Suddenly, Commander Kai's firm voice cut through the oppressive silence of the night. "What are you doing here?!" Her voice came from behind Saiki, sharp and filled with both curiosity and a subtle threat. Saiki froze in place, her heart racing as if time itself had come to a standstill. She hadn't expected Kai to appear at such a late hour, especially in this restricted area of the base. Commander Kai was known to be relentless, never tolerating anyone straying where they weren't supposed to be.
Saiki turned quickly to find Kai standing just a few steps away, her sharp eyes gleaming in the darkness. She was dressed in her distinct military uniform, her presence leaving no room for doubt: she was the uncompromising leader who enforced the rules without exception.
In that moment, a heavy tension seemed to envelop Saiki. She knew all too well that Kai had no mercy for those who broke the rules, especially when it came to restricted areas. As Saiki scrambled to find the right words to justify her presence, she felt an overwhelming sense of discomfort, as if every whisper of the night had suddenly fallen silent, leaving her alone with Kai, whose gaze was now filled with suspicion.
Kai stepped closer. "Nothing here is worth the risk. These areas are not just training grounds."
Saiki managed a faint smile, trying to mask the tension in her eyes. "I was just... exploring, that's all."
But Kai didn't look convinced. There was something in her eyes, something that warned Saiki not to push her luck—an unspoken understanding of what Saiki might truly be up to. "No one wanders here without a reason, especially at this hour," Kai said, her gaze shifting toward the door Saiki was standing in front of. "You'd better return to your room. Now."
Saiki took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She knew Kai wouldn't let her leave so easily. Yet, the sound she had heard earlier—the strange whispers—still lingered in her mind, making her hesitate for a brief moment before she could comply with the commander's words.
I returned to my room, defeated, my steps as heavy as my heart. Tension filled my chest, and each step weighed me down further, as though I were carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. I didn't want to face Kai, nor did I want to return empty-handed from that place. I knew what I was searching for was real—that those whispers were more than just figments of my imagination. But Kai, as I had expected, was there at just the right moment to stop me from continuing my search.
I could see the doubt in her eyes, as if she knew exactly what I intended to do. Even if I had told her I was just exploring, she wouldn't have believed me. But how could I explain those whispers to her? How could I put into words the feeling that had drawn me there? I didn't even fully understand it myself.
Closing the door to my room behind me, I leaned against it, pressing my back to the cold surface. I tried to calm myself, to gather my thoughts, but the sound I had heard refused to leave me. The whispers echoed in my mind, filling my ears, as if they were urging me to keep going, to push forward. There was something hidden in the depths of the base, something I hadn't uncovered yet. That sound... it was important. It was calling to me.
But now, after my encounter with Kai, it felt like I had lost yet another chance. It felt as though I was stepping into a mess far bigger than I could handle. I thought about going to sleep, but I knew sleep would elude me tonight. In those moments, I feared I had stumbled upon something far greater than just whispers in the dark.
Erika was fast asleep in her bed, calm and unaware, as though nothing had happened, as though she hadn't been part of this strange and unsettling night. But for me, everything was different. I felt as if I were standing on the edge of something unknown, something far beyond the simple whispers in the night.
I lay on my bed, my body exhausted as if I had carried an entire mountain on my back. I tried to calm myself, to close my eyes and free my mind from the whispers of the night, but the thoughts raced through my head, each one louder than the last. What were those voices? Why did I feel so compelled to go to those underground doors? Was it just curiosity, or was there something more driving me?
Sleep eluded me, much like darkness flees from light. Every time I closed my eyes, the whispers returned to my mind, and the more I tried to ignore them, the clearer they seemed, as if they were coming from somewhere closer. I knew I needed rest, but my mind refused to grant me peace.
Eventually, after several failed attempts to quiet my thoughts, sleep began to creep in, little by little. My limbs grew heavier, and my eyes slowly closed. Even the whispers, which had haunted me all night, started to fade, as though retreating and leaving me in the dark, where I finally drifted into a deep slumber.
It wasn't a peaceful sleep, though. It was restless, filled with fragmented and unsettling dreams. But at least it offered me some measure of relief—something I desperately needed. I wasn't sure if it was merely an escape from reality or the beginning of something much larger, something I wouldn't be able to ignore forever.
The base alarms blared precisely at 5:30 a.m., announcing the start of a new day. The sound was deafening, echoing through every corner of the base, mixing with the lingering silence of the night. It was like a sudden shock, as if life had abruptly begun again after a long stillness, shattering the restless moments of sleep I had barely managed to find after a grueling night.
I opened my eyes with difficulty, feeling a faint ache in my head, as though I were still caught between wakefulness and sleep. I tried to summon my strength, but my body was weighed down with exhaustion. Turning my gaze toward Erika, I saw her still deep in slumber, breathing steadily, completely unfazed by the piercing sound filling the room.
I had less than ten minutes to get ready, and I told myself, I have to move now—there's no time to waste. The air was cold, and I quickly began preparing myself, my thoughts racing ahead to the upcoming training, the academy, and what the day might hold. Yet, amidst the rush, the same sound echoed in my mind—the whispers from the night before, which I still couldn't shake off.
But today, there was no room for dwelling on the past. I had to be at the training grounds on time, pushing everything else aside. As the minutes passed, the exhaustion began to fade bit by bit, and I focused on getting ready for the day ahead as though nothing else mattered—just the challenges waiting for me and the obstacles I needed to overcome.
I slipped on my fitted black shirt, snug and comfortable against my body, paired with black military pants that perfectly matched the base uniform. The pieces were simple, yet they embodied strength and discipline, every detail echoing the strict orders that governed this place. Beneath the shirt, I wore my silver necklace, the delicate chain glinting faintly in the soft light that filled the room. It was the only personal touch in my otherwise uniform appearance, a reminder of my father, as though it tethered me to his world—the world I aspired to belong to.
I took a deep breath, gazing at my reflection in the glass, preparing myself for another day, armed with the courage I needed for every step forward. This day, like every other, was a new test—a challenge to see how much I could endure and how far I could go. With every movement, I felt the necklace weigh slightly against my neck, as though it carried the weight of history and promises—something greater than myself.
Time was slipping away quickly, and I couldn't afford to waste another minute. I left the room, stepping into the narrow corridors of the base, ready to face whatever lay ahead
As Saiki walked through the narrow corridors, she sensed something strange in the atmosphere around her. There was an unnatural stillness, as if the entire base had held its breath for a moment. Suddenly, the same sound she had heard the night before—the mysterious whispers—echoed in her ears again. This time, they felt closer, sharper, as though they were calling out to her once more.
She froze in place, her heart racing. Her hand instinctively rose to touch the necklace around her neck, as if searching for strength to face whatever awaited her. As she tried to make sense of the moment, another sound broke through the silence. It was different this time—footsteps, approaching quickly from behind her.
She turned sharply, but all she saw were shadows vanishing at the end of the corridor.