"Thought I told you not to come looking for me or cause a riot." 

Reine dabbed at her brother’s wound with a roughness that made him flinch, feeling like he was being punched twice.

"But I told you I would only stay put if you updated me every other hour, which you didn’t do."

"If you’re going to pull stunts like this, at least don’t get hurt. Can’t you sneak in here more discreetly, like in some spy movie? Getting roughed up by those military brats—you’re a disgrace to our parents. Tch."

"Hey, just so you know, I didn’t get roughed up. This is the only hit they landed, and that’s because I let them hit me so they wouldn’t go after you!" 

Joenie tried to look serious but couldn’t hold it in, his immature expression betraying him.

Reine glanced at him, and then both burst into laughter.

"Their faces, though. What kind of military team gets dragged through the mud by one unarmed guy? Ahahaha!"

"Seriously, what can they defend when they can’t even defend themselves against me?"

Joenie’s smirk was infectious, and they shared another laugh, the kind that only siblings who had been through thick and thin could share.

The laughter was cut short by a voice from behind them. 

"Okay, enough of this. Why is he here, Reine?"

Reine turned around, spotting Cherra standing right behind them, arms crossed tightly. 

"Why can’t he be here? And since when are we back on speaking terms, Cherra?"

Cherra’s voice softened, tinged with regret. 

"Reine, I told you I'm sorry. Can't we just move on?"

"Move on from you selling our team’s lives to the government?" 

Reine’s tone was sharp, her eyes never leaving Cherra’s face.

Joenie shot up, turning sharply to face Cherra. 

"What does that mean?!"

"I-It’s a misunderstanding, it wasn’t like that at all! The government threatened us all. Do you really think there was any other choice but to say yes? Do you believe if I’d said no, they’d just let us be?"

Reine’s frustration boiled over, her hands balling into fists. 

"So you’d rather take a chance on a path where our deaths are certain rather than a path where we might have a chance to live?"

Cherra’s voice cracked. 

"THIS is the path where we might have a chance to live! Can’t you see?!"

Reine’s glare cut like a knife. 

"All I see is our predetermined ending, Cher. The end where we’re used as scapegoats by those scumbags."

Joenie watched the exchange, his mind racing to piece together what had happened. 

“Let’s get out of here."

Joenie said firmly while he grabbed Reine’s arm and began to pull her toward the tent exit.

Cherra rushed to block their path, her arms stretched out in a desperate attempt to keep them from leaving. 

"You can’t! Reine is the head scientist; she’s the only one who knows how to operate all of this!"

Joenie’s expression darkened. 

"It’s all a farce anyway. Whether you give them real reports or fake ones, it won’t matter. You really think anything you do here will satisfy them?"

Cherra stood her ground, her determination unwavering. 

"You don’t understand, Joenie! I know exactly what these people are capable of doing to my family if I don’t comply."

Cherra's resolve faltered, tears welling up in her eyes as desperation seeped into her voice.

“You’re not the only one whose family was threatened. Don’t act like the biggest victim here. To me, you and them are no different, Cherra."

Reine’s cold, steady voice cut through Cherra’s sobs. 

"Rei… you really think I’m the same as them?"

Reine met Cherra’s eyes with a hard, unyielding stare, the silence between them filled with unspoken emotions that no words could capture.

"Ahem."

The strained atmosphere was interrupted by a deliberate cough. "Ahem. Ahem!"

The three of them turned toward the entrance of the tent, where an unfamiliar man stood casually, leaning against the tent flap.

"Sorry to interrupt this emotional moment, but I need all of you to leave. Preferably now." 

The man looked like he had stepped straight out of a fantasy game. He wore a long brown coat that nearly reached the ground, its fabric swaying slightly as he moved. High boots hugged his legs up to his knees, and a series of belts criss-crossed his waist, holding various pouches and trinkets that jingled softly with each step. His silver-white hair, cut straight to his chin and neatly parted on the right, framed his sharp, striking face. His mesmerizing reddish-brown eyes were framed by long lashes, giving him an almost ethereal appearance. He was equally pretty and handsome, his sharp jawline complemented by the smoothness of his youthful skin.

Cherra’s eyes narrowed. 

"Excuse me, but who are you? How did you—"

The man cut her off, his tone urgent but calm. 

"We don’t have time for introductions. Trust me, we only have seven minutes left, so please come with me."

Reine scoffed, crossing her arms.

"You expect us to follow some stranger blindly? Are you nuts? And what’s with the get-up?"

Joenie, however, was strangely quiet. The moment he laid eyes on the man, something tugged at his memory, a feeling that he couldn’t quite place. It was as if he had been waiting for this person or had met him long ago. His instincts, which he had always trusted, told him to follow. Despite the absurdity, Joenie wasn’t bothered.

Joenie turned to the man, his voice calm. 

"You know how to get us out of here without being caught by those military guys?"

The man nodded confidently. 

"Of course. Just follow me. We only have a few minutes left, so let’s hurry."

Reine looked at her brother, her brows furrowing in disbelief. 

"I am not following him."

Joenie met her eyes, his expression earnest. 

"Reine, trust me. I have a feeling... Let’s just go first. Please."

