The morning light in Base 105 was artificial, but for Akira, it felt heavy. He stirred as he felt a small, persistent weight shifting against him. Rin was restless, her small hands playfully disturbing his sleep as she poked at his cheek. When he finally forced his eyes open, he was met with her mischievous, wide-eyed gaze.
"Jezz, Rin... lemme sleep," Akira groaned, his voice thick with exhaustion. He gently scooped her up, lifting her like a small child, though the weight of her history always lingered in the back of his mind.
Rin didn't look bothered. She flashed him a cute, defiant expression. "Come on, sleepyhead. Wake up!"
Akira sighed, a small smile tugging at his lips. He stood up and set her back down on the edge of the bed. He stared at her for a moment—she looked so small, so fragile, yet he knew the truth of her power. Before heading to the bathroom, a thought that had been nagging at him finally slipped out.
"So, Rin... I've been meaning to ask. How old are you, really?"
Rin followed him to the door, her footsteps silent. "Two hundred years old," she replied casually.
Akira froze, his hand on the doorknob. He looked back at her, then at her height. *Two hundred? Damn... she's still so short,* he thought, suppressed a chuckle as he reached for his toothbrush.
"Well, 'Grandma,' let's get you cleaned up," he teased, squeezing paste onto his brush.
He moved to the bathtub, twisting the heavy metallic taps. The sound of rushing water filled the cramped quarters. While he waited for the tub to fill, he returned to the sink to finish brushing. Rin leaned against the doorway, her expression turning uncharacteristically thoughtful.
"Akira... what do you want us to do? You know, after all of this is finally over?"
Akira paused, his hand on his chin as if weighing the fate of the world against a simple dream. "Nothing much, actually," he said softly. "I just want us to keep living. Just like this. You and me."
A soft smile broke across Rin's face. Without a word, she shed her clothes and slipped into the steaming water of the tub. Akira, suddenly realizing the water was likely overflowing, scrambled toward the bath. "Jezz, I forgot!"
Rin's laughter echoed off the tiled walls, followed by a playful splash of water that caught him right in the face.
A few minutes later, the two emerged from the room, dressed in matching, coordinated outfits—a rare moment of normalcy in a world falling apart.
***
In the Lab
The atmosphere in the laboratory was thick with the hum of servers and the sterile scent of ozone. Annie had been awake for hours, her eyes bloodshot but focused. She was deep into the schematics of her latest project—a breakthrough in energy-amplification technology designed to boost both Spiritual and Demonic energy.
She leaned back in her office chair, her lab coat draped over her shoulders like a cape. Her gaze drifted to the containment unit where Jane lay. Jane's body was a silhouette of shifting shadows and flickering light.
*Her energy signature is spiking again,* Annie thought, a mix of pride and fear swirling in her chest. *The evolution is accelerating.*
A sharp *knock-knock* startled her. Annie stood up to answer the heavy reinforced door. When she saw who was standing there, a genuine smile broke through her fatigue.
"Nova."
Annie turned back toward her desk, her tone playful. "Missing me already?"
Nova walked in, her presence commanding even in a casual stride. She didn't look at the monitors; her eyes went straight to Jane. "Of course. Tell me, has Jane shown any... strange behavior?"
Annie sat back down, curious. "Like what?"
"Like waking up with her eyes sealed shut, emitting raw energy while she sleeps," Nova replied, her voice dropping to a low, serious tone as she approached Jane's pod.
"Is she supposed to do that?" Annie asked, her scientific mind already racing.
"It happens to those whose souls are new to the forge of evolution," Nova said, her gaze never wavering from the sleeping warrior.
"I would've called it sleepwalking," Annie muttered, "but since she hasn't started glowing like a sun yet, I'd say no, she's been quiet."
Nova turned back to Annie, a small, knowing smirk on her lips. "Anyway, enough with the wires and screens. Come outside. Let's train. You never know when you'll need to hold your own."
Annie stood up and stretched her aching limbs, a confident spark in her eyes. "Hey, I'm a pretty good fighter, you know."
Nova chuckled, the sound echoing with a hint of celestial power. "Well, we'll find out today. Meet me on the surface, outside the base. Your sister is already waiting."
Nova turned and vanished through the doorway, leaving Annie to scramble for her combat gear.
***
### The Surface
A few minutes later, Annie locked the lab doors and headed for the lift. As she turned the corner, she nearly collided with Akira and Rin. She jumped back, her heart racing.
"Damn! What are you two doing lurking here?"
Rin looked up, her voice tiny but cool. "We came to see you about the Commander's meeting."
Annie shook her head, keeping her pace toward the surface. Akira and Rin trailed behind her like shadows. "Come on, that was yesterday. And besides, you're supposed to meet Lyla for that, not me."
"Yeah, we know," Akira said, his hands in his pockets. "But we couldn't find Lyla or Caspian anywhere."
Annie paused as she reached the heavy blast doors leading to the surface. "Oh, right. Sorry. They're already up top." She added with a grin, "Probably trying not to kill each other in training."
The doors hissed open, and for the first time in days, the trio stepped out into the open air. The scent of salt and dry earth hit them—a stark contrast to the recycled air of the base.
*BOOM!*
A massive explosion rocked the ground, sending a shockwave through Annie's boots. In the distance, a crater was smoking. Lyla and Caspian were in the middle of a high-speed spar, their movements blurring against the horizon.
Lyla noticed them and walked over, her expression stern. "Annie? What are you doing out here? Go back inside, it's not safe."
"Leave her, Lyla," Nova's voice drifted over from a distance, calm and absolute. She walked toward them, her eyes reflecting the vast sky. "She needs this. You can't always be her shield. You know that."
Lyla bit her lip, the logic stinging but true. She looked at her sister, then at Caspian, who was dusting himself off.
"Fine," Lyla said, her voice hardening into commander mode. "If you want to train, Annie, your first opponent is him." She pointed a sharp finger at Caspian.
Caspian blinked, looking around in confusion. "Wait... me? Seriously?"
Nova didn't wait for an answer. She raised her hand, and the air seemed to crystallize. A sword of pure, shimmering energy manifested in her palm. She tossed it to Lyla, who caught it and handed the hilt to Annie.
"Let's see what you're really made of," Lyla challenged.
To be continued...