Outside the Dome, Present
Ryuga drops from the ventilation exit and lands hard on concrete. Alarms still blare inside. He glances back at the building and sees the hole Raizen blasted through the wall, the damage continuing through two buildings behind it in a straight line away from the city center.
Ryuga thinks.
"Ryuga?" a familiar voice behind calls out.
Ryuga spins. Maruka stands there.
"What are you doing here?" His hand moves instinctively toward Raizen.
"I could ask you the same thing." She glances at the building. "Were you inside when—"
"We need to leave," he says, already moving past her.
"Wait." She grabs his arm. Something in her expression stops him. "I need to tell someone."
"Tell someone what?"
She looks around, checking they're alone. The street is empty—everyone's focused on the building.
"About Niche's family. Mika, specifically."
Ryuga goes still. "His sister? What about her?"
"She’s..." Her voice cracks. "She’s dead. During the Almajara takeover. I saw it happen.”
Silence except for distant sirens.
"Niche doesn't know," she continues. "I told him they went on a trip. I couldn't—he's already carrying so much."
"Why tell me?" Ryuga asks, confused.
"Because you're around him now. Protecting him." She meets his eyes. "Someone else needs to know in case something happens to me. In case he asks questions."
Ryuga processes this with his usual detachment. "You want me to maintain your lie."
"I want you to protect him from the truth until he's ready." Her grip tightens on his arm. "Promise me. Please. Don't tell him."
"That would compromise the efficiency—"
"Promise me." There's desperation in her voice now. "You don't understand what it's like, carrying this alone. Seeing Mika's face every time I close my eyes. Hearing her confused voice asking what was happening..." Maruka’s crying now.
"I promise," Ryuga says finally.
"Thank you." She says after a minute, wiping her face. "I know you don't...feel things. But thank you."
"You should go," Ryuga says. "This area will be locked down soon."
She nods, starts to leave, then turns back. "You really do remind me of someone. It's driving me crazy."
"Many people share similar features,” Ryuga suggests.
"No, it's..." She shakes her head. "Never mind. Just—remember your promise."
She disappears around the corner. Ryuga stands there a moment, filing the information.
Ryuga thinks.
The briefcase – with Raizen in it – is still in his grip. Ryuga turns around and looks up at the Dome, where the glow of the sun pulses unnaturally through the glass windows.
"...Shima. Who are you?" he whispers, remembering the classified file. “What could you be involved in with the government?”
"Hey!" Ryuga hears a guard call out. "You were supposed to drop that off. What are you doing with it?"
Ryuga freezes. He looks away from the sky to the direction he hears the voice, just to see an angry guard marching up to him.
Ryuga thinks.
The guards form distorts, materializing into Arius wearing a smirk on his face.
“You should’ve seen your face,” Arius chuckles. “First time I’ve seen you scared. You really thought you were caught.”
“What took you so long?” Ryuga demands, flustered.
Arius holds up a USB drive casually.
"Late drop-off. Chill,” Arius says.
City, Present
They leave the Dome behind them. The hole Raizen blasted through the wall is still smoking, disappearing into the city air.
Ryuga keeps his pace steady. Arius falls into step beside him.
Neither of them speaks for a while. The sirens get quieter the further they walk.
"You didn't panic," Arius says eventually.
"I was trained for this,” Ryuga responds. “What do you think I was doing for the past…” Ryuga tries to come up with a time for reference, but his mind blanks.
"I know. But hearing about it and seeing it are different things." Arius shrugs. "I didn't really believe it until today."
Ryuga doesn't say anything.
"You're better now," Arius continues. "Before, you just followed Niche around like a lost dog. Did whatever he said. Now you actually think."
"I always thought."
"Sure. But you didn't act like it." Arius glances at him. "I like this version better. The one that makes his own calls."
Ryuga is quiet for a moment. He's not sure if Arius is complimenting him or insulting who he used to be. Probably both.
"Thanks," Ryuga says finally. It comes out stiff, like he's not used to saying it.
"Don't mention it." Arius smirks. "Seriously. Don't. I have a reputation."
