Archive of Our Own

“Remind me again why we’re escorting this to Belobog again?”

“Orders came from the Supreme Guardian. That’s all you need.”

The silvermane guard exhales dramatically “I was just on another task just last night,”

“Surely she could have given me a day off…”

His witty remark was met with a blow to the gut, knocking the air out of him “Hey! What was that for?”

“Stop being dramatic Kade,” his partner Ivan rebutted, giving him a look of annoyance “You should be grateful that she is giving you another job,”

“if you ended up taking the day off, all you would do is just sit on your lazy ass and sleep on the couch.”

That angers his fellow guard mate “You-!”

“Both of you quiet down,” a low but commanding voice booms out “I will not you two goof off while we are dealing with a job that was entrusted to us.”

Kade instantly goes quiet, covering his mouth as if he said something he shouldn’t have had “Sorry Captain…”

The three of them pressed onward. The crunch of the snow by their boots and the dim lights on the carriage only added to the silent but eerie atmosphere around them.

“This feels wrong,” Kade muttered under his breath, shivering underneath his uniform despite the multiple layers he’s currently wearing

“Are we sure we're heading in the right direction?”

Ivan nodded in agreement “Surely this item isn’t worth having to take a discreet route where we can barely see?”

The Captain sighed, stopping the carriage from moving further “We need to not be seen,”

“Whatever is inside of the carriage, I was told that we cannot lose it in under any circumstances”

Kade frowned in disappointment, “I better get some compensation when we get back.”

“That’s not going to happen if you keep freaking out about every little noise that pierces those super sonic ears of yours.” Ivan mocks.

“Oh come on,” Kade grumbled “Captain are you hearing this?”

Silence.

“Captain, you can take my side you know,” Kade deadpans.

“You don’t have to be so quiet.”

He didn’t answer, the eerie sounds of the surroundings only answered back at him.

Kade stops in his tracks for a moment, hearing no sign of the captain still.

He pauses, walking toward the front of the carriage where the captain was patrolling “Captain, I’m sorry if-“

Ivan hears a blood curdling scream in front of him, he quickly runs forward to the front of the carriage “Kade what the hell are you doing?!”

Ivan goes still. The Captain is on the ground, the snow around him leaking unsettling crimson droplets that were opposite of the fluffy snow they were just walking on. Neither of them moved.

“Captain…” Kade's voice comes out small and quiet, nothing like the brash man who was complaining mere minutes ago.

They were unable to dwell on it further, as another shot was fired, and it found Ivan next.

It happens faster than Kade can process, a quick whizz that barely passes him from behind his ear that makes his heart jump out of rhythm as he watches his mate stagger in front of him.

Ivan can only attempt to reach out a hand to beg for help before his knees give out, falling backwards into the snow.

“Ivan!” Kade lunges forward trying to catch him, his hand holding his back for stability. “Look at me, try to steady your breaths.”

But Ivan won’t look at him, all he can do is watch a tree line, and Kade can only follow his gaze, turning his head around.

Kade's eyes widened.

A figure sits inside that tree, unmoving like it’s always been there. There is a hood covering parts of their face, but Kade is only watching the bow that is already drawn again.

That arrow is aimed for him.

Kade is unsure to run, he doesn't know if his legs would even let him right now, all he can feel is fear holding his comrade in his arms.

The figure’s hood shifts just enough for Kade to notice their eyes catching the dim light from the glisten of the arrow.

It doesn’t look cruel or hungry. It looks almost empty, as if their eyes are worn down from fatigue. It’s a kind of tiredness that cannot be cured with a good night's rest.

It petrifies him how alluring those eyes are.

Kade exhales as he realizes he won’t be able to avoid it. He thinks he should say something: a beg for mercy, an annoying quip, or maybe some “last words” before he is struck.

Just one sentence he thinks.

Nothing comes out.

The arrow is let go.
. . .

The snow keeps falling as the figure steps out from where they have hidden, they stand atop the hill, making sure it's over.

They exhale slightly, watching their breath in front of them become frozen.

They take off the hood.

“…That was much closer than I wanted.”

She rolled her right shoulder as her left hand props it in place. She winces slightly, almost as if she had pulled a muscle too tight.

March 7th props her bow to the strap behind her back, before walking over to investigate the carriage.

She made sure to stay as silent as she could, careful deliberate steps were made to ensure she didn’t make a necessary sound. She is careful to avoid the bodies that are laying on the ground.

She hopes someone can get to them in time.

Her hand grabbed the door handle to open the side door, finding the crate that was inside the escort. She gently hovers her hand on top for a moment before she touches the box

A faint hum reacts inside the box. She reaches her hand back.

