Leo lay quietly on his small bed, soft music playing through his headphones as he stared up at the ceiling.
His mind kept drifting back to the old diary his grandfather had written many years ago. Most of its pages had been ruined by time, the ink faded and torn beyond recognition. Only a few parts were still readable, but those fragments alone were enough to fill his head with questions.
Every sentence felt important. Like his grandfather had been trying to leave something behind for him to find.
Knock...
Knock...
Leo barely reacted, still lost in thought as the music continued to play quietly in the background.
The door slowly opened and Lig stepped inside with a grin on his face.
"So," Lig said jokingly, leaning against the doorframe, "I heard you and Anny are going on a date tonight."
Leo let out a tired sigh without even looking at him.
"Man, I told you already... knock first and wait before coming in."
Then his expression shifted slightly. The tiredness in his eyes faded into curiosity as he looked toward Lig.
"Wait..." he said slowly. "How do you even know about that?"
Lig shrugged casually.
"From friends."
That answer only made Leo more confused. Anny barely had many friends in class, and none of them were connected to Lig's group. Lig knew almost everyone, sure, but this still felt strangely specific.
Leo leaned back slightly and gave a small nod.
"Yeah? Got any advice?"
A slow grin appeared on Lig's face.
"Don't get attached too fast."
Leo rolled his eyes lightly, but before he could reply, Lig turned and walked out of the room.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, his expression changed completely. Calm. Focused.
He pulled out his phone and quickly typed into a group chat.
"Yeah, the news is true. Send Squad 120. They should stay present the whole time."
A few seconds later, another notification popped up. Lig opened a private chat, smiled to himself, and sent a short message.
"TY. It's verified."
Then he locked his phone and casually walked away like nothing had happened.
Back inside his room, Leo checked the time on his phone and let out a quiet breath. The date was getting close.
After getting ready, he walked into the living room.
Mira looked at him and smiled warmly.
"Best of luck, bro."
Leo gave a small smile back.
"Thanks."
Lig looked over at him from the couch and smirked.
"Man, after reading just that tiny part of the biography, you went into deep thinking again."
He laughed softly and shook his head.
"Bro, you're still such a kid. That wasn't even real pain."
For a brief second, his tone became quieter, almost serious.
"It's nothing compared to what people—"
He suddenly stopped himself, then smiled again like he had said nothing important at all.
"Anyway... best of luck, bro."
Leo looked at Lig for a moment before shaking his head with a faint smile.
"You're a really interesting guy, man."
Lig laughed lightly on the outside, but deep inside, the words felt strange to him.
Like hearing praise meant for someone he himself didn't fully understand anymore.
A confused soldier hiding behind a normal smile.
Leo grabbed his things and finally headed out for the date.
The front door closed behind him, leaving the house quieter than before.
Mira glanced toward Lig suspiciously.
"You know," she said slowly, "I still feel like you've been hiding something since childhood. Something deep."
Lig looked at her for a second before smiling casually.
"There you go again, sis. Too much anime and too many manga."
Mira crossed her arms dramatically.
"Ooo... or maybe I'm saying that because I just watched a show exactly like this."
Lig pointed at her immediately.
"See? That's exactly the cause of this hallucination."
Mira laughed softly and shook her head.
"Fine, fine. I'm going to my room."
"Okay."
She walked away toward her bedroom, still looking slightly unconvinced.
The house became silent again.
Lig sat down on the couch, grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. Soon, the sound of roaring engines filled the living room as a racing championship flashed across the screen.
For the first time in a while, his expression became completely unreadable.
Leo's Date
Leo stood outside the metro station, occasionally checking the time on his phone while people passed around him in waves. The evening air was calm, carrying the distant sounds of traffic and conversations from nearby streets.
A few minutes later, he noticed Anny walking toward him.
For a moment, he completely forgot what he was about to say.
She looked different tonight. Softer. More elegant. The city lights reflected gently in her eyes as her hair moved slightly with the wind.
Anny smiled lightly.
"Hi."
Leo blinked in surprise before letting out a nervous laugh.
"You look like an angel."
A faint blush appeared on Anny's face.
"Thanks. Should we start?"
Leo quickly nodded.
"Yeah."
