A few days passed.
Life seemed to return to normal. The streets were calm, the laughter of children carried in the air…
But beneath it all, everyone knew the truth.
The silence wasn't peace.
It was the stillness before another storm.
That night, the family sat together at dinner.
"Mum," Megum said between bites, his tone casual but proud. "I've almost finished my project. Once it's done, we'll finally have more time together."
"Project?" Marine asked, her mouth still full of pudding. "What project?"
Megum smirked. "Nothing I need to tell you about."
"Megum, is this how you talk to your sister?" Silvey scolded lightly. She turned to Marine, her eyes soft. "Don't worry, darling. I'll tell you. Your brother's building a humanoid."
Marine's spoon clattered against the table. "A… humanoid?"
Silvey smiled, brushing her daughter's hair back gently. "Yes. Like a big sister for you."
Marine's eyes sparkled like stars. She whirled toward Megum. "You're the best brother in the whole world!"
"Tch, don't get all formal on me, brat," Megum muttered, hiding a smile behind his rice bowl.
"Ahh, you never change!" Marine pouted, sparking yet another round of their usual sibling squabble.
Silvey only chuckled, then finally cut them off with her warm, firm voice. "Alright, you two. Bedtime."
"Okay, Mommy," they said together.
But that night, while the children slept peacefully, Silvey did not.
Old memories clawed their way back—memories of war, of endless battles, of him. Her love. The one she had lost and never wanted to part from.
The next morning, Marine rushed into her classroom.
"Rexy!" she squealed, lighting up.
Her closest friend was finally back after missing weeks of school.
"Yo, sister," Rex grinned. "Or should I say… Agent M?"
They burst into laughter. Their silly nicknames, born from countless inside jokes, were proof of how deep their bond had become.
Rex had even learned Gara's secret—her powers, Gaiku, everything. Yet, he never judged her.
Still, Gara couldn't shake the strange feeling she got around him. His presence was… different. Not entirely human. Sometimes she wondered if he was a demon or hollow himself. But she never dared to ask.
Weeks turned into months.
Winter reached its peak.
And then, one day… the weather suddenly grew warm. Too warm.
Megum and Silvey exchanged uneasy glances.
Something wasn't right.
But days passed, and nothing happened.
In the new school session, Rex finally gathered his courage.
He fidgeted, standing before Gara at lunch.
"Hey, Gara. Can I… ask you something?"
"Go on, Rex," she replied between bites.
"I… I…" He faltered, then blurted out, "I like you, Gara!"
Marine nearly choked. "Wait—what?!"
"Yes. I do," Rex said firmly this time.
Gara blinked, her expression calm but unreadable. "Rex… we're only twelve. It's not the right time for these things."
She didn't reject him. She didn't accept him either.
Just a pause.
A comma in their story.
The very next day, their teacher gave an assignment:
Write about your parents in five different languages.
The class groaned.
But for Gara and Marine, the task was heavier than homework.
Gara knew nothing about her parents—where they were, or even if they lived.
And Marine… she only knew her mother. Not her father.
That afternoon, over lunch, she finally asked the question.
"Mommy… who is my father?"
Silvey froze. For a heartbeat, her mask cracked. But then she drew a soft breath and forced a smile.
"Your father is a soldier," she said, voice tender but heavy. "A warrior who protects others. He loves your mother more than anything in the whole universe."
Marine's eyes shone. "So Daddy's a fighter?"
"Yes," Silvey whispered. "He's been on a mission for ten years now. Fighting, always fighting."
"Wow… I want to meet him soon!"
"You will," Silvey promised gently. "When his war ends, he'll come to you."
Marine's heart soared. She hugged her mother tight, carrying those words like a treasure.
That night, Megum leaned on her doorframe.
"Homework done, Marine?"
"Yes, Brother. What about your project?"
"Almost finished," he said with pride. "By the weekend, it'll be complete."
Marine nodded, but her smile faltered.
"What's wrong?" Megum asked.
"Nothing…" she whispered.
But her mind wasn't empty.
It was full of thoughts.
Of Gara.