“…Thought so,” she mumbles to herself.

“Found you.”

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“And that’s what happened last night."

Bronya sighed, leaning back into her chair before standing up to meet with her guests eye to eye.

Across from the desk Stelle nodded, crossing her arms, leaning against the wall. Her face displayed an expression unusually focused. Dan Heng stood beside her with the same expression he always carried: unreadable as ever.

Dan Heng was the first to speak up “Was there any casualties?”

“None of them died,” Bronya exclaimed. She said it much more firmly, almost as if she needed to reassure herself. “But the medics were very clear when they told me their condition this morning,”

“If they were out in the cold for even a bit longer, they probably would not have made it through the night.”

Bronya gazed down at the photos displayed on her desk, a bunch of pictures that were taken of the scene when help arrived. Her fist was clutched a bit tighter looking at her men lifeless in the cold.

“This wasn’t a normal ambush.”

Stelle looked at Bronya with a piqued interest in her face. “You don’t think it could have been a group of out-striders trying to raid your men?

Bronya shook her head “If it was just a normal raid, I would think the three of them would acquire more severe wounds than just some arrows,”

“There was no unnecessary violence, or even a drawn out fight.” She said “Whoever that person was, they knew exactly what they were doing.”

Dan Heng mumbled to himself as he took a moment to look at the photos “…And they left before reinforcements could even respond…”

Stelle frowned slightly, “This is way too clean, even for an average person.”

Dan Heng looked up to meet Bronya’s gaze “If I may ask, what was inside of that escort?”

Bronya stood still, sighing as she was still distraught at what was lost “It was an artifact that was found in one of the ruins not that far from Belobog.” Her voice tightened a bit “It was going to be held temporarily before I transferred it into the hands of the Garden of Recollection,”

“…I really can’t afford to lose it.”

Dan Heng nodded to Bronya’s answers, his gaze shifted back to the photos.

He notices the fluffy snow, disturbed ground, and Kade who fell last during the ambush. An arrow had punctured his right shoulder.

Dan Heng took a good look at his shoulder, it must have hurt a lot if he ended up passing out not much after the shot had been taken.

He stopped for a moment, noticing something strange. Kade’s wound looked like it was completely encased in ice.

It looked very clean, with a frost trail across the arm like something that spread from the arrow itself.

His breath hitched complete for just a second, eyes wide

That ice, it looked a little familiar.
. . .

No. It couldn’t be.

His expression shifted back into a neutral gaze.

It couldn’t be her.

“…Dan Heng? Were you even listening to what I was saying?”

His heart jumped a beat, his mind instantly coming back into reality. He looked to his right and found Stelle, who looked very annoyed that he was ignoring her.

Stelle spoke out to him “Anything you wanted to add?”

Dan Heng nodded, refocusing to the task at hand “They avoided lethal strikes,”

“Consistent targeting, and they didn’t hit any vital points. Efficient at the job at hand.”

Bronya noted what he said “It’s the one thing each report had in common.”

A silent knock cut through the room's atmosphere before more could be said.

Bronya gazed towards the door “Come in.”

2 guards stepped in as the door opened, followed by another person behind them.

It was Kade.

Dan Heng saw that he looked better than yesterday, but only barely. His movements looked completely stiff, and his shoulder had been wrapped in bandages with a sling to support the weight of his arm.

“Guardsmen Kade,” Bronya greeted, her tone soft “Did your doctors discharge you yet?"

He gave out a strained huff “No, but with all due respect Supreme guardian, I figured I should tell you what I saw before I was struck."

“Go ahead." Bronya said.

Kade stepped forward in front of his two escorts, his gaze set briefly to Stelle and Bronya before ultimately stopping at Dan Heng.

“… I saw a flash of the perpetrator before I passed out.” He hesitated slightly before continuing “Not clearly. They were covered with some kind of cloak. Brown maybe… It was definitely worn out.”

He paused, “But their eyes were almost impossible to miss. It looked bright but weary, It was one of the most unique thing I’ve seen in a long time”

Dan Heng spoke out “Did you recall what color they looked like?”

Kade thought long and hard, exclaiming “Pink..? Or Blue. Maybe it was even both,”

“The cold was really messing with my vision.”

Something in Dan Heng's chest tightened.

There was no certainty in what the guardsmen had said, and he wasn’t even sure if what he recalled was truthful. But it gave him a little hope, a possibility.

Maybe it was her.

Stelle glanced sideways at him for a moment, she’d notice the shift in his demeanor but she didn’t call him out. She was thinking the same thing as well.

Bronya exhaled quietly “Thank you Kade, you are excused.”

