Present Time. Z's Room.
"I opened the gate to Hell," Hirey whispered, her voice cracking in the dark room.
The silence was heavy, suffocating. Z lay on the floor, unconscious, his chest rising and falling in a shallow rhythm.
Hirey knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she touched his cold face. She brushed a strand of damp hair from his forehead.
"Wake up, Z," she pleaded, tears blurring her vision. "Please... are you okay? I will never leave again. I promise."
But promises were easy to make in the dark. Keeping them in the light... that was the hard part.
The memory of her first broken promise hit her like a physical blow.
Flashback: Two Years Ago.
Ping.
Hirey stared at the text message on her phone. The screen glowed like a beacon in the dim hallway. The emblem of the Yellow State Academy seemed to burn into her retinas.
"SCHOLARSHIP APPROVED. FULL RIDE. DEPARTURE: 48 HOURS."
She gripped the phone so tight her knuckles turned bone-white. Her heart hammered against her ribs—not with joy, but with a terrifying, suffocating guilt. It was a ticket out of the Brown State. It was a lifeline. But to take it, she had to let go of the drowning boy she loved.
Two hours later, the air in Z's room smelled of iron and sickness.
Z lay on his bed, his skin translucent and pale. He was shivering violently, the aftershocks of another "blackout" racking his thin frame. A handkerchief stained with fresh blood lay on the nightstand.
Hirey sat in the chair next to him. The silence was deafening. Every rasping breath Z took sounded like an accusation.
"I..." Hirey started, her voice failing her. She looked at her hands. "I have been selected."
Z slowly turned his head. His eyes were glassy, feverish, but they focused on her with an intensity that made her flinch.
"The Yellow State scholarship," she whispered, unable to meet his gaze.
Z closed his eyes. A long, shuddering breath left his lungs.
"That is good news, my lady," he rasped, forcing a weak, trembling smile. "Now... you can finally achieve your dream. You will be the best detective... they have ever seen."
Hirey looked at him. He was broken. His parents wished he was dead. The world saw him as a failure. And now, she was confirming it.
"But... how can I leave you like this?" she burst out, the tears finally spilling over hot and fast. "Look at you, Z! You're in pain! I want to stay. I swear I do. But I don't want to miss this opportunity either. It's my only chance to be someone."
"I know, my love," Z said gently. He reached out to hold her hand. His skin was ice cold. His grip was so weak she barely felt it. "Becoming a detective... was your dream before we met. You should prioritize it. After all... it is for our future."
"See, Z," Hirey said, her voice shaking, trying to justify the knife she was twisting in his heart. "If I make my dream my priority... I might not be able to return for a long time. Maybe years."
Z went quiet. He stared at the ceiling, the light fading from his eyes.
"That is why I have made a decision," Hirey said, the words rushing out like vomit. "I think we should take a break. As you always say... if we are destined, we will meet again. Promise me, Z. Promise you will wait for me."
The cruelty of the request hung in the air. Leave me to rot, but promise you'll be here if I ever decide to come back.
"Hey, brother!"
The door banged open. Huzaifa walked in, a bright, forced grin on his face, holding a bag of Z's favorite chips. "I got the spicy ones! How are you doing now? Feeling bett—"
He stopped. The smile dropped off his face like a mask. He saw the tears on Hirey's cheeks. He saw the devastation in Z's silence.
"Promise me, Z," Hirey repeated, desperate for absolution. "You will wait."
"I promise, my lady," Z whispered, a single tear escaping the corner of his eye.
"Guys?" Huzaifa frowned, the bag crinkling in his tightening fist. "What the hell is going on?"
"Hirey got the scholarship from the Yellow State," Z said, his voice cracking. "She can finally fulfill her dream. Isn't it... isn't it exciting, brother?"
Huzaifa blinked. He looked at Hirey. He looked at the packed bag near her feet.
"Okay, let me guess," Huzaifa said, a dark laugh bubbling up. "She rejected the offer to stay with you, right? And now you are scolding her to go? Because that's what a hero does?"
Silence. Thick, heavy, suffocating silence.
Hirey stood up, wiping her eyes. "We have made our decision, Huzaifa. We decided mutually. Please... take care of him when I am not here."
She turned to the door. "If we are destined for each other, we will meet again."
CRASH.
Huzaifa kicked the chair Hirey had been sitting in. It skidded across the room and slammed into the wall.
"Destiny?!" Huzaifa roared, stepping into her path. His face was twisted with fury. "What is this fucking 'destiny' crap? You are abandoning him! Look at him, Hirey! He's bleeding! He's dying! And you're talking about a fucking scholarship?"
"Huzaifa, stop," Hirey sobbed, shrinking back.
"No! If you are leaving, then fucking leave! Own it! Don't tell him to wait for you like a dog! What kind of sick game are you playing?"
Hirey froze at the doorway, trembling.
"Huzaifa."
The voice was weak, but it cut through the room like a razor blade.
Z was sitting up. He swung his legs off the bed. He tried to stand, stumbling as his knees buckled, but he caught himself on the bedpost.
"When did I allow you..." Z coughed, a wet, hacking sound, "...to raise your voice at a woman?"
He walked toward them. Each step looked painful, but his eyes... his eyes were changing. The warmth was dying, replaced by a cold, hard logic.
"See, Hirey," Z said calmly, swaying on his feet. "Our relationship is just a bond between us. No one else is involved. Everyone is free to like you... but no one can own you."
