm atmosphere inside was completely behind me. It was colder here. The mechanical hum emanating from the metal walls was more distinct.
And the anger I had been holding inside was now beginning to spiral completely out of control.
My steps grew shakier.
The lights on the ceiling were flickering slightly where I passed. Fine lightning bolts were swirling around my fingertips.
Because I didn't want to think.
I really didn't want to.
But my mind wouldn't stop.
Kuren.
Kazami.
Why couldn't anyone look me in the eyes?
Why did Mizu remain silent?
Why didn't even Aiga say a word?
Why did everyone suddenly fall silent at the same time?
My chest was tightening.
And a feeling worse than I had felt in years was slowly spreading throughout my body.
When I reached the end of the corridor, I changed direction without thinking.
I started walking towards Jared's room. Jared's... I couldn't even think about Jared. At the time when I needed to think the most. I couldn't even think about him.
Because right now...
I really needed an answer.
END OF CHAPTER