The simulation chamber was still glowing faintly from their last Resonance Split trial when one soldier, shaking off sweat, raised his hand.
"Uh... sir! What about Silent Shadow Tactic Type-2? Are we skipping it? We're jumping into these insane conceptual tactics instead..."
All eyes turned to Reaper. Even Raul stopped cracking jokes.
⸻
Reaper's Response
Reaper's twin visors flared blue. His voice cut like steel:
"Silent Shadow Type-2 is not skipped. It's withheld. There's a difference."
He took a step forward, cloak trailing across the floor.
"Type-1 silences the noise around you. That's manageable. Type-2 does more—it silences your existence itself. Not just your steps, not just your breath, but your soul signature, your concept of 'being here.'"
He paused, letting the weight of that settle.
"Do you understand what happens if you attempt that without discipline? You don't just disappear from enemy detection. You disappear from your own reality. Half-formed. Lost in the void between presence and absence. And once you're gone, nothing brings you back. Think of it like being stuck in a narrator perspective where you're invisible and can't even touch or talk. Simply air itself, and people can walk passed you too."
The room went silent. Jin felt his throat tighten. Jerome muttered under his breath, "So... it's like erasing yourself..."
Reaper nodded slowly.
"Exactly. And unlike Echo or Contradiction, you don't get second chances with Type-2. That's why you train concepts first—because if you can't control fear, logic, and unity, you'll never control the silence of your own existence."
He straightened, voice rising like a commander addressing the battlefield itself.
"Silent Shadow Type-2 will come. But when it does, only those who have proven their minds stronger than reality itself will survive it. Until then—you learn the invisible battlefield. Or you die when it's forced on you."
⸻
The soldiers didn't ask again.
Even Raul was quiet, staring at the floor.
Reaper tilted his head, visor glowing faintly.
"Good. Now get back into formation. You've got many years to go before you even dream of touching Type-2."
-
The chamber lights dimmed, training simulations shutting down one by one. Reaper stood tall in the center, cloak falling around him like a shadow. His twin visors dimmed slightly, no longer burning with that merciless edge.
For the first time in months, his voice softened.
"Well, anyways... you can all go back now. See your families. I think it's best. You've been through war, and instead of collapsing, you came back here and kept pushing. That's more than I could've asked for."
The room stirred—soldiers shifting, some even smiling for the first time.
Reaper let the silence breathe, then added, voice steady and deep:
"You all deserve this break. May God bless you, my comrades. Welcome... to the UNE Marines."
⸻
The Reaction
A roar of relief and pride spread through the chamber. Soldiers clapped each other's backs, some laughing, others crying behind their visors. Jin felt his chest swell—his parents, his little siblings... he'd finally see them again, alive, after everything.
Jerome muttered, "Finally... I can sleep in a real bed." Raul shouted, "I'm eating three whole pizzas and no one can stop me!" Marco just grinned ear to ear. Min-seo exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing for the first time since Typonis.
But Asura...
He stood silent, visor dark, his expression unreadable.
Deep down, there was no joy. No family waiting for him. No home to return to. Only memories of fists, broken words, and doors slammed shut. The Marines cheered, but Asura felt the weight of it pressing heavier on him. For him, "home" was a void.
Reaper's visor lingered on him for a second, but he said nothing.
⸻
The Exit
The soldiers filed out, laughter echoing through the halls. Jin glanced back at Asura, but before he could say anything, Asura had already turned away, walking off into the dim barracks corridors, silent as ever.
For Jin, this break meant family.
For Asura, it meant loneliness.
And yet—they were both UNE Marines now.
-
The barracks buzzed with celebration. Marines cheered, some already calling home through their helmets, others packing gear for the transport ships to Eryndor Prime. Some are getting ready to return to their home planet around the Juno Star System.
But Jin wasn't cheering.
He kept watching Asura.
John was actually smiling faintly, the corners of his mouth tugging in a rare, honest grin. Raul was already bragging about food, Jerome teasing Marco about who'd eat more. Even Min-seo looked lighter.
But Asura?
Expression still. Eyes hollow. He didn't say a word.
Jin walked over, his boots clanking softly against the steel floor. "Hey... Asura," he said quietly.
Asura turned his head slightly, holding his helmet onto his one arm. "Yeah?"
Jin hesitated. He'd fought alongside this man, seen him tear through enemies like death itself. But right now, Asura looked... empty.
"What's wrong?" Jin asked.
Asura's voice was flat, almost monotone.
"Nothing. Just... got nothing."
The words hit Jin like a stone in his chest. Got nothing.
No family waiting. No one to smile for. Nothing.
Jin clenched his fists. He hated that emptiness in Asura's tone. He hated that someone who saved so many lives felt like he had none of his own.
So without thinking, he blurted it out.
"Then come with me. To my house."
Asura blinked, actually taken aback for once. "...What?"
Jin smiled, awkward but firm. "Stay with me. For as long as you want. My parents, my little siblings... they'd be glad to have you. You don't gotta be alone."
The others overheard, Raul grinned, "Damn, Jin, adopting the prodigy already?" Jerome chuckled. John smirked faintly, shaking his head.
