The cockpit instantly alerted us that the plane was under attack. Without thinking twice, I slashed the floor with my sword, hoping that the barrier Zein had created didn’t extend beneath us. To my surprise, it didn’t.

  With a single strike, I carved a circular opening in the aircraft’s base and plunged into the void from several meters above. I had to get to Zein. If this was dangerous enough for him to leave me behind, then I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

  The plane was shot down moments after my fall. As I plummeted through the air over the city, I took in the chaos surrounding us. Flames consumed buildings, thick smoke choked the sky… the invasion had finally borne fruit.

  I tried to fly toward Zein and the others, but my lack of practice caught up with me. I had barely flown since learning how, and my control was… lacking.

  When I crashed into the ground, I barely managed to cushion the impact, slamming hard against the surface.

  —Shit… —I muttered, struggling to catch my breath—. Zein makes this look way easier…

  As soon as I got back on my feet, I saw it.

  Standing before me, a colossal creature stared at me with empty eyes. A skeleton. Or something like it. A massive black sphere pulsed like a dark core in its chest, and its towering frame stood over two and a half meters tall. On its shoulder, a red bandana bore the insignia of the Black Sun, marking its allegiance.

  Definitely an enemy.

  Though I was still shaken from the fall, I chose to face it. I wasn’t at my best, but I had no other choice.

  —Well, well… —the monster murmured, and to my surprise, a grin stretched across its face—. Today’s my lucky day. I’ll be getting some real praise if I bring back a trophy that fell from the sky.

  Without hesitation, I summoned the sword Zein had given me—the only one I used in battle.

  And I charged at him.

  With a single slash, the monster was split in two.

  Too easy.

  Or so I thought.

  Before I could react, a bony hand struck me with devastating force, sending me flying into a nearby building. The impact sent a cloud of debris into the air.

  With a groan, I pushed myself up from the crumbled concrete.

  That hurt.

  But there was no time to complain.

  Without hesitation, I lunged forward again. My sword sliced with surgical precision, dismembering the skeleton over and over. Shoulders, ribs, arms, legs—each strike tore it apart.

  But something was wrong.

  The fallen pieces regenerated within seconds, reattaching as if nothing had happened.

  The monster stared at me with its hollow skull and let out a mocking laugh.

  —Is that all? —it sneered, its hollow voice echoing through the empty city—. You can keep trying, but you’ll never kill me.

  I gritted my teeth, frustration boiling inside me… until I saw it.

  At the center of its chest, barely visible between the ribs, was a pulsing black sphere.

  The core.

  Zein’s words flashed through my mind:

  "If you see a core like that, destroy it. Without it, they can’t regenerate."

  If I could reach it, this would be over.

  But every time I tried to get close, the skeleton reacted with the same brutal force.

  Every strike I aimed at it was blocked by an instant-regenerating wall of bones, as if the monster itself was shielding its only weakness. And every time I failed, I was met with another crushing blow.

  Before long, I was gasping for air, covered in dust and wounds. Every movement hurt, my energy was draining fast, and the skeleton’s cruel laughter echoed like the sound of my impending defeat.

  —Pathetic. You can’t even hold your sword anymore —the creature sneered—. Admit it, you’ll never be able to harm me.

  I looked up with a tired but defiant smile.

  —Then I’ll just have to cut you down a thousand times until I can.

  I moved as fast as I could, a blur of motion, darting between buildings like a fleeting shadow.

  Slash after slash, my strikes grew faster, more relentless. Arms, ribs, jaw, spine—every part of the skeleton was reduced to rubble before it could fully regenerate.

  The monster tried to fight back, but it couldn’t keep up with my speed.

  My sword was an unstoppable whirlwind, breaking it apart faster than it could rebuild itself.

  And then, it happened.

  Amid the frenzy, a precise slash tore open the creature’s chest, exposing its pulsing core.

  I didn’t hesitate.

  With one final leap, putting everything I had left into it, I drove my sword straight into the core.

  The black crystal shattered with a sharp crack, like glass bursting into a thousand pieces.

  The skeleton froze. Its skull, still wearing that mocking grin, seemed to linger for a moment before its entire body collapsed into a pile of lifeless bones.

  Breathing heavily, I stared down at the remains of my enemy. Then, I let out a breathless, relieved chuckle.

  —Tch… and you said I’d never be able to do it.

  With one last exhale, I let myself drop to my knees, exhaustion washing over me.

  But at least, I had won.

  Even so, my rest didn’t last long.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  In the distance, I heard footsteps. Soldiers.