The two of them began walking side by side through the busy streets. At first, there was a small awkwardness between them, but it slowly faded with every passing minute.
As they walked, Anny suddenly pointed toward a café near the roadside. Warm golden lights glowed through its glass walls.
"Let's go there."
Leo looked at the place and smiled.
"Okay."
They entered the café together. The soft aroma of coffee and desserts filled the air while quiet music played in the background. After ordering, they walked toward the balcony area and sat down beside each other.
The view from there was breath taking.
Tall trees surrounded the café, their leaves moving gently in the evening wind. In the distance, a massive mountain stood proudly beneath the fading sky, its peak covered in white snow that reflected the last light of sunset.
Anny stared at the scenery with wide eyes.
"Wow... the view from the most expensive part of this café is beautiful."
Leo looked toward the mountains for a moment, then back at her.
"Yeah."
Time passed naturally after that.
They talked about random things at first — school, memories, annoying classmates, dreams, music, childhood stories. But slowly, the conversations became deeper and more personal.
With every word, they grew a little closer.
Like two flower petals floating on water, slowly drifting toward each other with the gentle push of the wind.
Nearly two hours later, Leo finally stood up and walked toward the counter to pay the bill.
"Ma'am," he said politely, "can I get the bill? I asked a few times already, but nobody brought it."
The cashier looked at the screen in front of her and smiled.
"Sir, your payment has already been completed."
Leo frowned in confusion.
"What? How? Who paid it?"
The cashier adjusted her glasses slightly.
"Sir, a lady booked this table for both of you earlier. And a few seconds ago, she completed the payment online."
Leo stared at her blankly.
"What... who was she?"
"Sorry, sir. I don't know her identity. But the payment details say ten thousand iko was paid from an account named Nen10."
Leo's confusion only deepened.
Before he could ask anything else, the cashier politely smiled again.
"Please visit us again."
A few minutes later, Leo and Anny walked outside the café together. The night air felt colder now.
Anny glanced at him curiously.
"Who is she? Do you know her?"
Leo shook his head slowly.
"No... I don't know her. But that name..."
Anny interrupted him gently before he could continue.
"Leave it for now. Let's head to the mall."
Leo gave a small laugh as they continued walking down the quiet street together.
"Okay, but the mall is already closed, babe. It's almost eleven."
Even while talking to her, his thoughts kept drifting back to the café.
That unknown payment.
That strange name.
Nen10.
Something about it refused to leave his mind.
Anny looked ahead for a moment before smiling softly.
"I'm thinking we should go to the park instead."
Leo looked at her and nodded immediately.
"Okay. And there, I'm getting your favourite ice cream."
Anny smiled warmly at that.
The two of them walked through the peaceful late-night streets until they finally reached the park. The place was almost empty, with only the distant sound of leaves moving in the wind and the occasional chirping of insects breaking the silence.
They sat together on a bench beneath the dim glow of a streetlamp.
Anny slowly looked up toward the sky.
"Tonight's sky looks so beautiful, doesn't it?" she whispered. "That orange moon..."
Leo leaned back against the bench and looked upward too.
"Yeah. Everything feels peaceful here."
A cold but gentle wind passed around them.
"And with you beside me, my angel, it feels even better."
Anny immediately blushed and looked away shyly.
"Let's just go home already."
Leo smiled playfully before looking at her again.
"Then stay at my house tonight."
Anny hesitated for a second before giving a small nod.
"Okay."
A while later, the two of them entered Leo's house quietly.
The living room lights were still on.
Leo immediately noticed Lig sitting on the couch. Something about him looked off.
Leo frowned slightly.
"What happened—"
Before he could finish speaking, the front door suddenly opened again and Nemo walked inside.
"Oh, hi Leo," Nemo said casually. "How are you? And nice to meet you, Anny."
Anny smiled politely.
"Same here. Leo talks about you sometimes. You're a really good friend of Lig, right?"
Nemo smiled back calmly.
Before anyone could continue talking, Leo noticed something strange.
"Bro..." he said slowly while looking at Lig. "Your nose is bleeding."
Lig quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped the blood away before anyone could react too much.
"It's fine."
His answer came too fast. Too casually.
