Part 1 — The Goodbye
Morning arrived quietly over the Academy.
The first rays of sunlight stretched across the eastern horizon, illuminating the towers and training grounds that had become familiar to more than a thousand cadets over the past several months. The previous night's crimson moon had disappeared, leaving behind a clear blue sky and the gentle warmth of an ordinary summer morning.
For most of the cadets, it was a day they had been looking forward to.
The Academy's transport terminal was already preparing for departure. Personnel moved between boarding platforms, checking schedules and directing the steady flow of luggage. Transports from different regions were arriving throughout the morning, ready to carry cadets back to their families.
The dormitory buildings were filled with activity.
Doors opened and closed along the corridors. Cadets hurried between rooms, calling to friends and reminding one another to keep their communicators active during the break. Some were already making plans to meet again before the summer ended.
Others lingered in doorways, reluctant to say goodbye.
Inside Room B-17, however, the atmosphere was considerably quieter.
David stood beside his bed, carefully placing the last of his belongings into a travel bag.
Across the room, Castiel was doing the same.
Neither had spoken much since waking.
The previous night still weighed heavily on them, although for very different reasons.
David had returned from the rooftop long after the Academy had fallen silent. He had barely slept, and the exhaustion beneath his eyes was difficult to conceal.
Castiel had noticed.
He had also noticed that David hadn't mentioned what happened on the rooftop.
Castiel hadn't asked.
After hearing his friend's anguished cry beneath the Blood Moon, he understood that some things couldn't be made easier simply by talking about them.
Still, the silence between them felt unfamiliar.
Ordinarily, packing their belongings would have involved at least one argument about who had left the greater mess behind.
Today, the only sounds came from the soft rustling of clothing and the occasional click of a storage compartment being closed.
Castiel finished securing his bag and glanced toward David.
"You know, D, I always imagined the last morning here would involve you complaining about how much stuff I own."
David looked up.
"Most of it probably isn't even yours."
Castiel raised an eyebrow.
"That's a serious accusation."
"You borrowed my jacket three weeks ago."
"Borrowed is a generous word. I was considering it a permanent donation."
David gave a faint smile.
It didn't last long, but Castiel was glad to see it.
He rested his bag against the bed and watched as David checked the contents of his own.
There was something different about the way his friend moved.
He was doing everything he needed to do, folding his clothes, securing his belongings, and preparing to leave, but his attention seemed far away.
Castiel understood why.
He had spent much of the night thinking about what he could possibly say to him.
In the end, he had decided that David didn't need another speech about being strong.
He needed to know that he wasn't alone.
"D."
David paused.
"Yeah, Cass?"
Castiel leaned against the edge of his desk.
"Listen, before we leave, there's something I want you to understand."
David turned toward him.
Castiel hesitated briefly, searching for the right words.
"If you need anything this summer, and I mean anything, you call me. I don't care where I am or what I'm doing. If you need me, I'll come."
David studied him for a moment.
"I know, Cass."
"I'm serious."
"I know you are."
Castiel nodded, but he wasn't finished.
"And don't spend the entire summer cooped up in that house. Get outside. Do something. Take a walk, visit the city, find something that doesn't involve staring at four walls all day."
David glanced toward his bag.
"I'll try."
Castiel narrowed his eyes.
"That's not particularly convincing."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Something that sounds less like you're planning to disappear into your house until the Academy reopens."
David shook his head slightly.
Castiel folded his arms.
"Because if I find out you've been hiding in there for weeks, I'll come drag you outside myself."
"You'd travel all that way just to annoy me?"
"Absolutely. I've invested months in becoming your biggest inconvenience. I'm not abandoning all that hard work now."
A quiet laugh escaped David.
It was brief, almost reluctant, but genuine.
Castiel smiled.
There it was.
A small reminder of the friend he knew.
He let the moment settle before continuing.
"Actually, I've been thinking about something."
David looked at him.
"That sounds dangerous."
Castiel placed a hand against his chest.
"I'm wounded. I've been nothing but a positive influence on you."
"That's debatable."
"Well, despite your complete lack of appreciation, I was thinking about coming to visit you this summer."
David's expression changed slightly.
Castiel glanced toward the window before looking back at him.
"If that's all right with you."
For a moment, David simply stared.
Then his expression softened.
