The door clicked shut behind him.
Tia stood still for a moment.
Silence filled the Elite Quarters.
No noise. No movement.
Just the echo of his own thoughts.
Sung Ling Mu's words still lingered in his mind.
"Value of my future victory…"
Tch.
Annoying fox.
He exhaled slowly and turned away, falling onto his bed.
What a boring day it was.
Then—
knock.
Tia paused.
His eyes shifted slightly toward the door.
Lazily.
No one visits him.
Never.
Another knock.
This time softer.
"…Who is it?"
His voice stayed flat.
No answer.
Only silence.
Tia's hand moved slowly.
The door opened.
And froze.
A boy stood there.
Relaxed posture.
Messy hair.
Joshua Bassett
For a second—
Tia didn't react.
He just stared.
Like his brain refused to process what he was seeing.
This can't be real.
No.
What am I seeing?
His chest tightened.
His hand pressed hard on the door frame.
How.
It can't be.
Impossible.
It…
"…Are you okay?" Joshua asked casually.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
That line—
Revealed something small.
Hidden.
And suddenly—
the room wasn't the room anymore.
*FLASHBACK.
Snow.
Cold wind cutting through skin.
A bridge.
Too high.
Too quiet.
Tia stood on the edge.
One step forward.
That was it.
People passed.
Ignoring him.
No one stopped.
Some annoyed.
"If you want to die, do it somewhere else."
That hurt.
Then—
a voice beside him.
Calm.
Casual.
"Do you think I should go for the raid tomorrow?"
Tia blinked.
Slowly turned his head.
A boy stood there.
Looking at the sky.
Not at him.
Not at the edge.
Just… talking.
Tia frowned slightly.
"…What?"
Joshua nodded like it was normal.
"Black gate raid."
"But I kinda want to see it anyway."
Dangerous, isn't it?
Tia looked at him like he was insane.
"Who asks that to a suicidal stranger?"
Joshua finally looked at him.
Then shrugged.
"Yeah."
"You seemed like you weren't going anywhere important."
Silence.
That should have hurt.
But it didn't.
Not fully.
Joshua kept talking.
No urgency.
No fear.
No pity.
Just words.
About cold weather.
About bad missions.
About food he didn't like.
About random things that made no sense.
And slowly—
Tia stopped thinking about the step.
Stopped thinking about anything at all.
Just listening.
The wind still blew.
The bridge was still there.
But the edge didn't feel like the end anymore.
Time passed.
Tia didn't notice when he stepped down.
Joshua stretched slightly.
* PRESENT CONTINUATION.
They walked in silence for a while.
Joshua kept talking.
About useless things.
About nothing important.
Tia didn't answer much.
But he listened.
And for the first time in years—
his expression softened.
Just slightly.
Not a smile.
Almost one.
They reached the door.
Tia stopped.
Joshua scratched his head.
He was about to leave.
Then—
"Hey."
Tia looked at him.
Joshua hesitated for a moment.
Then asked again.
"Do you think I should go for the raid tomorrow?"
The same question.
Again.
Tia didn't answer.
Not because he didn't hear.
But because he didn't know what answer to give.
Joshua smiled awkwardly.
"Good night, Tia."
"I'll come back tomorrow."
A pause.
"Promise you'll open the door."
Tia stared at him for a moment.
Then gave a small nod.
Joshua waved.
And left.
* ONE WEEK LATER
Silence.
No knock.
No voice.
No one.
At first—
Tia didn't think much of it.
He's busy.
He forgot.
He'll come back.
Days passed.
The thought stayed.
But quieter.
He's just late.
Then—
a different thought.
What was I thinking…
He was a stranger.
*KNOCK KNOCK
Tia paused.
Slowly walked over.
Opened the door.
A man stood there.
Black coat.
Official posture.
Awakening Bureau insignia faintly visible.
He held a box.
"Good afternoon."
"We were cleaning the apartment of Hero Joshua Bassett."
"And found this box with your address on it."
Tia froze slightly.
"…Hero?"
The man nodded.
But his expression changed.
Uncomfortable.
Sad.
"He died during a raid."
"While saving civilians."
Silence.
Tia didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Then quietly:
"…I see."
He took the box.
Closed the door.
* INSIDE THE ROOM
His hands trembled.
At first, he didn't notice.
Then he sat.
Slowly opened the box.
First thing—
a letter.
His fingers paused.
He opened it.
And everything after that—
was already too late.