He looked deep into her eyes.
"But tomorrow... if you encounter someone better than me... someone stronger... someone who isn't broken..."
"Shut up, Z!" Hirey screamed, covering her ears. "I am your girlfriend! How can you say that?!"
"It is just a promise, my lady," Z said. His voice lost its emotion. It became clinical. Detached. "You are not my property. Humans have survived for thousands of years. Do you know why? Because they chose what was best for them. Not for love. For survival. If they chose love over survival, they would have gone extinct."
He raised two fingers. His hand wasn't shaking anymore.
He gently touched her forehead.
"So choose what is best for you, my Hirey."
Present Time.
Hirey gritted her teeth, a guttural sob escaping her throat. She hooked her arms under Z's unconscious body. He was heavy—dead weight—but to her, he felt like the weight of every sin she had ever committed.
She dragged him onto the bed, her muscles screaming, her tears hot on her cheeks. She collapsed beside him, her chest heaving.
As she reached to adjust his pillow, her fingers brushed against something.
Paper.
It was tucked deep under the mattress, hidden away like a secret shame. It was worn, the edges soft and fraying, folded and refolded a thousand times.
Her hands trembling, she pulled it out. She unfolded it in the dim light.
Z's handwriting stared back at her. It wasn't the handwriting of a monster. It was shaky, raw, and desperate.
Am I in love? I do not truly know, Yet in her eyes, a brighter sun does glow. My bones feel warm, my shadow fades away, Her light consumes the dark where I once lay.
Hirey let out a broken, strangled sound. She pressed a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream building in her chest.
That shining gaze has taken all my sight, Yet blindness feels like joy beneath her light. I drown within those eyes so deep, so kind, And lose the heavy thoughts that filled my mind.
"Stop..." she whispered to the paper, the ink blurring under her falling tears. "Please stop..."
Her lips are blades that cut, yet softly too, Her hair a storm with sweetest scent that blew. I breathe her in and feel my soul arise, Like waking up to life for the first time.
She is the Earth, where every dream takes place, And I, cold Jupiter, guard her in space. She gives me warmth where I had none before, Her light revives the stars that sleep no more.
The paper slipped from her fingers.
Cold Jupiter.
He knew. Even then, he knew he was cold. He knew he was distant, a planet of storms and gas, deadly to anyone who got too close. But he had tried to be a guardian. He had tried to stay in orbit.
And she... she was the Earth that had spun away, leaving him alone in the freezing void.
She looked at his face, peaceful in sleep, and saw the tragedy written on his skin.
She grabbed his hand, squeezing it until her own bones hurt.
"I chose survival," she choked out, the words tasting like ash. "I chose a badge and a career... and I left you to rot."
"It looks like we chose the wrong time to visit."
A deep, commanding voice came from the doorway.
Hirey spun around, wiping her tears instantly, putting her mask of strength back on. But her eyes remained red, betraying the ruin inside.
Standing there was Mr. Dustin, the Chairman of the MILSUM Party—the most powerful political organization in the state. He held a lit cigar, flanked by his Personal Assistant.
And standing next to him, looking terrified, was Huzaifa.
Buzz.
Hirey's phone vibrated. She checked it.
"MURDER REPORT. Victim: Dr. Abd. Found mutilated in his basement. Head to the office immediately."
Hirey looked at Z, sleeping peacefully. She looked at the Chairman.
"I have to go," she said, her voice professional again, though it sounded hollow to her own ears. She grabbed her coat and rushed out, brushing past the powerful men, fleeing the room before the guilt could crush her completely.
The door clicked shut.
Silence returned to the room. Smoke from Dustin's cigar curled in the air.
On the bed, Z opened his eyes.
He wasn't groggy. He wasn't weak. The "Innocent" was gone.
"What brings you here, Dustin?" Z asked. His voice was calm, authoritative. Not the voice of a boy speaking to a leader.
"Don't you know how to respect your Master?" Z continued, sitting up slowly.
Dustin's hand trembled. The expensive cigar slipped from his fingers and hit the floor.
The Chairman of MILSUM—a man who controlled the city—immediately bowed his head.
"Sorry, Master," Dustin said, his voice submissive and shaking. "I am just here to inform you... the Organization has decided."
He swallowed hard.
"We are giving you the position of your father."
Z looked at him, unimpressed. "Okay. I will let you know my decision. You can leave now."
"And..." Dustin hesitated, sweat beading on his forehead. "There is a list. A list of people involved in the experiment on you. Please... keep your promise. Don't hurt my child. You can do whatever you want with the others. Complete your revenge. But please... not my son, Sajawal."
"In return," Dustin added quickly, "I will ensure your absolute immunity. The police, the law... no one will ever touch you."
Z stared at him. His expression was unreadable.
Dustin bowed again and backed out of the room. His PA gave Z a sharp, lingering glare before fixing his collar and following his boss.
Z noticed the glare. He also noticed the tiny red light blinking on the PA's lapel. A hidden camera.
He ignored it. For now.
Huzaifa walked to the window and opened it, letting the cigar smoke escape into the night.
Z stood up. He walked to the window, standing beside his friend. He looked out at the city lights—a city that was now his playground.
"So," Z said, his voice low. "What is your decision, Huzaifa?"
He turned to face him.
"Are you ready to make this world a better place? Or are you going to stand against me?"