Nemo immediately stepped forward.
"Okay, Anny, bye for now. I'm going to help Lig get to his room."
Anny nodded politely.
"Okay."
Nemo gently held Lig by the shoulder and helped him walk toward his room.
Leo watched them disappear down the hallway, his confusion growing deeper again.
"Something strange is happening with him."
Anny leaned lightly against Leo's shoulder and smiled.
"You don't need to worry that much. It's probably nothing more than young love."
Leo let out a quiet laugh.
"Maybe."
Then he looked toward the stairs.
"Anyway, let's head to my room. I think Mira already went to sleep."
Anny nodded softly.
"Yeah. Let's go."
Inside Lig's room, the atmosphere felt heavy and quiet.
The only sound was the faint noise of rain tapping against the window and the soft tearing of bandages.
Lig sat on the edge of the bed silently while Nemo carefully wrapped fresh bandages around the injuries across his body. Dark bruises covered parts of his arms and shoulder, some looking older than others.
Nemo's hands slowed slightly. His voice carried guilt.
"I'm really sorry. I got busy this week."
Lig leaned his head back against the wall, exhaustion visible in his eyes.
"It's okay."
But his tired voice made it clear that things were far from okay.
Nemo finished tightening one of the bandages before speaking again.
"We're getting close."
Lig looked at him quietly.
"Close to what?"
Nemo lowered his voice.
"Breaking the sync."
For a moment, silence filled the room again.
Lig stared at the floor before answering calmly.
"It's fine. I can handle it."
Then his expression darkened slightly.
"But he has to use it properly."
Nemo nodded slowly.
"Yes."
At that same moment... somewhere far beyond their world...
Heavy breathing echoed through the darkness.
A man stood holding a sword tightly in his shaking hands. His legs trembled beneath him, yet he refused to fall. Blood stained the ground around him while distant fires burned behind the battlefield.
His voice came out rough and broken.
"You all forget something..."
He slowly lifted the sword again.
"When someone destroys a man's heart..."
His eyes burned with rage.
"He becomes a starving wolf."
Another male voice shouted from the opposite side.
"Give her to us! We have nothing against you!"
Far above them, inside a damaged helicopter, alarms screamed endlessly.
A weak female voice crackled through the noise.
"Whe...re... is... dea..."
Another voice answered desperately.
"Sis, stay with me! Stay awake!"
The sound of panic filled the aircraft.
"AEDs! Hurry!"
"One, two, go!"
Electric shock.
"Again!"
Another shock.
"Go again! Again!"
A different soldier turned toward the cockpit.
"Pilot! Her condition is critical!"
The pilot's voice came back immediately.
"Preparing for emergency landing!"
The helicopter shook violently as it descended through the stormy sky.
An hour later...
The girl slowly opened her eyes inside a dim medical room.
Her breathing was weak.
The first thing she whispered was:
"Where... is he?"
A soldier standing nearby lowered his head quietly.
"Sorry, ma'am..."
His voice carried hesitation.
"He surrendered himself so they would let you go."
The girl froze completely.
"…Why?"
Tears slowly formed in her eyes.
Her hands trembled as she looked down.
"He really lost himself after hearing that..."
Her voice broke.
"I'm sorry, Inazuma... I failed you."
Another male voice suddenly spoke from behind them, firm and determined.
"No, ma'am."
The soldier looked toward the door as more armed men entered the room.
"We're bringing him back."
He tightened his gloves slowly.
"AOB forces have arrived."
Narrator:
What exactly was happening to Lig's body?
Why was he suffering injuries that nobody else could see?
Who was hurting him... and from where?
What did Nemo mean by "sync"?
How did it begin?
And why did Lig seem willing to endure all of it in silence?
Who was the mysterious girl crying for Inazuma?
What connection did she have to that battlefield... and to Lig himself?
And why had AOB, a force known for stepping only into the darkest conflicts, suddenly become involved?
Did Lig already know the truth behind all of this?
Or was there something even Nemo had hidden from him?
Behind Lig's tired smiles and careless jokes, something far deeper was buried.
Something dangerous.
Something connected to another world stained with war, sacrifice, and broken hearts.
And the scariest part of all...
The sync was still growing stronger.