The academy corridors were dark and quiet. The facilities beneath were not.

  The lift opened. Madoka stepped out.

  After Cassie, Viara, and Julianna had returned to their dorms, she quietly came here.

  Walking past several laboratories, she arrived in front of the room. The hydraulic door sensed her presence and slid open.

  Inside, Saya was studying the holographic map of the city floating above the console. Zen was right beside her, leaning against it.

  Finn was sitting on a chair, tweaking some settings in his gear housing unit. Their heads turned towards the door.

  Madoka entered the room. “Long time no see, Saya. I would’ve shown up earlier if I knew you were here.”

  Saya looked at Zen. “You never told her?”

  Zen just shrugged.

  Saya rolled her eyes, sighing in resignation.

  Finn let out a small laugh. “He never told me either.”

  Madoka grabbed a water bottle from on top of a table and slumped down on an empty chair.

  “So, what did I miss?”

  “Not much actually,” Saya replied.

  She turned to the map again. “I was explaining my findings after tracking them for nearly two hours.”

  She pointed at a street on the map. “This is the shortest route from the academy to the commercial zone. The one Prince Aquila’s car takes.”

  She then pointed at a different location in another quadrant of the map.

  “And this is where I tracked the van and taxi to.”

  “The industrial zone,” Madoka said, crossing her legs.

  “Yes.” Saya tapped the spot, and a few images of old industrial facilities popped up.

  “This spot right here has a few abandoned factories and warehouses. Most likely their base of operations.”

  “Okay, so we know the location of their base,” Madoka said. “But the question is, what are we doing with this information?”

  Everyone’s head turned towards Zen.

  He straightened up. “Their hideout isn’t our priority. Commander Stelle will take care of that.”

  He zoomed in on the road connecting the academy and the commercial zone.

  “We just need to catch those who are targeting Aquila.”

  The map zoomed in further, showing the street and the structures with great detail.

  “They’re running out of time,” Zen said. “Since Aquila’s car always passes through this road…”

  Madoka tilted her head, eyes narrowing.

  “They could set up another ambush along the road just like they did with Cassie and Viara.”

  “So, we just need to stop them before they can start?” Saya said, her expression thoughtful.

  “Correct,” Zen replied.

  Madoka crossed her arms. “Honestly, I kind of want that good-for-nothing show off to taste some real danger.”

  Finn smirked. “Sounds like you got some beef with him.”

  “He tried flirting with me once,” Madoka said. “It backfired on him, though.”

  “Flirting with a senior? That’s bold of him,” Finn said, laughing. “I can see why he didn't even look at you during bowling.”

  Zen turned to Saya. “Keep tracking his surroundings. I’ll handle the rest.”

  Saya nodded. “Got it.”

  “Hold on. You’re going alone?” Finn asked. “We can help, you know.”

  “Saya providing overwatch is more than enough help. I can take them down just fine,” Zen replied. “Plus, you guys have exams to prepare for.”

  Madoka’s jaw tightened. Her katana immediately formed in her left hand.

  She slowly ran her fingers through the side of the blade.

  “Say you’re going alone one more time and I’m going to stab you.”

  “One on my behalf as well, please,” Finn said with an innocent smile.

  Zen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine…”

  After finalizing their plans for tomorrow, Madoka, Zen, and Finn finally exited the academy building.

  As they walked through the dark and empty school field, Zen slowed down. "I'll be staying out for a while. You two head back."

  "What are you planning this time, Zen?" Finn asked.

  "Nothing," Zen replied.

  Madoka scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Like I would believe you on a simple 'nothing'."

  "The cold air of the night is the only thing that helps me stay calm,” Zen replied. “I have no reason to lie."

  Madoka and Finn stopped and turned to him.

  "Alright," Madoka said. "Enjoy your moment of solitude. But if you get into any trouble again..."

  "I won't," Zen replied.

  Finn waved goodbye and followed behind Madoka as they both left.

  Zen stood still, watching the two disappear into the dark, then turned left and began walking at a leisurely pace.

  A cold breeze hit him as he kept pacing forward, refreshing his mind.

  For once, he truly felt… relaxed. Almost carefree.

  His eyes drifted up towards the starry sky.

  Just like his nightmares always haunted him, the beauty of the night sky always mesmerized him, no matter how many times he looked at it.

