—Don't move —the nurse told Zein, without looking away from the wound as she passed the needle with a steady hand.
Zein grit his teeth, holding his breath every time the thread pierced his skin. He didn't complain. Beside him, the captain received similar attention, her face appearing serene behind the mask despite the blood-stained bandages covering part of her arm.
The medical tent was saturated. Stretchers lined up without order, muffled groans, the metallic smell of blood mixed with disinfectant. Some liquidators waited sitting on the ground; others were being treated outside due to lack of space. Even so, the atmosphere was not one of absolute defeat. More had survived than anyone would have expected after such an attack, and everyone knew it.
Suddenly, the tent's canvas was pulled open.
Zein looked up and recognized that white hair amidst the chaos. Lyra was moving forward with hesitant steps, turning her head from side to side, her eyes wide open.
—Lyra…? —Zein murmured, surprised.
When she saw him, she ran and threw herself on him, clinging to his clothes tightly while tears soaked his neck.
—Big brother! —she sobbed—. I thought something bad had happened to you…!
Zein wrapped his arms around her carefully, ignoring the tug on the newly closed wound.
—What are you doing here? —he asked in a low voice—. Aren't civilians supposed to be barred from entering?
Lyra shook her head, clumsily wiping her cheeks.
—It's just… Judas suddenly arrived at the store saying something had happened where you worked, and… —she took a sharp breath—. From over there, you could see the smoke coming from the pier…
—Judas told you that?
As if he had been summoned, the canvas opened again. Kio entered first, followed by Judas. Both approached upon seeing Zein conscious.
—What are you guys doing here? —Zein asked—. How did you know what happened?
Kio shrugged, with a serious expression that was unusual for her.
—We didn't know for sure, but seeing the state of the pier… it was easy to imagine.
Zein shifted his gaze toward Judas.
—How did you know? Even the island's army hasn't arrived yet.
Judas looked away for a second before responding.
—They started talking about explosions on the news —he said—. I remembered you worked there… and I thought I should notify those who know you.
There was a brief silence.
Zein didn't press the matter.
—Kio, didn't Alexander come? —Zein asked, looking around the tent.
—He did come —she responded calmly—. He stayed outside talking to acquaintances, trying to figure out exactly what happened.
—Right…
The captain then approached and stopped beside Zein, observing Lyra for a moment.
—Are they your acquaintances? —she asked in a low voice.
—Oh, wow… what are you doing here, Nao…? —Kio began naturally.
She didn't get to finish. The captain took a quick step and covered her mouth with her hand.
—Shhh —she whispered—. Please, don't say anything.
Kio blinked, surprised.
—Eh? Why? —she murmured, pulling her head away slightly.
The captain lowered her gaze for an instant before responding.
—Because… I don't want him to see me in a different way.
Kio watched her in silence, understanding more than what she was saying. In the end, she smiled slightly.
—All right.
Meanwhile, Lyra remained clung to Zein, her body trembling with every breath. He lifted her gently and, with his thumbs, wiped away the tears that still ran down her cheeks.
—Come on —he said softly, stretching the corners of her mouth with his fingers—. Smile a little… you look prettier that way.
He gave her a warm smile, one of those that needed no words. Lyra took a deep breath and dried the rest of her tears with her sleeve.
—It's just… I was so worried about you —she murmured.
—And I was worried about you —Zein responded without hesitation. Then he paused briefly—. You know? I'm not that weak either. Something like this isn't going to kill me… and even if…
He pointed carefully to Lyra's chest, right over her heart.
—I will always live here.
Lyra reacted immediately and hit him in the stomach—not with force, but with reproach.
—Dummy… —she said, her voice still trembling—. Don't make jokes like that, please…
Zein let out a small, muffled laugh and hugged her again, this time more carefully than ever.
Some time later, Zein was active once more among the liquidators. This time, everyone who could still move was helping with the cleanup of the pier. The chaos had subsided, leaving behind a heavy silence interrupted only by brief orders and tired footsteps.
As he worked, Zein began to notice something different. The looks were no longer just of urgency or fear; now many recognized him. Some approached to thank him; others bowed their heads as they passed. Families of liquidators stopped in front of him, clumsy words coming out between contained sobs, thanking him for having helped their husbands, their sons, their daughters.
Zein accepted it all with simplicity. He helped where he could without asking for anything in return. He moved bodies with gentle currents of wind, reduced piles of monsters to ashes with controlled fire, and handed out water to the wounded who could still hold a glass. His movements were calm and steady, as if he wanted to give the place back a bit of order.
From a distance, the captain watched him…. Naoko… she watched him with a slight, silent smile.
It wasn't long before everyone was called to the main area of the pier. The companies formed quickly—straight lines despite the accumulated fatigue. Zein, somewhat distracted, was eased into his spot by his companions with a light shove and a muted laugh.
Then a figure appeared, surrounded by soldiers.
Leonor von Trapp stepped forward with a firm stride, the same woman Zein had crossed paths with at the census office. Her expression was haughty, chin held high, carefully avoiding any monster corpses on the ground as if simple eye contact were distasteful to her.
