Leonard and Alann's leather boots knocked against the tiled floor as they made their way to the cell where Leonard would be held until he delivered a worthy explanation to the council.
Normally, head captains from other countries had no authority to delegate actions to Ranger units outside their jurisdiction. An American Ranger Force captain couldn't issue commands to a Japanese Ranger Unit. However, Leonard's case was different.
Leonard had been sent by the American military to Japan to undergo the Synthetic Human Experiment. Before his return to America, chaos erupted, and he requested to remain in Japan. Initially, his request was denied; the thought of leaving such a weapon in another country's hands was unthinkable. After much pleading, he was allowed to stay in Japan—under the condition that he would continue receiving orders from the American Ranger Unit.
After a long walk, they arrived at the door to a cell. The door slid open, revealing a surprisingly comfortable room: a nice bed, a fan, a chair, and a table. It looked more like a bedroom than a prison cell.
Leonard entered and sat on the bed, observing the room's features.
"It doesn't look like a cell," he commented.
Alann smirked and flopped onto the bed, sighing in relief.
"You really think the Chief's gonna throw you in a proper prison cell? Hmph. Give me a break."
Silence filled the room after Alann's remark.
Alann sat up, staring at the tiled floor. His expression was heavy, weighed down by guilt.
"Tell me. How was it? The whole thing?" Alann asked.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Leonard asked, genuinely unsure of what Alann was referring to.
"You know… after you left, I tried to reach out, but… well, everything went downhill and…"
"Are you talking about the experiment?" Leonard cut him off.
"Yeah, yeah. The experiment. How was it?"
"As you can see, I'm fine," Leonard answered bluntly, avoiding Alann's gaze. "Do you have a tracker monitor on you?"
"No! Why are you asking?"
"I planted a tracking chip on her. The sooner we find their base location, the better for us."
Alann's expression lit up at Leonard's revelation.
"So you weren't making that up?! I knew you wouldn't."
"Can you get a monitor?"
"Sure. Let me run to the control base. They've got tons of those to spare."
Alann left the room and returned a few minutes later with a tablet in hand. He handed it to Leonard.
"Here!"
"Thanks."
Leonard took it, entered a code, and toggled on the map, revealing a blinking red dot.
"It's still working," Alann exclaimed.
"And she isn't far, either," Leonard said, holding the tablet up to show the blinking dot to Alann. "You have to show the Chief this."
"Sure…" Alann began to respond, but his words trailed off. His face twisted with confusion as he stared at the screen.
"Err… Leo, I don't know if the battery's dead or if my eyes are playing tricks on me, but the dot… it's gone."
"What?!"
Leonard snatched the tablet back and saw the blank map for himself. His expression darkened as the realization sank in: their one chance of finding Ryuma and Anix's location was gone.
---
Ryuma's eyes were wide, his expression reminiscent of a shell-shocked soldier.
"Hey, don't mess with me," he growled in a low, unstable voice. "What the hell do you mean I'm going to die in five months–"
"The date isn't definite," Nera interrupted coldly. "There's a probability you'll die before then… and a chance you may survive longer."
"You…" Ryuma glared at her.
"I have no reason to lie to you, Ryuma. There's no merit in it," Nera said, her voice as calm as ever.
Ryuma turned to Xeno, who was still examining his physical form.
"Did you know about this?"
"Yes. I knew from the very start," Xeno admitted.
Ryuma lowered his head, his hair falling over his eyes, concealing his fury.
"And you didn't think to tell me?"
"What's the point of knowing something like that–"
Ryuma snapped his head up, locking his sharp eyes on Xeno.
"What's the point of knowing?! That's the question you're asking me? Your people showed up out of nowhere, killed me, then stitched me back together, making me believe I was given a second chance… all while hiding a ticking death clock over my head. And you're asking what's the point?!"
His voice softened, breaking slightly.
"You could've left me to rot, man. You could've…"
"Is that what you really want?" Xeno asked quietly.
"What…?"
"These past few months you've lived—can you compare them to your life before?"
"That's… different," Ryuma muttered, but the hesitation in his voice betrayed him.
He knew Xeno was right. His life since the apocalypse, as fleeting as it seemed now, was far better than the hollow existence he'd endured before.
"I may not understand humans fully, but I was sure that not telling you would help you enjoy every moment without fear. I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry."
"Stop," Ryuma interjected. "You were right. I was already dead. Then you came along and gave me a little more time, a new life…" He hid his face from Xeno, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I'm sorry, man. I shouldn't have lashed out like that."
"Thank you for understanding," Xeno replied softly.
Ryuma forced a tired smile. Now that he knew his life was on a timer, the weight of the knowledge bore down on him. Turning back to Nera, he spoke firmly.
"So, tell me everything."
Nera stepped closer to Ryuma.
"No. I'll show you everything—from the very beginning to now. And I'll show you why I'm not your enemy."
"What do you mean–"
Before Ryuma could finish, Nera placed her hand on his forehead. His eyes rolled back, leaving only the whites visible, and his body went limp.
---
Xeno stood silently as Nera caressed Ryuma's face—though to her, it was Xeno's energy she was touching.
"I thought I'd never see you again, Xeno," she whispered. "All these years, I've been alone, asking why you left me. And now…" She gestured at Ryuma. "This was beyond anything I ever imagined. You've done well. Now, our dream can be realized."
"Is there a way to save him?" Xeno interrupted. "Even if it means separating us?"
Nera hesitated, her expression softening.
"I wish I could, but I can't. You, of all people, know this. You are the human's heart. Without you, he's an empty husk."
"So if he dies, I die too?"
"Technically, yes," Nera admitted
She sighed and moved to Xeno's side whispering in a tender voice "I don't have much time left, same as you, Anix, Nero and the hybrid. But if everything works out as planned then we can at least pass on having fulfilled something great" She looked at Ryuma "I don't know if the dream will convince him, but I have faith that you will. So please Xeno for our future generation play your part diligently–"
Interrupting their chat was a deep gasp of air Ryuma took in as he jolt up from the dream. He was breathing and gasping for air like someone who had just been choked. His eyes wide open as beads of sweat clustered on his forehead
"Nera….what the fuck…did you do to me?"
Even though his question seemed demanding, his expression said otherwise as he gaze at Nera with a face full of pity