Lig started driving towards their home.
For a while, he remained focused on the road. Then, almost unconsciously, he glanced to his side.
Ezra was looking out through the window.
Her hair danced freely in the wind, strands occasionally brushing across her face. A small, peaceful smile rested on her lips, while the soft moonlight fell gently across her features.
Lig stared for a moment.
Something stirred inside his heart.
A strange little spark.
And then—
A flash of memory crossed his mind.
He quickly looked back at the road.
For a moment, he seemed lost in thought. He switched the car to autopilot and reached for a can of Chill Latte.
He opened it and offered another can to Ezra.
Ezra looked at the drink, then at him.
"It's already time for dinner. You're drinking this now?"
She smiled and gently pushed it back.
"But thanks. I don't want one."
Lig smiled.
"Alright."
He took a sip himself before switching the car back to manual control.
A few minutes later, they reached a traffic signal.
Lig stopped the car.
He glanced towards Ezra.
She was busy scrolling through social media on her phone, completely absorbed in whatever she was watching.
The signal turned green.
Lig started the car again.
Whoop-whoop!
A police vehicle approached from behind.
Lig immediately pulled over.
He stepped out of the car.
Ezra watched through the window as an inspector walked towards Lig. From the reflection in the glass and the screen of her phone, she could see what was happening outside.
The inspector stopped in front of Lig and handed him a document.
Lig took it and looked through it carefully.
The inspector then took a sip from his own drink, finished it, and pulled out another document. After briefly checking it, he handed Lig a receipt.
Without saying much, the inspector returned to his vehicle and drove away.
Lig stood there for a moment, watching the vehicle disappear down the road.
Then he returned to the car.
He opened another can of Chill Latte and began driving again.
A few hours passed.
The road had become quieter, and the city lights gradually gave way to the darkness of the countryside.
Neither of them spoke for quite some time.
Then, out of nowhere, Ezra asked,
"Have you ever fallen for someone?"
Lig kept his eyes on the road.
"Yes."
He paused.
"A few times."
His voice became quieter.
"But I was never able to say it."
He hesitated.
"And I..."
The words faded away.
Ezra looked at him.
"Oh..."
She smiled sadly.
"That's unfortunate."
Lig gave a faint smile but said nothing.
By then, they had finally reached their home.
Lig brought the car to a stop.
He unfastened his harness and reached for the door.
He was just about to step out when...
Ezra stopped him before he could step out of the car.
"Will you ever like a girl from another planet?"
Lig froze for a moment.
Ezra hesitated, then quietly added,
"L... like me?"
Her face turned slightly red as she looked away.
Lig stared at her for a few seconds.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
"Who knows..."
He paused.
"I am..."
Before Ezra could ask what he meant, Lig smiled again and stepped out of the car.
Ezra remained seated for a moment, her head lowered.
Then she quietly stepped out as well.
Neither of them said anything as they walked inside.
The moment they entered, Lig noticed Nemo sitting on the sofa.
Nemo looked at him and gave a subtle gesture towards his room.
Lig understood immediately.
Nemo stood up and walked towards his room.
Lig turned towards the others.
"Ezra, this is Mira."
"Mira, this is Ezra."
The two exchanged polite smiles.
"Hi."
"Hello."
Lig didn't say much more. He simply headed towards his room.
Meanwhile, Mira and Ezra began chatting.
Before long, their conversation became comfortable, and they started preparing dinner together.
Inside Lig's Room
The door closed behind them.
Nemo walked towards Lig and gently pushed him back until he sat down on the edge of the bed.
Lig looked at her in confusion.
Nemo then moved back and stood against the wall for support.
She folded her arms and looked at him seriously.
Lig looked at Nemo, his expression immediately becoming serious.
"What happened?"
Nemo folded her arms.
"Still no news about Leo and Anny."
She paused.
"And there's more."
"The Royal Sisters have planned an attack on our Sector 777."
Lig's expression hardened.
"Then I need a jet."
He stood up.
"Take me to Sector 776 first. We can't use the direct route to 777."
Nemo nodded.
"Okay, but—"
"No."
Lig cut her off.
"I need it now."
