Family Ties

The air in the hallway was thick with tension as Yuki froze mid-step, his heart pounding in his chest. Maya stood beside him, her body stiff with panic. Her wide eyes locked onto his, pleading silently for something Yuki couldn’t quite name. Vulnerability flashed across her face, a stark contrast to the confidence she always exuded.

“Did you call me?” Yuki’s father’s calm, detached voice cut through the air. He turned from his seat in the living room, his sharp eyes settling briefly on his son.

“No, Father,” Yuki blurted out, his voice strained but steady enough to mask his fear.

His father’s gaze lingered for a moment longer, then drifted back to his tablet. “Alright then,” he muttered, his tone dismissive as he resumed his reading.

Yuki’s mind raced. Why couldn’t his father see Maya? The thought clawed at him, but there was no time to process it.

Maya acted first.

In a blur of motion, she grabbed Yuki’s collar, her strength far surpassing her small frame. Before he could utter a word, the air around them warped and folded in on itself. Yuki’s vision blurred, his stomach lurching as the hallway dissolved into disorienting waves of color.

When the world snapped back into focus, Yuki was still in the hallway—alone. He staggered, his breath coming in shallow gasps as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Inside his bedroom, Maya cursed under her breath. “Crap. Forgot that didn’t work on him.”

Before Yuki could react, she reappeared, her expression tense as she grabbed his wrist and yanked him toward the room.

“What are you—”

Her grip tightened, and with a force that left him breathless, she shoved him inside.

Yuki stumbled, his head colliding with the floor in a painful thud. Darkness consumed him.

//

Jun sat on the cold metallic floor of his cramped workspace, surrounded by a sea of holographic screens. The blue light cast harsh shadows across his face, emphasizing the exhaustion etched into his features. Data filled every screen—genetic profiles, rebellion strategies, and the ever-present file marked Yuki Ito.

He stared at the file, his hands trembling. The words blurred together, the weight of their implications bearing down on him. He clung to the faint hope of an alternative, but the path ahead seemed immutable, narrowing to one grim conclusion: Yuki’s sacrifice.

With a growl of frustration, Jun snatched a USB drive from the desk and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall, the fragments scattering like shards of his fraying resolve.

“Wasteful,” a measured voice commented from the doorway.

Jun’s breath hitched as he turned slowly.

The counselor stepped inside, his figure imposing even as he leaned on his cane. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the shattered remains of the USB and the chaos of the screens. A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

“What now, Jun?” the commander asked, his voice deceptively gentle.

Jun looked away, his jaw tightening. “I’m just—” He stopped, swallowing hard. “Is there another way?”

The counselor didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he limped forward, his cane tapping rhythmically against the floor. He stopped by the shattered USB, crouching to trace the fragments with the tip of his cane.

“You know there isn’t,” he said quietly.

Jun slumped back against the wall, his head falling into his hands. “I can’t accept that,” he muttered.

The counselor straightened, his expression unreadable. “I’ve heard,” he said, stepping closer, “that you’ve grown… attached.”

Jun’s breath caught.

“To the sacrifice,” the counselor clarified, his tone harder now.

Jun inhaled sharply, his voice a whisper. “Yuki. His name is Yuki. And he’s my best friend.”

The man tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with faint amusement. “Ah, friendship. Such a noble sentiment.” He leaned on his cane, his voice dropping to a cold whisper. “Do you think friendship will save him? Or you?”

Jun turned his face away, his fists clenching.

“These people—his people—they don’t belong with us,” the counselor continued, his voice laced with disdain.

“Yuki isn’t like them!” Jun snapped, his voice rising. “He’s not stubborn, arrogant, or cruel. He doesn’t even know—he thinks he’s powerless!”

“Jun.”

The single word was sharp, cutting through Jun’s anger.

The elderly man stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “Whose side are you on?”

Jun closed his eyes, exhaling shakily. “The rebellion, counselor. Always.”

The counselor smiled faintly, leaning in. “Good,” he murmured. “Keep it that way.”

//

Yuki groaned as consciousness slowly returned, his head pounding in protest. His vision was blurred, and the edges of the room spun as he blinked.

The first thing he noticed was the chair. He was tied to it, the ropes biting into his wrists and ankles. The second thing was Maya, standing by the door with her back to him.

“Maya?” he croaked, his voice hoarse and uncertain.

Her head snapped around, her expression a mixture of guilt and urgency. She locked the door and rushed toward him, her steps quick and purposeful.

“Stop,” she said sharply as Yuki opened his mouth to yell. “Just listen to me!”

“What the hell?” Yuki’s voice rose, anger flaring through his confusion. “Maya, why am I tied up? What are you doing?!”

“Keep your voice down!” she hissed, glancing nervously at the door. “The old man doesn’t pay much attention, but you’re being too loud!”

“You don’t know anything about my father!” Yuki snapped, his defiance cutting through his fear.

“Oh, I definitely do,” Maya retorted, her tone cold.

Yuki blinked, her words throwing him off balance. His struggles against the ropes faltered as he stared at her, his voice trembling. “Who are you?”

Maya froze, her eyes dropping to the floor. Her hands trembled, and for a moment, she seemed almost… lost.

“Answer me!” Yuki demanded, his voice breaking the silence.

Maya’s gaze snapped back to his, her voice cracking under the weight of her words.

“Family,” she said, the word heavy with emotion. “I’m your family.”

Yuki’s breath hitched, his confusion deepening. “Bullshit.”

“I am!” Maya insisted, her voice rising. “I—I’m your sister, Yuki. Your sister.”