Chapter 15: 1 of the million chances,,

Finally, they made it out of Sosa, the hideout of the human refugees. For the past few days, the group had been lying low in the dense forest of Sammu. It was a quiet reprieve from the chaos, but the weight of their losses hung heavily. Saul, Sean, Clint, worked together to bury Guidarts’ body, their somber expressions mirroring the grief they felt. Freed, the group’s driver, was busy underneath the Humvee, doing his best to repair the vehicle’s damaged engine.

“Pass me the screwdriver, Lox,” Freed muttered, his voice muffled by the hum of the forest. Lox, another member of Kaede’s team, handed him the tool without hesitation.

Kaede remained in the Humvee, still recovering from her shoulder injury. She had tasked Haruka and Ai with a dangerous mission—to sneak into the nearby city and procure food, medicine, and bandages. Their supplies were running critically low, leaving them no other choice but to take the risk.

The city loomed before them, sprawling and suffused with technology. It wasn’t as massive as Tokyo, but its streets were a labyrinth of innovation and surveillance. Digital billboards adorned every building, flashing advertisements in vivid colors. Dominions moved through the streets in their usual unfeeling manner, their mechanical gazes devoid of life.

But Haruka felt their stares. Every time they passed one, she sensed their eyes lingering, magnetic and oppressive. Each crossing brought a new threat, with drones patrolling the skies above. The pair were forced to duck into narrow, shadowed alleys to avoid detection.

“This is much scarier than a horror game,” Ai muttered, her voice tinged with nervousness as they crouched behind a stack of discarded crates.

Haruka chuckled softly, earning a confused glare from Ai.

“Why are you laughing in a situation like this?” Ai asked, exasperated.

Haruka shook her head, her expression softening. “It just reminds me of the day we met.”

Ai’s frown melted into a surprised smile. “Now that you mention it… I guess it is kind of like that.” Her smile faltered, replaced by a serious expression. “But this time, it’s different. We’ve got people waiting for us. If we fail, they don’t eat. Their lives depend on us. Failure isn’t an option.”

Haruka’s eyes hardened with determination. “You’re right. Let’s do our best.”

The two continued carefully, weaving through the labyrinthine streets. After what felt like an eternity, they managed to gather food, medicine, and bandages. Relief washed over them, their earlier anxiety dissipating slightly. But they both knew the hardest part was yet to come—escaping undetected.

The city’s surveillance network was unrelenting. Drones buzzed overhead, and every street corner was monitored by CCTV cameras feeding data to the government’s centralized system. Haruka and Ai’s group were among the country’s most wanted criminals; any misstep would bring aether sentinels and dominion soldiers down on them in an instant.

Their path out of the city brought them to a massive crosswalk. It wasn’t an ordinary intersection—this was the city’s central hub, an open expanse where every major road converged. No alleys, no buildings, no cover. But fortunately for them, many dominions were waiting on the corner of the road to pass. Their expression was indeed dull, emotionless puppets made by the government.

Ai stared at the crosswalk, her face pale. “This is suicide,” she whispered.

Haruka clenched her fists, her mind racing. They had no choice. Turning back wasn’t an option. She saw the traffic light turn green. She took Ai’s hand and immediately crossed the road.

“We’ll move fast,” Haruka said, her voice steady despite the tension crackling in the air. “Stick close, and we’ll make it through.”

Ai nodded, swallowing hard. Together, they stepped out onto the exposed crosswalk, every nerve in their bodies screaming for them to run.

They crossed paths with the dominions who were waiting on the other side of the road, which made it harder for them to stick together. The space between them grew tighter, their hands the only connection keeping them together. As it got tighter, Haruka accidentally let Ai’s hand go.

Ai, on the other hand, was unable to handle the heavy weight of the dominions. She slipped on the ground, landing in a sitting position. When she was about to stand up, a silhouette appeared in front of her, blocking the ray of the sun. It was a person. She panicked because she couldn’t see who was standing in front of her. She noticed that the person was wearing a cloak that hid its appearance, and she thought it might be someone working for the government to track them down.

Heavy thoughts ran through her veins as her eyes widened in disbelief. She thought she was caught.

As the dominions finally crossed the road, her vision cleared, and she could see the figure more clearly. All of a sudden, a hand gripped the person’s shoulder and pulled them back forcefully.

It was Haruka.

Her expression was furious, and she glared at the person as though she were ready to kill. “Who are you?” she demanded, her tone sharp and filled with anger, her hand still gripping the stranger’s shoulder.

The person’s hand moved, gripping Haruka’s hand in return. “Do you perhaps know the person named Kaede?” the voice asked, its tone deep and calm. Haruka immediately realized it was a man under the cloak.

She frowned and let her guard up. She was angry and confused. How did he know Kaede? And why did he not know Ai as well? “Who are you? What do you want from her?” she questioned, her fierce glare unwavering.

The man’s voice turned sarcastic as he replied, “I want to meet her in person and, y’know, discuss some trivial matters.”

Haruka felt her suspicion grow stronger. Her anger boiled over, and a sword materialized in her hand. She swung it at him, but the man stopped her hand with his own. His grip was powerful, and she couldn’t break free.

Her frown deepened, but she suddenly realized their faces were too close to each other. She froze, her eyes widening. “D-Don’t tell me you’re a—” she stammered, unable to finish her sentence.

The man placed a finger on her lips to silence her. “Shhh. Let’s save that for later,” he said calmly.

He let go of her hand and reached into his pocket. Haruka immediately struck a defensive pose, her sword still in hand. The man chuckled. “You don’t need to be that cautious. I won’t bite,” he said with a teasing tone.

He pulled out a letter and offered it to her.

Haruka frowned, her eyes narrowing. “What is that? Are you plotting something?” she asked suspiciously, gripping her sword tighter.

“It’s a love letter. Just hand it to her,” he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Haruka didn’t believe him. Something felt off. “What if I don’t?” she challenged, her voice cold and firm.

The man chuckled again. “That’s up to you. But their lives depend on that letter. If you really want to protect them, it’s your obligation to hand this to her.”

He paused and looked toward the right side of the road. A massive group of drones was flying in their direction. “We don’t have much time left. Make sure to hand it to her,” he said before stepping back.

The drones approached rapidly, but Haruka pointed her hand toward them. The drones froze mid-air as if held by an invisible force. She clenched her fist, and the drones exploded one after another.

Her glare returned to the man. “If this letter means harm to us, be prepared,” she warned, her tone unwavering.

The man remained unfazed. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, a sly smile playing on his lips. “I look forward to it,” he said, his voice carrying a strange, unsettling excitement.