Chapter 378: Still Here?

FLASHBACK: Before Mission 24 – Avalis

25 began to hate this place.

Although the Rennis kept increasing every time he came back, with new faces looking for him, only to ask him about his struggles in the years he had been alive, it still felt strangely empty. Despite the noise, he felt engulfed in silence.

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the perfect flooring. His reflection stared back at him.

He used to sit here with 44, 52, and 31. They used to talk about how many humans they had left to visit, how many new constellations they’d seen, and what snacks they had in each country.

One by one, they disappeared. They failed their missions and just like that—poof.

He didn’t know which fate was worse.

Then came the sound of heels clicking against the floor.

No.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment.

Please no.

Click.

Click.

Clickclickclick.

“There you are!”

28.

The most inconveniently talkative Rennis in the entire planet, or at least, to him. He never really saw her be this talkative with others. It was only with him.

He clicked his tongue, not bothering to look up. “Can you go?”

“I wish I could,” she sighed as she dramatically collapsed onto the seat next to him. “But I’ve got a few years left before dispatch.”

He side-eyed her. “They gave you a heads up?”

She nodded innocently. “Yeah! Apex told me during my performance review. I got a full five years to prepare.”

Five years.

He had just come back from his 23rd mission, and he was sure he was going to get called in on a random lunch break. He would be summoned by Apex, and a one-way teleport would be ready for him with his system.

That’s how it’s been for the past missions.

“Ridiculous,” he muttered, running a hand down his face.

“You’re just mad because you’re the golden employee and they don’t want to give you time to slack off.” She leaned back, arms stretched behind her head. “What’s it like being the best, by the way? Are you just born with all that talent, or does being emotionally stunted help too?”

He glared at her.

She grinned.

Typical.

He turned his gaze forward again, hoping she’d grow bored and disappear, but of course she didn’t. She kept going.

“My next mission is going to be so fun, though. I’ve got the goal and everything.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I need to become a writer,” she said, lifting her feet onto the seat in front of her. “I need to write a story that makes it on the big screen as a best-seller.”

He shook his head. “You would be bad at it,” he deadpanned.

“Exactly! That’s the fun part!” she exclaimed brightly.

There was a moment of silence. Then, after a second longer of thought, he turned toward her. “But didn’t you always want to become a writer?”

28 froze. Her legs slowly dropped to the floor.

“You remember that?” she asked, biting her lip.

He didn’t answer.

She chuckled and wrapped one arm around his shoulder. “I knew it! You do listen to my stories.”

FLASHBACK: After Mission 24 – Avalis

When 25 returned from his twenty-fourth mission, he didn’t expect to look around for her.

But he did.

It wasn’t even conscious at first—just a vague scan of the usual spots. The far corner by the jelly pod vending machines. The levitating bench under the artificial starlight, where she used to sit upside down, talking nonsense about plot twists and character arcs. That weird corner near the archives where she once said the silence helped her conjure metaphors.

Nothing.

She wasn’t here.

He was adjusting the collar of his uniform when 33 floated in on one of those fancy hover-discs. The newer batches always had flashier gadgets.

“She’s not here anymore,” 33 said casually with a cotton candy stick in hand.

25 turned to him. “Who?”

33 gave him a look. “Come on, man. I’m talking about 28, of course! Are you missing her now?”

25 scoffed. “Of course not.”

“Right, right,” 33 grinned, hopping off his disc and stretching.

“So you guys didn’t have anything going on?”

“We didn’t.”

“But you’re both veterans,” he pointed out, unfazed. “Most of your original batch is gone, right? She was the last one with a lot of experience.”

25 clicked his tongue, annoyed.

He hated being reminded of things he already knew.

“It’s ’cause her limit was short too, wasn’t it?” 33 continued, undeterred. “Only three years ahead of yours. It kinda sucks. You two were the last ones still standing. We were all waiting for her, but she didn’t show up.”

“Shut up.”

“Sorry,” 33 said with a not-very-sorry shrug. “I was just trying to comfort you, y’know. So you wouldn’t be all sad.”

“I’m not sad.”

“Right,” he chuckled. “25 never gets sad, does he?”

25 stood up and walked to the snack table. He pulled out a stick of cotton candy and stared at it for a second before taking a bite. The sugar melted in his mouth, which was way too sweet, sticking to the inside of his cheek.

Still, somehow, it made him feel better.

“It’s not sad,” he muttered as he chewed. “28 went to become a writer. She always wanted to be one.”

33 paused, head tilted.

“Dying doing the thing you love is better than being here.”

There was a second of silence.

Then 33 nodded, slowly. “Yeah. I guess that’s true.”

But then, after another second of contemplation, he turned toward 25 again.

“So…” started off. “Why are you still here?”

25 didn’t answer.

PRESENT TIMES: Ari’s Waiting Room

“… 25?” Ari whispered.

Her voice barely left her lips, but it echoed through her chest.

That confirmed it.

She recognized him. So, she was 28 after all.

As far as Zeno knew, she had gone past that age, so she was supposed to be gone by now.

That’s how it worked. They failed their missions, and they disappeared. Completed. Expired. System shut down.

But she was here.

Looking at him.

Breathing.

Existing.

“So…” Zeno started off, feeling somewhat betrayed. “Why are you still here?