Hanla Carthe

Seira City | Silver District | Carthe Family Home | Morning

The radio hums in the background—Last Hope – No One, Nobodies—soft against clinking plates. Hanla swings her feet on her bed, silver eyes bright under a fringe of black hair.

“Hanla, you have such beautiful hair.” Her mother comments, finishing a last careful brush with the comb.

Hanla wrinkles her nose. “But I want it white, Mama.”

“Maybe one day.” The comb clicks shut. Together, they move to the dining room.

Her father doesn’t look up at first, head buried in the folds of a newspaper. “Hundred thirty deaths because of thirst?” He reads aloud. “That doesn’t make sense. The country certainly has the resources! Why would they let citizens die?”

Hanla listens, lifting her chin.

“Maybe someone should go figure it out-” she suggests.

Her mother smiles. “Do you want them to?”

“Yes. I hate lies.”

Her father lowers the paper, looking at her with soft eyes. “Ahh, that’s my little girl.”

Hanla plants her fists on her hips, chest puffed-up with pride. “I am Hanla Carthe, and I will be a hero in this world—revealing the secrets of all the bad people!”

Her parents laugh.

“Sure.” Her mother agrees. “Someday you will.”

“But always be careful.” Her father adds, tapping the headline. “Bad people can have a lot of power.”

“But a hero needs that.” Hanla says. “A worthy enemy.”

Seira City | Akarai District | Newspaper Office | Years Later | Night

Hanla slides her headphones down, the last bar of Last Hope – Truthful fading out against her throat. Her bleached hair loose, wearing joggers and a white top, her fingers still smudged with ink. Her screen goes black, the city’s lights outside keep shining.

“A power outage in Akarai? No, just us.” She thinks out loud. “Maybe it’s the fuse. Guess I’m lucky I saved everything.”

She gets up and moves through the central aisle—rows upon rows of empty desks. But there is one person standing near the printer. Grey hair. A scarred face. A gun leveled at her chest.

“Hanla Carthe.” He begins, voice almost polite. “I have to admit, you did an impressive job. Connected all the dots, prepared to unveil the truth to everyone…”

Her breath hitches.

“Come on, talk to me.” He steps closer. “Was your heroism worth it? You know there’s a reason no one ever confessed. And yet—” He stops in front of her, gently lifting her chin.

“Why should I be scared?” He says, low. “If you really wanted me gone, you’d have pulled the trigger already.”

“Smart girl.” He mutters—and shoots.

The crack rings in her ears. Fire blooms in her shoulder. She staggers, catches herself on a desk, baring her teeth. “Arghh—!”

“I’d like you to keep something in mind.” He says, lowering the gun. “We can kill you at any time. But why put in the effort? Even if you reveal everything, people won’t care. A short burst of sympathy for the victims, maybe—but they’ll scroll on to the next scandal just as quick. Because nobody cares!”

She grins through the pain, blood threading down her arm. “I care!” She insists. “To me, that's more than enough.”

Sirens swell, close and blaring. Red strobes lick through the blinds. He glances toward the stairwell, hearing footsteps.

“Hanla Carthe.” He says once more, already backing away, “You have one powerful friend left. It’s his fault that killing you would be more trouble than it’s worth—so far.”

Then he slips away into the darkness like smoke.

The very next moment, Hanla loses consciousness.

Seira City | Another Heaven District | Hospital | Morning

The hospital room smells like disinfectant and chamomile tea. Strips of sunlight litter the floor. Hanla grins, lopsided.
“Guess I pissed them off.”

Her little sister elbows her gently into her side, from where she’s sitting beside her on the bed. “What if Rokku hadn’t come? You would’ve bled out!”

“Nah.” Hanla says, shrugging the shoulder not hidden under bandages. “I would’ve called the police.”

Her mother snaps back, voice breaking. “WHY—? TELL ME! YOU KNEW NOT TO WRITE ABOUT THEM! HANLA, THEY WANTED TO KILL YOU!”

Her father joins in with worry. “My girl, please… for once, look out for your own interests. Find a different job. A safer one.”

Hanla turns to the window, eyes on the pale blue horizon as the sun rises. “If I don’t tell the truth, Father… What am I doing with my life? Sure, I could be safe, but then what? I want to be a hero. Always have. I want to reveal secrets that make this world worse. I want to make an impact. I think the world is so beautiful—and it could be that way for everyone.”

“But what if you die for it?” He softly asks.

“You don’t get it. I won’t let them threaten me into silence.” She insists, steady. “Never. Okay, Dad?”

Silence. Then her mother exhales, shoulders slumping. Her sister slides off the bed..

Her mother breaks the silence. “Then promise us you’ll at least be careful and smart.”

“I’ll be smart.” Hanla says.

Her father clears his throat. “And you’ll call us. Every night.”

“Every night.”

Her sister hugs her, worried.

Seira City | Another Heaven District | Hospital | Night

The door opens with a hiss, and a grey-haired officer in an MCPD jacket steps inside. He leans up against the wall beside her bed.