Asura stared at Jin, silent for a long moment. His usual calm mask didn't change, but deep in his eyes, something shifted—something fragile.
"...You'd do that?" Asura asked quietly.
Jin nodded without hesitation. "Of course. You're my comrade. My brother. My family too."
For the first time, Asura's lips twitched—just barely. Not quite a smile. But not nothing either.
⸻
Closing Beat
The transport ships warmed up outside, engines rumbling. Families waited on Eryndor Prime.
Jin was going home.
And this time—Asura was coming with him.
-
The squad was still lingering in the barracks, laughter bouncing between them, when Raul suddenly threw his arms out dramatically.
"GUYS, WAIT!" he shouted, almost slipping off his bunk in excitement. Everyone turned, startled.
Raul grinned wide. "What if we... stayed for a while? You know—visit Jin's place, visit Jerome's too! Then we can all go out, hit the city, eat like kings, have fun! We earned this, right?!"
Marco's eyes lit up instantly. "YES! Finally, something other than rations and stim shots!" He practically jumped in place.
Min-seo's lips twitched into a small but rare smile. "...I wouldn't mind that."
John shrugged, but the faint smirk on his face said everything. "Why not? Could be nice."
Jerome threw both hands in the air. "THEN LET'S DO IT!"
Jin's heart thudded, and before he could stop himself, a grin spread across his face. "Yeah... let's do it. Let's go home together."
⸻
Asura's Moment
The room erupted in energy—Raul already rattling off places to visit, Marco begging for street food, Jerome cracking jokes about who'd pay the tab.
Amid the chaos, Asura stood still, watching them. His face was the same—blank, unreadable, the same mask he always wore.
But then... just for a moment...
A very small smile crept across his lips.
Not much. Barely noticeable.
But enough for Jin to see it.
And it was the first time since they met that Asura had let one show.
⸻
Closing Beat
The transport ship engines thundered outside. The war was over, training was paused, and the squad had something new waiting for them—
Not a battlefield.
Not a mission.
But a taste of peace.
And together, they were heading home.
On the bus they were sent to the training station. In the train they were excited. Especially Raul, Marco, and maybe John... considering these guys are from a world of farm and mining.
Raul has sparkles in his eyes! "Wow! This city is even better when it's not in ruins like the last time I visited here for the first time when I got deployed here when it hit attacked by those alien freaks! Hahahaha!"
Marco was laughing too! John and min-seo was just staring out the window.
Min-seo then said "You know, this city is very nice indeed. Very beautiful almost like my home world Kytheron, the home of science and tech of Juno"
-
The transport ship hissed open, and the Marines stepped into the city.
Eryndor Prime was alive again. Where rubble had been months ago, towers shone with neon brilliance. Where fear had once drowned the streets, laughter now echoed. Markets bustled, hover-cars zoomed overhead, and families walked with smiles instead of terror.
For Jin and the others, it was like stepping into another world.
⸻
Exploring the City
First stop: food.
Raul practically dragged them into a restaurant glowing with holo-signs. Plates piled with steaming meats, noodles stretching longer than their arms, cosmic fusion dishes that glimmered with color.
"Finally—REAL food!" Raul shouted, shoving half a plate into his mouth. Jerome laughed so hard he almost spilled his drink.
Afterward, they hit the shopping streets. Marco tried on jackets way too big for him, Min-seo picked out sleek wrist tech, Raul bought sunglasses and posed like a movie star. John just shook his head, muttering, "Idiots," but even he was smiling.
Then came the arcades.
The squad crowded around holographic arenas where soldiers battled in virtual simulations, racing games where hover-bikes screamed at near-light speed, claw machines that spat out AI drones as prizes.
Jerome and Raul screamed at each other over a competitive shooter. Jin and Min-seo tried a co-op survival sim, laughing as they failed miserably. Marco ran from machine to machine like a kid in a candy store.
⸻
Marco's Comment
Amid the noise, Marco's eyes suddenly widened. He nudged Raul and whispered, "Yo... guys... LOOK!"
The squad turned. Across the street, a group of girls their age laughed together, dressed stylishly, the neon signs painting them in soft pink and blue.
Marco practically dropped his game card. "Bro—they're so hot!"
Raul's jaw dropped. "Oh my Lord... you're not wrong."
Jerome snorted into his drink. "You two are hopeless."
John smirked faintly but didn't look away. Min-seo rolled his eyes but his ears turned red.
Jin laughed, shaking his head. "Really, Marco? We're out here after saving the planet and that's what gets your attention?"
Marco shrugged, grinning. "Hey, priorities, man!"
Even Asura—usually stone-faced—glanced briefly at the girls. He didn't react much, but Jin swore he caught the faintest twitch of his lips again.
⸻
Closing Beat
The night city glowed, alive with laughter, food, and music. For one rare evening, they weren't UNE Marines. They weren't survivors of cosmic horrors.
They were just young men in a city that was finally alive again.
And for Jin, seeing Asura among them—silent, but not alone—made it all worth it.
———————————————
To be continued...