Chapter 69: Break
Ruby's eyes fluttered open.
The soreness, the heaviness she had felt—gone.
She blinked a few times, her vision adjusting to the soft ambient glow above her.
A warm hum vibrated beneath her as the healing pod—more like a sleek, capsule-shaped bed—began to unlock. With a gentle hiss, the glass canopy slid open, releasing a wave of sterile warmth, like heated air after a winter nap.
There was no fluid, no resistance. Just the softness of the rejuvenation foam beneath her and the faint scent of clean metal and energy residue.
She sat up slowly, surprised at how light her body felt.
The aches, the soreness, the fatigue—gone.
Her muscles moved freely. Her skin was fresh, unmarred. It was as if every wound had been rewritten, every cell… reborn.
She stepped out barefoot onto the sterile floor.
"…No one's here?" she muttered softly, her voice echoing faintly in the chamber.
She looked around the silent, dimly lit recovery hall. Rows of other healing pods lined the walls, all dark and empty. She noticed a glowing message on a digital board above the exit:
> "3-DAY BREAK GRANTED. USE TIME WISELY."
A small smile curved her lips.
"Three days, huh…"
She walked out, heading slowly towards the Bonding Training Chamber. Her footsteps echoed along the steel halls as the facility lights adjusted to her movement.
Once there, she placed her admission card into the console.
A soft hum.
A hiss.
Two containment pods clicked open in front of her.
From within stepped a raven-black wolf cub, eyes gleaming with sharp intelligence, and a golden-yellow lion cub, fur shimmering like sunlight.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"…Kuro. Leo."
The two cubs padded toward her, tails swaying, eyes locked on hers as if they'd been waiting. The bond was instant. Real.
Without hesitation, Ruby knelt and scooped them both into her arms.
Warm.
Heavy.
Alive.
Kuro let out a soft, throaty purr-like growl, nuzzling her neck, while Leo yawned wide, his tiny fangs barely peeking out.
Ruby chuckled under her breath.
"Let's go home."
As Ruby ascended the staircase, the cool metallic walls of the dormitory spiraled gently upward like the inside of a helix tower. The architecture was clean, almost sterile, yet undeniably elegant—crafted from a brushed silver alloy that softly reflected the movement of her form.
Embedded along the edge of each step were small bioluminescent strips—pale blue in color, pulsing slowly, like a heartbeat in sync with her presence. The lights subtly shifted and followed her, reacting to the signature frequency of her essence.
Even the air here was different. Quieter. Calmer. The lingering hum of energy fields woven into the walls made the place feel alive… like it was breathing with her.
She stopped in front of Minji's door, a sleek panel of matte black metal, etched with a subtle clan sigil glowing faintly in white.
Ruby raised her hand and knocked gently—once… twice.
Tap. Tap.
Silence.
"…Probably sleeping," she murmured, tilting her head, her voice barely above a whisper.
No movement came from within. No flicker of light beneath the door.
She lingered for a moment, as if expecting something. Then turned away with a small sigh and walked to her own room—just one door down.
Hers looked nearly identical to Minji's. But this time, when she placed her palm against the center of the door, a ripple of essence energy flowed from her fingertips—golden and smooth, like a whisper from her soul.
> In this facility, doors didn't open to keys or codes.
> They opened to truth—to the uniqueness of one's essence, a living imprint of identity embedded deep in their being.
A soft chime resonated from within the lock mechanism.
Click.
The door slid open soundlessly into the wall, revealing the personal quarters of a clan trainee—compact, efficient, yet refined.
Ruby stepped inside.
Kuro, the black-furred wolf cub, remained draped over her right shoulder, head nestled into her neck, tail flicking lazily.
Leo, the golden lion cub, had curled into the crook of her other arm, paws twitching as if already dreaming.
The room greeted her with soft, ambient lighting—automatic, adjusting gently to her presence. The ceiling glowed with a faint simulated skylight, shifting between shades of silver and rose. The walls were a warm stone-gray, smooth to the touch, decorated with subtle texture lines—likely meant to calm the mind.
To the left stood a low-profile bed, its sheets perfectly folded with militaristic precision. Beside it, a floating desk unit, already synced to her ID, hummed quietly with notifications. A shelf extended from the wall above it—empty now, waiting to be filled with personality.
On the right, nestled against a curved wall of smart-glass, was the bathtub—large enough for two, or three if you included cubs.
Beyond the tub, the window opened to a full view of the simulated sky dome—a projection system that displayed shifting celestial scenes. Right now, it was set to dusk: clouds rolling slowly across a violet sky, with soft amber light pouring through as if it were a real evening outside.
The air smelled faintly of eucalyptus and warmth—subtle traces from the room's default aroma settings.
Ruby stood still for a moment, letting it all sink in.
Her own space.
Safe. Quiet. Hers.
She shifted slightly, and Kuro slid down from her shoulder with a soft thump, landing neatly on the plush floor and immediately sniffing around with alert curiosity. Leo stretched, yawned, and padded toward the tub, clearly deciding it was bath time.
Ruby smiled faintly, then followed them in, her heart oddly full.
> "For once… I can breathe."
They were both heavy now, but she didn't mind.
She set them down and began running a warm bath.
The tub filled quickly with lightly glowing water—infused with trace minerals and essence harmonizers. The air turned humid. The glass wall behind it dimmed for privacy.
Ruby undressed slowly and stepped into the water.
Kuro leapt in beside her with a soft splash, tail wagging lazily. Leo followed, stretching before gliding into the warmth, curling near her legs.
And for the first time in what felt like weeks, she exhaled—truly relaxed.
Her head leaned back, only her mouth and nose above water, eyes half-closed.
Time passed.
Minutes… hours…
She stayed like that—just breathing.
Letting the silence hold her.
The warmth soothe her.
Letting Kuro's heartbeat on her shoulder and Leo's soft purr beneath the water lull her into stillness.
Inside her mind, thoughts floated slowly, like drifting feathers:
> "I'm still here… I endured. I healed. I improved …"
> "But what next…?"
To be continued….