In the cafeteria, Arika and Reize were washing the dishes they had used during breakfast and lunch. The water ran steadily, and the soft clatter of plates filled the silence of the cafeteria. It was a fragile calm, as if the slightest loud noise could break it.
Then Koen returned from the storeroom. His footsteps were heavy, and his frown was enough to put them on alert. He dropped a small package on the counter with a thud.
—There's not much food —he announced in a grave voice—. And outside... things are getting worse by the hour. It's best to leave as soon as possible.
Reize stood still, the plate still in her hand, as the foam slipped through her fingers. She looked at him with a mixture of fear and frustration.
—Already? —she murmured—. But... we could wait a little longer.
Arika, who had finished drying her hands, took a step toward her.
—Reize... —her voice was soft but firm—. We agreed that if no one came in two or three days, we would leave.
The silence lingered. Reize pressed her lips together, lowering her gaze. She knew. She had always known. But the fear of leaving the shelter was an unbearable burden.
—Just a little longer… —she pleaded, looking up at Koen—. Tomorrow. Give me until tomorrow. If no one comes, we'll leave at sunset. I promise.
Koen sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck as if he were carrying an invisible stone.
—All right —he relented, though his tone remained tense—. But tomorrow, without fail. We can't take any more risks.
Reize nodded, feeling a lump in her throat that made it hard to breathe.
Arika came over and put her arm around her.
—We'll be okay —she whispered—. It doesn't matter when we leave... as long as we're together, we'll find a way.
Reize closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, clinging to those words like someone clinging to a rope in the middle of a storm.
That night, the café was enveloped in silence. All that could be heard was the wind seeping through the cracks in the sealed windows. Reize tossed and turned on her makeshift mattress, unable to sleep. Every shadow seemed to lengthen. Every creak of the building made her tense up.
With a frustrated sigh, she sat up, hugging her legs to her chest.
—Can't sleep? —asked a soft voice beside her.
It was Arika. She had opened her eyes, her hair tousled and her voice sleepy.
Reize shook her head slowly.
—I can't stop thinking about tomorrow...—she murmured, her voice barely audible—. I don't want anything bad to happen to them. I don't want... —her voice broke a little.
Arika silently crawled over to her and rested her head on her shoulder.
—Nothing's going to happen —she said with a calmness she rarely showed, but which now sounded sincere—. We're together. And we're going to stay together. That's all that matters.
Reize closed her eyes, letting that small gesture envelop her like an invisible blanket.
—Relax —Koen grumbled from his corner, half asleep—. If anyone dares to touch them, they'll have to get past me first.
The two girls glanced at each other and couldn't help but laugh.
—Are you sure about that? —Reize said, raising an eyebrow—. It sounds more like you'd be the first to run away.
—Or worse...—added Arika with a mischievous gleam in her eyes— You'll trip and we'll end up having to carry you.
Koen snorted from under the blankets, turning his back on them.
—Keep laughing... you'll see who ends up taking care of whom.
—Yeah, right...—Reize laughed, lowering her voice as if speaking secretly to Arika—. Then we're doomed.
Arika stifled another giggle and snuggled into her friend's shoulder.
—Well, what can we do... if Koen is our last hope, we're doomed.
—Good night —he grumbled, feigning annoyance.
The two laughed softly, until the laughter died down and silence enveloped the café once more.
Arika lifted her head slightly, looked at Reize with tired eyes, and then hid her face in her shoulder again.
—I... trust you —she whispered softly—. And tomorrow... I trust that we can do it, all together.
Reize blinked in surprise and felt the pressure in her chest ease a little.
—Yes… —she replied in a whisper—. We'll make it.
They settled under the blankets, close together, and little by little, sleep finally overcame them.
The next day. Dawn came slowly, filtering through the makeshift curtains. The light bathed the room in a soft golden hue.
Reize was the first to wake up. For a few seconds, she couldn't remember where she was, until she felt the weight of a head on her shoulder. Arika was still asleep, her frown finally relaxed.