“I messed them up, right?” Hanla predicts.

“Your articles did a little damage.” Rokku concedes. “Why are you so reckless?”

“I’m just researching.”

“In a way that will kill you.”

“Maybe.” She agrees, calm. “But I want to change the world for the better. If I die before then, or the world ends up worse than before, that means I failed.”

Rokku exhales. “I offered you a badge.”

Hanla shakes her head. “You have to follow laws. Laws can help people—and bad actors. I need something independent. Not a leash and owner. Journalism provides me with that.”

“You mean the corruption in the force-?” he says. “You could specifically join my squad.”

“Yeah, but I want something I own. I’ve dreamed of being a hero since I was a kid. Since my favorite band died. I’m still looking into that one too.”

Rokku’s jaw tightens. “Hanla, they’re powerful. Just… be careful. This isn’t smart.”

“You’re investigating them too.” She deflects, softer. “You said your adoptive daughter was one of the members. You probably want their end more than anyone.”

He touches his chest, then nods. “It takes time. Don’t be reckless.”

“We’ll see. I have a plan.”

He studies her for a beat. “You know what’s hardest, even when cruel things keep happening?”

“Tell me.” Hanla says.

“Keeping empathy. Not going numb. Treating everyone with compassion.”

Hanla nods.

“You’re one of my good friends,” Rokku adds. “You’ve helped us bring justice to bad actors.”

She swings her legs off the bed, stands, and looks out at the city lights. “Justice. I hope my beliefs aren’t wrong.” A breath. “You know what shocks me most, in all of this?”

“What?”

“How people…” She shuts her eyes. “Can lose sight of the value of a life.”

Seira City | Moonlight District | Agency Bright Burn | Night

Hanla is in a server room, dressed in all black, downloading files.

It was hell getting in here. Nevertheless, the lead was right. I just need more proof. This time, surely they’d kill me. I can’t get caught. Or… I should set up a safety plan. It’ll be huge news. I mean, they killed them because— They only wanted loyalty and obedience. But they wrote their songs—hinted at the truth. The system that’s taking control of our souls. Our lives. Everything, if it continues like—

She hears a sound. Security guards. She slips between the server racks.

The scarred man she’s seen once before appears in front of her hiding spot and fires—she takes a bullet in the stomach.

Adrenaline pulses through her. The download completes. She sprints to get her bounty to safety.

“The target escaped—kill her!” the man barks, running after. “If she gets away with our data, we’re screwed!”

Hanla bursts into the hall and slaps the elevator button. It doesn’t glow. The power is out.

Footsteps thunder up the stairs—more guards. She runs up the flights with everything she has.

I need to upload it. Fast. Text him.

She yanks out her phone, starts a voice message. “Rokku, help—quick!”

With another tap, she uploads the files to a private server.

“Just don’t lose hope-” Hanla whispers.

She shoves through the rooftop door—and presses up against it with her back.

She checks her phone. The door rattles—Hanla pushes it closed again with all her might.

Voices sound from inside—angry, yelling. The door inches open. Hanla’s strength is fading. She has to give.

Sirens wail from the streets below.

The scarred man throws open the door.

Hanla runs to the roof’s edge.

Blood drips onto her shoes.

More security guards pour out, guns trained on her.

Hanla grins. “You know, I will never regret anything. And I will never fear you either! NEVER!”

The scarred man shoots her in the stomach again.
Another round tears into her shoulder.
She closes her eyes, ready to let everything go, grinning—

—ready to take the last step and fall.

A voice cuts through.

“Hanla!”

Rokku.

Gunfire cracks. She opens her eyes and sees Rokku driving his fist into the scarred man’s face with brute force. The guards try to shoot him, but he’s faster—he’s shot them before they’ve fully turned to him.

He runs to Hanla, takes her hand, and hugs her close.

“You idiot.” Rokku whispers.

Hanla spits blood and aches all over—her adrenaline is ebbing. Her body pales, lips turning blue.

She smiles through her tears. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t talk. Save your energy. Help is on the way,” Rokku insists.

“Mmm… you’re so kind—my friend.”

She closes her eyes. Rokku leans over her, trying to put pressure on her wounds.

“Hey, no, open eyes, Hanla! C’mon!” He pleads. “We’ll fight them together from now on. You’ll change the world, just open your eyes.”

“I wish I had done more,” Hanla breathes out, “I wrote articles, but… no one cared. I… always watched, never acted. I wish… I could’ve been stronger. Changed something… huge.”

“Stop, Hanla. You’re kind, you try. You’re a hero already, to all of us.” Rokku says.

“No, Rokku… you were. My hero. Always my hero.”

Hanla smiles, unsure if she’s crying or not. “Thank you… for—”

Her body goes limp.

“No! No, no, no! Hanla!” He cries.

A last thought flickers through Hanla’s mind:

It’s so cold. So this is my end—my death. I wish my life was longer, that someday I could have changed the world, changed fate. That in the future, I could have become a hero.