Late at night, Bella, Ellena, and Norah were getting ready to sleep when a sudden knock echoed at the door. Norah stepped forward and opened it. A sergeant stood outside.
"Cadet Bella," he announced, "Officer Simon and Officer Ethan are asking for you in Ethan's office."
Bella walked down the quiet corridor and knocked gently on Ethan's door.
From inside, Ethan's voice responded, "Come in."
She entered to find Simon, Noah, Matthew, and Ethan seated together, deep in conversation.
Seeing her, Simon smiled and said, "I hope we didn't disturb you. The truth is, Noah and I won't have time to meet you in the morning, so we thought we'd spend a little time with you now."
Bella smiled warmly as she took a seat beside Simon.
"I was actually thinking of asking Head Ace for permission to spend some time with you all," she said softly. "I miss home."
Simon returned her smile, and soon everyone was absorbed in conversation—stories from now, memories from childhood, and everything in between.
At one point, Noah and Bella exchanged a private joke, laughing together. Ethan's gaze kept drifting toward the two of them, an unfamiliar restlessness tightening in his chest.
"Bella," Noah said after a while, "come on, let's go for a walk outside. Being here reminds me too much of my own early training days."
Bella nodded, then asked, "Officer Matt, may I go with Noah?"
Matthew nodded in approval.
"Let's go, Bella," Noah said, rising to his feet.
"I'll come with you two as well," Ethan added quickly.
"Of course," Noah replied.
Simon stretched and stood up. "Sleep is catching up to me. I'm heading back to the Officers' Residential Building."
The night air was cold enough to sting, drifting across their faces in sharp, playful strokes as the three of them stepped outside. The campus lay quiet beneath the dark sky, lights feel like distant fireflies. Their footsteps echoed softly as they walked toward the training grounds—wide, open, and silvered under the moon.
Noah exhaled, watching his breath curl into the cold.
"Ethan," he said with a nostalgic smirk, "when we were in the training sessions… do you think the rules were stricter back then? Or is it tougher now?"
Ethan let out a small laugh, shaking his head.
"You talk like we trained centuries ago. It was only a few years back."
Noah chuckled, running a hand through his hair.
"That's true. But still… those days feel old now. Back then we were carefree—no responsibilities, no pressure, no expectations."
Ethan nodded slowly, his gaze drifting to the ground as memories brushed past him.
"You can still enjoy life whenever you choose," Bella said gently, her voice carrying warmth through the cold. "There's no special time for happiness.""
Noah smiled at her, agreeing with a silent nod. Ethan's eyes shifted to her as well—quietly, intently—watching the way the wind tugged at her hair.
A sudden gust swept past them, sharper this time. Bella shivered, wrapping her arms around herself before she realized she had forgotten her jacket entirely.
Both Ethan and Noah noticed at the same moment.
Without a second's hesitation, they each removed their jackets. Bella blinked, stunned by the sudden generosity, unsure whose to take.
Ethan stepped closer and draped his jacket around her shoulders himself, his movements gentle but firm, his fingers brushing her sleeves for a fleeting moment that sent a quiet warmth through her despite the chill.
Noah let out a dramatic sigh and shook his head with a grin.
"Well, when the husband is right here," he teased, "the friend doesn't need to worry, does he?"
He winked at Bella.
Bella shot him a deadly glare, cheeks warming despite the cold.