It had already been almost half an hour.
The four of them were still out there, bent over the dirt, digging alongside a line of tired, broken-looking prisoners. Sweat soaked their clothes. Their hands were shaking. Even from far away, Mirko could tell they were barely holding it together.
Okay…
I guess I'll just… mix in.
He pulled his hood lower and took a few careful steps forward, trying to look like just another lost kid in the crowd.
Why is this so hard?
He muttered under his breath.
"I know you."
The voice made his heart jump straight into his throat.
Mirko froze.
Slowly, he turned.
A guard was standing right there.
Too close.
"You're Mirko," the man said quietly. "You're not dead?"
Mirko's breathing went shallow. His fingers twitched, ready to bolt.
The guard glanced around, then lowered his voice.
"Kaito," he said. "Relax."
"…Umm… who are you?" Mirko whispered, still ready to run.
Before he could react, the guard grabbed his sleeve and pulled him behind a stack of crates, out of sight.
"Come here," Kaito muttered. "Don't just stand there like that."
"What are you doing here?" Kaito asked, scanning the yard nervously. "You shouldn't be anywhere near this place."
Mirko swallowed. "Who… who are you?"
"I'm Kaito," he said. "Anna's brother."
Mirko's eyes widened. "Anna…?"
Yeah. That Anna."
For a second, neither of them spoke. The sounds of shovels hitting dirt filled the silence.
"They took them," Mirko said suddenly, his voice cracking. "Aiko, Anna, Tenya, Izuku… they took them. I tried to stop them. I got shot. I thought— I thought I lost them forever."
Kaito's jaw tightened. "They're alive. They're being forced to work."
Mirko looked toward the digging site. "I know. I see them."
Then he turned back to Kaito, desperate.
"Please… I need a favor."
Kaito frowned. "What kind of favor?"
"I need to see Aiko," Mirko said quickly. "Just for a minute. She thinks I'm dead. I need her to know I'm here."
"That's not simple," Kaito whispered. "The guards don't just let prisoners wander around."
"I don't care," Mirko said. "Lie. Make up something. Say she's needed for questioning. Say she's sick. Anything. Please."
Kaito hesitated, rubbing his face.
"That's a dangerous thing you're asking," he said quietly. "If they catch me helping you…"
"I know," Mirko said... just do it..
Kaito looked back at Anna in the distance-dirty, exhausted, still digging.
"…You're insane," he muttered.
Then, after a breath, "But fine. I'll see what I can do."
Mirko's eyes lit up. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Kaito said, already stepping away. "Just… don't get caught.
Kaito strolled up to the group of guards like he didn't have a care in the world, hands resting lazily on his belt.
"Yo, boys," he said with a grin. "Y'all look half-dead. Wanna catch a breath or what?"
One of the guards squinted at him.
"Since when did you become this friendly? What, you trying to do a favor for your sister or something?"
Kaito scoffed. "Nah. If I wanted to help Anna, I'd do it in my sleep. I'm just bored outta my mind."
Another guard laughed. "Yeah, right."
Kaito leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Besides… one of the girls over there's been acting weird. The black-haired one. Aiko, right? She keeps zoning out, barely digging. If she collapses on us, guess who gets blamed."
The guards glanced toward Aiko, who was staring at the ground, exhausted.
"Tch… damn kids," one muttered.
"I'll take her to medical," Kaito said casually. "Or at least question her. If she's sick, better find out now before she causes trouble."
The guard shrugged. "Fine. Just be quick."
"Always am."
Kaito walked straight over to Aiko and roughly grabbed her arm, like he was annoyed.
"Move," he snapped loudly. "You're coming with me."
Aiko flinched. "What? Why—"
"Shut it. You're in trouble."
The guards didn't even look twice.
Once they were far enough from the others, Kaito leaned close and whispered fast.
"Don't freak out."
Aiko stiffened. "Kaito?"
"He's alive."
Her breath hitched. "W-what?"
"Mirko," Kaito said. "He's inside the base. He asked me to get you."
For a second Aiko's whole body went weak.
"…You're lying."
"I'm not," he whispered. "You gotta play along or we're both dead. Act scared. Don't say his name."
Tears instantly filled her eyes. "Where is he?"
"Waiting. You're gonna see him. Just keep your head down."
Kaito tightened his grip on her arm and raised his voice again.
"Keep moving, prisoner."
Aiko nodded quickly, wiping her tears and forcing herself to breathe.
Her heart was racing.
Mirko is alive.