They walk the rest of the way without talking, but the silence feels different than before.
Niche’s Room
The sun is setting by the time Niche hears footsteps in the hallway.
He's been sitting against the wall for the past hour, not doing much of anything. Maruka is by the window, flipping through some random book. Shima is across the room, reorganizing supplies that don't need reorganizing.
None of them have spoken in a while. There's not much to say until the others get back.
The door opens. Arius walks in first, shoulders slumped, rubbing the back of his neck like he's been carrying something heavy all day. He doesn't say anything, just drops to the floor and exhales.
Ryuga follows a moment later. His posture is still straight, movements still precise, but there's a slight drag to his steps he's trying to hide.
Maruka looks up. "You made it."
"Barely," Arius mutters, eyes closed.
Niche doesn’t bother to straighten up. "What did you find?"
Ryuga sets Raizen down by the entrance. "A truth buried so deep, I'm scared we weren't supposed to survive it."
The room goes still.
Arius glances at him. Shima's hands stop moving. It's not what he said; it's how he said it. Light. Almost teasing. Like something that doesn't belong in his mouth.
Maruka stares at him.
"I've heard that before," she murmurs, almost to herself. "That exact..." She trails off. Shakes her head. "Never mind."
She looks down at her hands. There's water on them. She touches her face, and her fingers come back wet.
She's crying.
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She doesn't know why.
Maruka wipes her face quietly. No one mentions it. The conversation keeps moving.
"He's being sarcastic," Arius says, filling the silence.
Arius thinks.
Arius shivers and continues. "We confirmed the government's been siphoning energy from the sun. That's what's causing the destabilization. No hard evidence though. Just a recording from some guy named Takeshi. Here.”
He pulls the USB from his pocket and tosses it to Niche, who barely moves his hand to catch the important file.
Arius continues. “Watch it if you've got nothing better to do."
Niche forces a small smile on his face. “If you found this, you were looking in the right place.
Thank you, you two.”
"Whatever." Arius turns around, walking towards the door. "I'm gonna see what's in the kitchen."
"I'll come with you," Ryuga says, following him out.
Their footsteps fade down the stairs. Maruka watches them go, then turns her attention to Shima's limp, lifeless body whose eyes lay on Niche as he rests alone in the corner.
Shima can't stop looking at him.
Shima thinks.
But something in her stomach twists. A voice she can't quite silence reminding her of an hour ago. His hand. The knife. The way he didn't even resist when she pinned him down. The way he looked at her like he was waiting to see what she'd do.
Like he knew.
She pushes the thought away.
"So you're fine with this?" Maruka asks.
"With what?" Shima replies, more dismissive than curious.
"Him." Maruka points to Niche. "The way he doesn't talk to anyone. Doesn't ask if we're okay. Doesn't explain anything. Just keeps moving."
Shima shrugs. "I don't need him to talk."
Her eyes drift back to Niche.
Shima thinks.
Shima thinks.
"Right. Of course you don't," Maruka says.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Maruka doesn't look at her. "You follow him blindly. But it's not loyalty if you don't even know what he's thinking."
"It's not blind. I watch him closer than anyone."
Shima thinks.
“Then what do you see?” Maruka inquires.
Maruka stops. She hears herself. Too serious. Too much like an interrogation. This isn't what they need right now.
She sighs and waves her hand. "You know what, forget it. You probably see some tragic little hero who needs protecting, right? Always patching him up, watching him sleep." She forces a grin. "What are you, his little guard dog?"
Maruka reaches towards the table for something.
Shima sees the hand move. Sees Maruka reach for something and look at Niche maliciously. Shima’s heart spikes. Her body moves before her brain catches up.
She launches off the bed, stumbling, crashing into Niche's corner. Her arms wrap around him, shielding his body with hers. Her voice comes out raw, desperate.
"My king—!"
Maruka freezes, a crumpled piece of paper in her hand.
Nobody moves.
Shima is on the floor, tangled in Niche's legs, arms still wrapped around him like she's blocking a bullet. Her chest is heaving. Her eyes are wild.
Niche just looks down at her with that same unreadable expression.
