The sun was out.
The meteor had been merciful. It struck nothing vital—only an old, abandoned building at the edge of the street. No casualties. Only a small fire. It had been a lucky incident.
The Commander and Stella arrived together. Soldiers and police officers parted instinctively, creating a clear path for them.
A police officer approached and delivered his report. The area was secured. No injured civilians. The street, however, needed to be cleared quickly to resume transport. He saluted and stepped away.
The Commander sighed, rubbing his forehead. He glanced at the wreckage. "Let's get this cleaned up and move on."
"Aw, come on," Stella said lightly, stepping closer. "Don't be so gloomy. At least I get to spend some time with a hunk like you, Commander~"
He let out a short laugh. Thanks for the compliment. But let's stay focused."
"Always so cold to me…" she muttered, then raised her voice. "How about you return to your post? I'll handle things here."
He looked at her, surprised. "You sure?"
"Yeah. I've got nothing urgent anyway. It'll be dealt with by the end of the day."
"Thanks, Stella. I owe you."
"No problem," she said. Her smile lingered a moment too long.
She turned away and began issuing commands, her voice sharp and efficient.
***
By noon, the guards temporarily abandoned their post to eat.
The meteor remained where it had fallen—silent. Just a jagged mass of stone.
A young girl approached.
Filian stopped a few steps away, tilting her head as she stared up at the rock, nearly as tall as she was.
"Woah… a real meteor." Her eyes sparkled. "That's so cool!"
She glanced around. No soldiers. No adults. Just quiet streets and fluttering tape.
Before she could reconsider, she hopped over the barricade.
The meteor felt cold beneath her fingers. Too cold. As she brushed away loose stone, something darker caught her eye—a smooth, metallic, black surface hidden beneath the fractured rock.
Curious, she touched it.
"Ah!"
She jerked her hand back. Blood welled from a thin cut on her finger. She immediately sucked on it, barely noticing a bump in the road as she stumbled backwards.
Her foot slipped.
She fell hard.
Thump.
"Ouch…"
When she pushed herself up, her palms sank into something slick—slimy, gooey.
She froze.
A black, oily substance coated the ground beneath her.
"Ew!"
She scrambled to her feet, wiping her hands on her pants.
Talking and laughter echoed somewhere nearby.
Her heart began to race.
Panic flared. She wasn't supposed to be here.
Filian fled, vaulting the barricade and disappearing down the street, back toward school.
When the soldiers returned, they resumed their watch without comment.
One of them frowned. "Hey… you see that? There's some kind of black liquid under the meteor, maybe some kind of oil."
"Probably just junk from the impact," the other shrugged. "Not our problem."
They turned away.
The liquid stirred and rippled, coming to life.
It crept forward, thin and deliberate, slipping into a drainage grate—slithering in the same direction Filian had gone.
***
Life went on.
Despite growing unrest across the world, the Commander felt an unfamiliar peace. Much of it came from time spent with Jeanne and Filian. From shared meals and conversations.
It felt almost like a family.
A warmth he had only started to feel a year ago.
"Hey! Mister! Hellooo? Are you ignoring meeee?"
Filian tugged his sleeve, pouting.
"Oh—sorry," he said. "I was lost in thought."
Jeanne smiled knowingly. "Did someone stay up too late?"
"..."
She sheepishly remarked "Someone didn't get their beauty sleep this time, hmmm?"
"Now that's just unfair, using my teasing against me" he replied grinning.
"Come on!" Filian called, already running ahead. "Church is starting!"
The bells rang. They entered the church.
Sunlight streamed through stained glass, painting the church walls in many sparkling colors. The Commander breathed it in—the peace, the warmth. The Christian faith had always been part of him for as long as he can remember, but here, beside them, it felt deeper— closer than ever.
The organ started to play. Everyone stood up.
He glanced to his left, where Jeanne and Filian were seated.
Jeanne sang softly, her voice steady and warm. Like the warmth of the sun on a cold snowy day. Meanwhile Filian sang loud, off-key and trying her best to keep up with the song.
He smiled.
Is this what happiness feels like?
***
"Good morning, Commander~"
"Morning, Stella."
She handed him a coffee cup. A heart was drawn carefully in the foam.
"I made that myself," she said proudly. "Pretty, right?"
"It's nice," he replied, polite as ever.
As she watched him, he wondered—briefly—why she wanted his attention so badly. He had been observing a lot and came to an understanding that maybe people just misunderstood her.
While people admired Jeanne for her kindness and integrity, they respected Stella for her drive and work ethic. However they kept a safe professional distance from her.
Maybe loneliness wore many faces.
***
One afternoon, Filian appeared at his door, eyes red.
"No one wants to play with me…" she sniffed. "They said something's wrong with me. That there's a monster following me."
His smile faded. He raised his eyebrow.
What could they see as a monster in a lovely girl like her?
He knelt. "Hey. That's nonsense. Come on inside. I've got snacks, that'll cheer you up for sure"
She nodded weakly.
Filian hadn't always been alone. She used to be the social butterfly in school. However, since her parents' passing, she changed. She fell into a deep depression and children noticed things adults pretended not to. She became alienated from her circle of friends, due to her special circumstances and now she can't go back.
One night, she couldn't sleep. She felt cold and lonely. Filian got up and decided to sleep with her big sister.
She wandered into the hallway and heard quiet sobbing. She peeked through the door to her Sister's room.
Her sister sat on the bed, illuminated by the white moonlight, clutching a photo. Tears rolled down her face and fell to the ground.
Filian came to a realization.
She turned away, with a heavy heart, holding in her tears.
I need to be stronger. I can't always rely on big sis like that. She is always there for me when I'm crying. She has enough to carry on her own, I don't want to be a burden anymore.
From that night on, she decided to never cry in front of Jeanne again.
***
March passed peacefully. There were only a few alarming issues, like radical groups vandalizing stores and buildings.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
The Commander began to believe that perhaps after all the struggle, God may have finally granted him peaceful times.
***
On a still night the phone suddenly rang.
The sound of the ringtone broke through the silence of night.
He answered groggily.
Jeanne's voice broke through the line. She sounded distressed. Her voice was shaking and she was sobbing.
"Commander… Filian… is gone."