"This is horrifying… I didn't expect it to be like this."
Louis said it in a low voice, heavy with shock and confusion, as he stood on the ruined bridge. The cold wind blew fiercely, carrying with it the smell of smoke and burnt metal. Beside him stood Victor, equally stunned, his eyes wandering uneasily across the dreadful scene before them. The government's armored vehicles—only hours ago a terrifying army—now lay submerged in the great river that separated Verdantiz from the capital.
Victor slowly shook his head.
"Yes… you're right. It's really bad. How did that explosion even happen? And how did Ilio survive? Is he really that lucky?"
Louis looked at him, a faint suspicion glimmering in his eyes.
"What is it, Victor… do you suspect Ilio?"
"I wouldn't say I suspect him exactly…" Victor replied, his voice low and hesitant. "But my mind just… can't accept it. That army had Ilio and Alex cornered. They were surrounded. Then suddenly… everything burned. And he survived. What… do you think?"
Louis sighed, wiping his face with a trembling hand.
"Well… it does sound suspicious. But since I didn't see it with my own eyes… I can't say anything for sure. Maybe he was lucky… or maybe something else."
"You're right," Victor said, looking at the river again. "We should head back. Ilio might have woken up by now."
---
In a strange space—its color like polished tin, yet with a refined quality, as if it were a carefully engineered metal—a blond-haired boy with green eyes sat alone, playing with a small toy car.
Completely alone.
He was singing an incomprehensible song: scattered syllables, words without meaning—just repeated sounds he murmured over and over, as if they were a ritual protecting him from loneliness. He pushed the toy car back and forth across the shining floor, smiling innocently as he sang… repeated… murmured…
Suddenly… the boy turned toward a certain spot in the space.
It looked no different from the rest of the place, yet somehow… it felt different.
He tensed gradually. His eyes widened. His hand stopped moving the car. Fear began to creep into him, but he did not stop singing. He sang, repeated, murmured… as if the song itself were a shield protecting him.
Then he heard a voice.
A young girl's voice.
He couldn't see her, but his expression changed instantly, as if he knew her very well.
The voice spoke sharply, decisively:
"You sing… you play… these are not your actions. They are not what you should be doing. You are not like the other children. You are not like them. You… are not human."
The terror on the boy's face deepened. For the first time, he shouted clearly:
"I am human! I sing like other humans my age… and I play like them!"
The voice replied calmly, firmly:
"That is what you appear to be… but you know yourself better than anyone else. Even if you sing… repeat… and whisper…"
Suddenly—
---
Ilio woke up from his bed, gasping, sweating, agitated. His hand wiped his forehead as he struggled to regain his breath.
"What's wrong with me…? Looks like it was that dream again."
He looked toward the dark sky through the small window. The bright stars shimmered as if they were watching him. A wet cloth slipped from his head and fell to the floor.
"A cloth… looks like my fever rose."
Hamilton interrupted him from behind the small heater, his calm voice carrying suppressed anger.
"How's your health? Are you better now?"
"Yes… probably," Ilio replied, trying to rise slowly. "I can help you in this condition."
"Just rest," Hamilton said. "Don't worry… everything is fine now. We won't do anything until you recover. It seems you went through something terrible last night. We found you and Alex's body lying on the ground… injured."
Ilio froze.
"Alex… a body? Wait… did Alex survive?"
"Unfortunately… no."
Ilio slammed the ground with his fist, shouting:
"Damn it! This is all because of me!"
He tried to stand, but a sharp pain in his head forced him to sit again. He tried once more, but Hamilton's hand stopped him gently.
"Not now. You need to rest. Don't tell me what happened until you recover. I told the others not to ask you either."
"This can't be…" Ilio said, his voice trembling with anger and pain. "This won't pass lightly. We will avenge Alex… that's certain. We won't let the death of someone like him mean nothing."
"Did he fulfill his duty… even in his final moments?" Hamilton asked quietly, sorrow heavy in his voice.
