The night had fully settled over the mountains surrounding the White Ark. The cool, crisp air rustled through the dense trees as the silver rental sedan wound its way down the hidden path, its headlights cutting through the darkness. Inside the car, the silence was a comfortable one, a stark contrast to the chaotic tension that usually filled their lives.
As Feres skillfully guided the car into the underground parking bay of the base, the heavy iron doors hissed shut behind them. The engine died, and the sudden quiet was filled with the rhythmic ticking of the cooling exhaust. Zaki let out a long breath, adjusting the collar of his new black jacket. He felt lighter than he had in weeks, the heavy burden in his chest mostly dissolved by Feres's words on the park terrace.
But the peaceful moment didn't last long.
As soon as the headlights flickered off, a shadow stepped out from behind a concrete pillar. Standing right in front of the car hood was Augustina. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her combat boots clicking against the floor, and her face was a mask of pure, unadulterated irritation.
"Oh boy," Feres muttered, her dark yellow eyes widening in sudden panic. The confident, older-sister pilot from the terrace completely vanished, replaced by a terrified sibling. She forced a bright, somewhat shaky smile onto her face as she opened the door and stepped out. "Hey, sis! Fancy meeting you here. Beautiful night, isn't it?"
Augustina didn't say a word at first. She walked over with slow, deliberate steps, her eyes locking onto her sister. Suddenly, she reached out, caught Feres in a tight headlock, and began vigorously rubbing her knuckles against Feres's white hair.
"Ow, ow, ow! Sis, stop! You're going to mess up my hair!" Feres yelped, trying to squirm away but completely failing against Augustina's military-grade strength.
"You went AWOL for a whole afternoon, borrowed a military-authorized rental car, and left me to handle the hangar inventory alone!" Augustina laughed, though her smile had a dangerous edge to it. Then, she paused, looking at Feres's casual floral dress and the genuine blush on her sister's cheeks. Her expression softened into absolute disbelief. "Wait a minute... you actually dragged the kid out on a real date? I didn't think you had it in you to chase after a younger guy, Feres."
Zaki opened the passenger door and stepped out, dusting off his new white shirt. Before he could even greet Augustina, another figure rushed out from the shadows near the elevator.
"Zaki!" Maki shouted, skidding to a halt right in front of him. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe, her face a mix of intense worry and sisterly suspicion. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you? Did she force you to do something weird? I swear, when she just hauled you away at the school gate, I thought you were being assassinated by a sleeper agent!"
Zaki blinked, completely unfazed by his sister's dramatic outburst. "I'm fine, Maki. Seriously. She just took me to the mall, bought me some clothes, and we grabbed some food. It wasn't a big deal."
"It looks like a big deal to me," Augustina chimed in, releasing Feres from the headlock. She strolled over to Zaki, her sharp eyes inspecting his new jacket and jeans with an amused smirk. She leaned in slightly, a teasing glint in her eyes. "So, tell me, Zaki. Do you actually like my little sister? She can be a handful, but she's a catch, don't you think?"
Zaki's entire face went entirely blank. He immediately turned his head away, a deep, burning crimson spreading across his cheeks, though his voice remained completely deadpan and flat. "That is absolutely none of your business, Augustina."
Augustina let out a loud, boisterous laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. "A bit defensive, aren't we? Well, I'm just glad to see you're not looking like a walking corpse anymore. That look actually suits you."
Zaki muttered something incoherent under his breath, adjusting his jacket as he walked away toward the elevator. "I'm going to the medical wing to check on Aurora. See you guys later."
Feres watched him walk away, a small, slightly disappointed pout forming on her lips as she reached out toward him, but he was already gone. Before she could even lower her hand, she found herself completely surrounded. Maki and Augustina closed in on her like a pair of predatory wolves, their eyes gleaming with an insatiable hunger for gossip.
"Alright, little sister," Augustina grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Start talking. Every single detail."
"Yeah!" Maki agreed, crossing her arms. "Why did you buy him a jacket? Why is he blushing? Tell me everything!"
Feres raised her hands in defeat, her face turning as red as her top. "Wh-Why are you both ganging up on me?! It was just a walk in the park!"