  He paced around until he reached the training grounds.

  The training grounds were always illuminated by small floodlights, even though no student trained here at night, usually.

  Right after Zen entered, he noticed two figures at a distance. One practicing swings, the other seated on a bench nearby.

  Zen walked forward until the figures were fully visible.

  Cassie was practicing with her double-bladed staff. Viara was sitting at the bench, cleaning her scythe with a piece of cloth.

  Zen observed from afar, deciding not to interrupt yet as Cassie reset her stance.

  With a firm grip on her weapon, she swung diagonally with the upper blade, followed by a forward thrust and a sweep with the rear blade, leading into a spin and a final, downward, vertical strike.

  Zen's eyes narrowed. The sequence of moves was correct. But a flaw caught his attention.

  He walked forward, finally deciding to approach them.

  At the sound of footsteps, both heads turned.

  Viara got up from the bench the moment she saw him. Cassie turned as Zen stopped in front of her.

  "Hey, Zen. What are you doing here?" Viara asked, surprised.

  "Getting some fresh air," Zen replied. "You two always practice here at this hour, correct?"

  Cassie blinked. "H-how did you know?"

  "I never see either of you during early morning sessions," he said. "Figured you practice at a different hour."

  "I actually didn't expect you two to be here this time," he added. "Not after bowling for so long this evening."

  "Yeah... Cass never got along with anyone during the morning sessions," Viara said. "So, we practice when no one's around."

  Cassie stared at the ground, hands behind her back, "And we can't really skip practicing either. Not when exams are just around the corner."

  "You could join us from now on," Zen said. "Madoka, Finn, and I attend morning training sessions even during weekends."

  Cassie's face lit up. "Really?"

  "Yeah," Zen replied.

  Viara smiled. "That sounds great. It'll be so much fun."

  "Thank you," Cassie said.

  "You're welcome," Zen replied. "Speaking of which, show me that move you were practicing earlier."

  Cassie blinked. "Oh. That."

  She grabbed her phone and pulled out an old recording of one of Sayuri's matches. "I was trying to replicate this."

  Zen observed the footage of Sayuri during her student era, locked in a duel with another student, executing the same sequence of moves flawlessly.

  "The attack chain in the footage is correct," Zen said. "But not for you."

  Cassie frowned. "What do you mean?"

  Zen gestured at Cassie's weapon. "Sayuri's staff in the video is light. Yours is heavy. It's slowing down your momentum, giving your opponent an opening to strike."

  "Also, Sayuri is boosting the speed of her staff's rear with wind," he added. "That's why she can do a full spin in the blink of an eye."

  Cassie looked closer at her phone. "Are you sure? I don't see elemental traces in the footage."

  Viara raised an eyebrow. "You got all that from one look?"

  "Sayuri's an air elemental," he said. "You can't see air."

  "So, I can't replicate it efficiently?" Cassie asked.

  "You can't replicate it one-to-one. But you can adapt," he replied.

  "Cut the spin. After the rear blade sweep, follow up with your upper blade," he explained. "The weight of your weapon should give you enough force."

  "Okay. Wouldn't hurt to give it a try." Cassie took a stance again, slightly nervous.

  Zen and Viara backed off to give her enough space.

  Cassie took a deep breath and then began.

  She started with a diagonal strike.

  Immediately into a forward thrust.

  The sweep of her rear blade followed.

  And finally, she ended with a downward, vertical strike with the upper blade.

  Cassie reset her stance. "Huh. This actually feels natural."

  "Told you," Zen said with a shrug. "Sayuri spun to generate a lot of force with a light weapon. With a heavy weapon, you don't have to."

  Cassie smiled, relieved. "Simple yet effective. Never thought of that."

  "Happy to help," Zen said with a nod. "It's almost dinner time. You two heading back yet?"

  "We actually brought some sandwiches for dinner," Viara said. "Come, join us."

  "I'm good. Appreciate the offer," Zen replied. "I'll be heading back now."

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Before he could turn, Viara grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the bench. "No is not an option."

  Cassie chuckled, following behind. "We can head back together later."

  The three of them sat down at the bench. Viara handed them both a sandwich.

  Zen hesitated at first, then took a bite.

  "How is it?" Cassie asked. "Delicious, right?"

  "Yeah," Zen replied.

  Cassie smiled. "Vi made them."

