Chapter Text
July arrived - a month of long days and short nights. A pleasant evening warmth descended upon the city after a full day of suffocating heat. Long shadows slowly stretched across the streets, veiling the sun as it sank beyond the horizon. In moments like these, you want to think about nothing at all and simply enjoy the breeze along the embankment. People gradually began to emerge from their homes, drawn outside by the gentle, welcoming weather.
Today was the last day of university for the semester, and a long break awaited you until September. It had been almost four months since you returned from the New Eridu Defense Force, having completed your contract. Four months without early wake-ups, without spending entire days in the infirmary; four months without Magus’s ever-present, biting cigarette smoke. You still tried to keep in touch, but your calls were rare, and that weighed on you. More and more often, your thoughts drifted back to the day you left.
Four months ago
The reserve base of the New Eridu Defense Force had become like home to you. The year had passed much faster than you expected. Perhaps your expectations had been wrong from the start… or perhaps - it was all because of her.
One of the most renowned captains, a veteran who had fought and saved lives during the fall of the old capital, now stood in full dress uniform, medals gleaming on her chest, an unfamiliar cap on her head. She held her composure before the crowd of soldiers who, like you, were returning to civilian life. She never cries, because soldiers don’t cry. There was a quiet pride in her gaze as she looked over everyone present, though she tried not to look at you. Colonel Isolde was there as well; she had issued you a special commendation from base command. Though you rarely interacted, she had become a good friend to you too.
When the ceremony ended and everyone began to leave the base, Captain Magus pulled you aside, away from prying eyes. Her green eyes with red pupils seemed to look straight into your soul, filled with everything she could not say aloud. Her hands did not tremble as she took out a cigarette and placed it between her lips - but yours did, holding the lighter. That small ritual you had repeated together hundreds of times suddenly felt different. The tiny flame trembled under the blows of a lifeless wind.
“Looks like we got bad cigarettes this time… they’re bitter,” Magus said quietly, taking a drag and releasing a thin cloud into the gray spring sky.
“You’re right,” you replied, lifting your gaze upward.
Suddenly, she held the cigarette out to you.
“Will you smoke with me?”
“I don’t…” you stopped yourself mid-sentence.
“It’s a soldier’s superstition. Not that I believe in it.”
Silently, you agreed to smoke for the first time in your life, not for yourself, but for someone who mattered to you. When you placed the cigarette between your lips, Magus lit it from her own. She tried to explain how to smoke properly, though none of it really registered. Naturally, you coughed almost immediately, and Magus let out a quiet chuckle.
You stood side by side, watching the slow, unbroken stream of gray clouds drift across the evening sky, while your captain held your hand tightly, unwilling to waste a single moment.
Magus had not wanted to grow attached. And yet, as if fate itself opposed her, she had grown attached - to a gentle medic who cared for her health. She had always known this fragile idyll would not last forever; you would leave, and you might never meet again. She tried to convince herself it was temporary, that she would not suffer.
But she failed.
Her soul ached, because once again she had grown attached to a sandcastle standing at the edge of the tide. Even so, she accepted it with dignity, as a strong soldier must.
“So, this is how it ends, huh?” she asked quietly.
“Yes… I’m sorry, Magus…”
“No regrets, Y/N. Not now.” She removed her cap, tucked it under her arm, and with one hand gently pulled you closer, kissing you softly. In that kiss, she poured everything she felt. “Now go. Your bus will leave without you.”
She put her cap back on and saluted. After a brief hesitation, you returned the salute. And just like that, you went your separate ways, down your strange and different paths.
Only after returning home did, you find a single mint cigarette in your pocket.
Back to the present
You walked down the stairs of your university and stepped outside. After several stuffy classes, breathing in the summer air felt refreshing. As you headed toward the bus stop, you noticed familiar light-green hair and a long black dress.
Colonel Isolde stood in the parking lot beside a black car, wearing sunglasses.
You approached her.
“Hello, Colonel Isolde! I didn’t expect to see you here, what brings you?”
“Hello, Y/N. I came for you. I need your help again. Get in, we’ll give you a ride.”
As you stepped into the car, it felt like entering a vacuum. The interior was dim due to tinted windows, the engine barely made a sound, and the driver, masked, remained silent. Isolde quietly asked to raise the partition between driver and passengers, and the car began to move.
“Sorry for the theatrics, but it’s necessary. Don’t worry, we’re not kidnapping you. I just need your help, and as you can probably guess, it concerns our Magus,” Isolde said with a faint smile that couldn’t quite hide her tension.
“I understand… but why all the secrecy? Did something happen?”
“It’s not that important, but it would be wrong of me not to tell you at least something. I’ve found those responsible for a major tragedy during the fall of the old capital. That’s all I can say, so, that you can’t be considered an accomplice if anything goes wrong. I’m sorry.”
You listened in silence, unsure what to make of it.
“So, I need you to look after Magus during this time, and possibly the entire OBOL squad, if necessary. You’re not busy anyway. Don’t worry, you’ll be compensated.”
Isolde pulled out a suitcase filled with money.
“That would look very suspicious - a student suddenly having this much,” you said cautiously, hesitating to take it.
“Don’t worry. It’s part of Magus’s vacation money. Clean money. So, can I count on you? This is very important. If I succeed… Magus might finally be free from her nightmares.”
You looked into Isolde’s blue eyes. There was hope in them, conviction, unwavering belief.
“…Alright. But one question.”
“Of course.”
“Is it safe?”
“Of course. You’ll have Magus - she can take care of herself and you.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m asking about you. Is it safe for you?”
Isolde paused, surprised. She looked at you for a few seconds, then a soft, confident smile spread across her face.
“Now I understand what she saw in you, Y/N.” She placed her hand over yours. “In our line of work, failure isn’t an option. You don’t need to worry.”
“You lie surprisingly easily, Colonel. But I’ll pretend I believe you. I’ll be hoping for your success, no matter what.”
She let out a quiet, satisfied hum.
The car stopped. Looking out the window, you realized you were under a bridge, not far from your home.
“Magus will arrive within a week. Be ready. You have the money; I’ve told you everything you need. Good luck, kid.”
“Thank you. But I think you’ll need that luck far more than I will. Take care of yourself, Colonel Isolde.”
“Thank you.”
You stepped out of the car, placing the money into your backpack. After a moment, the black car turned and drove off.
It was about a twenty-minute walk home, a route you knew well. Your thoughts swirled with uneasy possibilities. Magus had once told you that Isolde took the hunt for those responsible for the deaths during the fall of the old capital far more seriously than she did, and that didn’t bode well.
At home, it was quiet, save for the two cats greeting you. Your relatives usually spent this time of year away on long vacations, occasionally calling you, so for now, the small two-room apartment on the outskirts of the city was entirely yours. A quiet residential district where life moved slowly.
After locking the money in a safe, you began cleaning the apartment.