  They were heading this way, drawn by the noise of the battle.

  I barely had enough energy to move, let alone fight them.

  With the last of my strength, I slipped away into the alleyways. I ran blindly, staggering, my legs barely holding me up. After a while, I managed to lose them in a dark alley.

  But I couldn’t keep going.

  The exhaustion was unbearable. My vision blurred, my body felt like lead…

  And before I could react, I just… passed out.

  I woke up in an unfamiliar apartment.

  The room was filled with worn-out furniture and a faint scent of medicine and clean bandages.

  I had no idea where I was. No idea what day it was.

  Nothing.

  That’s when I noticed a figure in front of me.

  A man wearing an EDI uniform.

  In an instant, my body tensed.

  Without thinking, I grabbed my sword—conveniently placed beside me—and aimed it straight at him.

  —Whoa, hold on a second —he said, raising his hands in a calm gesture—. I’m not your enemy. I treated your wounds and brought you to my apartment.

  I frowned, still suspicious.

  Lowering my gaze, I noticed the bandages wrapped around my body. My wounds had been treated with precise care… but I also noticed something else.

  I wasn’t wearing the same clothes.

  Heat rushed to my face instantly.

  —You changed my clothes?! —I shouted, pointing my sword at him with even more intensity.

  —What?! No, of course not! —he exclaimed, taking a nervous step back—. I asked a neighbor to do it. Actually, she treated your wounds more than I did!

  I studied him carefully, searching for any sign of a lie.

  But he didn’t seem to be lying.

  With a sigh, I slowly lowered my sword, though I didn’t let my guard down completely.

  —Alright… So, where are we?

  —We’re near where the Four Generals fell —he replied, crossing his arms—. You’ve at least heard about that, right?

  —Yeah… yeah, I’ve heard of it.

  My voice sounded calmer, but my mind was still analyzing the situation.

  Who was this guy?

  —Here.

  He handed me a plate of food, moving carefully, as if he didn’t want to startle me.

  —You need to eat something if you want to fully recover.

  At first, I took the plate with slight suspicion, but after inspecting the food, I saw nothing unusual. It smelled fine. It looked decent.

  —Thanks… —I muttered before taking my first bite.

  He sat across from me, watching me with curiosity.

  —What’s your name? —I asked between bites.

  —Niklas Varen. Nice to meet you.

  I let out a small laugh.

  —Niklas? That’s a weird name.

  —It’s pretty common where I come from. But I’m glad to see you smile a little.

  For some reason, his words stirred a faint warmth in my chest. A tiny, almost imperceptible feeling—but it calmed me more than I expected.

  —And you? What’s your name?

  —Naoko Tanaka —I replied with a small smile.

  Something about him made me feel safe. Maybe because I wanted to believe he wouldn’t hurt me.

  We ate in silence.

  It was still early, and though the food was comforting, I couldn’t shake a certain discomfort. I was only wearing a bandage wrapped around my chest, a few more around my arms, and a pair of pants that probably weren’t mine.

  That’s why I kept myself covered with the blanket most of the time, trying not to think too much about it.

  As we ate, the news delivered the worst possible confirmation:

  The EDI—the Empire—had taken full control.

  The broadcasts were clear. We had to obey them now.

  Any Imperial worker outranked a regular citizen, regardless of their position. We had been reduced to mere subjects.

  I glanced at Niklas.

  —Hey, Niklas…

  —What is it, Naoko?

  —What do you do for work? I mean, I see your uniform, but it doesn’t look familiar to me…

  Niklas paused for a second.

  He hesitated.

  Like he didn’t want me to know the answer.

  —Well… to be honest, I’m a purifier. The lowest rank in the entire chain of command. I’m worthless… or at least, that’s what my superiors say. My colleagues and I—we’re nothing more than disposable tools to them.

  He said it with a neutral, almost resigned tone, but something in his eyes betrayed him.

  I watched him in silence, unsure of what to say.

  How many times had I seen this happen before?

  How many times had I wanted to help someone, only to realize I never made a difference?

  I wanted to change that.

  But I didn’t know if I could…

  Niklas sighed and got up.

  —Well, I have to head to work now —he said as he walked toward the door—. Please stay here and don’t make any noise. We don’t need anyone else knowing you’re here.

  I watched him leave without saying a word.

  When the door shut behind him, the apartment fell into a heavy silence.

  So much had happened in such a short time.

  In just one day, Zein and the others had vanished, I had ended up gravely injured, and we were thousands of kilometers away from the girls.

