Koen and Reize returned to the main hall of the cafeteria, relieved that everything was calm.
Upon entering, they found Arika placing plates on the table, moving calmly. They both hurried over, as if they had agreed not to leave her alone for a second.
—Arika, wait! —said Reize, taking a plate from her before she could protest—. We'll take care of this.
—You need to rest —added Koen, gently guiding her toward a chair—. We don't want you to end up exhausted.
Arika sat down, looking at him with slightly furrowed brows.
—Are you sure it's you, Koen...? Don't you feel sick?
Koen blinked, puzzled.
—What do you mean by that?
—Well… —Arika looked at him with a half-smile—. It's normal for Reize to worry about me, but you… you're not usually like that. You know, always so cold and distant
—Maybe I'm trying to change —Koen said, shrugging—. You weren't the one who told me to. But if you don't like it, I can go back to being the old me.
—I didn't say I didn't like it… —Arika smiled, blushing slightly—. I'm just surprised. I think... I like this new version of you.
For a second, the silence grew thick. Koen looked at her, as if he wanted to respond, but the words stuck in his throat. A slight blush rose to his cheeks before he looked away abruptly.
—I'll go get the food from the counter —he muttered, turning away too quickly.
Arika followed him with her eyes, somewhat confused. Then she turned to Reize, who was settling into the chair opposite her.
—Did I say something wrong? I think I made him uncomfortable with my words.
Reize looked at her, then watched Koen, who had his back to them, moving awkwardly and almost dropping a cup, and turned back to her with a half-smile.
—Don't worry, it's not your fault… it's just Koen being Koen.
Arika tilted her head, not quite understanding, but decided not to press the issue.
A few minutes later, Koen returned with a tray. He set it on the table and began to carefully distribute the food.
—Here you go, Arika. We haven't eaten anything since this afternoon. This will do you good.
Arika smiled and nodded, starting to eat calmly. Koen sat down on the other side and focused on his plate, while Reize looked at them both and decided to start a conversation to lighten the mood.
—Well, since we're here relaxing with some food, why don't you tell us a funny story from when you were younger? —she asked, looking at them both curiously. — I know we all have some crazy stories.
Koen looked at her thoughtfully as he took a bite.
—Something funny from when I was a kid? Well, in my case, I wasn't exactly the most mischievous, but… —he paused to think —. Once, when I was about eight years old, I ran away from home to go fishing. I thought it would be a great adventure. I was so sure I would do everything right, but I fell into the water as soon as I got there. I spent hours trying to get the mud out of my clothes, but it was useless. And when I got home, my mother almost killed me with embarrassment.
Reize let out a soft laugh.
—That sounds like something I would do! I had a similar experience when I tried to do 'important' things as a child. I thought I could cook by myself, without anyone's help. The result was a total disaster. I burned a frying pan and spent weeks trying to get rid of the smell. The sisters at the orphanage called me 'the chef of tragedy.'"
Arika, who was listening intently, was a little surprised, as she hadn't heard about their previous lives.
—Wow, it seems like you all had a touch of disaster when you were little —she said with a shy smile —. I, on the other hand, didn't usually do such… chaotic things.
She paused briefly, remembering.
—But once, when I was staying in the garden while the man who took care of me was working nearby, I saw that one of his dogs had messy hair, full of mud and straw. I tried to fix it with my hands, but I couldn't... so I ended up grabbing a pair of scissors. I innocently thought I was helping him, and I cut off a big chunk of his hair so he would look "cleaner".
Arika laughed softly, shrugging her shoulders.
—The poor thing was left lopsided, with one side short and the other long. When the man found me with the scissors in my hand and the dog looking at me as if I had committed a crime... he first put his hands to his head and then laughed nonstop. It took weeks for the poor thing's hair to grow back.
Reize looked at her, surprised and amused.
—Poor dog… I'm sure he was traumatized every time he saw scissors.
Arika let out a soft laugh and shook her head.
—Nah, I think he forgave me in the end... especially when I secretly gave him bread.
Arika let out a little smile, although her eyes wandered for a moment, as if she remembered more than she was telling. After a brief silence, Reize lightly resumed the conversation.
—Well, I don't know about you guys, but I love hearing stories like that. It makes everything feel a little more... normal, despite everything we're going through.
Koen nodded as he took another bite of food.
—Yes, sometimes it's good to remember those things. Life doesn't always have to be so serious.
The conversation continued in a relaxed and pleasant manner as everyone ate, until Koen finished his meal and got up with the intention of making the bed.
—I'm going to arrange the blankets Reize found today in one of the boxes in the storeroom, so we can all rest a little better —he said, laying some thick sheets on the floor. —It won't be like a mattress, but it'll definitely be more comfortable than yesterday.