Nemo stared at him for a moment.
"Alright."
Then she raised an eyebrow.
"But what excuse are you going to give Mira?"
Lig looked at her.
"You think about it."
Nemo sighed.
"Of course..."
She shook her head.
"Alright."
She turned towards the door.
"Give us two hours. Our jet will be ready."
Nemo walked out.
Lig closed the door behind her.
He sat quietly on the edge of his bed, closed his eyes, and put on his headphones.
Music began playing.
For a while, he simply sat there, lost in his thoughts.
Something had changed inside him.
Slowly...
Almost without him realising it...
He was beginning to fall for her.
Lig opened his phone and went to his chat with Ezra.
He typed:
"What are you doing?"
He stared at the message.
Still not seen.
Four days.
His thumb hovered over the screen for a moment before he closed the chat.
He opened the latest news about the Western Kingdom instead.
Reports continued to pour in.
Something was happening.
Something bigger than he could yet understand.
But even while reading the reports, his thoughts kept returning to Ezra.
Something was happening inside his heart too.
And he didn't know what to do about it.
Knock.
Knock.
Lig removed one side of his headphones.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Ezra stepped inside.
Lig looked up.
"Oh..."
He gestured towards the empty space beside him.
"Sit."
Ezra sat down.
"Nemo told me you're going."
Lig looked at her.
Ezra continued,
"She privately told me that you're going to the Western Kingdom."
She hesitated.
"Is it really that important?"
Her voice became softer.
"Can we still talk while you're there?"
"And..."
She looked at him with concern.
"Will you be safe?"
Lig smiled.
"Yes."
He nodded.
"Why not?"
Before either of them could say anything more, the door opened again.
Nemo walked in.
Ezra immediately stood up.
"Ah..."
She gave Lig a quick glance before rushing out of the room.
Nemo watched her leave.
Then she turned back towards Lig.
There was a small smile on her face.
Lig's cheeks had turned slightly red.
Nemo raised an eyebrow.
"Beware of bombs, Captain."
Lig frowned.
"What?"
Nemo's smile widened.
"Get ready."
She turned towards the door.
"We have to go."
Lig slowly stood up.
"I don't know why I'm feeling like this..."
He paused, struggling to understand his own thoughts.
"...I just don't know."
Nemo looked at him for a moment.
"Understanding the person standing in front of you..."
She smiled faintly.
"...is always difficult."
Lig said nothing.
He simply picked up his hoodie, put it on, and walked out of the room.
A few hours later...
The house was almost completely silent.
Lig and Nemo finally stepped outside.
The streets were empty, the city sleeping beneath the pale moonlight.
Lig got into the car, and Nemo followed him.
As they drove away from the house, Lig glanced towards the building one last time.
His eyes stopped at the balcony.
Ezra was standing there.
She was smiling while talking to someone on the phone. Her face was slightly red, and from the way she kept smiling, whoever was on the other side seemed to have caught her attention.
Lig checked the time.
1:57 a.m.
She's still awake...?
His eyes remained on her for another second.
Then the car turned.
The balcony disappeared from his sight.
Lig looked forward again.
But something about that moment stayed in his mind.
Narrator
"Will the plant be able to grow..."
"...and shine?"
"What awaits them in Sector 776?"
"And what will happen in Sector 777?"
The narrator pauses.
"But there is another question."
"That little warning Nemo gave Lig..."
'Beware of bombs, Captain.'
"What did she really mean?"
"Was she talking about an actual bomb?"
"Something capable of destroying a city?"
"Something capable of destroying an entire sector?"
"Or..."
The narrator's voice grows quieter.
"...was the word bomb never meant to be taken literally?"
"Perhaps Lig already knows what she meant."
"Perhaps Nemo knows."
"Perhaps someone else knows too."
"But if it is what we think it is..."
"Then why didn't Nemo explain it?"
"Why did she only smile?"
"And why did Lig's expression change the moment he heard those words?"
A brief silence.
"Maybe the most dangerous bombs..."
"...aren't the ones that explode."
"They are the ones that remain hidden..."
"...until the right person says the right words."
"And when that happens..."
"...everything changes."