Kade nodded to his Supreme Guardian, motioning to his escorts before they walked out of the room. The door closed behind them with a soft click.

Silence lingered in the room, nobody unsure to chime in with the inevitable thought that it could be the missing Astral Express member. Especially to Dan Heng, who wasn’t even sure if she was even relatively close to their location.

But with the tension in the room unbearable to breathe in, Stelle spoke up.

“… I don’t think it’s March.”

Her voice was lower than usual. Not that she was trying to defend herself, but that she was uncertain about what came out of her mouth.

Dan Heng couldn’t answer immediately.

Silence followed, Stelle trying to form her thoughts “She wouldn’t do that.” She added.

“…At least not the March we know.”

Dan Heng looked at the photos again, noting the icy shoulder once again.

“…No.” He said finally. “You’re right, she wouldn’t.”

But the words didn’t land as he wanted them too.

Bronya straightened herself, returning to the present. “Regardless of who it was, I need the artifact back,”

“We still have a chance to find them if they are still in the area.”

Stelle uncrossed her arms, pushing herself off the wall. “Then let’s not wait.”

Dan Heng nodded once “Agreed.”

Bronya looked between them “I can provide you with anything that might give a hint to where they are”

Dan Heng looked at Stelle. “We should split up and cover more ground, We don’t know how much time we have.”

Stelle nodded with eagerness, ready to help out with Bronya’s request “I’ll go check where they could have run off too.”

He met her gaze for a brief second, nodding “I’ll head to the ambush site,”

“There might be something we missed with the photos.”

Bronya looked at the both of them, affirming their choices “Be careful please.”

Dan Heng was already turned towards the door, already on the move.

Just before he left, his gaze flickered briefly, back to the frozen photo still sitting on Bronya’s desk.

He stood still, unable to make up his mind.
. . .

He strutted out, shutting the door behind him and kept walking.

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The cold wind cut Dan Heng the farther he moved away from the city of Belobog.

The snow stretched almost endlessly ahead. It was pale and untouched in most places, and uneven in areas where patrols had passed through countless times.

The cold didn’t just affect the temperature, it was quiet and suffocating, settling into his lungs as he tried to warm his body up.

A Silvermane guard followed him for a short distance, making sure to survey the area behind them as they continued up ahead.

“Apologies,” he called out, adjusting his grip on his gun. “There are more men on the way to help investigate, but a section of the lower pass collapsed about 20 minutes ago.”

“They will have to reroute.”

Dan Heng gave him a slight nod without turning, he raised his arm to block the wind from hitting his eyes more than they already endured. “Understood.”

Jarilo VI’s horizon opened slowly as they slowly made their way up a hill, the terrain flattening as they were getting near the top.

Dan Heng couldn’t help but reminisce for a moment, it wasn’t the first time he’s been here before.

This was one of the first planet’s the express made a pit stop to when Stelle was just starting out as a member. Back when his only worry was to make sure that this new companion didn’t dig through the trash like a raccoon.
. . .

Back when she was right there beside him, helping him show Stelle the ins and outs.

A memory flashed through his mind.

March’s voice.

It was bright and unfiltered, cutting through the cold like it didn’t belong there.

“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”

“March…Why didn’t we land a little bit closer?” Stelle spoke out “It’s so cold out here.”

Dan Heng turned towards his light pink companion “…Do you want to mention the time we smashed a hole through Taikiyan Stadium together, or shall I?”

March sighed and gave Dan Heng an embarrassing look “…Please stop bringing that up.” She turned towards Stelle “Let’s just say landings near crowds don’t mix well.”

“Unless you enjoy trailblazing through two weeks of community service Stelle.” Dan Heng quipped, almost cracking a smile as a memory of March trying to learn how to broom broken glass replayed in his mind.

March lightly punched Dan Heng’s Shoulder “I said drop it!"

Silence followed before Stelle snorted a giggle, and it wasn’t long before March joined in on the laughter.

Dan Heng knows that chuckle all too well. So infectious he swore that if he was near it for too long he would start to go insane.
. . .

He hasn’t heard her laugh in a long time.

The wind howled loudly, dragging him back into reality. Dan Heng exhaled, slowed and controlled as temperature only got colder.

Life wasn't like that anymore, he wasn’t ready for how quickly his life changed the day she disappeared.

The night they realized she was missing from her room wasn’t very loud, it was just that the Astral Express suddenly felt too empty.

Himeko had checked every log in the archives twice, her composure thinning as her aspirations dwindled down on her mind, unable to find anything. Welt looked around the train cars hoping for any sign of what happened to her. Stelle had searched through every room like she expected March to be hiding, like it was some kind of sick joke she hoped she didn’t understand.