  Viara took a bite of hers. "Don't be shy. I packed extra."

  For a while, the three ate in silence.

  Then, Cassie spoke again, softer. "Hey Zen..."

  Zen looked at her. "What's up?"

  "Thanks again," she said. "For helping me out."

  Zen looked up at the sky again, dotted with stars.

  "I promised to help. I intend to keep it.”

  The classes the next day went without a hitch.

  The bell rang.

  Students filed out, some making plans for the weekend, some talking about preparations for the exam ahead.

  Kyoya and his friends got into his car outside the school gate. The car sped away towards the commercial zone. Drinks and bowling sessions planned, as always.

  Cassie, Viara, Madoka, Zen, and Finn grouped up at the gate.

  “Where's Miss President today?” Viara asked.

  “She has council work to deal with,” Madoka replied.

  “I guess we're leaving then,” Finn said.

  The five of them left for the dorms.

  “Any plans for today?” Cassie asked.

  “I'll be busy today,” Madoka replied.

  “Yeah, same,” Finn chimed in.

  Viara looked at Zen. “What about you?”

  “Busy,” Zen replied, flat.

  The group continued their stride alongside mundane conversations.

  Saya flew over the city at subsonic speed, approaching the commercial zone.

  She landed on the same building as last time and immediately got into position.

  Saya scoped in, and shortly after, Kyoya's car arrived. He and his friends got out, and the car drove away to park.

  “Dude, you're going down today,” Kyoya's friend said, grinning.

  Kyoya laughed. “We'll see about that.”

  They all went inside the bowling alley.

  Saya watched them disappear inside the building, then shifted her sight to the bench across the street.

  The man pretending to read a newspaper? He was there.

  She again shifted her sight to the bookstore by the bowling alley.

  The masked man pretending to check books? He was also there. Same position, same getup.

  She braced herself to camp as long as it takes, and began tracking all their movement.

  For a trained sniper, a routine task.

  The sun was dipping below the horizon. Saya was still there, steady, monitoring.

  Just a few buildings to her front, Zen was also present, geared up.

  From the opposite side, Zen could clearly see the cafe.

  The two men in jackets were present, watching, pretending to be normal.

  The road in front of the bowling alley was completely normal.

  Nothing unusual happened until Kyoya and his friends came out, laughing and bantering. The car pulled up to pick them up.

  The man at the bench noticed and immediately pulled out his phone to make a call.

  The two men at the cafe got up from their table. The waitress approached them with their bill.

  Saya received a ping. She checked her HUD. A list of surveillance drones popped up. Four of them were marked red.

  She opened her comms. “Surveillance network went down just as you predicted.”

  “You know what to do,” Zen replied from the other end.

  Saya nodded to herself and moved. Her hood and battle mask slid into place, and she immediately took flight towards the east.

  Zen stayed in his position. He watched as Kyoya and his friends got into their ride and drove away.

  The man at the bench got up. The others from the bookstore and cafe followed. A taxi pulled up.

  They rushed in and quickly closed the doors. The taxi accelerated.

  A white van also followed from the parking lot. Both vehicles began tailing Kyoya's car at full speed.

  Zen finally moved. He turned, braced himself, and bolted forward.

  With a boost of wind, he jumped from one building to the other, trying to keep up with the other vehicles.

  Saya flew high above the route back towards the academy, scanning every alley on the way.

  She flew through the residential zone in the dark until she reached the near end of it. That's when her HUD picked up something.

  She dived down, and gently landed on top of a house just far enough not to get spotted.

  Zooming in through her sniper scope, she noticed construction barricades blocking the dimly lit road.

  Saya switched to thermal vision and scanned the dark alleys around the road. Sure enough, she picked up heat signatures lurking in the shadows.

  She opened a hard comms override. “Visuals on targets. Approximately twenty-two individuals. Sending live coordinates now. Please, stand by.”

  Kyoya’s car continued speeding down the road. The taxi and the van were not too far behind. Neither was Zen.

  He continued jumping from one house to another.

  He landed on a building, and just as he was about to make another jump, he felt as if time had slowed down.

  The wind whispered a presence in his ear. A very familiar one. A presence he hadn’t felt in a long time.

  His eyes widened as realization hit.

  “No…,” he murmured.

