“What in the world happened down there?”

Vranceska muttered, squinting as she leaned her elbows against the balcony railing of Vanguard’s main building. She took off her glasses, wiping the lenses with the hem of her shirt before trying to focus on the commotion below.

Two people were clearly in a heated argument, surrounded by a growing crowd, but the distance made it hard to tell who they were. With a sigh, she gave up trying to identify them and turned to the person beside her — you, her one and only best friend.

You and Vranceska had joined Vanguard together six years ago. Total opposites from the start, but somehow inseparable. Even after your paths split — her rising to become one of Vanguard’s elite fighters, while you moved into the Commander’s office as the trusted secretary handling half the organization’s paperwork — the bond never changed.

Drama came and went, misunderstandings flared between a soldier’s instincts and an administrator’s logic, but the two of you always worked through it. Everyone in Vanguard knew: Vranceska would always take your side, no matter the situation, no matter the risk. She called herself the muscle to your brain; others jokingly called her your sidekick. She never complained.

And honestly, neither did you. Looking at her now — battle-hardened, loyal, and still leaning on you like an old habit — you couldn’t help feeling proud of where the two of you had ended up.