And him.

He didn’t say much that night, there hadn’t been much for him to speak on that wasn’t already said.

But he remembers staying awake much longer than the others.

He sat alone in the Archive room, staring at the window that led to the galaxy outside. He remembers replaying the last conversation he had with her as they finished up their trip during Amphoreus.

Surely there was a sign from her in that conversation that told him she was going to leave.
. . .

There had to be a sign.

“…Sir?”

The guardsmen's voice pulled him back to reality once again.

“We’re approaching the site, please be wary.”

Dan Heng nodded once. “Stay back and wait for the other men to come back from their new route,”

“I’ll move ahead."

The guard hesitated but complied, he turned around and walked to start securing a border.

Dan Heng approached the carriage with caution as it came into view, now half buried under a thin layer of snow from the night before as his gaze swept over the scene.

The damage matched the reports he read earlier before coming over here, and the blood that was mixed in the snow was still visible, just a little lighter in color as it settled.

He noticed a crate outside of the carriage, the top had been completely torn off. He crouched slightly, taking a look at the weird flow of energy residue still inside.

It was faint, but it was there.

“…You didn’t stay very long.” He murmured under his breath.

Then the wind blew hard, he took a bit of cover from the carriage before the breeze settled.

Something caught his eye not far from where he was standing.

Footprints.

They must have been uncovered when the snow blew off the ground a little. They looked pretty fresh, and the imprints are much different than the bottom of a guard’s boot.

His gut tells him to follow it, so he did.

The path curved slightly as he weaved through the terrain, it was taking him away from the main road, and he could no longer hear the guard that originally followed him as his senses were overtaken by the harsh wind and the sound of his boots crunching the snow.

As he finally approached the end of the path, the landscape had already changed: Broken Structures, and frozen remains half buried in the snow.

Recognition settled in slowly as he realized this was the battlefield where he and his teammates took down Bronya’s mother: the day everything shifted in Belobog.

He took a look around, everything still looked the same, just maybe a bit more worn down.

But it was clear to him that no one was here.

He sighed to himself, and started to make his way back to the carriage.

But when he heard a rustle in an area behind him, he turned around instantly.

He can see something.

No, not something, someone.

They’re sitting partially away, draped in a worn brown cloak that blended almost seamlessly with the muted tones of the environment. They look to be snacking on a ration of some sort.

Dan Heng could only grip his pole arm tightly, alarmed with the thought that he wasn’t alone.

He sneaked forward quietly, trying not to alert them until he closed the gap.

Once he did, his voice cut cleanly through the air.

“Stop what you’re doing and put your hands up where I can see them.”

He leaned slightly into a battle stance, ready to fight if need be.

The figure got stiff immediately, realizing they had been caught.

Dan Heng only got closer. “I won’t ask again.”

They slowly got up from their seats, dropping their ration on the ground as they slowly began to raise their hands up.

For a moment, Dan Heng thought this could be the easiest arrest ever.

But only a fool could end up believing that.

The figure turned to the left sharply, fleeing before they lost their chance.

They were almost way too fast for him to process.

Dan Heng reacted, closing the distance in a couple of steps. His hand shot forward, catching their wrist just in time before the gap between them could get bigger

“Wait-!”

Their momentum shifted wrong, and his footing slipped against the snow. Suddenly both of them were falling, right until Dan Heng’s back hit the cold ground.

The impact of the fall hit him hard, the snow biting through the layers of his clothes as they melted into his clothes, the force knocking the breath from his lungs.

For a moment, he couldn’t even think.
. . .

Dan Heng opened his eyes slowly.

The weight on top of him registered first in his brain.

Then warmth; It was faint, but he knows it’s there.

He managed to look up from his position, seeing strands of short pink hair spill forward, brushing against his shoulder and parts of his face. Some of it caught faintly by the sun that was starting to set down.

His breath caught instantly as he registered who it was.

Above him her weary eyes stared at him back, flickering between the recognition and the disbelief. Her chest rose unevenly, and suddenly her breath felt shallow.

For a split second, neither of them dared to move from their tangled position.

It was only until her expression shifted into a soft astonishment that she dared to croak out “…Dan Heng?”

He almost forgot to take in another inhale. “…March?”

It came out much quieter than he wanted it to be, like saying it too firmly would break the tension between them.

Her expression didn’t soften, if anything it was only tightened. “…You’re…here?”

A whole year since they last exchanged words, yet here she is, pressed incredibly close, with the space between them charged with all the emotions of that fateful night.

…Too close, she thinks.

