The car finally slowed down and turned into a charging station.
The afternoon sun hung high above the road, casting a pale, almost white light over everything. Heat shimmered above the asphalt, making the distant road appear to ripple.
The station was relatively quiet.
A few electric vehicles stood beneath the charging bays, their charging cables connected to the cars. Soft electronic indicators blinked along the charging units, while the low hum of cooling fans mixed with the occasional sound of another vehicle arriving.
Lig looked at his phone.
2:00 p.m.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket and stepped out of the car.
Dave remained outside while Lig walked towards the small shop attached to the charging station.
The automatic door opened with a soft sound.
Inside, the atmosphere changed immediately.
The air was cool.
The low hum of the refrigerators filled the small shop, while shelves stood neatly arranged with drinks, snacks, and other everyday items. Through the glass windows, Lig could still see the bright afternoon outside and the charging bays beyond it.
He walked straight towards the refrigerator.
The glass door opened with a quiet hiss.
Lig reached inside and took out a can of cold coffee.
The cold surface of the can immediately covered his fingers with a thin layer of condensation.
He closed the refrigerator and walked towards the counter.
A girl was already serving another customer.
She was scanning his items one by one while the small computer beside her displayed the bill.
Lig stopped a short distance away and waited.
He didn't rush her.
Outside, one of the charging units gave a soft electronic beep.
A few moments later, the customer finished paying and walked away.
Lig stepped forward and placed the can on the counter.
The girl gave him a polite smile and picked it up.
She placed it beneath the scanner.
Beep.
Nothing happened.
She tried again.
Nothing.
The computer had frozen.
The girl glanced at the screen, clicked a few times, and waited.
Still nothing.
She looked back at Lig and gave him a small, apologetic smile.
"Sir, just a second."
Lig nodded.
"Okay."
His eyes wandered around the shop.
Then he casually asked,
"Where's Mira?"
The cashier looked at him.
"She's in the storeroom."
Lig frowned slightly.
"Why?"
The girl hesitated.
Then she looked at him more carefully.
"Are you...?"
Lig immediately shook his head.
"No, no. I'm her brother."
The girl's expression changed at once.
"Ohhh."
She smiled.
"Should I call her?"
Lig shook his head.
"No need."
"Okay."
She turned back towards the computer and began trying to restart the system.
Lig stood quietly at the counter.
For a few seconds, the only sounds inside the shop were the humming refrigerator, the clicking of the keyboard, and the distant electronic sounds of the charging bays outside.
Then—
His phone rang.
Lig looked down at the screen.
His expression changed slightly.
The name displayed there was enough to make him pause.
Mizuki.
He answered.
"Hello?"
Mizuki's voice came through the phone.
"Sir, a problem has occurred. Can you come to the ceremony as fast as possible?"
Lig immediately straightened.
"Okay. I'm on my way."
He paused.
"But what happened?"
There was a brief silence.
Mizuki finally answered,
"It's from the Eastern Kingdom."
Lig's expression changed.
Before he could ask anything else, the cashier placed the can of cold coffee on the counter.
"Sir."
Lig nodded quickly.
"Thanks."
He took the can, scanned the QR code as quickly as he could, and slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"Mizuki, I'll call you back."
He ended the call.
Then he stepped outside and almost jogged towards the car.
Dave looked at him as he approached.
Lig opened the door and got in.
"Bro, a problem. Can we go fast?"
Dave didn't even ask twice.
"Why not?"
He started the car.
The vehicle pulled away from the charging station and quickly joined the main road.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
Lig opened his cold coffee and took a sip.
Dave glanced at him.
"You drink too much coffee."
Lig looked at the can.
"Yeah."
He took another sip.
"I'm addicted."
Dave let out a long sigh.
Lig smiled faintly.
A few blocks later, the car came to a stop again.
This time, it was a red light.
Lig leaned back in his seat and looked out through the window.
The road felt strangely familiar.
Only a few minutes earlier, they had driven past the road leading towards his home.
Beside the road stood a small park.
Lig's eyes wandered towards it.
Then he stopped.
Someone was sitting on a bench.
Ezra.
She was sitting beside another boy.
They were close to each other, their faces only inches apart.
Then Ezra gently rested her forehead against his.
Lig remained completely still.
For a moment, the noise of the road seemed to disappear.
He slowly looked down at his phone.
His screen was filled with messages.
Messages from Ezra.