"Haah… yes. Perfectly."
Hamilton turned away. A single tear slid down his dark face.
"Thank God… our years together weren't wasted. I'll go… inform the others that you've awakened."
Hamilton stood up, and on his way out he crossed paths with Victor and Louis, who had just arrived.
Louis said loudly, full of joy:
"Oh Ilio… thank God you're awake! Tell me… what happened to you last night?"
Suddenly…
Everyone turned—including Victor—staring strangely at Louis.
Everyone except one person.
A dark, frightening figure standing directly behind him, with sharp, angry eyes.
A heavy blow struck Louis on the head, accompanied by an angry shout:
"You ungrateful brat! I told you not to ask him! If Victor had done it we might have understood—he's new with us—but you… you wet yourself here!"
Victor commented with light sarcasm:
"Was it really necessary to mention that? You're embarrassing your son."
"And what do you know about raising children? Answer me, oh wise one!" Hamilton snapped.
Victor turned away.
"I won't argue with you… it's pointless. Ilio… look. I brought the safe."
Ilio looked at it and smiled faintly.
"Very good, Victor. Hamilton… could you hide it until we return to Ashval to open it?"
"Alright… but how did you get it by yourselves?"
"The credit goes to them—especially Victor," Ilio replied. "Without him we wouldn't have brought it. He surprised us with his driving skills."
"Speaking of that…" Louis said. "Where did you learn to drive?"
"I don't remember," Victor answered. "But when I saw the car keys… I felt something familiar. I didn't realize it until I found you."
"It doesn't matter how you learned," Ilio said. "What matters is that you did what was best for us. Only one capsule remains… until you recover your memory completely. Now you may leave. I want to stay alone for a short while."
Everyone began arranging their bedding, preparing to sleep—except Victor, who sat beside Ilio.
Ilio looked at him.
"Aren't you tired? You pushed yourself hard these past days. Your body and mind need sleep."
"I slept in the car on the way here," Victor replied. "So I'm not sleepy now. There are two things I want to say to you. I'll start with a question: I noticed that my situation seems strange among you. I'm talking about my memory… but aren't you the same? I mean, you're also searching for the capsules. That means your memories are incomplete… just like mine."
Ilio smiled faintly.
"We… want the capsules, yes. But not in the same way. If someone like you—who lost his memory—is considered strange… then everyone here remembers very little as well. Only what was inside the first capsule. But they lived long enough to create new memories. Even if they recover the old ones through the capsules… it won't affect them much. What they remember now is ordinary life. But you… you are deeply attached to your past. You're not trying to create a new self without letting your lost memories chase you. But I think you've started doing it unconsciously. Your obsession with the capsules will slowly fade… unless—"
"Unless what?" Victor said quickly.
"Something unexpected happens. You're beginning to understand the nature of this world," Ilio replied. "Now tell me… what's the second thing you wanted to say?"
"I have a way to save the lost lives… I mean, an alternative solution instead of killing the dogs and the people under the Link," Victor said. "Tell me… do you remember how you removed the Link from yourselves?"
"Most of us don't remember," Ilio replied. "The overwhelming majority, actually. What are you getting at?"
"When I was in Norvana… an old woman died the moment I removed her Link. So I concluded that removing it is fatal. But what about breaking it at a certain point? If you saw the Link I carry… it's broken."
A twig snapped somewhere nearby.
"Maybe the solution is breaking it until it turns red… and then we can restore the person to normal… and free them. Ilio… are you listening?"
"Quiet," Ilio said suddenly, raising his hand. "Someone's approaching…"
From the darkness of the trees… two figures emerged.
They wore the clothes of the Dogs, without masks. Yellow Links attached behind their necks.
They stared sharply at Ilio and Victor.
One of them spoke in a cold voice:
"So you're here, Ilio. We want to speak with you… alone. This is not a request."
"It's an order."
To be continued…