  Zen stopped dead in his tracks, his metal boots scraping the concrete beneath. He stood still for a heartbeat, then turned right.

  On the railing stood a woman visible only by the moonlight, calm, composed. Cold air ran through the low ponytail of her dark hair.

  Her black gear gleamed with mechanical crimson lines. A katana hung at her waist.

  Her face was masked, but the elegance in her form and the disdain in her eyes were more than enough for Zen to recognize her.

  The gear itself was a dead giveaway.

  She chuckled, her voice cold. “Hello… Little One.”

  Kyoya’s car finally approached the near end of the residential zone street. The car picked up speed and zoomed away, unbothered.

  The taxi and the van also reached the end of the street. Both vehicles slowed down, watching in confusion as the target they had been tailing sped away.

  They expected the car to stop behind falsely placed construction barricades. But the road was clear.

  The taxi stopped, and five men got out to check. Behind them, the van stopped, and six more thugs hopped out, guns in hand.

  “What’s going on?” one of them asked out loud.

  One bald man, lighting a cigarette, barked orders, “Where are those idiots?! Go check.”

  Others nodded and split off.

  One of them walked towards a dark alley, looking around, torch in hand.

  He peeked inside, pointing the torch, and his face went pale.

  He came back to the van running as if he had seen a ghost and stopped, catching his breath.

  “Boss! Everyone’s knocked out!”

  Others also came back running.

  “Same over here!”

  “What?!” the bald man exclaimed.

  He followed the others in a rush. The moment he saw the situation, his jaw tightened, teeth clenched.

  Every person in the alley was knocked out cold, covered in shards of ice.

  A female voice called from behind. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”

  Everyone turned.

  Standing in front of them in her gear, Black Scorpion, battle mask in place, spinning her katana lazily, was Madoka.

  A laugh could be heard from the left. “Hey, that’s my line, you know.”

  Heads turned again.

  Leaning against the lamppost, arms crossed, the polish of his white gauntlets shining in the light, was Finn, clad in his gear, Resilient Knight.

  Both walked forward, closing in on the thugs.

  The thugs immediately pointed their guns at them.

  “One more step closer and I’ll put holes in that fancy suit of yours.”

  Madoka raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Okay. I won’t move.”

  She nodded towards Finn. “He will.”

  From afar, Saya pulled the trigger. A sniper round cut through the air and shot out two rifles pointing at Madoka.

  The thugs clutched their hands, groaning.

  Madoka instantly sent a surge of ice. It quickly crawled towards the thugs and hit them, climbing up their bodies and freezing them to their shoulders with a layer of ice.

  Finn bolted forward and landed one punch after another in their guts with rapid succession. His punches shattered through the ice, just hard enough to knock them out.

  All the thugs lay on the ground, groaning, unable to move.

  Finn dusted off some ice from his shoulder.

  “Well, that was easy.”

  “Yeah. It’s always easy when you catch them off guard,” Madoka said.

  From above, Saya descended with a small thud, thrusters powering down.

  “Mission accomplished.”

  “Clean shot,” Finn complimented.

  Saya smiled. “Thanks.”

  “I expected more of them, honestly,” Madoka said.

  The sound of more vehicles approaching could be heard. Two military jeeps and a truck arrived.

  Armed forces jumped out, boots hitting the ground. Commander Stelle’s forces were here.

  Their captain approached the three.

  “We’ll take care of the cleanup.”

  Finn sighed with relief. “Phew. I thought they brought backup.”

  The soldiers immediately got to work, picking up and cuffing the thugs.

  Saya opened her HUD and checked the surveillance network. The list popped up. Four drones were still marked red.

  “We’ll have to take care of those signal jammers they are carrying,” she said.

  “We’re on it,” the captain replied.

  Zen’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not supposed be here.”

  She laughed, amused. “That was your plan, wasn’t it?”

  She gracefully stepped down from the railing.

  “You buried your identity… burden?”

  “Returned to the academy… nostalgia?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “And when they tested you?”

  “You took a bullet,” she said, flat, almost disappointed.

  Zen stood there in silence, instincts on high alert.

  She took a step closer.

  “Even the Vanguard is here. No one expects Protocol to be hiding in plain sight, right?”

  She laughed, shaking her head. “Guess what? It worked. You fooled the world.”

  “Black Helix doesn’t suspect a thing.”