Carefully, Reize tucked her in under the blankets before getting up, stretching with a slight groan.
— Good morning...— murmured a raspy voice behind her.
Koen yawned, stretching with his hair completely tousled.
—What time is it? —asked Reize, rubbing her eyes.
—Still early— he replied—. But it's time to get ready.
They both looked at Arika, who was beginning to blink, stretching like a lazy cat.
—Good morning...—she greeted them, her voice still sleepy but calm.
—Good morning —they replied in unison.
Koen got up from the floor and stretched his arms, letting out a snort.
—I'll make a quick breakfast. After that, we'll see what we can take with us.
Reize nodded and gently helped Arika to her feet.
—How are you feeling? You had another nightmare — he asked with a slight smile.
—No, I slept well this time— Arika replied, smiling back at him. She looked calmer than she had in previous days.
While Koen searched the kitchen, Reize and Arika gathered up some scattered items, working in comfortable silence.
When they finally sat down to eat, the air changed. A new, firmer determination seemed to float in the room.
—Today... is our last day here —said Koen, serving the dishes.
—Yes —said Arika, looking out the window with calm eyes.
Reize, who usually protested or joked around, just nodded this time. There was no need to say it out loud: all three of them knew. They were ready. Or at least they had to be.
After breakfast, the mood became more serious. Koen and Arika packed their backpacks in silence, while Reize stood by the window, staring intently through the broken blinds. Every so often, he leaned a little closer, as if just looking could make a familiar silhouette appear in the empty streets.
Koen filled canteens with what little water remained, and Arika checked the supplies, organizing them with forced calm.
—We don't know how long it will take us to find a safe haven... we have to be smart.
—That and be lucky —added Koen, putting the water in his backpack.
No one said anything about Reize. They knew she needed this moment.
Time passed slowly, thickened by the afternoon heat. When the sun began to paint the sky orange, Arika set her backpack aside and approached Reize.
—Reize... —she said softly.
Reize didn't respond immediately, as if she were still waiting to see someone appear at the end of the street.
—Reize —Arika repeated, more firmly this time.
Finally, she looked down, swallowing hard.
—…No one will come, right?
Arika shook her head gently.
—We have to leave before it gets dark.
For a moment, the silence was thick, almost unbearable. But finally, Reize nodded, her eyes shining in the evening light.
—All right... let's go.
Arika gave her a small, encouraging smile before returning to the center of the room. She picked up an old broom leaning against the wall and, with a sharp blow against the edge of a table, broke it in two.
—If something goes wrong... at least we'll have something to defend ourselves with —she said, handing one end to Reize.
Koen, who had been watching silently, got up and began rummaging through the storeroom. He found a half-rusty metal pipe and tested it in the air, nodding with satisfaction.
Reize, after accepting the makeshift baton, looked around. She took a long kitchen knife that had been kept for safety and tied it with a rag to the end of a broken stick, making a kind of spear.
—I refuse to die here —she murmured, managing a small smile.
Koen and Arika gathered around her. Their backpacks were ready, their improvised weapons in hand. The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon.
Koen took one last look at the place where they had spent the last few days: the dusty tables, the cups lined up on the shelves, the covered windows.
—I never thought an empty café would give me so much peace… —he murmured.
Reize ran his fingers over one of the tables, tracing the cracked wood.
—It may be silly, but... I would have liked to stay a little longer.
Arika, standing by the back door, smiled wistfully.
—The important thing is that it gave us a break when we needed it most.
Koen adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and sighed.
—Let's finish checking the perimeter one last time. If everything is clear, we'll leave as soon as the sun goes down.
—Yes— they both nodded.
Before leaving, Reize took out a small knife and discreetly carved something into the underside of one of the tables. She didn't say what it was, but when she finished, she smiled to herself.
—Now... I'm ready.
And together, with backpacks on their shoulders and a knot in their chests, they approached the back door of the café and prepared to face the outside world.
It was now or never.
On the wood of the table, barely visible against the light, a simple message was carved:
"We'll be back."