Harsh reality

"Grant, watch out!"

Mira screamed just as Grant slammed the door shut.

The metal echoed down the corridor.
Everyone froze.

No one understood what had frightened him enough to close it so violently—especially with his hand already injured.

"Okay… okay, let's calm down," Wes said, stepping closer. "Are you alright, man? What did you see back there?"

Grant didn't answer.

He stared at them, his eyes moving from face to face, as if weighing something no one else could see.

"Grant… what's happening?" Cass asked, slowly approaching him.

CRACK!

The door shuddered abruptly, as if something had hit it. Everyone was left confused.

Grant lowered his head.

He exhaled slowly, then looked up.
"Listen to me," he said. "Listen carefu—"

CRACK!

Another sudden blow, the impact was stronger this time.

Grant raised his voice.

"Call for reinforcements, right now! There's a Class B in this area! A Jorō-type Rem beast!"

"WAIT, A WHAT?!" Wes shouted in disbelief.

Seth's eyes dropped to Grant's bleeding hand.

He's still holding the door... this is bad.
We can't stay like this.

He didn't fully understand what was happening or how he should react.
He just stood there, watching everyone.

A suffocating tension filled the corridor. Mira clenched her fist; Wes and Cass exchanged a terrified glance; Grant's face was frozen in shock.

Their earlier confidence was gone.

Completely.

"A Jorō-type... It can't be. How is this possible?!" Cass exclaimed in despair.
Unanswered questions hung in the air.

"Now what?" "What do we do?"
Mira scanned the corridor desperately.

Cass didn't.
She looked straight at Grant.

"…What do we do now?"

Grant ran a hand through his hair, his gaze unfocused. After a moment, he forced out an answer.

"I don't know. I'm just trying to think...!"

Seth simply watched them, still not fully understanding what was behind that door.

A Class B Rem beast…
That sounds much worse than anything we've faced so far, but can't we just run?

His eyes shifted to Wes, struggling with the academy communicator.

Grant's voice cracked as it rose.

"We don't have time! My hand won't last! CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS NOW!"

"I've been calling!" Wes yelled back.

Cass exhaled sharply.

"We're exhausted, Mira's injured, Wes has nothing left. And you..." Her gaze dropped to Grant's hand. "You're tearing yourself apart."

"Cass, this isn't the time—just… let me think," Grant said, shaking his head.

Wes stepped closer.
"I've got bad news."

Cass turned to him sharply.

"What now?! Just call for backup!"

"I'm trying!" Wes said, panic creeping into his voice. "It's not going through. It's like there's no signal at all."

"What?!" Grant lunged forward. "Give me that!"

He ripped the communicator from Wes's hands.

"What the hell is wrong with this thing?! There has to be a signal!"

"SEE? THERE'S NO SIGNAL!" Wes almost shouted, his voice cracking for the first time since Seth had known him. "This is—!"

"It can't be…" Cass said, covering her face. "This is absurd!"

"The sector repeater was active—this doesn't make sense!" Wes exclaimed.

Seth frowned slightly.

No signal…? How?

CRUNCH!

The door cracked open—barely two inches.
Grant's bleeding hand tensed suddenly.

"AGH!" Grant hissed out in pain.

Wes looked at him, desperation creeping into his voice.

"Okay… okay… we have to do something and fast!"

"Run, maybe?!" Cass said, her voice hollow with resignation.

"No—" Grant groaned, tightening his grip on the door.

"Without Rem energy, that thing would catch us in a few meters. I can't even maintain body amplification right now."

Mira shook her head.

"With no signal, our only option is to run and reach the nearest Rem elite outpost."

"Yeah—there's one about five kilometers from here," Wes said, a flicker of hope in his voice.

Grant looked at everyone.

"Guys… given the situation," he said slowly, "the only thing we can do is leave someone here to hold the door, while the rest run for help from the Rem elites."

Silence fell over the group.

"No… no, wait—that's insane, Grant," Wes said, shaken. "We're not leaving anyone behind."

Grant tightened his grip on the door.

"Do you see any other way out of this?!"

He swallowed.
"I'll stay and hold it. I'm the one who got us into this."

"So you'll just die here? That's your brilliant idea?!" Cass screamed. "Your hand's a bloody mess! You won't even last a minute!"

Seth watched the argument in silence.
The pieces of the disaster were coming together in his mind.

"WE HAVE TO TRY IT!" Grant roared, his voice hoarse from the strain of holding the door shut and from despair.

That was when a calm voice, laden with a terrifying resignation, cut through the argument.

"He's right."

All eyes snapped to Seth. But his own were locked on the door, not just looking, but staring it down as if he could see straight through the metal to the horror waiting on the other side.

"I… I'm the only one with enough Rem energy left," Seth said, his voice cutting through the tension as he finally turned to face them. His fists were clenched at his sides, but his words were steady.

"Wait, what…?!" Mira asked, utterly confused.

"I can use Body Amplification. It'll let me hold the door and keep me from turning into a hybrid. It has to be me."