Meanwhile, the elevator dinged quietly as Zaki arrived at the medical wing. The hallways here were always peaceful, the soft fluorescent lighting casting a soothing glow over the pristine floors. He walked down to Room 104, knocking gently before pushing the heavy door open.
Inside, Aurora was sitting up in her bed. A small rolling table was set up over her lap, and she was currently eating a bowl of warm soup provided by the base nurses. Her skin had regained its usual healthy color, and the pale, exhausted look from last week was entirely gone. When the door opened and she saw Zaki, her brilliant purple eyes lit up with genuine happiness.
"Zaki," she said, setting her spoon down. "You came."
"Hey," Zaki replied, walking over and pulling up a plastic chair beside her bed. He unslung his school bag and placed a thick stack of notebooks and textbooks onto her bedside table. "I brought you these. Since you've been absent all week, Gills gave me the lesson summaries and the upcoming assignments. I figured you wouldn't want to fall behind."
Aurora looked at the notebooks, a soft, incredibly warm smile gracing her lips. "Thank you, Zaki. You're always so thoughtful. But... you really didn't have to do this. I know how busy you've been with the base security and your own classes. I feel like I'm constantly causing trouble for you."
Zaki shook his head, his eyes darkening slightly with a familiar guilt. "Don't say that. If I had been faster... if I had figured out a way to break through that neural jammer sooner, you wouldn't have been hurt in the first place. It's my responsibility as the primary pilot to ensure the safety of my sub-pilot. I let you down."
Aurora's smile vanished, replaced by a look of fierce disapproval. She leaned forward, reaching out to tap his forearm with her fingers. "Zaki, stop it. I've told you before, entering that cockpit was my own choice. I wanted to help you, and I wanted to protect this city. The jammer was an unknown variable. You didn't fail anyone. If you keep blaming yourself, I'm going to get angry."
"But—"
"No 'buts'," Aurora interrupted, her purple eyes locking onto his with absolute certainty. "We are partners, aren't we? Partners share the burden. They don't take all the blame for themselves."
Zaki stared at her for a moment, seeing the stubborn determination in her eyes. He realized that between Feres, Augustina, and now Aurora, none of the girls in his life were going to let him wallow in self-pity anymore. A small, genuine chuckle escaped his lips, and he finally smiled. "Alright, alright. I get it. You win."
Aurora laughed too, the musical sound filling the quiet room. She leaned back against her pillows, her eyes twinkling with a sudden, playful thought. "Good. Now that we've settled that... once the doctors clear me to leave this base, you owe me a favor."
"A favor? Like what?"
"I heard a new cafe opened near the central district, the one with the outdoor terrace and the specialty fruit tarts," Aurora said, her voice dropping into a soft, sweet melody. "I want you to take me there. Just the two of us."
Zaki blinked, a sudden wave of heat hitting his ears. "Uh, sure. I mean, Maki and Tasya will probably want to come too, so we can all go as a group—"
"No," Aurora said firmly, a beautiful, brilliant blush spreading across her face as she looked directly into his eyes. "Not a group. I want to go with you. Consider it... our first official date."
Zaki's brain temporarily short-circuited. He sat perfectly frozen in his chair, his face rapidly changing from pink to a dark red. He looked at the window, then at the notebooks, completely unable to meet her gaze. He rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a defeated sigh, though a tiny, gentle smirk crept onto his lips. "You really don't give me an easy choice, do you? Fine. Whatever you want, Aurora. It's a promise."
Aurora's smile was radiant, her heart beating a little faster against her chest. "It's a promise, then."
The next morning, the sun broke brilliantly over the sports fields of Neo-Verdia High. The cool spring air was perfect for physical education class, and the entire sophomore boy's section had been gathered on the massive grass field for an inter-class soccer tournament.
The match was between Class 2A and Class 2B. The rivalry between the two classes was always intense, but today, Zaki was in a completely different headspace. Clad in his white-and-blue school gym uniform, he stood in the midfield, his sharp eyes scanning the opposing team's formation.
Augustina was right, Zaki thought as the whistle blew, signaling the start of the match. I don't need magic powers to see the field. I just need to use my head.
The game was fast and aggressive. Zaki wasn't the flashy ace player who tried to dribble past five defenders by himself; instead, he played like a seasoned tactician. His movements were incredibly precise, his reaction time far superior to any normal teenager. Every time a midfielder from Class 2B tried to push through, Zaki was already there, perfectly intercepting the pass with clean, decisive tackles.