  Then her face turned dangerous. She unsheathed her katana and pointed at him.

  “But you forgot to account for us!”

  Zen’s staff immediately deployed in his hands. “I don’t have time for this.”

  “That’s the point. You don’t,” she said, her voice almost maniacal.

  She took a stance and charged forward immediately with a wind boost.

  The distance between them closed in a blink, her blade already in motion.

  Zen reacted half a second late and barely blocked with his staff.

  She chained slashes one after another.

  “Anomalies would dodge. Normal people would be dead. But only you would take a bullet to make your enemies doubt!”

  Zen could only block.

  No chance of striking back.

  One heavy strike from her katana staggered Zen’s defense.

  She capitalized with a wheel kick.

  Zen blocked with his arm, but combined with elemental force, the attack sent him flying off the roof at high speed.

  He crashed onto the road two floors below but got back up quickly, breathing heavy.

  She jumped down. “Tsk, tsk. Getting slower, aren’t you? Master would be so disappointed.”

  He regained his stance. “What do you want from me, Kageri?”

  “Shut up!” she hissed. “Keep my name out of your mouth, you traitor!”

  She closed the distance again, faster this time.

  “What do I want?!”

  Her slashes were fused with wind, heavier this time, but just as fast.

  “I want to shove my blade into your guts and twist it until you scream with agony!”

  She meant it, and Zen could already feel it.

  He spun his staff and countered.

  Momentum shifted.

  Kageri on defense.

  Strikes came in rapidly.

  She blocked each with precision.

  Dozens of strikes and blocks—traded in just a fraction of a second.

  “I’m not your enemy!” he shouted.

  “I don't care!” she screamed back.

  Both weapons clashed. Sparks flew. The sound of metal rang out like thunder.

  None of them wavered.

  The soldiers were nearly finished loading all the convicts into the truck.

  Saya checked her HUD again. All drones lit green.

  “Surveillance network restored.”

  Finn gave her a high-five.

  Saya looked at Madoka, who seemed frustrated.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  “I’m trying to contact Zen,” she replied, worry etched on her face. “He’s not picking up.”

  Finn looked around. “He should’ve been here by now. What’s taking so long?”

  Madoka sighed. “I’m having a bad feeling about this.”

  She turned to Saya. “Can you track his location?”

  “On it,” Saya replied.

  She checked her map, and within a few seconds, Zen’s location pinged.

  “He’s not too far off. Follow me.”

  Her gear’s thrusters fired. She took flight.

  Finn approached the squad captain in a rush. “We’ll have to borrow one of your rides, please.”

  The captain nodded. “Hop in. I’ll drive.”

  She quickly got in and fired up the engine.

  Madoka and Finn hopped in.

  The jeep began following as Saya led the way.

  Zen hit heavy. Kageri staggered back.

  He charged forward.

  She aimed a slash at his neck.

  Zen dove, sliding beneath her.

  He followed with a backflip. Wind condensed around his foot mid-air, creating an invisible platform.

  He landed on the wind pad and launched himself towards Kageri at blinking speed, aiming a strike at her shoulder as he zoomed past.

  Kageri placed her blade in between with minimal time to react.

  CLANG!

  He landed on another pad and ricocheted off to another, changing angle instantly, then launched towards her into another heavily packed strike.

  His left arm flared with intense pain.

  He gritted his teeth, losing focus for just a second.

  Kageri took advantage.

  She dodged the strike, grabbed his foot, and slammed him down.

  “Do you think that trick still works?!”

  She plunged her blade down at him.

  He tilted his head.

  The blade hit the ground. Missed by an inch.

  Zen rolled out fast and got back on his feet.

  Kageri pulled her blade out and charged again, not letting him recover.

  She chained heavy slashes again.

  Zen reacted poorly.

  Attacks connected. His gear shield started ticking down.

  “SHIELD INTEGRITY: 54%”

  “47%”

  In three seconds, Kageri chained seventeen slashes.

  More than half connected.

  “Warning: 32%”

  “Warning: 11%”

  “WARNING: SHIELD DEPLETED!”

  Zen put his arm in front of the blade. A thick layer of ice formed on his arm like an arm guard.

  Kageri’s strike hit, shattering the ice.

  TWICE.

  THRICE.

  She chuckled. “Getting desperate?”

  An upswing followed, staggering him back again.