"Shima?" Maruka's voice wavers. "What was that?"
Shima blinks. The fog clears. She looks at her own arms wrapped around Niche, at her position on the floor, and her face goes red.
"I..." She scrambles off him, backing away. "I don't know why I did that."
Maruka stares at her. The paper ball is still in her hand. Her eyes flick between Shima and Niche, trying to make sense of what she just saw.
"You called him 'my king.'"
"No I didn't."
"You literally just—"
Shima's hands are shaking. She crosses her arms tight, hiding them. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Maruka opens her mouth. Closes it. She doesn't know what to do with this. The worry on her face is real, but she can feel the room getting heavier by the second.
Maruka forces a laugh. It comes out weak.
"Okay, well... I don't know what you two were doing in here before I got back." Maruka drops the paper ball on the table. "But whatever keeps the team together, I guess."
Maruka thinks.
The tension doesn't get a chance to settle. Footsteps on the stairs, then Arius walks back in with Ryuga behind him.
"Heard that whole thing from the kitchen," Arius says. "Door was open." He looks around the room, reads the mood, and grins. "Well, that was a fun little therapy session. We done?"
"Go sort your stolen data," Shima says coldly.
"See? She talks." Arius points at Niche. "Just not to him."
He stretches. "Anyway, I'm out. Need sleep that doesn't involve floors."
"Where are you staying?" Shima asks.
"Does it matter?" He's already at the door. "See you tomorrow. Try not to die overnight."
Ryuga moves toward the exit as well. "I should go too. Need to contact Yuna and report today's findings."
"At this hour?"
"She keeps unusual hours." He nods toward Niche. "I'll return soon."
They both leave. The room feels emptier without them, but the silence that replaces their noise is worse. Heavy. Awkward.
Maruka shifts and glances at the darkening sky through the window.
Shima stays frozen, arms still crossed. She can feel Niche's presence across the room like a weight. She doesn't want to look at him. She doesn't want to think about what she almost did twice. About how part of her still wants to believe he deserved it. The first time, about how easy it was to justify in the moment. The second time, about how it wasn’t motivated by the same desires. She can’t figure out why, but she feels it was instinctive and not a conscious choice.
"I should head home too," Maruka says, standing up slowly. "Getting late."
"I'll walk you," Niche suggests, straining his back to get up. He reaches for a small bag lying on the floor a few feet away from him and tucks it away in his coat.
Shima doesn’t look up; she stays seated. "Don't stay out too long."
Residential District Streets, Present
Niche and Maruka take the long route without discussing it. Both know it leads past the beach.
"Today was...a lot," Maruka says.
"Yeah."
"That bodyguard guy. Ryuga." She glances at Niche. "Still feels familiar."
Niche doesn't respond. He can't tell her the truth.
Maruka thinks.
But something else overwhelms Maruka’s mind before she can confront him.
"You know what's funny?" Maruka asks. "You probably don't even remember, but last month you asked me the exact same question three times in one day. 'Did we have homework?' Every class period."
"I did?"
"See? You forget everything." She kicks a stone along the path. "Important stuff, little stuff. Sometimes I wonder if you'd forget me if I wasn't always around."
"That's not—"
"Remember when you forgot your own birthday? I had to remind you why everyone was being weird." She's trying to keep it light, but there's something underneath. "Or when you couldn't remember my last name for like two months even though we'd been hanging out every day."
"Maruka, I—"
"I'm not mad. It's just... you forget everything important. But somehow I remember every stupid detail about you." She glances at him.
"Why do you remember all that?" Niche asks quietly.
She shrugs. "Someone has to."
They walk in silence for a moment before Niche speaks again.
"I don't mean to forget things. It's like... my brain only holds what's immediately necessary. Everything else just—" He makes a gesture like smoke dispersing. "Gone."
"I know."
"No, I mean literally. Ever since I became..." He stops himself. He can't tell her all about being a sun bearer, about the memories from other lives crowding out this one. "Since recently, it's gotten worse. Like I'm trying to remember too many things at once and they're canceling each other out."