"Zaki, over here!" a classmate shouted, running down the right flank.
Without looking, Zaki sent a perfectly weighted, curling pass right into the runner's stride. He didn't chase the glory; he controlled the tempo of the entire game from the shadows. He supported his teammates, calling out positions and creating massive gaps in the defense. By the time the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read a resounding 3-0 in favor of Class 2A.
"Man, Zaki, you were awesome out there!" his classmate said, slinging an arm around Zaki's sweaty shoulders as they walked off the field. "Those passes were like laser-guided missiles!"
Zaki smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel. He looked at his laughing, cheering classmates and felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He didn't need to be a psychic to make people happy. He just had to be himself.
On the other side of the campus, inside the indoor gymnasium, a completely different battle was raging. The sophomore girls were having their basketball tournament, and Class 2A was absolutely dominating, entirely thanks to one person.
Maki was playing like a woman possessed. She was the undisputed ace player of the court.
"Don't let her get to the paint! Triple-team her!" the captain of Class 2C screamed in desperation.
Three girls rushed toward Maki, but she didn't even flinch. With a blindingly fast crossover dribble, she spun past the first two defenders, executed a flawless step-back maneuver to clear the third, and launched a perfect jump shot from beyond the three-point line.
SWISH.
The ball snapped through the net without even touching the rim. The crowd in the bleachers erupted into cheers. Maki flashed a peace sign toward her classmates, her bright smile lighting up the entire gym. Class 2A won by a landslide victory, leaving the opposing team completely exhausted and breathless on the floor.
Up in the student council spectator booth, Gills stood near the railing, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't wearing his usual serious uniform jacket, having rolled up his sleeves for the casual event. His dark, sharp eyes were fixed entirely on Maki as she laughed and high-fived her friends. A soft, exceptionally rare smile broke through his stoic face.
"Incredible as always, Maki," Gills whispered to himself, his chest tightening with a warm, familiar feeling he couldn't quite put into words.
Later that afternoon, the school day ended, and the sun began its familiar descent into the orange horizon. While most students headed home or to after-school clubs, Zaki walked directly through the secret entrance of the mountain range, heading straight into the heart of the White Ark.
He didn't go to the break room or the cafeteria. He changed directly into his pilot suit and entered the simulator chamber. The massive, spherical pod stood in the center of the dark room, its cooling fans humming quietly.
Zaki climbed into the cockpit, the monitors flashing to life around him, casting a green and blue glow over his face. He adjusted the control sticks, preparing to start a solo training program to hone his physical reaction times.
"Mind if I join you?"
Zaki looked up at the cockpit monitor. Feres's face appeared on the screen. She was inside the secondary simulator pod next door, already wearing her own pilot gear, her white ponytail tucked neatly into her helmet.
"Feres? What are you doing here?" Zaki asked.
"I told you yesterday, didn't I? We're partners in this alliance," Feres smiled, her yellow eyes full of that same fierce determination. "If you're going to work hard to become the perfect anchor, then I have to work twice as hard to make sure I can stand right beside you. Let's run a coordinated wingman simulation. Two vs. Five, maximum difficulty."
Zaki stared at her image for a second, then a confident, sharp smirk broke across his face. He gripped the controls with a newfound strength. "Alright. Don't complain if you can't keep up with me, Feres."
"In your dreams, kid!" she shot back.
Inside the observation deck overlooking the simulator pods, Augustina stood quietly behind the glass window. She watched the two pods begin to tilt and rotate as the simulation started, the synchronized telemetry data flashing across the screens. She saw how smoothly the two units were moving together, covering each other's blind spots with seamless precision.
A soft, genuinely happy smile appeared on Augustina's face. She leaned her forehead against the cool glass, looking at the pod containing the boy who had brought her sister out of the shadows.
"Please... take care of my little sister, Zaki," Augustina whispered to the empty room, her voice filled with a rare, gentle vulnerability.
She turned around, her heavy boots clicking against the floor as she walked out into the hallway, leaving the two young pilots to forge their path together in the darkness, warming up for the massive storm that was silently brewing in the stars.
To be continued...