One after another.
She had been asking him to meet her.
To go somewhere together.
To spend time with her.
There were more messages than he had noticed before.
Lig read them silently.
Then he looked back through the window.
Ezra was still there.
With him.
A small smile slowly appeared on Lig's face.
Not an angry smile.
Not a bitter one.
Just...
a quiet smile.
He opened his cold coffee and took a slow sip.
Then he opened Ezra's chat.
His thumb hovered over the screen for a moment.
He muted the conversation.
Then he hid the chat.
He put the phone away.
Dave glanced at him.
Lig continued looking through the window.
Then, almost casually, he said,
"Look."
Dave followed his gaze.
"Those young couples."
Lig smiled faintly.
"So beautiful."
Dave looked at the two people sitting in the park.
"Yeah..."
He turned towards Lig.
"Why?"
Lig looked at him.
"Why what?"
Dave smiled slightly.
"You want that moment?"
Lig looked back towards the park.
For a second, his smile remained.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
A pause.
"Never…"
In low very low voice
"Again.."
The traffic light turned green.
Dave pressed the accelerator.
The car moved forward.
Lig took another sip of his coffee and looked ahead.
The park slowly disappeared behind them.
At the ceremony,
A lone figure stood before the Western Kingdom's flag.
Behind him, countless flags moved gently in the evening wind. In front of the granite memorial stone, bouquets of flowers had been placed one after another.
Lig slowly walked towards the memorial.
In his hands was a bouquet of flowers.
He reached the stone and carefully placed the bouquet among the others.
Then he lowered his head.
The first gunshot echoed across the grounds.
Then another.
And another.
The ceremonial guns fired into the evening sky, their sound rolling across the grounds.
Lig remained there with his head lowered.
Three minutes passed..
Finally, he lifted his head and walked back towards the gathering.
A man stepped forward and approached the microphone.
"Today, we are all gathered here to show our respect to the soldiers who gave their lives yesterday."
He looked towards the memorial.
"Yesterday, a sudden attack from the Western Kingdom took the lives of our soldiers."
Lig stood behind the gathering, watching the evening sun.
The sky had begun to turn golden as the sun slowly descended beyond the horizon.
An old man walked towards him and stopped beside him.
He took a long breath.
"Yesterday, when I heard the news... I... I was stunned for a second."
His eyes remained fixed on the memorial.
"Then I thought about his mother."
He looked down.
"She is no longer with us... otherwise, she would have been..."
His voice weakened.
"H... His girlfriend is really broken."
He wiped his face gently.
"And you know the surprising part?"
The old man looked towards the sky.
"On Thursday, he called me."
He lowered his gaze.
"But I wasn't able to answer."
His voice became softer.
"He was all I had left..."
He looked towards the setting sun.
"But you know... the world isn't easy to understand."
He breathed slowly.
"From above, a waterbody can look beautiful..."
His eyes remained on the horizon.
"But deep inside... it can be deadly."
The old man turned towards Lig.
A faint smile appeared on his tired face.
"Was that really worth it?"
He then turned and walked towards his car.
Lig remained where he was for a while, watching the sun disappear beyond the horizon.
Then he turned around and walked towards Nemo's car.
Lig looked across the parking area.
Dave was already gone.
He opened the door and got into Nemo's car.
"So, what happened, Mizuki?"
Mizuki looked towards him.
"Someone sent them a handwritten letter."
Lig's expression became serious.
"What did it say?"
Mizuki answered,
"Give me 10,000 billion Iko... and free all the prisoners from GX10."
Lig's eyebrows tightened.
"Which prisoners are being kept in GX10?"
Nemo answered from the driver's seat.
"Terrorists."
He glanced at Lig.
"And it has been proven that they are from the Western Kingdom."
Nemo paused before continuing.
"And after the Royal Sisters took control... the number has increased."
Lig looked out through the window.
"Okay."
He thought for a moment.
Then he turned towards Mizuki.
"Mizuki... then this Sunday, we'll start the WK90 mission."
Mizuki nodded.
"Okay."
Nemo immediately looked at him.
"What is this WK90?"
Lig let out a tired sigh.
"It's a mission where Mizuki and I will go to..."
Before he could finish, the car slowed down.
A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a hospital.
Nemo looked at Lig.
"Okay... so that's what WK90 is."
He explained everything.
"Be careful Lig."
Lig gave a faint smile.
"I will."