  A sweep kick knocked his footing away.

  She spun, channeling all her elemental force in one final strike.

  “If Kurenai didn’t forbid me, you would be DEAD!”

  The hit slammed into Zen’s chest, his arms the last of defense between.

  The upper layer shattered into pieces. The armor plate cracked.

  The force sent Zen rolling away hard, his hands never letting go of his staff.

  He finally came to a stop and pushed himself up with shaky, exhausted hands.

  Using the staff as support, he finally got back up, catching his breath.

  The hood of his gear, badly damaged, sparked and immediately retracted into its housing unit.

  Kageri’s eyes locked onto his. The sight of his face after years triggered a flood of memories. Memories of what they used to be.

  She shut her eyes in a heartbeat, gritting her teeth.

  Kageri sheathed her katana, her grip tight.

  “If I’m not allowed to kill you, I’ll make sure you burn faster.”

  Zen's heart stung.

  She turned to leave, then paused. “We know where you are… and we’ll meet again.”

  With a final look over her shoulder, she walked away and vanished into the dark.

  Zen remained standing, damaged, exhausted.

  “Why are you like this, Kageri?”

  A small, nameless boy slowly walked through a path, filled with trees on both sides, dimly illuminated by the moonlight.

  A short walk later, he reached the open training field.

  A figure came into his view. He walked closer and peeked from behind a tree.

  At the training field, a young teenage girl was practicing swings with a wooden katana.

  “Kageri…” the boy murmured.

  Kageri stopped mid swing, her head turning towards him.

  He quickly hid behind the tree. A few seconds later, he peeked again, only to find her gone.

  “Huh?” he blinked, looking around.

  Suddenly, something poked him in the waist from behind.

  He yelped, immediately turning and pressing his back against the tree.

  Kageri laughed.

  “Hey there, Little One. What are you doing here?”

  Little One blushed, his voice soft like a whisper.

  “Getting some fresh air.”

  She raised an eyebrow, amused. “Oh? Is that so?”

  Little One looked away, shy.

  “Why are you here?”

  “Just practicing,” she replied.

  Little One looked back at her again.

  “Won’t your parents be worried if you’re late?”

  She let out a long sigh, her eyes softening.

  “I wish.”

  “What… do you mean?” Little One asked.

  She walked back towards the field.

  “Don’t have any.”

  Little One followed behind.

  She looked at him. “You don’t have any either, do you?”

  He shook his head.

  She gently patted his head. “Come, sit with me.”

  Kageri sat down on a wooden bench. Little One joined.

  She opened a box, grabbed a sandwich, and handed it to him.

  “Here, take it.”

  Little One looked at her, tilting his head innocently.

  “Go on,” she insisted.

  After a moment of hesitation, he finally accepted.

  She grabbed one for herself.

  “You know, most kids Kurenai-sensei trains are from the orphanage.”

  “They’re just like us,” she said.

  He listened and ate in silence.

  Kageri looked up at the starry sky above.

  “We only have each other to care for. To cherish. To protect.”

  “We’re just like a family.”

  Little One blinked. “I am… family?”

  She patted his head again. “Yeah. You’re one of us.”

  “You’re family.”

  He didn’t pull away.

  Little One stared at the ground, thinking.

  “Then… I’ll care. I’ll cherish. I’ll protect.”

  “Just like everyone else.”

  She smiled. “Really?”

  He nodded. “I promise.”

  She cradled his head in her arms.

  “Then I promise too, Little One.”

  From above, Saya finally spotted Zen. She immediately dived down. “Zen! What happened?!”

  Tires screeched just behind them. Madoka and Finn rushed to help him.

  “Hey, bro, you okay?” Finn asked.

  Zen stared at the ground, silent.

  Madoka cupped his bruised face. “Zen, look at me. Come on. Talk to us, damnit!”

  Zen's eyes slowly met hers.

  Then his left arm went stiff, and his legs gave up.

  Finn caught him before he could fall. “Whoa, whoa. Easy there. Let's get you some rest first.”

  They helped him stand and carried him to the vehicle.

  Once settled down, they wrapped a blanket around him.

  Zen finally began breathing properly.

  All they could do was stand in silence and watch.

  Suddenly, Zen violently shook his head, shaking off the heaviness.

  He let out a cold, shaky breath, his voice broken,

  “I… failed.”