March pressed her hand against the snow near his shoulder to steady herself, then pivoted as she shifted herself upward to give space.

“…Not right now.” She muttered under her breath. It wasn’t harsh nor distant.

Dan Heng exhaled as he pushed himself up slightly, not breaking eye contact.

“I thought you disappeared.”

He wasn’t trying to accuse her, he was just stating an unfortunate fact.

Her jaw tensed. “I didn’t-“

March stopped herself, it wasn't the time for a talk with him. She can feel the tension between them lingering too long, and she’s getting anxious.

She feels that if she didn’t leave now, she would be forced to have a conversation with him that she frankly did not want to engage in right now.

She took a deep breath. “Listen Dan Heng, I-“

-crack!-

Her instinct took over.

March closed the gap between them. Not slowly or hesitantly, but all at once, dropping onto him as a gunshot tore through the space where her head had just been.

…too familiar she thinks, almost an embrace.

Dan Heng's breath hitched as a flock of her hair covered a part of his face.

…too much he thinks, he's suffocating.

March got up immediately, drawing her bow as she rose onto her feet. Dan Heng followed.

By the time he rose to his feet, tons of Silvermane Guards had arrived.

“Sir!” one called out, stepping forward. His attention snapped past Dan Heng, locking onto March and her brown cloak. His expression shifted in an instant. “It's her!”

Weapons were raised, and all eyes were locked onto her.

Dan Heng moved without thinking, stepping forward into the space between the guards and his old companion. “Wait she’s not-“

“Ma’am,” a gunman cut in sharply, voice firm. “You are under arrest for the attack on a Belobogian convoy last night,”

“Do not resist.”

Dan Heng glanced behind him, she didn’t lower her bow. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes told you otherwise.

Dan Heng’s grip tightened on his pole arm. “Let me explain to the Supreme Guardian, we don’t need to do anything rash."

“We have our orders.” one of the guards replied. “Unless the Supreme Guardian herself revokes them, we will have to carry them out.”

Dan Heng stood there motionless, his thoughts searching for a way to defuse the tension. But in the corner of his eye, a faint movement from behind broke his focus.

He caught it just barely. March lowered her bow, stepping back.

She was going to run.

For some reason, it left a gut wrenching feeling down his throat.

The same feeling as that night before, he feels that she’s going to leave him a second time.

It got caught in his breath, the weight of the moment pressed down until he couldn’t gasp for air.

If she ran right now, that would be it. No answers for him, and no understanding of what happened to her.

He doesn’t think he can bear it a second time.
. . .

Something in that chest settled. Clarity, he thinks.

His spear lifted up, and it wasn’t towards her. It was towards them.

“...Sir?” his guardsmen called out, voice uncertain.

Dan Heng’s eyes met March’s, confusion flickered across her face “What are you doing?”

“...If I help you,” he said quietly, “Will you give me the answers I want?”

March pauses from his question, her gaze dropped to her bow, letting thoughts plague her mind. Could she trust the one person she held close to with the weight she carried?

…She thinks she can.

Her eyes lifted up, sharp and steady. “Only if I survive whatever mess you intend to drag me through.”

Even in that direct tone, Dan Heng felt a feeling of playfulness in her voice, though restrained beneath her serious demeanor.

March raised her bow up, directing her line of fire at a guardsmen, simply falling back into a fighting position rather than one to flee.

Some hesitate. “…What should we do?” But some didn't. “Doesn’t matter, we take them both down.”

That was enough for March to let go of her arrow, piercing one man which started a clash for the ages.

Dan Heng stepped in cleanly, intercepting a strike with a sharp deflection of his pole arm before pivoting to throw the guard off balance without over committing.

March was right behind him, ready to support him if needed.

Dan Heng continued to make chaos on the front line, striking them with redirected force that took them down one by one.

She handled the rest.

She quickly flowed through the openings he created like she’d been doing it all along. She was light on her feet, and it was clear to the guardsmen that she was impossible to pin down.

Arrows formed by her Six Phased Ice were released in sharp, unpredictable bursts. She made sure not to injure them too greatly, but she didn’t hesitate to cut off their advances.

Every movement was efficient, when a guard swung at her head, she ducked and drove an arrow into his shoulder at point blank before he could recover.

Another came in low, but Dan Heng intercepted, knocking the strike wide.

Their rhythm clicked into place like no time had passed, Like they were still just Astral Express members fighting through stellar disasters like the old days.

But there was a difference, and Dan Heng noticed it as he watched her fight.

She was faster, sharper, with each motion she did carrying a quiet weight of experience that hadn’t been there before.

A year of fighting alone, and it showed through each action.