He stepped out of the car.
Nemo and Mizuki followed him inside.
The hospital corridor was unusually crowded.
Several AOB soldiers were already standing outside one of the rooms.
The Team Leader of the mission was there as well.
Lig walked towards them.
One of the men opened the door.
Lig, Nemo, Mizuki, and the Team Leader entered.
A woman was lying on the hospital bed.
She looked exhausted.
The moment she saw them, her eyes began to fill with tears.
The Team Leader slowly stepped forward.
He carried an AOB flag in one hand.
In the other was the soldier's cap.
He placed both gently into her hands.
She looked at the cap.
Her expression broke.
Tears began running down her face.
She held the cap tightly against herself.
Nobody knew what to say.
Lig looked around the room.
Then his eyes moved towards the other side.
A small baby was sleeping peacefully in a hospital bed.
Lig stared at the child.
For a moment, a thought crossed his mind.
He may grow up without ever knowing what his father looked like.
Lig lowered his gaze.
The woman continued crying, holding the cap close to her face.
No one tried to interrupt her.
After a few minutes, Lig quietly turned towards the door.
One by one, they left the room.
Outside, Lig looked at two of the soldiers.
"You two stay here and guard the room."
He pointed towards another pair.
"And you two will escort her home after she's released."
He looked at all four of them.
"Until then, keep her safe. Understood?"
The soldiers straightened.
"Yes, Captain."
Lig turned towards Nemo.
"Nemo, tell their commando as well."
Nemo nodded.
"Okay."
The hospital doors closed behind them.
Outside, the evening air felt strangely cold.
Lig stood there for a moment, looking back at the hospital.
Then he turned towards the parking area.
At home,
Mira was waiting for them.
"How are you guys?"
Lig gave a small smile.
"Fine."
He gestured towards Mizuki.
"Meet my friend, Mizuki."
Mira smiled politely.
"Nice to meet you."
"Thank you," Mizuki replied.
After the brief introduction, Lig and Nemo walked towards Lig's room.
Mizuki followed them.
A few moments later, the three of them reached the balcony.
Nemo and Lig stood near the railing, looking out into the night.
Mizuki stepped outside as well.
Nemo was the first to speak.
"So... what happened, huh?"
Lig didn't look at her.
"I don't know."
His eyes remained fixed on the darkness outside.
"I'm too confused."
He took a slow breath.
"Everything happened too fast."
His voice became quieter.
"Bloodshed... then the ceremony... and..."
He stopped.
"Nemo..."
"Can someone fall for someone in just a few days?"
He looked down.
"And get hurt too?"
Nemo looked at him.
"Yes, it can."
Then she frowned slightly.
"But why?"
Lig shook his head.
"Nothing."
"Just wondering."
He turned towards them.
"You guys continue chatting."
He rubbed his eyes.
"My eyes really hurt when the light keeps going in and out of a room."
With that, Lig stepped back inside.
He walked towards his bed and sat down.
Outside, Nemo remained against the balcony wall.
Mizuki looked towards Lig's room.
"Why is he always like this?"
Nemo took a slow sip of water.
Then she looked at Mizuki.
"When you walk over a small plant..."
"You don't give it anything."
"And when it finally starts glowing..."
"You cut its leaves."
She looked towards the closed door.
"And still..."
"It gives you flowers."
"More than you ever expected."
Mizuki stared at her, confused.
"What?"
Nemo looked at her.
"He was born in 2055."
"At Inario."
Mizuki's expression changed.
"Oh..."
She lowered her eyes.
"Sorry for whatever happened there."
Nemo turned towards her.
"You know..."
"Sometimes, that sorry hurts."
Mizuki remained quiet for a moment.
Then she looked directly at Nemo.
"I was at first... Zeb."
Nemo's expression changed.
"From?"
Mizuki looked into her eyes.
"Lanta."
Nemo gave a faint smile.
"Later, we'll talk about it."
She looked towards the room.
"Get some rest."
"Tomorrow is WK90."
She took another sip of water.
Then added quietly,
"And one more thing..."
"Never let the wrong win."
Narrator
WK90...
What exactly is it?
Why was Lig hiding it from Nemo?
What happened to Lig during his childhood that still follows him, even after all these years?
And who... or what... is Zeb?
Tomorrow, Lig will step into something he never expected.
A mission.
A secret.
A past that refuses to stay buried.
But the real question is...
What will happen tomorrow?