It's worse than that. Ever since the sun awakened and burned out my eyes, I don't even see the world like you do. I'm constantly processing heat signatures, electromagnetic fields, air currents. Every person is a collection of elements I have to consciously interpret.
Right now, you're not Maruka to my brain. You're: carbon-based lifeform, 36.7 degrees core temperature, iron concentration suggesting recent meal, electromagnetic pattern consistent with "familiar human." I have to actively remember to translate that into "Maruka" every single time.
Do you know how exhausting it is to manually convert element detection into "seeing"? To remember that this heat signature is a face, that collection of calcium is your smile?
When Niche stops his internal rant, he notices they’ve reached their usual spot on the beach.
"Maybe that's why we work," Maruka says finally. "You forget everything, I remember everything. Between us, we make one functional person."
Niche nods his head, taking Maruka’s comment as a sign to go back to his thoughts.
But that's the excuse I tell myself. The truth?
I could remember if I wanted to. The element detection takes energy, sure, but I'm a sun bearer. I have practically infinite energy – unless I burn it all quickly by running through eternal flame usage. I could map every atom, remember every conversation, catalog every moment.
I choose to forget.
Because if I remembered everything perfectly – every smile, every conversation, every small kindness – they’d stop meaning anything. Like rewatching the same movie until the scenes become noise. I'll live too many lives, see too many variations of the same moments.
So I have to burn them out. Consciously. Every night, I take the day's memories and let them dissolve. Keep just enough to function, forget enough to still be surprised. For my future.
Better to forget. Better to let each gesture feel new. Better to be the idiot who can't remember your last name than the one who's seen every possible version of you across infinite cycles.
"Is that why you forgot about our study session yesterday?" Maruka asks.
Niche looks at her, confused. "We had a study session?"
Maruka laughs, a hint of pity showing. "No. We didn't. But you didn't even question it. You just accepted that you might have forgotten."
Beach, Present
They reach their usual spot and sit down. The waves are rougher tonight, matching the mood.
"So. Two days left," Maruka says quietly.
"Yeah."
"What happens after?"
Niche reaches into his jacket and pulls out the bag. "That's why I wanted to talk to you. Maruka.” His eyes meet hers as he holds out the bag. “Take this."
She reluctantly accepts it, feeling weight inside. "What is it?" she asks, worried.
"A crystal. Time crystal." He stares at the ocean. "No matter what happens, use it after the end of day 7. You’ll definitely know when the time comes; whenever you see some weird shit happening, that’s your cue. This is our fail-safe incase my plan doesn't succeed."
"Your plan?" She opens the bag slightly, seeing the crystal's strange light. "What happens if I use it?"
"You go back to Day 1. But you'll remember everything."
The implications hit her. Everything. Mika alive. Ryota alive. But also everything that's coming might happen again, a second time. Maybe.
Maruka snaps back into reality when she realizes. “Will you remember me?” she asks.
“I don't know,” Niche responds.
The honesty hurts more than a lie would.
She leans in closer to Niche and grabs his cheek, kissing his forehead gently. "Then I'll make sure you do."
"Maruka—"
"Come back to me, okay?"
After a few seconds of silence, Niche reluctantly replies. "I'll try."
She retracts and clutches the bag tighter, her eyes still locked onto Niche.
After a few moments of hesitation, she quickly urges Niche. "Go," she says. "Before I change my mind and use it right now."
Niche nods, standing up, turning, and walking away. She watches until he disappears into the distance.
Maruka's Room, One Hour Later, Present
Maruka sits on her bed, staring at the crystal. It pulses with an inner light that makes her eyes water.
Day 7. After everything ends, Maruka thinks.
She writes a note to herself that reads, "Use on Day 7. Don't ask any questions."
Because she knows if she thinks too hard about it – about watching him slowly die, about those two days – she might break and use it early.
She hides the bag in her closet, behind old textbooks. Somewhere she won't see it every day.
Two more days, Maruka thinks.
She curls up on her bed, thinking about Mika's laugh, Ryota’s kind smile. All the things she couldn't save.
Maybe this time will be different.
Maybe.