  We had no idea how they were doing.

  My head ached.

  My whole body ached.

  I lay back on the mattress, waiting… even though I knew things wouldn’t resolve themselves.

  I had to find a way to reunite with Zein, Kiomi, Miguel, and Sora.

  I had to know if they were okay.

  I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment.

  I was worried about Niklas.

  It was strange, but I felt like I could trust him.

  Maybe it was just me—maybe I trusted people too easily.

  Maybe it was the same thing that had happened with Zein and the others.

  Maybe…

  As I searched the apartment for something to wear, someone knocked on the door.

  —Hey, Niklas! Niklas! Are you in there?!

  I froze instantly.

  Grabbing the first shirt I could find, I quickly put it on and hid, holding my breath.

  Don't answer.

  Don't make a sound.

  If it was someone dangerous, I’d have to catch them off guard… though I wasn’t exactly in any shape to fight.

  —Niklas! We got the day off today! Let’s play some video games!

  I stayed still, waiting for them to leave.

  The silence lasted a few seconds… then I heard the door open.

  —Niklas, you here?

  No response.

  From the sound of it, they had plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV.

  Like it was their own place.

  How shameless.

  I considered coming out, but maybe that wasn’t the best idea…

  I didn’t have a choice.

  When the guy got too close to the closet I was hiding in, I had to lunge at him, pinning him down with my sword to keep him from doing anything stupid. I tied him to a chair and waited for Niklas to return. I also gagged him—just in case he got any bright ideas about screaming.

  An hour passed before Niklas finally came back. His workplace must have been pretty far from his apartment.

  The moment he stepped inside, he froze at the scene.

  I had been holding one of his friends hostage… but what did he expect me to do? It was just a precaution.

  —What the…? —Niklas looked around, eyes landing on his friend struggling in the chair, desperately trying to yell through the gag. Then, he turned to me—. Naoko! Why are you standing?! You’re supposed to be resting!

  —I mean, he just barged into your apartment, and—

  He didn’t let me finish.

  Niklas stepped closer and gently took me by the shoulders, guiding me back to the couch. With surprising patience, he carefully settled me down and set my sword aside.

  Then, without another word, he turned to his friend and untied him.

  —Wow, some friend you are! —the guy exclaimed, still annoyed—. You worry about her first and not me?! I was the one held hostage!

  —Yeah, yeah, sorry —Niklas replied, sounding utterly uninterested.

  —"Sorry" my ass! You’re gonna explain what the hell is going on!

  —Sure…

  The three of us sat in the living room, the tension still hanging in the air.

  —Naoko, meet Adrián, my best friend.

  —And who the hell is she? —Adrián asked, still irritated—. Why do you have some girl in your apartment?... Wait—did you kidnap her?!

  —No, of course not. She was injured, so I brought her here to get treated.

  —Sorry about earlier, it was just a precaution… —I murmured, lowering my head slightly.

  —Don’t apologize —Niklas said without hesitation—. It’s my fault for leaving you alone.

  —And you’re still not worried about your friend? —Adrián grumbled, pointing at himself—. I feared for my life, you know?!

  Niklas let out a small laugh.

  —Come on, you know how to handle yourself just fine.

  Adrián huffed, crossing his arms, but his irritation seemed to be fading.

  —Don’t say that, Nick.

  I chuckled a little. It was obvious from miles away that they were close friends.

  —By the way, you two work together, right?

  —Of course! —Adrián quickly grabbed Niklas by the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear—. You’re looking at the best purifiers in the entire Empire.

  His laughter was contagious, full of energy.

  I wondered why he had no problem taking off his suit’s mask, while Niklas always kept his on, completely covering his face.

  —Niklas, why don’t you take off your mask? I see your friend isn’t wearing his.

  Niklas hesitated for a second.

  —Well…—

  Before he could finish, Adrián jumped in with a mischievous grin.

  —It’s a bit of a complicated and delicate situation —he said in an overly dramatic tone—. But don’t worry, underneath that mask is the most handsome man you’ll ever see.

  He burst out laughing, giving Niklas a firm pat on the back, while Niklas just sighed in resignation.

  The days passed, and little by little, I recovered.

  December arrived, and I still had no clue where Zein could be.

  Even so, things weren’t all bad.

  I had grown close to Adrián and Niklas. They both had such lively, infectious personalities.

  Most of the time, we spent our days playing video games and doing other things together. But they still had to go to work—after all, rebel forces were still fighting to take back our world.

  Every time I saw the news about it, I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

  I should be doing something too.