Reize watched him for a moment, then looked at Arika.
—Are you feeling better? —he asked gently. — You seem to have more energy now.
Arika nodded, smiling gratefully.
—Yes… thank you. I think I just needed some time to calm down. I'm fine now.
Koen finished preparing the "makeshift bed" and stepped back to let Arika settle in. Reize gestured for Arika to lie down in the center of the blanket, where it would be most comfortable.
—Come on, we'll make you comfortable— Reize said with a reassuring smile. — Just relax a little.
Arika hesitated for a moment, but seeing the concern in both their eyes, she finally gave in. She settled down in the center of the blanket, and although she tried to insist, Reize and Koen wouldn't let her.
—It's not necessary, I'm not sick... — Arika murmured, but her voice was already soft, without further resistance.
—We want you to rest —Koen replied, adjusting the sheets around her. — It's best for everyone.
Reize, seeing that everything was ready, lay down on one side, letting Koen lie down on the other.
—Now, get some more sleep until the sun comes up— Reize said, looking at Arika, who was already almost asleep. — Tomorrow will be a new day.
Arika closed her eyes and whispered, almost without energy.
—Thank you… really.
With the three figures lined up on the floor, the sound of the wind outside became a soft song that accompanied the three until sleep overtook them, with the promise that, for that night at least, all was calm.
The next day, the light of dawn filtered timidly through the blinds, painting golden lines on the walls. Outside, the world seemed to have calmed down... but it was that tense calm that precedes a storm.
Arika slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the soft glow. As she moved, she felt a warm weight beside her. She looked down and saw Reize, asleep, hugging her as if she were her anchor in the middle of a stormy sea.
A smile spread across her lips. Carefully, she tried to pull away so as not to wake her, but as soon as she moved, Reize opened her eyes wide, sitting up as if ready to defend her from something invisible.
—¿Arika...? —she murmured, her voice hoarse with sleep.
—I'm sorry… I woke you up —Arika whispered.
—No, it wasn't that —Reize denied, rubbing her eyes—. Are you okay? You didn't have another nightmare?
Arika shook her head gently, still half asleep.
—No… this time it was different. —a calm smile softened her face—. It was a pleasant dream.
Reize let out a sigh that seemed to have been bottled up for hours.
—I'm so glad…
Arika sat up and held out her hand.
—Come on, Koen has probably already made breakfast. If we start the day off right, maybe we can cheat fate a little.
Reize smiled slyly, accepted his hand, and they stood up. They walked together to the table where they had had dinner the night before. Koen was already there, pouring warm coffee and placing simple plates on a makeshift table.
—Good morning, sleepyheads! —he joked, with a teasing smile—. Sit down before it gets cold."
The two sat down, and for a moment, the only sounds were the clatter of cutlery and the comforting aroma of coffee. It was Koen who broke the silence, looking at them with genuine curiosity.
—So… what did you dream about?
Arika looked down, thoughtful, as if the images were slipping through her fingers.
—It was something… beautiful. —her voice softened—. I dreamed that the three of us were together, like now, but… more at peace. We were around a campfire, laughing, telling stories… and I felt that nothing bad could touch us.
Koen smiled, a different gleam in his eyes.
—That sounds… perfect. I'm glad you had a dream like that.
But Arika frowned slightly.
—Although… there was someone else with us. A fourth person. —she shook her head—. I can't see his face, it was blurry.
Reize raised an eyebrow and looked at Koen as if that opened the door to a thousand theories.
—Someone else, huh? Maybe it's someone we haven't found yet.
Koen tilted his head.
—A fourth member for our survival club?
Arika chuckled.
—Maybe.
—Was it a man or a woman? — asked Reize, leaning toward her.
—I think it was a boy.
—A boy? What was he like? Tall, short, dangerous... adorable? —said Reize mockingly.
Arika narrowed her eyes, searching for the memory.
—I don't know… I don't remember what they looked like, but I do remember the feeling they gave off. They were… warm.
—Warm, huh? At least they won't be like Koen — Reize commented mischievously.
—What's that supposed to mean? — Koen looked at her with a warning half-smile.
—You know exactly what I mean —she replied without batting an eyelid.
Arika couldn't help but laugh as she watched them argue like two children about to start a fight. Her laughter made them both turn and look at her in surprise.
Reize approached Koen, placing a hand on his shoulder, and whispered.
—Let's hope she's not your competition… but just in case, give it your all.
—You… —Koen murmured, frowning.
Reize just smiled, bringing the cup to her lips.
—Well, whoever it is… if they bring that feeling of peace, let them come whenever they want.
The moment hung in the air, with a soft laugh shared between the three of them. In the midst of the chaos, that little table felt like a refuge, an improvised family… even in the midst of chaos.