The car's hum filled the silence as Jolene and Takeshi made their way back toward Zenith City. Jolene, her arms crossed over her chest, leaned against the passenger-side door, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The weight of what she had agreed to—helping Takeshi, joining the fight—pressed down on her, more oppressive than the heat of the sun outside.
But what other choice did she have?
"You ever wonder," Jolene started, her voice breaking the quiet between them, "if this whole thing's just... pointless?"
Takeshi, his eyes focused on the road ahead, glanced sideways at her. "What do you mean?"
Jolene shifted, resting her head against the window. "The war. The fighting. The Soulbound. We've been at this for years, right? And yet, the Voidspawn keep coming, the world keeps falling apart, and we just keep doing the same damn thing. Over and over again."
Takeshi's grip on the steering wheel tightened, but his voice remained calm. "It's not pointless, Jolene. If it was, we wouldn't be here. The people we protect wouldn't be here."
Jolene let out a low, bitter laugh. "Yeah, but for how long? Look at what happened to Yuto. He gave everything he had... and for what? He died, Takeshi. He's gone. And now, you want me to jump into that same fire? You're asking me to fight for something that already feels like it's lost."
There was a long pause as Takeshi considered her words, his eyes dark and contemplative. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter, almost pained. "Yuto didn't die for nothing. He knew the risks. We all do. But he believed—just like I do—that this fight is worth it."
Jolene's gaze flickered, her chest tightening. "You think Yuto believed that? Or was he just... desperate to prove something? To live up to his brother's legacy?"
Takeshi didn't answer right away. His silence was telling, and Jolene's heart twisted. She had seen Yuto struggle, the weight of his brother's legacy crushing him. Maybe that was why his death hit her so hard. Because, deep down, she understood what it felt like to carry burdens that weren't entirely yours to bear.
"I can't speak for Yuto," Takeshi said finally, his voice thick with emotion. "But I know that he fought because he wanted to protect the people he loved. He wasn't trying to live up to anyone else's expectations. He wanted to make sure others wouldn't have to suffer the way he did."
Jolene turned her head, staring out at the city skyline in the distance. Zenith City—once a shining beacon of hope—now stood as a testament to everything they'd lost. Streets ravaged by war, buildings crumbling under the weight of endless conflict. And in the midst of it all, the ordinary people, just trying to survive.
"People like us don't get to love," Jolene muttered, more to herself than to Takeshi. "We're too broken for that."
Takeshi's eyes flicked toward her, his expression softening. "That's not true."
Jolene's lip curled. "Isn't it? Look at me, Takeshi. I've been locked up for being a prostitute, fighting in the streets, surviving by whatever means necessary. I don't get to be the hero. Hell, I barely get to be human anymore."
Takeshi's voice lowered, firm but gentle. "You're wrong, Jolene. You're human. And you're more than the mistakes you've made."
Jolene scoffed, her fingers tapping against her thigh. "That's easy for you to say. You've always had this... moral compass thing going on. Always doing the right thing, always being the responsible one. You don't know what it's like to live in the gray."
Takeshi's lips pressed into a thin line. "I may not have been where you've been, but don't assume I've never struggled. I've had to make choices—hard ones. I've lost people I cared about. Yuto wasn't the first, and he won't be the last."
Jolene swallowed hard, the sting of his words hitting her deeper than she expected. "So, what? We just keep marching forward, pretending it's all going to work out in the end?"
"No," Takeshi said, his voice steady. "We keep fighting because it's the only way we can honor the people who've fallen. It's how we keep hope alive, even when it feels impossible."
Jolene fell silent, the weight of Takeshi's words settling over her. Hope? That was a word she hadn't allowed herself to think about in a long time. It felt... foreign. Like something that belonged to other people—people who hadn't seen the things she'd seen, done the things she'd done.
As the city came closer into view, Takeshi spoke again, softer this time. "I'm not asking you to be perfect, Jolene. I'm not even asking you to believe in the same things I do. I'm just asking you to fight—for yourself, for the people who still have something left to lose."
Jolene looked at him, her eyes searching his face. "And what if I can't?"
Takeshi's gaze met hers, unwavering. "You can. Because you've already survived worse."
There was something in his voice—a quiet confidence—that stirred something inside her. A part of her that she'd buried deep down, the part that once believed in something bigger than herself.
Jolene clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to suppress the emotions rising in her chest. She hated how Takeshi had this way of getting under her skin, of making her feel things she didn't want to feel.
"You really believe that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Takeshi nodded. "I do. And I think, deep down, you do too."
Jolene swallowed, her throat tight. She didn't know if she believed it. But for the first time in a long time, she wanted to.
They pulled into the outskirts of Zenith City, the streets quieter than usual. The damage from the last Voidspawn attack still marred the landscape—scorched buildings, broken streets, and the faint smell of smoke still lingering in the air.
As they got out of the car, Takeshi paused, his eyes scanning the city before he turned to Jolene. "We have a meeting with the others tonight. You don't have to come if you're not ready, but it'd be good to hear your perspective."
Jolene shoved her hands into her pockets, leaning against the car. "You sure you want me there? I'm not exactly known for my... diplomacy."
Takeshi smirked, a rare lightness in his expression. "We're not looking for diplomacy. We need honesty. And you've never been afraid to speak your mind."
Jolene rolled her eyes. "Great. I'll be the loudmouth of the group. Again."
"Better that than silence," Takeshi said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Jolene sighed, kicking at the dirt beneath her feet. "Fine. I'll think about it."
Takeshi gave her a small nod, then turned to walk away. But before he left, he paused, glancing back at her over his shoulder. "And Jolene?"
"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't sell yourself short. You're stronger than you think."
Jolene watched him go, her chest tightening again. She hated how he could see right through her, how he always knew the right thing to say to make her question herself. But maybe... just maybe... he was right.
As the sun began to set over Zenith City, casting long shadows across the broken streets, Jolene stared out at the horizon, her mind churning with possibilities. She wasn't sure where she fit in this war, or if she even wanted to be part of it.
But something inside her had shifted, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a glimmer of something she hadn't felt in years.
Hope.