When Sosuke awoke, the world was muted and dim. The light filtering in through the canvas walls told him he was in a tent, and the faint scent of alcohol and herbs told him it was a field hospital. His stomach ached in deep, pulsing waves, a pain rooted in the center of his being. Instinctively, his hand pressed over his core.
It felt fragile. Too fragile.
He lay back, controlling his breathing, fighting the urge to panic.
The tent flaps shifted. Rin stepped inside, her pace halting as her eyes landed on him. For a moment she just stood there, staring.
"Oh my god…" She hurried to his bedside, kneeling beside him and taking his hand. Her grip was warm but trembling. "How's… everything?"
"Painful," Sosuke admitted, his voice hoarse. He tried to smile, though it barely formed. "But I can be back out there in a few days."
Rin's eyes hardened. "Sosuke." Her tone made him pause. "The doctors say it could take months, maybe a year, to recover. There is no going back out."
He raised a brow, forcing a small laugh as if she were joking. He pushed himself upright too quickly, a sharp jolt of agony making him gasp and clutch his stomach. "You can't be serious."
"I am." She stood, moving to the chair beside him. "You are not going anywhere. If you push yourself now, you could scar your core permanently. Magic would hurt you more than it would help."
His jaw clenched. "But I have to be out there… I have to."
"Is this about revenge?" Rin's voice rose. "I saw you fighting Lance. Why can't you let it go? Revenge is for fools. Nothing good has ever come from it. I will not let you walk out of here."
"That's exactly why I have to." Sosuke's fists tightened. He stared at the canvas ceiling, unable to meet her gaze. "I already feel like I'm falling apart and I've been awake for minutes. I have to be out there because it's my fault. I was the last of the energy needed to power a world-ending threat. What kind of person would I be if I let injuries caused by my own mistakes stop me?"
"You'd be a logical person," Rin said flatly. "You talk like you want to die."
"It wouldn't be so bad," Sosuke said quietly.
Her head snapped toward him. "How can you say that? Why do you keep taking the blame for everything? You've made mistakes like anyone else. If you want to make up for them, then live. Do you ever dream about the future?"
He looked away.
"I know you think sacrificing yourself would be noble," Rin continued, her voice softer but unyielding, "but it wouldn't fix anything. If you really blame yourself for Ryoma's death, how could you think of throwing your own life away? He would have wanted you alive. At least, that's the kind of man I believed him to be. I wish I'd understood him more."
Sosuke bit his lip hard enough to taste blood. "I'm sorry. I know revenge is not an option I can afford. It's only brought misfortune." He exhaled slowly, steadying himself. "What do you see in your future?"
Rin hesitated, then leaned back in the chair. "When the blights and the wars are over, I want to leave. I want to go somewhere far away from all of this. I want to take care of my father. I've left him in the care of others for too long."
When she looked back at Sosuke, his eyes glistened. He studied her in silence for a moment before speaking. "It just wouldn't work."
"What?"
"When this is done, I wanted to take a bigger role. I wanted to be a hero people could rely on. Even if it is unrealistic, I wanted to try. But it's nothing like what you want. So how can we go on together?"
Rin's gaze softened, though her voice stayed steady. "It's better to focus on the present before deciding the future."
"Yeah… maybe you're right," Sosuke muttered, his gaze fixed on the canvas ceiling.
The tent flaps rustled open. Ren stepped in, holding two sealed letters, his boots crunching faintly on the sand and dirt scattered across the floor.
"Rin—" He paused when his eyes landed on Sosuke. "Oh. You're awake."
Sosuke frowned. "That's all the excitement I get?"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be surprised? You're too stubborn to die this early." He held out one of the envelopes toward Rin. "From Aurelius. Commander Quinn said he left one for each of us."
"What's with the letters?" Sosuke asked, his voice low but edged with curiosity.
Ren's expression tightened. "He went to face Julius… alone. Said the letters were just in case he didn't come back." He exhaled through his nose, his eyes flicking briefly to the floor. "His final words to us, if it comes to that." He turned to Rin. "We need to move. Commander Quinn's waiting."
Rin lingered at Sosuke's side for a moment longer. "Rest as much as you can. Please." She gave him a small smile, then slipped through the tent flaps.
Ren walked over to the table beside Sosuke's bed and set down the other letter. "If you're strong enough to move, read it." He started toward the exit, pausing with his hand on the flap. "And heal fast. You're no good to anyone like this." Then he was gone.
The quiet after their departure felt heavier than the conversation itself. Sosuke let his head rest back against the pillow, staring upward. His body was weak, but his mind… his mind had been awake for months, trapped with only his mistakes and memories for company.
After a long breath, he reached for the letter. His fingers were slow, deliberate as he slid it from the envelope. The paper felt heavy, the fold still sharp.
