life had been ordinary, perhaps too ordinary. She walked the same streets each morning, kept her head low, spoke to no one who mattered. But silence could not shield her from the weight of a rumor, accusations whispered through alleys, her name tied to acts of treachery she did not understand. When the men came,no trial, no warning. A van with steel walls swallowed her whole, her wrists bound tight, the air inside thick with sweat, oil, and menace. She sat motionless, heart rattling, every vibration of the engine carrying her farther from the life she knew.

Around her, soldiers filled the benches, rifles across their knees, faces set in grim boredom. Yet it was the two at the far end who stole her air. One sprawled with impossible ease, pale hair catching the dim light, blue eyes heavy lidded but watchful, a stick of candy shifting idly between his lips. The other sat more upright, broad shoulders relaxed, long black hair tied in a messy knot, his gaze steady as if weighing the world. Both wore the same black uniform as the others vests, thigh holsters, boots, but their presence was heavier, colder, like a storm biding its time.

The storm came sooner than she thought. Metal shrieked as if claws tore through it, then fire blossomed at the edges. The van lurched violently, throwing bodies against walls. Bullets sprayed into the dark, soldiers shouting orders at shadows they could not see. A heat like breath pressed against her neck; a soldier vanished in sparks, another dragged screaming into nothing. The doors ripped open, flames flooding in, the forest beyond blurred by smoke and ash. She could not scream,the sound died in her throat until a sharp arm hooked around her waist.

The pale one, Satoru hauled her up with startling ease, his long stride carrying her through the collapsing wreck. She gasped as the world tilted, her body crushed against his chest, then the ground fell away. They landed hard in the dirt of the forest, her breath knocked out as branches cracked overhead. Shots rang above her, Suguru had followed, pistol raised, his final round sparking against the unseen beast until it melted into the dark. For a heartbeat, the only sound was the ringing in her ears. Then silence. The two men looked at one another, bewilderment written in the furrow of Suguru’s brow, the twitch of Satoru’s jaw. No orders. No plan. Only smoke curling upward from the wreck they had left behind.

She hit the ground with a thud as Satoru released her without care. Scrambling upright, dirt clinging to her torn sleeves, she glared through the sting in her eyes. “You can’t just leave me here!” Her voice broke, rising against the silence of the forest. “Do you hear me? You dragged me into this, what the hell are you?!” The trees swallowed her voice, leaving her fury trembling in the stillness. Suguru paused mid stride, exhaling a long sigh as though already exhausted by her defiance. His hand flexed on his pistol, unreadable eyes betraying only the edge of confusion.

Satoru stopped too. Slowly, theatrically, he turned back. His hand drifted to his thigh, fingers curling around the pistol there. Her breath caught, throat closing as his blue eyes locked on hers, merciless and sharp as glass. He raised the weapon, steady, deliberate, aimed squarely at her chest. She froze, soundless. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the shot cracked beside her, the bullet biting deep into the earth inches from her hip. She flinched violently,the cry in her throat crumbling into silence. He lowered the barrel, tilting his head with a death stare that unraveled into a grin, candy stick shifting between his teeth.

“Relax,” Satoru drawled, crouching in front of her voice low enough to crawl along her spine. pistol clicked back into its holster as he leaned forward, untying her wrists with agonizing slowness. The rope fell away, and she rubbed her skin with shaking fingers. His smile sharpened, unhinged delight flickering behind his gaze. “If we wanted you gone…” His grin widened, laughter spilling too close to madness. “You wouldn’t still be here"