The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the dense forest as Kimir led the group of four—Tomoki, Rika, Lukas, and Anya—toward the Nova base. They had been traveling for hours, moving quickly through the trees with the tension of the battlefield still weighing heavily on their minds. The distant sound of fighting had long since faded, but the fear and uncertainty lingered.
Kimir walked ahead, his usual confident stride unwavering. But even he couldn't fully hide the concern etched in his features. He knew that sending the group away from the battle was Kaito's last effort to protect them. The Nova base was far enough away that it offered some hope of safety, but no one knew how long that would last.
Behind him, Tomoki struggled to keep pace, still feeling the fatigue of the days spent running and hiding. Anya and Lukas walked in silence, though every now and then, Lukas would glance at Anya as if searching for something to say but finding nothing.
Rika, however, had barely spoken since they had left the camp. Her eyes were locked on the path ahead, but her thoughts were far from their journey. Her mind was with Kaito. The feeling of dread that had been growing in her chest all day was now almost unbearable.
Tomoki noticed the change in Rika first. She had always been calm, even in the face of danger, but now her expression was tight, her brow furrowed in worry. He jogged up to her, his breath still a little ragged from the pace.
"Hey, Rika," Tomoki said, trying to sound casual. "You've been quiet this whole time. What's up?"
Rika didn't answer right away. She kept walking, her eyes fixed on the ground ahead. After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I… I feel like something's wrong."
Tomoki frowned, glancing over at Kimir to see if he had heard. The older man was focused on navigating through the forest, his back to them. "Wrong how?" Tomoki asked, keeping his voice low.
"It's Kaito," Rika replied, her voice trembling slightly. "Something bad has happened to him… I can feel it."
Tomoki's face dropped, the joking tone he had been using disappearing in an instant. He had never seen Rika this shaken. "Kaito? No way," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "Kaito's the strongest guy I know. He's probably beating the crap out of the Ghosts right now."
But even as he said the words, he felt a flicker of doubt. He remembered the intensity of the attack as they fled the camp, the overwhelming force of the Ghosts. Could Kaito really survive something like that?
Rika shook her head, stopping in her tracks. "I don't know, Tomoki. I can't shake this feeling. It's like my chest is heavy, like…" She trailed off, not wanting to say the words out loud, as if speaking them would make her fear real.
Anya and Lukas had overheard the conversation and stopped too, turning toward Rika with concern in their eyes.
"Rika," Anya said softly, stepping forward. "We left because Kaito wanted us to survive. He wouldn't want us to worry about him."
Rika's hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I know that. But this isn't just me worrying." She looked up, meeting Anya's gaze, her eyes filled with uncertainty and pain. "I know him. I can feel it… something has happened."
Kimir, who had stopped to wait for them, finally turned around. His expression was neutral, but his eyes showed that he had been listening. "Rika," he said, his voice calm but firm, "we don't have time for doubts. The Nova base is still a long way off, and if the Ghosts catch up to us, Kaito's sacrifice will be for nothing."
Rika's gaze hardened, but there was a sadness in it that Kimir couldn't ignore. "And what if he's… gone?" she asked, her voice breaking for the first time.
Kimir walked up to her and touched her shoulder, his expression softening. "If Kaito is gone," he said quietly, "then we have to honor him by surviving. He would have wanted that. For all of you." He glanced at Tomoki, Lukas, and Anya, making sure they understood the gravity of the situation.
For a moment, no one spoke. Rika closed her eyes, trying to will away the dark thoughts. She knew Kimir was right—if Kaito had fallen, they had to keep moving. But the thought of losing him, of never seeing him again, was a pain she wasn't ready to confront.
Finally, she nodded, though her heart wasn't fully in it. "Let's keep going," she muttered. "But if we find out he's… gone, I won't forgive myself for leaving."
Kimir gave her a small, understanding nod before turning back and continuing the march through the forest. The others followed in silence.
Meanwhile, at the rebel camp,
The battle was over. What remained was only devastation and silence. The smell of burning debris filled the air, and the bodies of fallen rebels lay scattered across the battlefield. The once-proud resistance had been crushed under the sheer might of the Ghosts' forces.
Hiriko, the leader of the Ghosts, stood amidst the destruction, his cold eyes scanning the ruined camp. His face remained emotionless as his troops rounded up the remaining rebels—those too injured to fight or who had surrendered in desperation.
One of Hiriko's lieutenants approached, saluting stiffly. "Sir, the remaining rebels have surrendered. What are your orders?"
Hiriko didn't answer right away. He stared at the broken figures of the rebel soldiers, some of whom were kneeling in the dirt, their heads bowed in defeat. Others looked up at him with hatred in their eyes, their bodies too weak to do anything but stare.
"Kill them," Hiriko said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion. The lieutenant didn't hesitate—he had expected as much.
"All of them, sir?" he asked, just to confirm the order.
Hiriko finally turned to look at him, his gaze piercing. "Every single one. We can't leave survivors."
The lieutenant nodded and turned to relay the command. But just as he began to bark out the orders, one of the younger rebel soldiers—a boy barely older than 17—cried out from where he lay on the ground.
"Please!" the boy begged, his voice cracking with desperation. "We surrendered! You don't have to do this!"
Hiriko walked over to the boy, his footsteps slow and deliberate. He knelt down, staring at the boy, who flinched under his gaze. "You think surrendering makes you safe?" Hiriko asked, his voice low and deadly. "This is a war. There is no safety."
The boy's lip trembled, tears streaming down his face. "But… we're defenseless. We—"
Hiriko's hand shot out, silencing the boy as he gripped his throat. "Defenselessness doesn't make you innocent," he said, his grip tightening. "It only makes you weak."
With a cold efficiency, Hiriko stood and let go of the boy's throat. He didn't even turn back to watch as one of his soldiers raised a weapon and ended the boy's life.