—Look at her… what is she even doing here? —a murmur was heard.
—They didn't even arrive when we needed help… and now, what do they come for? —another voice added, heavy with resentment.
Leonor stopped in front of the companies and scanned them with her gaze, from one end to the other.
—Who was the one who eliminated most of the monsters? —she asked aloud.
For an instant, no one answered. The silence grew tense among the ranks.
Then the captain took a step forward.
—Reporting! Captain of Company 172! I answer for the actions performed!
Leonor looked at her with incredulity.
—You did all this?
—No, ma'am! —she responded firmly—. Myself and another subordinate!
The captain turned her face slightly and, with a discreet sign, signaled Zein to step forward.
Zein took a step forward.
Because of his previous encounter with Leonor, Zein knew a bit better how to deal with her. Every word had to be measured.
—You helped with this? —Leonor asked, planting herself in front of him.
—Yes, ma'am —Zein responded without wavering—. I must say it is quite an honor for the great Leonor von Trapp to address someone like me. I am deeply grateful.
—Ha —she let out with disdain—. Of course you should be.
For a moment, Leonor inspected him from head to toe. Her gaze was cold, calculating, as if evaluating a tool rather than a person. Zein maintained a relaxed posture, without defiance, his chin slightly tilted, measuring every gesture so as not to seem insolent while he continued to feed her ego.
—Fine —she finally said, tracing a brief smile—. I approve of you.
Then she turned her head.
—You —she pointed at the captain—. I want a detailed report of everything that happened here. Every movement, every anomaly. And I want it as quickly as possible.
—Yes, ma'am —Naoko responded without hesitation.
With that, Leonor turned around and walked away from the pier with the same calm with which she had arrived, escorted by her soldiers, as if the massacre around her did not deserve any further attention.
Sometime later, on the central island of Mirathun, Leonor wore a different uniform. More sober. More formal. She stood before two gigantic dark stone doors, with the captain's report held firmly in her hands.
«Dammit… how I hate doing this,» she thought, feeling a knot in her stomach.
She pushed the doors open.
The hall that opened before her was vast, but darkness devoured it almost completely. From the entrance stretched a single stone path, straight and bare, lit only by a pale strip of light leading toward the center of the room. There, the floor formed a perfect circle, bathed in an isolated glow, as if everything else ceased to exist outside that point.
Beyond the light, shadows rose in silence. Facing the circle, a semi-circular dais ascended in levels, and upon it, motionless figures could be discerned. The lighting did not reach far enough to reveal faces or details; only silhouettes cut against the gloom, presences watching from above.
There was no need to see their faces. The weight of their gazes was enough.
Leonor walked to the circle in the center of the room with measured steps. The light enveloped her instantly, isolating her from the rest of the world.
—We are glad to see you again, daughter of the Von Trapps —said one of the voices from the shadows.
—Did you discover what occurred at the pier a few days ago? —asked another.
—I did —Leonor responded firmly—. The complete report of what happened is in these documents. At this moment, copies are being distributed.
Around her, new silhouettes emerged from the darkness, approaching the figures on the dais to hand them the reports. The sound of paper changing hands broke the heavy silence of the room.
A moment passed. Then another.
The figures began to look at one another.
—As for the captain, there is no issue —said one of the voices—. The captain system within the liquidators exists precisely to prevent power centers from emerging within Mirathun.
There was a brief pause.
—But this… Zein Ravenscroft, eighteen years old —the voice continued—, is a problem.
—Do we have no more information on him? —another voice asked.
—No, sir —Leonor responded—. He only registered with his name and age. The liquidators do not request further data.
—That makes him even more problematic.
Leonor took a deep breath before speaking again.
—We could request the personal documents of the citizens of that province from the census offices —she said, bowing slightly and resting a hand on her chest—. But I would need the Duke's permission to proceed.
—Do not worry —a voice responded—. You have our permission.
—You already know the Duke possesses no real power —added another—. This council exists because of the ineptitude of previous Dukes. You could have come directly to us.
—Forgive my ignorance —Leonor said without looking up.
—You are an important asset —the voice continued—. And the daughter of a great man. We expect much from you.
—Yes —she responded.
—For now, await instructions. Your next job may arrive soon. You may withdraw.
—With your permission —Leonor said before turning around and leaving the room.
«So self-important… That's why I hate coming here,» she thought as the doors closed behind her.
Meanwhile, in his room, Zein let himself fall onto the bed with an exhausted sigh. Every muscle burned, his body still aching from the combat and the subsequent hours of work. He barely had the strength to move.
As he lay back, something fell to the floor. Zein frowned and turned with effort to pick it up. Upon seeing it, he immediately recognized the object: the paper the guards had given him when he arrived on the island.
He held it between his fingers, turning it over.
«Maybe I should go see what it is,» he thought while examining the back of the card.
At that instant, the door opened and Lyra came running in, throwing herself onto him with a cheerful laugh. Zein reacted instantly, stashing the paper away without thinking and returning the hug.