Reine stared at Joenie, her mind swirling with confusion and disbelief. She took a deep breath, her gaze searching his eyes for assurance. Slowly, doubt gave way to trust as she considered his words. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay."

Cherra lunged forward, grabbing Reine’s arm. 

"No! You can’t, Rei, please!"

The strange man looked at Cherra and then glanced between Reine and Joenie, his expression unreadable. 

"Is this person important to you two?"

The question caught them off guard, and all three turned to look at the strange man, puzzled.

"What do you mean?" Reine asked, her brows furrowing as she tried to make sense of his words.

The stranger tilted his head, his eyes glinting with a strange light. 

"I mean, will her death bother you?"

Reine’s eyes widened in shock. 

"Are you insane? You’re going to kill her?!"

Cherra’s face turned pale, and she instinctively took a step back, hiding behind Reine and Joenie.

The man sighed, looking almost apologetic. 

"Ah, seems like she’s quite important to you. This is troublesome. I guess there’s no other way."

One second, the man was standing right in front of them; the next, a soft thud echoed from behind. Joenie and Reine turned simultaneously, their eyes widening at the sight before them. Cherra had collapsed, unconscious, into the stranger’s arms, her body limp against him.

Reine’s voice broke the stunned silence. 

“What have you done?! You lunatic!”

Joenie, still in a daze, stared at the man. He had never seen anyone move like that—too fast, almost as if he had teleported behind them in an instant.

The man looked back at them calmly. 

“I just made her unconscious. There’s no real damage done. This was the quickest way; we need to get out of here.”

Reine’s eyes flashed with anger as she lunged forward, reaching to grab Cherra back. But the man was quicker, hoisting Cherra onto his back effortlessly, like a sack of rice, her head resting awkwardly against his shoulder.

“Let’s get out of here.” 

The man’s tone was flat, as though this were just another routine task. He moved swiftly toward the tent door, his footsteps light and purposeful.

Joenie watched, his mind still reeling. The way the man moved—it was beyond anything Joenie had ever witnessed, unnaturally fast and precise. For a moment, Joenie hesitated, his gaze shifting to Reine. He saw the mix of confusion and fear in her eyes, and his thoughts cleared. His first priority was Reine—getting her away from all of this.

This place was too dangerous; the ominous glow from the strange structure outside sent chills down his spine. Joenie couldn’t quite explain it, but he sensed something deeply unsettling about it, something that urged him to leave immediately. He wasn’t willing to stick around to find out why, not with Reine and Cherra here.

Joenie reached out, gripping Reine’s hand tightly. Without a word, he pulled her along, following the stranger who was already at the tent’s entrance with Cherra on his back. Reine glanced at Joenie, her steps quickening to match his as they hurried after the man, urgency driving them forward.

“How are we going to get out of here?” 

Joenie glanced around nervously, his eyes darting to every corner as he tried to take in their surroundings.

“Just stay close to me.” 

The man kept his pace brisk, eyes scanning ahead.

Before they could move further, a group of military patrolmen caught sight of them. The guards shouted, pointing and starting to rush toward them.

Joenie’s head snapped to the man, his brows furrowing. 

“Hey! You said you know how to get out of here without being found out by those guys!”

The man didn’t break stride, his movements smooth and controlled. 

“I do know, but we don’t need to care about being found out. Soon enough, there will be no time for anything else except for running.” 

He gestured for them to keep moving, his pace quickening.

Reine’s voice came from behind as she struggled to keep up. 

“I told you we shouldn’t follow this guy!” 

She stayed close to Joenie, her steps hurried, though she still managed to keep pace.

They sprinted across the courtyard, ducking low behind crates and metal barriers. Joenie vaulted over a low wall, landing smoothly on the other side and immediately reaching back to help Reine as she clambered over, her breath ragged. They zigzagged between storage containers, narrowly avoiding the flashlights sweeping the area.

After weaving through narrow pathways and dodging spotlights, they finally made it to a dimly lit alleyway, the walls close and shadowed.

The man stopped briefly, glancing back at them. “We can’t stop here.” He looked at Joenie, who was breathing evenly, then at Reine, whose breaths were heavy and labored. She leaned against the rough surface of a brick wall, her chest heaving.

Reine rested her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. 

"If I knew we had to run this much, I'd rather be knocked out too—haaa—haaa..."

She leaned her back against the wall, her legs feeling weak.

Joenie noticed her exhaustion and hesitated, considering offering her a piggyback ride, just before Reine's foot shot out, landing a swift kick against his shin.

“Ugh!” Joenie stumbled back, rubbing his leg. “Hey! What was that for?”

Reine straightened up, pointing a finger at him. 

“That’s for even thinking about it, okay? We don’t need two lunatics here.”

Joenie raised his hands defensively, shaking his head. 

“What?! I was just thinking if I should give you a piggyback! I’m not that barbaric!”

Reine blinked, surprised. 

“Oh… I thought you were considering punching my lights out. If it’s a piggyback, then fine, I don’t mind.”

Joenie snorted, rolling his eyes as he took a step back. 

“Nah, changed my mind. That kick tells me you’re still good.”

The siblings exchanged a few breathless chuckles, their banter lightening the tense atmosphere for a brief moment.

The man turned to face them, his expression serious. 

“It’s time.”