But she wasn’t perfect. She had failed to register that a guard with a heavier axe was rushing towards her.

He came in through her blind side, and he tackled her down into the snow with brute force as the impact knocked the breath from her chest. The guardsmen threw his axe down in one huge motion.

She didn’t waste a second of time, propping up her bow just in time before a blow could be registered.

The blade of the axe slammed into her bow hard, a sharp crack breaking out in their collision as the force drove down through her arms and into her shoulders. For a moment they were at a deadlock, his strength pressing down while her brawn was attempting to hold her bow up.

But she felt that her bow was not up for the challenge, she could feel it starting to crack down from the pressure. It wasn’t about to break, but it was certainly getting there.

Her breath hitched once, not in panic but in recognition: It’s not built to hold up this axe for much longer.

She turned her head to the right for a moment, before snapping her neck back as she started to shift her weight. Her wrists twisted, angling the pressure of the axe just enough to let the force fall off center so her knee could drive up hard into his side, disrupting his balance.

She took her chance, shoving him off and rolling cleanly from underneath him as she pushed herself up in one fluid motion.

She took a moment to inspect her bow, realizing a thin fracture ran along the outskirts of the base. It was unusable now.

March exhaled through her mouth “Just great.”

She dropped her bow into the snow, and set her gaze to the ground looking for any potential object as a weapon
. . .

A sword, half buried in the snow.

She ran towards it as another man chased her. She closed her fingers around the hilt and brought it to her neck in the same motion, intercepting the strike as a fight of steel commenced.

The awkward shift was immediate: different fighting stance, was definitely lighter than her bow.

But it was not unfamiliar in her hands.

She adjusted her footing, before striking the guardsmen's own sword. She pivoted sharply to the right with her arms, sliding the moment instead of meeting the force head on, allowing her to sweep his legs clean out from underneath him. She watched him hit the ground hard.

March exhaled as she stepped back, looking at the sword in her hands.

Yanqing, Yunli.

“…Thanks.” She mumbled to herself.

Her free hand moved instinctively to her pocket to check for the artifact.

Her fingers met with nothing, her composure cracked as she slightly panicked. Her head snapped downward, scanning the area around her fast.

It ended up in the snow just a few feet away.

Her chest tightened, already moving towards it.

A gunman aimed his shot at her while she was distracted, ready to let go of the trigger.

But Dan Heng stepped in, cutting off his advance with a clean sweep of his spear, knocking him back by meters.

March closed the distance between her and the artifact, dropping low to snatch it back into her hands. She tucked it back, making sure to secure it tightly.

March looked around her, the remaining guards looked to be faltering.

“This isn’t working,” one muttered.

Another spoke up, loudly, “We need to fall back.”

They all looked reluctant, but agreed to retreat, disappearing gradually into the white banks below.

Silence returned to the battlefield.

March stood still, shoulders rising once, catching her breath. She looked down at her waist, noticing that faint flow that still shined though the relic. Thankfully she still has it, so she can relax a little.

Dan Heng lowered his spear, his eyes looked at March as if he was waiting for her.

March looked back at him, her gaze lingered at his eyes, she saw his hardened resolve. She sheepishly looked down at her boots.

Neither of them spoke, with both of their hair blowing in chaos as the wind moved between them.

Despite standing only a few steps apart, it felt like an entire year was between them.

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March exhaled hard.

The tension from her body drained all at once, leaving her feeling like a complete dead weight. She staggered a couple steps backwards before her back hit the cracked stone wall behind her, sliding all the way down until she was sitting.

She let one arm rest loosely over her knee.

“…tch.”

She didn’t really feel any pain. Just exhaustion. Her head dripped forward slightly as she steadied her breathing.

Dan Heng stood there, taking her entire appearance in for the first time.

He saw the ragged cloak, its edges frayed like they could fall apart at any minute. The small cuts that ran across her hands and legs, the kind that don’t come from a single fight. The way her shoulders carried fatigue beneath her clothing.

He didn’t know what to do, or what to say.

He walked forward, lowering himself to sit beside her, close enough for her to register that he was there, but leaving enough space for distance if she wanted it.

“…You look terrible,” he said finally.

He didn’t want it to be an insult, it was just an observation.

March huffed faintly, her breath catching into something that could have been a laugh. “Wow. Missed you too.”

Dan Heng looked at her with sincerity. “You know I didn’t mean that.”

March paused, taking a moment to look at him in his entirety. “You don’t look any different.”

He couldn’t respond to that. Instead he looked forward, looking at the battlefield they just fought in.

“…Why?”

His words came low.

A feeling in March’s stomach sank, just because it was Dan Heng it didn’t make this talk any easier.

