For a moment, nobody moved. Smoke drifted from the still-burning wreckage, and Kyo lay sprawled in the grass, utterly motionless.
Winter was the first to move, stumbling over to Kyo and dropping to one knee beside him. "Hey, kid—" He shook Kyo's shoulder, panic rising in his voice. "Kyo. Wake up. Come on, man, open your eyes!"
But Kyo didn't stir. Winter tried to lift him, but Kyo's deadweight and his own battered body made it impossible. "Damn it—he's heavier than he looks," Winter muttered, arms trembling.
The cabin door burst open. Varia sprinted out, eyes wide with fear. "Is he—? Is he okay? Here, let me—" She rushed to Kyo's other side, managing to help Winter awkwardly hoist him up. Together, they half-carried, half-dragged Kyo back inside, laying him on the nearest bed.
For a while, the world was just the sound of ragged breathing and distant crackling flames. Volio, clutching Elliot, huddled in a corner. Varia hovered near Kyo, chewing her lip, stealing glances at Winter.
Eventually, exhaustion won out. They all drifted into a restless sleep.
When Kyo finally blinked awake a few hours later, he found himself staring at the ceiling. Voices drifted to him from across the room.
Winter sat on the edge of his own bed, elbows on his knees, talking quietly with No. 3, her ocean blue hair tangled, but her eyes clear and sharp.
"So, after you and the top two, are there any more of those 'special assassins' coming for me?" Winter asked, voice low, almost hopeful.
No. 3 shook her head. "No. We were the Ace. The Boss won't likely waste any more resources. Not after this mess."
Winter let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Good. Finally, one thing that's not trying to kill me."
Kyo shifted, drawing their attention. Winter gave him a tired grin. "About time you woke up, man. Thought we might have to build a coffin."
Kyo tried to sit up, groaning. "I feel like I got beat up everywhere, and then got beat up some more..."
Varia appeared at his side, relief flooding her face. "You're okay! I was so worried—"
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Kyo mumbled flustered, waving her off, but he shot her a grateful look.
No. 3 watched the reunion with a detached curiosity. Winter turned to her, studying her face for a moment. "You know, you can't keep going around as 'No. 3.' That's not a name, that's a barcode."
She blinked, caught off guard. "It's what I've always been called."
Winter smirked. "Not anymore. You need a real name." He squinted at her, searching for inspiration, then snapped his fingers. "Sapphire. Fits you—ocean hair and all."
A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, but she tried to hide it, crossing her arms. "It's just a name."
"Yeah, but it's yours now," Winter said, a rare softness in his voice.
Kyo grinned. "Sapphire, huh? I like it."
Sapphire rolled her eyes, but the ghost of a smile lingered.
Varia, sitting at Kyo's side, glanced between Sapphire and Winter, something sharp and jealous flickering in her eyes, but she said nothing, only pulled her knees to her chest.
Then, Elliot hopped onto the bed, brushing against Volio, who reached out and stroked her absentmindedly. The boy's breathing slowed, his shoulders relaxing.
"She always knows when someone needs her," Kyo murmured, slowly sitting up.
Winter watched the small, fragile scene for a moment, then stood, stretching. "Three days," he said quietly, looking at the door where the demon had vanished. "That's all the time we've got. So let's make it count."
The room filled with a heavy silence, not from fear or dread. There was something else beneath it, a stubborn flicker of hope, fragile but alive.
After a moment of quiet, Winter glanced over at Sapphire. The firelight caught the blue in her hair, and for once, her face softened.
"Hey... Before everything went to hell out there," Winter said quietly, "No. 2... he wanted me to tell you he was sorry. He really meant it."
Sapphire looked away, her hands folding tightly in her lap. "That idiot," she said, but her voice trembled. "He was never cut out to be an assassin. Not really. That's what made him special, I guess."
Winter watched her, letting the silence stretch until she was ready. Finally, Sapphire let out a shaky breath and continued, "We grew up together, you know. Learned how to use our enhancements side by side. He always tried to act tough, like he didn't care, but... every time I messed up, he'd defend me. Sometimes he'd take the blame himself just to keep me out of trouble."
She shook her head, a sad smile flickering on her lips. "To everyone in the company, that was weakness. They said he'd never be one of the greats. But to me?" She looked up, meeting Winter's gaze. "That was the last bit of humanity left in that place. In any of us."
Winter leaned back against the wall, letting her words settle. "You know, I always wondered... how were there even two assassin groups at the same time? That's not how it works. Usually, when the next gen comes of age, they replace the old squad. There's never supposed to be two groups running missions together."
Sapphire's eyes narrowed with memory. "We were a special case. The company started getting... ambitious. For the first time, they began genetically engineering their next wave—super soldiers meant to be the perfect assassins. That was us."
She paused, her voice growing bitter. "They didn't even let us out until a year after your squad's debut. We were just... insurance. A backup plan. Disposable."
Winter's expression hardened. "Figures. You spend your life thinking you're one of a kind, then you find out you're just another experiment."
Sapphire nodded, her eyes shining just a little in the dim light. "No. 2 always said we had to stick together, because no one else would ever care. Guess he was right."
A silence fell, but this time it was different—shared, not lonely.
Winter finally broke it, voice gentle. "He was lucky to have you. Both of you deserved better than what they gave."
Sapphire looked at him, and for a second, the edges of her mouth lifted, almost a real smile. "Yeah. Maybe now, we get to decide what comes next."