Unspoken Confession

Neon leaned against the thick trunk of an old tree, feeling the rough bark press into his back. His fingers worked steadily on a sleek, metallic device, its dim blue light flickering as he adjusted its components. A faint vibration pulsed from the gadget, barely noticeable beneath the rustling leaves and the distant calls of unseen creatures.

A few feet away, Aria lay sprawled on the grass, lit by the soft glow of Militia’s twilight. Her chestnut hair fanned out around her, strands catching the silver light. Her face was peaceful, almost ethereal. Her lips were slightly parted, her breath slow, and even, like she was caught between dreaming and waking, long lashes rested gently over her skin.

The gentle rise and fall of her chest made her look fragile and untouched by the weight of the world.

Neon glanced at her between moments of tinkering. She should’ve woken up by now. He hadn’t hit her that hard, or at least hadn’t meant to. Yet, with the quiet settling around them, he found himself hesitating to wake her. For once, there was no urgency, no battle to fight, no immediate danger. Just this quiet moment.

A faint murmur escaped her lips, and her fingers twitched against the grass. Slowly, her lashes fluttered open, revealing deep amber eyes clouded with confusion. Her gaze moved from the orange sky to the towering trees.

Then finally, to him.

“Where… are we?” Her voice was soft, still caught in the haze of unconsciousness.

Neon exhaled through his nose. “The Frontier.”

Her eyes widened as the haze cleared. She pushed herself up on her elbows, hair spilling over one shoulder in loose waves.

The forest stretched around them, endless and silent, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and rustling leaves. Realization settled into her bones.

"You knocked me out," she muttered, her voice sharp.

Neon didn’t deny it. He only held her gaze, his expression unreadable.

She sat up fully now, pulling her knees to her chest, her posture coiled tight with frustration. "You hit me."

"I had no choice."

Her eyes flashed. "Don’t treat me like dead weight!" she snapped, heat flaring in her voice. "I could have fought!"

"You could have died."

The words were flat and simple, but they struck something deep. Her lips parted slightly, but no retort came.

Aria stared at him, her breath hitching for just a second. The anger in her eyes didn’t fade, but something more fragile flickered beneath it. She shook her head, her fingers curling into the fabric of her sleeves.

"Why do you care?" Her voice was quieter now, but no less fierce. "You don’t even know me."

Neon opened his mouth, then closed it. His grip on the device in his hands tightened, metal clicking softly beneath his fingers. He hadn’t meant to hesitate, but the question caught him off guard.

The silence stretched between them, thick as the night air, filled only by the rustling leaves. Aria searched his face, waiting for an answer.

None came.

His jaw tensed. He looked away, down at the scarred ground beside him, at the tangled roots half-buried in the earth. Anywhere but at her.

Aria exhaled sharply as if she had expected as much. "That’s what I thought." She pulled her knees closer, wrapping her arms tighter around them.

Silence stretched between them, filled only by the wind sighing through the trees. Above, the canopy swayed gently, the silver glow of Militia’s suns slipping through the gaps, dappling Aria’s face in shifting light.

Then, barely above a whisper, she asked, "Why didn’t you kill me?"

Neon looked down at his hands, adjusting a loose panel on his device as if the answer was buried inside its circuits.

"You healed me," he said finally.

Aria studied him, searching his face for something. Doubt, guilt, hesitation. She found nothing. Instead, her gaze drifted downward, landing on his arm. A thin, shallow cut ran just below his shoulder, dark against his skin.

Neon tilted his head slightly, noticing her gaze.

"Maybe you could heal me again."

Aria hesitated. She shouldn’t care. She didn’t want to care. And yet, something in her reached forward before she could stop herself.

Her fingers hovered over his wound, trembling slightly. A soft, golden glow pulsed from her skin, warmth spreading like sunlight beneath her fingertips. The wound closed, the skin knitting together, leaving nothing but smoothness behind.

She pulled away, but something inside her twisted. She hated going against everyone she knew. She hated being stuck in this situation.

And she hated that she didn’t hate him.

Before she could stop it, a single tear welled in her eye.

Neon saw it.

"What?" His voice was quiet, almost careful.

She swallowed hard. Her voice wavered. "You… kill my kind."

Neon stiffened.

She clenched her fists in her lap. “I’ve tried to ignore it. I’ve tried to pretend that maybe you’re different. But I need to know.” Her voice trembled slightly. “Just how many of my people have you killed?”

Neon exhaled slowly. “None.”

Aria frowned, whispering softly but sharply.

“Liar.”

“I’m not lying,” he said, his voice steady. "I don´t kill."

“But you fight them. As you fought my camp members back there.”

He nodded. “I make them unconscious. I disarm them. I trap them. But I don’t spill blood unless I have no choice,” He tilted his head slightly.

She shook her head, still half-expecting him to be lying. But something about the way he spoke, the way he carried himself, it felt different.

She inhaled sharply. “Have you never killed someone?”

Neon paused.

So I was right. It´s true after all.

She stared at him.

He exhaled slowly. “It happened two years ago.”

Aria didn’t say anything. She simply listened.

“There was an ambush,” Neon continued. “I was alone. It was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission, but they found me first. I got surrounded. I fought my way out. Disarmed them. But one of them… he pretended to be unconscious. When I turned my back, he went for his gun.” He paused, his eyes darkening. “I reacted out of necessity and rage. I didn’t think. And before I knew it...”

The silence between them thickened.

“I never wanted to do it,” he murmured. “But I couldn’t die either.”

Aria stared at him for a long moment. Then, finally, she nodded.

“I believe you..." she said. "But I can´t even imagine how you fought your way out. Just who are you?”

“Just a normal Nyxian soldier.”

Aria scoffed. “If you’re a normal Nyxian soldier, it’s a miracle Militia is still standing.”

Neon didn’t respond, only smirked slightly as he leaned back against the tree.

Then, suddenly, Aria’s expression changed. She crossed her arms tightly, her cheeks flushing red.

“And another thing,” she huffed. “Why did you knock me out, anyway? What if...” Her voice wavered. “What if you did something to me while I was unconscious?!”

Neon´s fingers twitched. “Like what?”

Aria’s blush deepened. “I don’t know! Just, just something!”

Neon sighed. “I carried you here, that’s it.”

Aria buried her face in her hands. “Ugh. You’re impossible.”

“You’re welcome.”

She glared at him but didn’t say anything.

For now, at least, they were safe. And for now, that was enough.