Kai heard the sudden explosion echo through the camp. It wasn't loud enough to scare him—but it made him wonder.
Would it hurt if I died like that? he thought.
His gaze lingered toward the smoke rising in the distance. Then another thought followed. But... if I die now... the blonde lady will cry again. His blank eyes blinked slowly. She called it crying... when the water comes from the eyes.
He turned his head slightly and looked at Alia, who was still holding onto him gently. She had also heard the blast.
Alia's eyes widened as she turned toward the direction of the sound. "What the...?" she muttered, then looked back at Kai with concern. "Kai, stay here. Don't go anywhere, okay?"
Kai slowly nodded.
But the moment Alia turned away, Kai stood up and quietly followed the noise.
His legs still felt weak, but they moved without hesitation. Step after step, as if something pulled him toward the source. The explosion… is familiar. Like the machines they used in the lab.
He turned a corner—and ran into someone.
Pink hair. Cold but kind eyes.
"...Ruki?" he said softly.
Ruki blinked, surprised to see Kai running beside her.
"Kai?! What are you doing here? You were supposed to be resting."
Kai looked ahead at the black smoke and flickering sparks in the air. "Did someone… cry from that explosion?"
Ruki paused, then gave him a light smile. "No. Not this time. Just a little mess we'll clean up."
Kai nodded blankly, but he still followed beside her.
They ran toward the center tent, where smoke billowed and alarms were still blaring. Ruki placed a hand on Kai's shoulder gently, trying to guide him back—but he didn't stop.
And as the two arrived at the scene, Kai's gaze met Yuri's for the first time.
Yuri stared back at him.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Tension.
Recognition?
Or maybe…
Dread.
Just as Kai took another step forward beside Ruki, a sharp pain lanced through his skull.
His blank expression twitched—his brows furrowed—and then his hands shot up to clutch his head.
"Aaah…"
The sound barely left his lips before he collapsed.
"Kai?!" Ruki shouted, catching his body before it hit the ground. "Kai! Hey!"
His eyes were wide open but unfocused, his body trembling slightly. His breathing became uneven as if something inside him was breaking loose.
Alia appeared at the scene, panic etched into her face. "Kai?!" she cried, rushing over. "Why is he here—why is this happening?!"
Ruki gritted her teeth. "No time—help me carry him!"
Together, the two women lifted Kai carefully and rushed him back to the medical tent.
---
Inside the tent, the staff cleared space immediately as they laid Kai down on one of the cots. Sweat rolled down his face, his body still reacting violently to whatever triggered the sudden migraine.
Alia held his hand tightly, her voice trembling. "Please, Kai… just stay with me…"
His head moved slightly. His lips parted.
But no words came out—just shallow breaths.
Ruki stood back, eyes narrowed in thought, then turned sharply and exited the tent. She pulled out her earpiece as she marched toward the ruined command area.
"Yuri. What the hell did that file contain?" she said with an edge in her voice.
A voice replied calmly, "It wasn't just a file. It was a trigger."
Ruki's eyes narrowed further. A trigger…? She clenched her fist.
Back in the tent, Alia kept whispering, tears threatening her eyes again.
"I'm here. Don't go anywhere, okay? You're my little brother… I won't lose you again."
And for the first time since collapsing, Kai's hand moved—ever so slightly—closing around hers.
It had been days since the explosion.
Kai still hadn't woken up.
His small frame lay motionless on the hospital bed, surrounded by white sheets and the soft rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Despite the peaceful hum of the machines, an unbearable tension hung in the room like a storm that refused to pass.
Alia sat beside him, her posture slouched with exhaustion. Her eyes were rimmed red—not just from lack of sleep, but from too many tears shed in silence.
She stared at Kai's face, gently holding his hand with both of hers.
"Why does this always happen…" she muttered bitterly under her breath. Her tired voice cracked. "I just wanted to be with my brother… is that too much to ask?"
A sudden wave of frustration surged through her. She stood up and slammed her palm against the cabinet beside the bed, rattling its contents. The sharp sound broke the stillness.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Ruki stepped inside, her pink hair tied up loosely, her eyes scanning the room before landing on Alia. She looked at her quietly for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside her.
"The president said you can take time off until your brother stabilizes," Ruki said softly, placing a comforting arm around Alia's shoulders. "You've done great, Alia. Don't carry the guilt on your own."
Alia slowly turned her head, her voice brittle. "I'm just… scared. After the explosion, he collapsed, and now—he still hasn't opened his eyes. But his vitals are normal. It doesn't make sense…"
She looked down at Kai's face, her fingers squeezing his limp hand.
"I just want him to wake up. To smile, even just a little."
A single tear traced down her cheek and fell, landing softly on Kai's hand.
For a moment, the beeping of the heart monitor remained unchanged—but in that quiet, there was hope.
And Ruki, watching them both, gently tightened her hold on Alia.
"I don't know what's going on inside him," she said. "But if he's holding on, it's probably because of you."
Inside Kai's mind, a dream-like void stretched endlessly.
He awoke in a vast space of deep, swirling blue—like a night sky submerged underwater. Countless stars shimmered in the background, slowly drifting through the darkness. The air felt weightless, and every step he took left behind small, glowing water droplets that hovered and floated in his wake.
Kai looked around silently, unsure if he was dreaming or simply lost.
Then, in the distance, he saw something strange—a lone mirror, standing upright in the middle of this star-filled realm.
He approached it cautiously.
At first, there was nothing in the mirror—no reflection, no image.
But then, something shifted.
Another version of himself slowly materialized in the mirror, staring back at him with calm, knowing eyes. The reflection stepped forward—out of the mirror entirely—as if the surface were just water, and stood in front of Kai.
Kai instinctively stepped back, giving him space.
The mirrored Kai gave a slight smile. "Hey there," he said in a tone that felt oddly familiar. "It's been a while since I got trapped here."
Kai blinked. "You're trapped?"
The reflection began slowly circling around him. "Mhm. I was the original Kai. The only Kai. But now…" He stopped behind him and tilted his head. "Now you're the first. And I've become the second. Strange, isn't it?"
There was no malice in his voice—just curiosity, and perhaps a hint of sadness.
Kai didn't speak, but the reflection continued, eyes now softening.
"I still remember her… our sister. Alia." He chuckled lightly. "Wait—no, my mistake. Our sister. We both care, after all."
The original Kai turned to face him fully. "You'll be staying here for a little while… in this dreamscape. What do you think? Can I take your place for a bit?" He gestured toward the distant stars. "I'd like to see her again."
Kai looked at him.
He thought of the tear that fell on his hand.
He thought of the warmth of the soup… the blonde scientist… Alia's trembling hug.
He gave a small nod. "Yeah. I don't want our sister to cry either."
The reflection smiled warmly.
They reached out and shook hands.
As soon as their hands touched, the mirrored Kai began to break apart—his body scattering into countless shimmering particles, like blue stars made of memory and light. They drifted upward, toward the waking world.
And Kai stood alone in the starry void, quietly watching the light fade.