"Harper…" Grant tried to refute him, his voice strained. "You can't even imbue your weapons. You're not ready for this."

"But I can last longer than any of you," Seth countered, his calmness unnerving. "I haven't spent my energy. I can use amplification and hold the door."

A heavy silence fell over them, the reality of his claim sinking in.

"What if we use the Rem energy capsule?" Wes insisted, a final sliver of hope clinging to his voice.

"I'll stay. I'll inject myself, and—"

"It won't work."

Seth's voice—strangely firm—cut through the collective hysteria.

"Think about it," he continued. "Mira and Grant are injured. You and Cass are exhausted. We'd waste precious time just using the reserve capsule to recover Rem energy."

"Even so, you're still a rookie!" Cass snapped, stepping forward, trying to stop him. "Leaving you behind is unthinkable!"

Seth exhaled slowly.

He paused, his gaze moving across each of them—lingering on their hesitation, their fear, their indecision.

"I… I'm the only one who can do this right now."

"That's true…" Wes admitted quietly, the last trace of hope draining from his voice.

CRACK!

Another impact, louder than before. A piece of the doorframe splintered apart.

"Gah!" Grant cried out, clutching his injured hand.

"Grant," Seth said, stepping closer and locking eyes with him. His voice didn't waver.

"I have to hold it. We don't have time to waste."

Grant turned toward the door one last time. Then he looked back at Seth.

"…Are you sure?"

Seth glanced at the door—then at the others.
He felt their desperation. Their confusion. Their fear.

It's now or never.

He remembered the words he'd said when he first arrived.

"…I just hope I can help with something… anything at all."

I have to do it.

Seth nodded, answering Grant's question.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"No…! There has to be another way…!" Cass whispered. Her voice was broken—more a plea than a protest. But there was no conviction left in it.

Grant didn't look at Cass.
His gaze remained fixed on Seth.

He studied his face for what felt like an eternity, searching for doubt, and finding only resolve.

"…Fine," Grant said at last. His voice was rough, weighed down by something that hadn't been there before.

"Harper… the door's yours."

"GRANT, STOP HIM—DON'T LET HIM DO THIS!" Cass screamed.

Wes stepped in, placing a firm hand on her shoulder.
Still, Cass fought against it.

"How can we just leave him here?! He's a rookie!"

Mira stepped forward as well, her voice shaking.

"Yeah, Grant… it would be better if we all got out together!"

Grant lowered his head.

"… I'm sorry," he said quietly. "There's no other way."

Slowly, he released his blood-soaked grip on the door.
The pressure shifted, Grant stepped aside, and Seth took his place.

CRACK!

The metal creaked again, a low, menacing groan that reminded them the beast on the other side wouldn't wait.

"I've got this. Now go!" Seth said, his hands tightening around the door.

"Hey Harper!"

Cass shoved past Wes and stepped in front of Seth, completely ignoring Grant. The fury in her eyes was gone, replaced by raw, desperate concern.

"Do you even know what it means to face a Class B?!" she snapped. "Even if the energy you have left keeps you from turning into a hybrid, that thing will tear you apart! You can't even imbue your weapon like Grant said! You have no way to defend yourself!"

Seth met her gaze. His expression was calm, resigned.

"I won't need to defend myself," he said. "I just need to hold the door… until you bring back help."

Wes stepped forward, positioning himself between them. For the first time, his face held no trace of his usual lightness—only grim resolve.

"Cass, there's no other option," he said firmly. "And we're out of time. We have to trust him."

"Exactly," Seth said, raising his voice. "You have to leave. Now!"

Cass spun around, her anger erupting again.

"You're unbelievable, Grant!" she shouted. "You didn't even care about the rookie a moment ago! And now you're taking his side, just to save your own skin?!"

"Listen to me, Cass!" Grant yelled back, his voice cracking with pain and strain. "If I had the energy, I'd be the first one standing here, holding this door!"

"Easy for you to say from where you're standing!" Cass fired back.

"Cass, that's enough!" Wes stepped between them, his voice firm for once.

"Would you rather we keep arguing until that thing gets all of us?!"

Grant lowered his gaze, shame burning hotter than the pain in his hand.

"Cass…" His voice cracked. "You're right. But there's no other way."

He looked up at her.

CRACK!

Another impact, louder. The doorframe splintered.

"GO!" Seth shouted, gripping the metal with everything he had.

"Get out of here, now!"

Grant took a step back.
For a brief instant, he locked eyes with Seth, too many emotions warring across his face to name.

"Don't die," he said at last, his voice rough, weighed down by guilt.

"We'll come back for you… I swear."

Wes grabbed Cass by the arm. She was rigid, frozen in place.

He grabbed Mira too—her eyes still locked on Seth, her expression unreadable.

"MOVE!" Grant roared.

He dragged them down the corridor, away from the door—away from Seth.

Grant held Seth's gaze a second longer than necessary.
Then he turned and ran.