The handwriting was steady, deliberate, Gabriel's voice seemed to speak from it:
To Sosuke Estrella
Sosuke, I wish we had spoken more over the years. After your father's death, I wanted to guide you, but my duties kept me too far away. I know the weight you've carried, burdens no one your age should endure, and I regret every moment I left you to face them alone.
If I ever put you in harm's way for my own goals, know that it was not out of disregard for you. I believed in your strength, and I imagined a day when we'd stand side by side as equals. Your father was my friend, and I thought protecting you was how I could honor him. I see now I fell short. I should have helped you unlock your full potential, answered your questions, and been the ally you needed.
I hope, despite my failures, you find your own path forward, one stronger than the one I managed.
—Gabriel Aurelius
Sosuke's hands tightened around the letter as he read the final line. His chest felt tight in a way no wound had caused. He hadn't expected this, not from Gabriel, not from the man he'd always seen as untouchable.
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady himself, but the words stayed lodged in his mind. Regret. Responsibility. Things neither of them had ever said aloud.
Finally, he folded the letter and slid it back into its envelope, setting it carefully on the table. His hand lingered there, his fingers tapping against the paper. "God…" he muttered, voice hoarse.
⸻
The next tent was far larger, its entrance guarded by two soldiers holding rifles. The metallic click of their shifting grips echoed faintly as Rin and Ren approached.
Ren's eyes narrowed as he took in the weapons. "Since when are we carrying Astorian guns?"
Virgil, seated at a desk cluttered with maps and files, stubbed his cigarette into an ashtray. "We tore them apart and made some improvements. Can't do anything about the low fire rate."
He leaned forward. "Now, tell me everything you've got on Officer Winslow."
Rin crossed her arms. "We don't understand the full picture. Arthur knew more than he let on, but there was no way to force it out of him."
Ren added, "From what I saw, Clyde made some sort of deal with the blights to hand over Sosuke in exchange for… something."
Virgil's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think it was a deal?"
"He killed one of Julius' generals himself," Rin said. "Vesper, I think his name was."
"Considering Winslow's known strength, and the fact he may have been hiding part of it, it's safe to assume he's now a special war threat," Virgil said, his voice flat but certain. "Whether he continues to assist Julius is unclear until we have more information. I take it Veiss and Valcrest stayed in the blight dimension to face Winslow themselves?"
Both Rin and Ren nodded.
"Then that situation is handled."
Ren blinked. "What?" He leaned forward, bracing both hands on the edge of Virgil's desk.
Virgil didn't flinch. "Lyra Valcrest and Arthur Veiss have been evolving their abilities over the past two months. Clyde might be stronger than either of them individually, but not together." He fished a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his chest pocket. "As for Julius and his generals, your job is to track them down and remove them. Once the others return, of course."
The cigarette slid between his fingers, and with a flick of his thumb, a small flame bloomed from his skin to light it. "Natsume told me Reid Starrk's location is still unknown. Once Estrella recalls the details, retrieving him becomes a top priority. We need as many Starborn as possible to fight the blight generals."
Virgil took a long drag, the tip of the cigarette glowing red before he exhaled in a slow stream. "For now, blight swarms are hitting every major city. Tomorrow, you'll be deployed to different locations to thin them out. That's all I have for you."
Ren didn't move. His eyes stayed on the desk. "What if I went back to the blight dimension to help with Clyde? If his power's as great as you think, one of them could get hurt."
Virgil's gaze sharpened. "Your past traumas shouldn't cloud your judgment, Natsume. Get some rest. That's an order."
Rin and Ren exchanged a glance, then stepped out of the command tent into the cool night air.
Rin rubbed her arms. "God…"
Ren glanced over. "What?"
"This chaos… when does it end?" Her voice was quiet, but tense. "I can't stop thinking about how many people might already be gone. I just want to live a quiet life and be done with all this."
"The fact that innocent lives are disappearing this fast is exactly what keeps me going," Ren said. "You can't look away from it. The people who can't fight for themselves, that's who we were born to protect. It's not a choice. It's our duty."
"I know," Rin said, a small, wry smile tugging at her lips. "But part of me still wishes I'd had an easier life. One where I didn't have to work this hard. Honestly, I'm surprised I've kept it up this long."
Ren tilted his head, pretending to think. "You used to be lazy, didn't you?"
"Hey!" Rin bumped her shoulder into his.
"It's just… you've come a long way. Almost makes me proud."
"At least I wasn't a selfish prick," Rin shot back with a grin. "Sosuke may not have noticed as much, but I could tell you were doing things for yourself back then."
Ren smirked. "And judging by how you reacted just now, I don't believe you."
"Believe what you want, Ice Boy." She stopped in front of her tent. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Night."
Rin slipped inside, the tent flap falling shut behind her. Ren turned down the opposite path, hands shoved into his pockets, his breath a faint cloud in the cold air.