Night settled over Arkeia.
Not darkness—
Just dimmer light.
Controlled.
Measured.
The systems didn't sleep.
They adjusted.
Akane stood alone.
Near the edge of the sector.
Looking out over the endless lines.
Workers still moved.
Slower now.
But still—
Synchronized.
Behind him—
Footsteps.
Light.
Familiar.
"Aira?" he said quietly.
"Yeah," she replied.
She stopped beside him this time.
No distance.
No hesitation.
"...She's on break," Aira said.
Akane didn't respond.
"Who's she?" she asked.
Ipause.
His eyes shifted slightly.
"Hayana"
Aira glanced toward the lower sector.
"...I called her."
Silence.
Tanako wasn't here.
Hakamo wasn't here.
Just them.
And the system.
Watching.
A faint sound—
Footsteps.
Uneven.
Not synchronized.
Akane turned.
Hayana stood at the edge of the corridor.
Not in line.
Not controlled.
For now.
Her breathing was unsteady.
Her eyes—
Clear.
"...big brother…"
Softer this time.
Real.
Akane stepped forward.
Slow.
"...Hayana."
The name didn't feel as distant anymore.
Though it felt unfamiliar.
The name still hit him.
Aira stayed back.
Watching.
Like before.
Hayana moved closer.
But slower now.
Like she was fighting something.
"I haven't meet you since then" she said.
Aira's eyes narrowed slightly.
Important.
Akane stopped in front of her.
"You knew eachother?" she asked.
"Yes..."
A pause.
"Why are you working here?"
"I need funds for college"
"Your almost at college?!"
"Yes"
Akane froze.
Silence.
Aira shifted slightly.
"Wow, doing that on your own..." she said.
Hayana nodded.
"Let...me pay for you" akane said.
Silence.
"No thanks big bro-"
"Come on, it's my duty"
Akane forced hayana to let him pay.
Hayana let out a sigh.
"Fine big brother"
Akane held hayana's hands
"Since I'm your big brother I'll take care of you" akane said.
Silence.
The lights above flickered.
Aira stared with jealousy in secret.
"I'll send you funds okay" akane said.
"Fine" hayana replied.
Akane noticed Aira acting unsual.
"You good?"
"Y-yeah" she replied.
"Okay big brother iam leaving" hayana said.
Akane nods.
Hayana left waving goodbye.
"What is it... You seemed distance?" Akane said.
"I am just observing" Aira replied.
"Then...why look jealous?"
"H-huh ia-"
Their conversation was suddenly-interrupted by tanako and hakamo.
The door slid open forcefully.
"Alright, we're back," Tanako said, holding up a small pack.
"Food here is still trash by the way."
Hakamo stepped in behind him.
Same as always.
Quiet.
But his eyes moved immediately.
Scanning.
He smelled something different.
Akane.
Aira.
The room.
The air.
Different.
"Smells like some girl went in here?" Hakamo said.
"Really?, did y'all did anything naughty?"
Silence.
"Just aira testing perfumes" akane replied.
"Sure" tanako replied.
Tanako dropped the pack onto the table.
"Smells nice here"
Aira looked at him.
Then at Hakamo.
"Pervert" she said.
Tanako paused.
"Shut up" hakamo replied.
Akane spoke this time.
"What y'all get?"
Tanako looked at akane.
"The food taste ass here"
"You guys are picky eater" Aira said.
Hakamo didn't speak.
His gaze shifted to the door.
"Close the door idiot"
"Why me?" Tanako asked.
"This guys" Aira sighs.
"You're the last to enter" Akane added.
Tanako scratched his head.
"No I didnt"
Aira's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Just do it"
A pause.
"Fine then" tanako replied
Hakamo exhaled slowly eating his food.
"This thing sucks"
Tanako frowned.
"I wanna go back to aurius station"
"Their food was so good"
Akane stepped forward slightly.
"...Uhh... wanna build a makeshift house?" Akane said.
Silence.
Tanako blinked.
"...You serious?"
Akane shrugged.
"...Yeah"
A pause.
Tanako looked at Hakamo.
Hakamo looked back at him.
"...I mean" Tanako said,
"...there's nothing else to do... so"
Hakamo gave a small nod.
"...let's do it"
Aira stared at all three of them.
"...You guys serious"
"...Obviously" Tanako said, already grabbing a crate.
"... We're the boys"
Aira let out a sigh.
They got to work.
No plan.
No structure.
No system.
Tanako stacked two crates unevenly.
"...This already looks trash" he said.
"...Then stop making it look good" Hakamo replied.
Tanako paused.
"...Oh yeah"
He tilted the crate sideways.
"...There, Worse"
Aira sighed again.
But stepped in anyway.
"...At least make it stable"
Akane dragged a panel over.
Set it against the crates.
It didn't fit.
He left it like that.
Irregular.
Hakamo noticed.
Didn't fix it.
Accepted.
The lights flickered.
Brief.
Tanako looked up.
"...Yo, did it just—"
"...Ignore it" Aira said.
But her eyes didn't leave the ceiling.
Akane sat down inside the half-built structure.
"...This works" he said.
Tanako laughed.
"...Bro we built a broken house"
"...it's nothing like we imagined" Akane replied.
A pause.
Hakamo stepped inside too.
"This thing sucks" he said.
Tanako joined them.
"...Elite engineering" He laughed.
Aira stood outside for a second.
Then stepped in as well.
"...This is stupid" she said.
But she stayed.
Silence settled.
Different now.
Lighter.
Real.
Above them—
The camera adjusted.
Slower.
Tracking.
The structure didn't match any pattern.
Didn't serve any function.
Didn't belong.
Uncategorized.
Tanako leaned back against the crate.
"This is lowkey better than those work lines," he muttered.
Akane looked ahead.
"...Yeah."
Aira glanced at him.
Then away.
Hakamo's eyes lifted slightly.
"The cameras looking at us" he said.
No one moved.
But no one denied it.
Observation continues.
The lights steadied again.
Perfect.
Too perfect.
Inside the small, uneven structure—
Three people sat.
Unorganized.
Unplanned.
Together.
Something was watching them.