Before heading back upstairs, Lion said something to Hault, but from Jason’s vantage point the words were lost beneath the murmur of the lobby. He waited as Hault returned to the counter, the man’s expression tight.

  Hault caught the concern on Jason’s face—mirrored in the eastern woman’s—and leaned forward.

  “We don’t know who they’re after,” he said quietly. “But you’re safe as long as you’re in the city…”

  His gaze swept the lobby, wary, calculating.

  “We can’t afford to cancel all outside requests. Our credibility depends on it. So be careful. If other guilds cause trouble, call us. We’ll help however we can.”

  “But remember—strength doesn’t move every mountain. Politics do.”

  A warning wrapped in truth.

  They were uneasy too, Jason realized.

  The woman approached, bowing slightly.

  “Sorry, but… are you still going to help us?” she asked, her soft voice tinged with an eastern accent. “We need to reach the space shuttle as soon as possible.”

  “We can fight them off,” Tahuuk said before Jason could answer. “We can beat those members from before, and if we move fast, we might get there before that special one reaches us.”

  Jason checked his datapad.

  Twenty hours on foot.

  Two days in reality.

  Barely doable—and only if they avoided attention.

  He turned to the woman and offered a gentle smile.

  “We’ll get you there. But we need to leave soon. If you need anything, get it now.”

  “No—we can leave immediately,” she said with a relieved but quiet excitement.

  They checked their gear and moved for the door.

  “Be careful—and call us if needed!” Hault shouted after them.

  Jason nodded firmly. Greys after them seemed likely—but this request came first. They would face the Greys or the Empire eventually, but Jason shoved that thought deep down, unwilling to face the memories tied to it.

  “My name is Sakura,” the woman said hastily as she walked beside him. “This is my gu—brother, Haruto. Thank you again for accepting our request.”

  Jason gave a warm smile.

  “I’m Jason. That’s Tahuuk—my blood brother.”

  Tahuuk gave a friendly nod behind them. Haruto, meanwhile, walked beside him with a katana at his hip, glaring daggers at Jason for standing too close to his sister.

  Jason subtly shifted half a step forward.

  “What is a blood brother?” Sakura asked.

  “It’s a bond forged in survival,” Jason said, gently increasing the space between them. “Not family by birth. Family by battle. We learned to trust each other’s backs when it mattered.”

  “I see… I have much to learn. I haven’t seen much of the outside world.”

  “What do you me—” Jason began, but Haruto abruptly stepped between them.

  “How are we getting there?” he demanded, voice edged with discontent. “We need to reach the shuttle before it leaves.”

  Jason didn’t react to the tone.

  “We can get past most Grey Sight members. But Valion is another story. If we want to avoid him, we need to move fast and rest as little as possible.”

  Haruto gave him a slow, skeptical once-over.

  “…Fine. As long as we get there.”

  He still didn’t look convinced. Jason noticed Haruto’s grip tightening on his katana every time Jason spoke.

  At the city gate, the security checks were stricter—understandable, given the conflict brewing between two major guilds. It took a while before they were cleared.

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  Once outside the walls, Haruto and Sakura saw it:

  Jason and Tahuuk changed.

  Their shoulders lowered.

  Eyes sharpened.

  Posture shifted into something primal.

  Survival mode.

  Experience carved into instinct.

  They followed the trade road—farmers hauling crates of grain, traders moving between towns. Jason and Tahuuk took front and rear positions, forcing enemies to confront either a wall or a hunter.

  Some farmers ignored them; others eyed their group curiously.

  Jason spoke with those who weren’t wary, eventually convincing one to let them ride his hovercart until their paths split.

  By the time they reached the fork, the sun had dipped low—orange and red streaks bleeding across the horizon.

  They hadn’t encountered Greys.

  A quiet road.

  Too quiet—the kind that sharpened every sound into a warning.

  Before committing to the long stretch toward Bastille, they made camp in a clearing: a grassy field surrounded by scattered trees, with enough cover to hide and enough visibility to see attackers coming.

  As Jason set up his bedroll, he noticed Sakura struggling with the cooking pot. He stood, ready to help—then paused as Haruto’s face flashed through his mind.

  He glanced around.

  Haruto was scouting the perimeter, far enough not to notice.

  Jason stepped closer.

  “Sorry for causing all this trouble…” Sakura murmured without looking up.

  Jason blinked, caught off guard by her tone and the way her eyes lifted to meet his.

  “It’s not trouble,” he said softly. “We all have circumstances. Sometimes all you can do is enjoy the little moments. Back home, I used to watch the sunset… waiting for the tiny chance the Guardian would pass again.”

  Sakura’s eyes brightened.

  “The Guardian? What is that?”

  “A creature in our system,” Jason replied. “A great bird—like a phoenix.”

  “I like your stories…” she whispered, turning toward the horizon. “Let’s enjoy the moment then. Like you used to.”

  They sat side by side after finishing camp preparations, watching the sun slip behind the hills. Its orange light spilled across the field, shimmering over the grass like molten gold.

  Then the grass glowed—

  a lingering reflection that didn’t fade.

  A speck of light drifted upward.

  A firefly.

  Then another.

  Then dozens—red, blue, violet—rising into the sky like scattered stars returning home.

  Jason’s face lit with wonder.

  He turned to share the moment—

  And froze.

  The glow reflected in Sakura’s eyes made her look ethereal.

  His heart skipped.

  His mind emptied.

  A quiet, delicate moment—

  one he wished would last forever.

  Behind them, Haruto watched the two sitting together, uncertainty flickering across his face. He debated whether to step in—separate them, drag his sister away—but hesitated.

  Just as he shifted forward, a large hand settled on his shoulder.

  Tahuuk’s hand.

  Haruto looked up at him, startled. Tahuuk met his eyes, shook his head gently, then pointed toward a nearby tree. An unspoken suggestion.

  Haruto considered it… then exhaled and allowed a small, reluctant smile.

  The two of them walked to the tree and leaned against it, side by side. The drifting fireflies cast soft colors across their faces—red, blue, violet—mirroring the hues in the sky. As they watched the lights rise, the tension between them eased.

  A bond—not of necessity, but of shared understanding—quietly took root.

  Jason felt a connection of his own forming as he looked at Sakura.

  Not romantic, not yet; something deeper—recognition.

  He saw it in her eyes:

  the same kind of pain he carried,

  the same quiet struggle,

  the same effort to stay strong when the world asks too much.

  That reflection pierced him.

  And the moment, as gentle as it was, cracked open something inside.

  His gaze lowered.

  His breath tightened.

  The ache returned.

  “…I’ll take first watch,” he said abruptly, rising to his feet.

  He walked past Tahuuk and Haruto without looking at them. Tahuuk watched him go, concern flickering in his dark red eyes, but said nothing. He knew when to let Jason have his silence.

  Sakura watched Jason’s back as he disappeared into the dimming field.

  The soft smile she had carried moments before faded with him.

  She turned her eyes to the sky again, but the fireflies no longer felt warm.

  Only lonely.