The whirring of the VTEX shuttlecraft's landing gears screeched across the platform as the silver-hull transport vessel touched down on Pad 04 outside Veiler HQ. Steam hissed from its underside vents as the thrusters cooled, casting silhouettes on the metal floor in the soft glow of the landing bay lights.
The rear hatch released with a hydraulic thud.
From the vessel stepped several Veilers—scraped, weathered, marked by combat and movement—but leading them with a still-composed stride was Emi.
Her uniform was dusted from the field, the telltale insignia of Unit C-2 etched across her shoulder guard. She pulled off her helmet, revealing hair slightly matted with sweat and streaked with dirt. Her breathing was steady, her expression unreadable as she took a moment to take in the familiar scent of HQ—sterile air, the faint tang of machinery, and the ever-present hum of the core reactors beneath.
"Unit C-2, report complete," Emi said to the awaiting logistics officer. She handed over a sealed tablet. "Debrief and mission logs are preloaded."
The officer nodded and gestured for her to proceed inside.
Emi gave a short bow and stepped into the main corridors.
As she walked past the walls lined with Veiler banners and squadrons' insignia, her sharp eyes caught glimpses of new cadets still running drills in the courtyards outside. Others passed her in the halls with respectful nods—some whispering her name behind her back.
C-2 wasn't just a unit—it was a reputation now. One she had earned through missions that pushed every limit.
She didn't pay it much mind.
Her thoughts were elsewhere.
Four months. That's how long it had been since the graduation. Since Seyfe vanished.
She hadn't spoken of it much. Not even to her current squad. But the moment she stepped onto HQ soil again, the tension in her chest returned—silent and biting.
As she approached the personnel access terminal near the command wing, she tapped her ID card and paused.
On the side screen: Latest Arrival Logs — Field Recovery Subject: Seyfe H.Status: StabilizedLocation: HQ Grounds — Active Movement Logged.
Her eyes widened faintly.
He was back.
Alive.
Her hand hovered over the screen for a moment, fingers curling.
"About damn time," she whispered under her breath, before turning sharply and heading toward the main atrium.
The hum of data streams and status monitors filled the Veiler HQ's command wing. Aki stood before the central console, her sharp red eyes scanning the live feed from returning squadrons. Her gaze, intense as ever, barely flickered even as the automated systems chimed a soft alert.
"Unit C-2—mission complete. Handler authorization verified. Return confirmed."
Aki's head turned slightly. Her crimson eyes sharpened with focus. "Emi."
She closed the report screen and walked briskly out of her office, coat trailing behind her in purposeful motion. The sound of her boots echoed against the sterile hallway walls as she made her way to the lift bay.
As the elevator doors hissed open, Emi stepped out, her uniform marked with fresh scuffs, but her expression as composed as always.
"Reporting successful extraction and neutralization. No injuries," Emi said with a short nod, her voice steady despite the exhaustion in her limbs.
Aki stopped a few feet away, arms crossed. Her eyes softened just slightly—a rare thing.
"Took you long enough," she said, voice cool but not without familiarity.
"You trained me to be thorough."
"Tch. That I did."
There was a short silence between them—an acknowledgment of the unspoken weight they both carried.
"Get your report cleaned up and head to debrief within the hour," Aki ordered, her red eyes scanning Emi once more, taking in the subtle signs of wear. "And Emi—good work."
Emi blinked, surprised by the rare verbal praise, but nodded with a subtle smile. "Thank you, Handler."
Aki turned on her heel and disappeared back down the corridor, crimson eyes catching the soft reflection of herself in the glass panels—a reminder of what she could never afford to lose control of.
Emi finished logging her initial mission report at the data terminal, fingers gliding swiftly across the holographic keys. Her shoulders ached slightly, but the silence of being back within the walls of HQ was a welcome reprieve. With a quiet breath, she stood and headed toward the main atrium—intent on grabbing a drink before her full debrief.
As she entered the expansive common area, voices echoed louder than she expected. A small group of fresh recruits were gathered near one of the couches, eyes lit with curiosity and awe.
"And then—get this—I didn't even aim, and the arc blade still cut clean through the barrier!" a familiar voice boasted.
Emi paused mid-step.
There, surrounded by cadets, was Jerome Dwight—his posture relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, gesturing animatedly with a grin that didn't quite seem to belong to the brooding, tight-lipped Veiler she remembered.
One of the cadets laughed. "No way! Did that really happen?"
Jerome smirked. "You think I'd make up my own near-death story? That was barely a D-class field mission."
Emi folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you start telling stories?"
Jerome looked over and blinked—then grinned when he saw her. "Emi. Back from the frontlines, huh?"