On the contrary it only made the conversation harder.

She took a deep breath in her nose.

“…Amphoreus,” she finally said, her voice tight.

The word hung between them.

“You remember what happened there,” she continued, quieter now. “You know…,”

“Evernight…waking up.”

Dan Heng's vision shifted to look at her “You said you understood it.”

“I did.” She spoke up. “Well I mean, kind of.”

March leaned her head back against the wall, staring up at the sky they both shared. “I talked to Black Swan after we defeated Irontomb. It was a deep conversation.”

March stayed silent for a moment, then she softly uttered “The Garden of Recollection.”

Dan Heng's gaze didn’t waver.

She continued “They’re not just interested in Evernight, they need her. Or want her gone, I don’t know what’s worse.”

“But either way…” her voice croaked out, her aching bones settling in her train of thought. “I was told they were coming to erase me if needed.”

The wind picked up faintly. If it wasn’t for how loud the breeze howled, March would have heard Dan Heng tightening his fist until his knuckles went white.

Dan Heng sat up straight “…That’s what she told you?”

March nodded. “Yeah.”

His brow furrowed slightly. “Isn’t Black Swan part of the Garden? Why would she tell you this?”

March blinked, a little confused by his inquiry “Help me?”

“Yeah,” Dan Heng said, “Why wouldn’t she just tell them where you were?”

March thought about it for a moment “…I don’t know. Maybe pity?” Her voice felt incredulous, like the idea hadn’t occurred to her before. “I think after the way Amphoreus went for us… I doubt she was trying to be strategic,”

“She just… didn’t want to see it happen.”

March looked at Dan Heng for any input, but kept his gaze at her eyes. She faltered slightly, going back to stare at the stars above them.

“I was thinking about what she said that night,” she added, she was much quieter now. “Couldn’t sleep. Just kept thinking about that talk.”

Her fingers curled slightly. “I thought about it. If I stayed…the Express would ended up being dragged into the mess with me,”

“Himeko…Mr Yang…Stelle…"

A breath caught in her throat.

“…You.”

That one landed softer. “I didn’t want that to happen.”

Dan Heng spoke up “…So you left.”

An answer he assumed, but still none the less didn’t want it to be true.

March nodded once. “In the middle of the night,” she admitted sheepishly. “Before I could change my mind.”

She gave out a faint, humorous exhale “Figured if I hesitated, I wouldn’t end up going through with it.”

Dan Heng broke his eye contact, his gaze settled on the snow between his boots.

For a year, this was all he wanted out of her, but now having her explain this, he wished that he didn’t ask for answers.

“You could have told us,” he said. He wasn’t accusing her, and it certainly wasn’t gentle to her ears, it was just a fact.

March flinched slightly. “Yeah,"

“…I know.”

Silence stretched between her words. “I needed answers,” she muttered. “I couldn’t stop at Evernight, I wanted to know about who we were.”

Dan Heng gave her a grim expression, but nodded “And the rest of the year?”

“…What have you been doing?”

March swallowed hard, she went to rest both arms on her knees, cupping her face in her hands, staring out at the distance in front of them like it would tell her for him “…anything really,”

“Running, reading, traveling, going into hiding, learning…” she rattled on “Avoiding trouble when I could, sometimes I was causing more trouble instead.” She sheepishly admitted.

“I really was mostly just hunting down any fragments or rumors that might lead to a clue.” Her voice was distant, softer as she still rambled “…sometimes I felt lonely, but it was all necessary.”

Dan Heng felt a pit in his stomach, his eyes flickering to her pockets. “…was that artifact something you were looking for?”

March nodded. “I heard that Bronya was handing it over to the Garden.” Her jaw tightened. “Even if it’s nothing… I can’t risk it."

A long pause stretched between them. Without anything else March could input in, an awkward silence filled the space, both unsure on what to say or do next.

Dan Heng thought long hard for a moment, before he let his shoulders relaxed “…That night when you left,”

March lifted her gaze, reading his face. His eyes flickering with restraint, tension, and a quiet weight that made her stomach harden in knots.

“When we woke up that morning and realized you had disappeared…” he spoke, his voice was low but kept steady. “…everyone panicked,”

“We were trying to figure out if you were in danger, if someone had even taken you…”

He stopped a moment, trying to form his perception before going on “…I didn’t know what to do either. I stayed calm, but…” tension formed in his jaw. “…I think inside, I was just as lost as the rest of them.”

Dan Heng softly admitted “I was panicking too,”

“…I was worried for you.”

He didn’t look back “…I was upset when you left us March.”

March’s fingers gripped her sleeve tight.

