Chapter 23: Shadows from the Past

That night, Arata, who had seemingly recovered from his PTSD, was haunted once more. He dreamt he was back in the same forest, the forest where his friends had fallen. They were all standing before him, but not with peaceful smiles. Their faces were pale, their eyes empty.

“You let us die, Arata!”

“You let us die, Arata!”

“You let us die, Arata!”

Their voices echoed, becoming whispers that blamed him, accused him, and gnawed at his soul. Arata woke up from his sleep with a scream. “NOOOO!”

The scream woke up his sister, Koyomi. Without a word, Koyomi immediately got up and hugged her brother to calm him down. She could only rub Arata’s back, letting him release his fear in silence.

The next day, Commander Narada and Iori Kuhera visited Arata’s apartment after hearing what had happened. They sat in the quiet living room, watching Arata, who looked exhausted and hopeless.

“Are you alright, Arata-kun?” Narada asked, his voice gentle, unlike a commander’s.

Iori Kuhera lowered his head, filled with guilt. “Senpai, I’m sorry. I should never have told you about this threat in the first place.”

Arata just sat in silence, then started the conversation. His voice was flat and emotionless, but his eyes showed deep suffering.

“Commander Narada,” he said. “Last night, I dreamt I saw them again. But for some reason, they seemed to blame me for their deaths. Was I… a bad commander for letting them die?”

“That’s not true, Arata,” Narada replied firmly. “You are a good man. You and your team had no other choice, did you? It was a battlefield.”

“If only I could turn back time, I should have been the one who died there, not them,” Arata whispered, his eyes welling up with tears.

“THAT’S NOT TRUE, Arata!” Narada yelled, startling Arata. “Will dwelling on this make their souls rest? They want you to keep living! Become a better man! Teach the next generation a lesson. Let the past be a lesson, but the future is what we change!”

Hearing those words, Arata could no longer hold it in. He bowed his head and began to cry, remembering all his friends who had fallen while on duty with him.

“I’m sorry, Commander,” Arata said between his sobs. “I’m so, so sorry, Commander Narada, if I’ve ever wronged you.”

Narada simply nodded, understanding the heavy burden Arata carried. Meanwhile, Koyomi, standing by the door, could only watch her brother suffer in silence. She understood her brother’s trauma was deep, and all she could do was be there to support him.

Elsewhere, far from Arata’s apartment, the ARAAF leaders were wasting no time. They were already planning a second attack on Japan. This time, their targets were New Kyoto and New Tokyo. A larger, more coordinated act of terror was about to begin.