Angelica playfully teased John with a familiar tone, her voice gradually fading.
Sometimes John couldn't figure it out either.
Was it just physical need or spiritual solace between them? And was there something more hidden in the desolate look after each encounter?
"..."
John helped her adjust her sleeping posture.
"Don't avoid the fact that we've shared a bed. It did happen, but that's not the only reason I'm here."
John caressed her cheek, giving a gentle farewell kiss.
"Get some sleep. When you wake up, it'll be a new beginning."
Angelica didn't open her eyes, but for the first time, she seemed uneasy.
Half an hour later.
Silver Rider 577 left the Safikar Rescue Center.
John, feeling unsettled, gripped the steering wheel with one hand, the engine roaring. A corpse wrapped in a white sheet lay on the passenger seat.
A surveillance drone flew overhead.
Nearby, vehicles quietly followed.
[Mission Objective Updated]