"I was expecting your usual nod and three-word greeting. You're...unsettlingly charismatic now," she said, narrowing her eyes with mock suspicion.
He chuckled, standing to greet her. "What can I say? My sister knocked some sense into me after that mess in Kire Hollow. Said I'd scare off all the rookies if I kept glaring like I was interrogating ghosts."
"You do have the ghost-interrogator vibe," Emi teased, then offered a faint smile. "But… it suits you less now. You seem lighter."
Jerome shrugged. "Guess I finally started breathing a little."
The cadets watched their interaction with interest, but Jerome turned back to them and waved a hand. "Alright, break's over. Back to your drills. Your Handler'll fry you alive if she sees you slacking."
As the group dispersed, Jerome turned to Emi again. "So. You staying long this time?"
"Debriefing in an hour. After that, who knows."
He nodded, walking with her toward the nearby vending hub. "Seyfe's back, you know."
"I heard," Emi replied, her tone quieter now.
"And the way he got back? Not exactly by the books."
She glanced at him. "Nothing about Seyfe's ever been by the books."
Jerome chuckled. "Fair enough."
The mid-afternoon sun filtered lazily through the city's translucent veil barriers, casting subtle blue hues over the winding streets of the upper districts. Seyfe walked beside Saline, hands tucked into his coat pockets, gaze shifting from the polished storefronts to the people bustling through their quiet routines.
Saline, as always, walked with a relaxed gait, spinning a lollipop between her fingers before finally unwrapping it and popping it in her mouth.
"You're surprisingly mellow today," she commented, glancing at him sideways.
"Trying to be," Seyfe replied, his voice soft. "After everything… this normalcy feels strange. Like it isn't mine to hold."
Saline hummed. "You'll get used to it. Then hate it. Then maybe miss it again when it's gone."
He almost smiled. Almost.
They continued walking past a florist shop where a child was helping his grandmother arrange floating petal lanterns. Seyfe paused for a moment to watch them—then the buzz of Saline's cellik vibrated against her thigh. She fished it from her pocket, eyes narrowing at the screen.
"Oh," she muttered.
"What is it?" Seyfe asked.
She grinned, popping the lollipop out of her mouth. "Guess who just reported back to HQ?"
"Don't tell me it's Emi."
"Yup. Unit C-2 herself. Just touched base at the eastern terminal."
Seyfe stopped mid-step. "Emi's back?"
Saline tilted her head. "Didn't expect her to be gone this long, did you?"
"No. Just… feels like everyone's changing, even in a few months."
Saline nudged his arm. "We've all been through our own echoes, Seyfe. Yours was just… a bit louder than most."
He looked toward the horizon beyond the tall HQ spires. "Should we head back?"
"You wanna see her?"
"…Yeah," he said quietly.
Saline smiled and turned toward the direction of HQ. "Then let's go."
And together, they disappeared into the flow of city foot traffic, the shadows of their shared burdens trailing behind them.
Seyfe and Saline walked side by side down the busy corridor of Veiler HQ, their footsteps echoing softly against the steel walls. It had been seventy-two hours since Seyfe's stabilization procedure, and for the first time since, he was returning to the heart of the base.
As they approached the common area, Saline's eyes caught movement ahead. "Emi's here," she said.
Just then, Emi appeared, her silver hair shimmering under the bright lights. Though shorter than most, she carried herself with a quiet confidence that filled the space around her.
"Seyfe," Emi greeted, her voice gentle but filled with relief. "We were all worried about you."
Seyfe nodded, his gaze meeting hers. The weight of everything he'd been through lingered in his eyes, but Emi's presence felt like a steady anchor.
Jerome emerged from a nearby doorway, a grin spreading across his face. "Look who's back," he said warmly. "Feels like the squad's complete again."
Saline gave Seyfe a supportive smile. "It's good to have you back."
For a moment, surrounded by familiar faces, Seyfe allowed himself to breathe easier. Maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something new.
Emi glanced at Seyfe with a curious tilt of her head. "Where were you for those seventy-two hours after the stabilization procedure? From what I heard, you just disappeared."
Only Aki knew that Seyfe had gone to the adoption center.
Seyfe shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I went out to explore the town a bit. Needed to clear my head. Then, at night, I took to patrolling—just skirmishing through the streets, keeping to the shadows."
Jerome chuckled from nearby. "Why not just rent an apartment then? Seems easier than roaming the streets all night."
Seyfe rubbed the back of his neck, his smile fading a bit. "Didn't have that many credits on me. Plus… I guess I just needed to be out there. Moving."
Saline gave him a knowing look but said nothing, letting the moment hang between them.