“…Yeah.”

March croaked out after a long pause “…I'm sorry.”

Her words were so quiet, Dan Heng could barely make out what she said.

She rubbed the back of her neck, eyes dropping in what felt like shame “I’m sorry for leaving the Express,” she muttered, hesitant to continue “And I’m really..."

She took a breath in with her mouth.

“I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you, Dan Heng.”

Her gentle words lingered much longer than he wanted them too.

“I would have gone with you,” he said.

She lifted her gaze, her weary eyes tracing the quiet steadiness of his face. There was no embellishment, only the simple yet unwavering truth of his voice.

“I know,” she said softly.

A small pause. "...That's why I didn't."

Dan Heng went still, before exhaling softly “Read me like a book.”

March’s gaze lowered, and Dan Heng stared at the sky that was now dark. The cold air screeched out for attention, but nothing broke the tension between them.

March scratched her cheek, letting her hand rest on her knee as she shifted her awkward composure.

She admitted sheepishly, “Just because I haven’t seen you in a year doesn’t mean I still don’t know everything about you.”

A weary, almost amused laugh slipped past her lips.

Dan Heng exhaled greatly, he couldn’t help himself but contain a small smile from the corner of his lips.

His favorite laugh, it didn’t sound exactly right, it felt a little broken from how tired March sounded.

But god did it feel achingly familiar.

“You’ve been gone for an entire year,” Dan Heng softly confessed. “…Still managed to make me care about you even more.”

March tried to look away from his gaze, but she couldn’t help hide the small smile that was displayed on her face.

The wind shifted slightly, and March let out a yawn. She felt that it's been a while since she had time to relax without fear of the unknown.

March tilted her head against the wall, just enough to rest on Dan Heng’s shoulder.

It might have been too greedy of her, but she knows he wouldn’t mind.

He stiffened at the sudden load on his shoulder, but slowly relaxed as he felt the familiar weight of his trusted companion

For a second, a thought resurfaced: maybe they could start again, he could pretend the past year never even started.

But his hope vanished as the crunch of approaching footsteps took him back to reality.

March’s head shot up, her body tensing as old instincts snapped back into place.

“…I have to go.” She said, pushing herself off the wall, an intention to leave now.

Dan Heng stood as well. “You’re leaving again.” It was not a question.

March shared eye contact with him, she could see a hint of sorrow within his expression. “I can’t just come back,” she said quietly. “At least not yet, I need to finish what I started.”

Dan Heng kept his eyes on her “…And after that?”

March hesitated. “…I don’t know.”

Dan Heng nodded “I understand.” Although he wasn’t ready to see her go.

March gave him a sheepish grin, scratching her face with her finger. “Can you tell Bronya I’m sorry?”

Dan Heng gave her an apologetic look, he already knew what that conversation was going to be like. “No guarantees if she accepts it.”

March gave him a guilty smile. She looks around her body, making sure she has all of her belongings before putting her hood from her robe back up.

Dan Heng softly speaks out “…Im rooting for you,” he forces himself to keep his composure.

“I’m here for you if you need anything.”

Something in March’s chest tightened, it felt warm and unsteady.

She met his gaze, a strange but fluttering warmth stirred inside her.

…It was the wasn't the time to be thinking like this.

“Then don’t fall behind,” she softly spoke back. “I’d hate to outgrow you.”

It felt like a faint echo of her old tone. “I’ll see you around, Dan Heng."

She stepped back into the banks of the snow around them one by one until she was gone, leaving him all alone once again.

He mumbled to himself. “Just like that...”

Dan Heng stood for a moment, before exhaling and turning around. His gaze dropped, something caught his attention.

A small piece of fabric, caught in the snow.

He stepped forward, crouching slightly as he picked it up. It was a part of March’s skirt.

He assumes that it must have ripped off in the fight earlier.

Something on the fabric caught his attention, and his breath stilled.

Her Astral Express insignia.

His grip tightened as he brushed the snow off it, the symbol glistening faintly in the poor light around him. Something in his chest twisted.

It felt like a reminder that her path is now strayed from his, no longer will they be alongside each other for the foreseeable future.

The footsteps finally caught up.

“Wow, you really ran off,” Stelle’s voice cut in, trying to stay casual but it was clear she was out of breath. “I checked three different routes and-“ She paused, glancing around at the guardsmen that were on the floor. “Uh…what happened here?”

Dan Heng didn’t answer immediately. His gaze stayed on the insignia for a moment longer before he carefully put it in his pocket.

“It’s a long story, help me carry these guards down the hill and I'll explain on the way down,"

"...also be prepared for Bronya to be upset at the both of us.”