"Of course, Cass. I'd love for you to come."
Castiel felt some of the tension in his chest ease.
"Good. Then it's settled."
He picked up his bag.
"I'll give you some time to get situated, and then I'll come by. Keep your communicator on. I'll call you soon, and we'll figure out when."
David nodded.
"I'd like that."
"And don't think I'm coming over just to sit around while you stare at the ceiling."
"What if I have a very interesting ceiling?"
"Then I'll admire it for approximately five minutes before dragging you outside."
David smiled again.
Castiel watched him for a moment, grateful that he could still bring even a little humor into the room.
"Seriously, D. You don't have to handle everything by yourself."
David lowered his eyes.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked back at his friend.
"Thanks, Cass."
Castiel nodded.
"Anytime."
Neither spoke for a while after that.
They finished checking their belongings, making certain nothing had been left behind.
David looked over his desk one final time.
The shelves were empty now, the assignments and personal belongings that had once covered them packed away. His bed had been neatly made, and the room looked strangely unfamiliar without the small signs of everyday life scattered throughout it.
Castiel stood beside the door.
"Ready?"
David looked around.
He remembered the first time he had entered Room B-17.
He had arrived carrying a bag much like the one resting against his shoulder now, uncertain what kind of roommate he would be sharing the room with.
He certainly hadn't expected Castiel Nightvale.
And he hadn't expected that the stranger occupying the other bed would become one of the most important people in his life.
"Yeah," David answered quietly. "I think so."
Castiel opened the door.
They stepped into the corridor together.
Then Castiel turned and closed it behind them.
The lock engaged with a soft click.
Neither moved.
David stared at the familiar number mounted beside the door.
B-17.
It was such a small thing.
Two letters and numbers marking an ordinary dormitory room.
Yet behind that door were months of memories.
Late-night conversations.
Arguments over assignments.
Exhausted evenings after training.
Laughter that had sometimes continued long after they were supposed to be asleep.
And the quiet moments when neither had needed to say anything at all.
Castiel stood beside him, looking at the same door.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then a familiar voice interrupted them.
"Are you two coming, or are you planning to spend the entire summer staring at a door?"
David turned.
June stood several meters down the corridor with his travel bag slung over one shoulder. Lucian and Mira waited beside him.
"The transports aren't going to wait forever," June continued.
Castiel glanced at him.
"We were having a moment, June."
June looked from Castiel to David, then toward the door.
"With a door?"
"A very meaningful moment."
June sighed.
"Well, tell the door goodbye and move your legs. Some of us would like to get home before we're old enough to retire."
Lucian shook his head.
"You've been waiting for less than five minutes."
"Five minutes I'll never get back."
Mira looked at June.
"You spent longer than that looking for your communicator this morning."
"That was different. It was an emergency."
"It was in your pocket," she replied.
June frowned.
"An extremely well-hidden pocket."
A few quiet smiles passed between them.
David looked once more at the door.
Then he turned away.
"Come on. Let's go."
Together, the five surviving members of Gamma Squad made their way down the corridor.
The dormitory was crowded with departing cadets. Some carried bags over their shoulders, while others dragged wheeled cases behind them. Conversations echoed through the halls as friends exchanged promises to keep in touch.
David recognized several faces from their homeroom.
A few offered greetings as they passed.
He returned them with quiet nods.
They descended the stairs and stepped outside into the morning sunlight.
The Academy grounds stretched before them.
For months, these buildings had been the center of their lives.
The training facilities stood beyond the eastern courtyard, their reinforced walls catching the sunlight. Farther away, the enormous arena rose above the surrounding structures, its observation tiers visible through the gaps between buildings.
David's gaze lingered on it.
He remembered the tournament.
The crowded stands.
The roar of the spectators.
The battles that had pushed him beyond limits he hadn't known he possessed.
Back then, the future had seemed filled with possibilities.
There had been exams to pass, assignments to complete, and places to explore.
He had believed there would be time for everything else.
Time to grow stronger.
Time to understand his abilities.
Time to discover what he wanted his life to become.
Time for Nyra.
His eyes shifted toward the pathway leading to the training grounds.
He could almost picture her walking beside them, her white-blonde hair moving gently in the breeze, the faint pink highlights catching the sunlight.
He remembered the calm way she spoke and the quiet smile that sometimes appeared when June said something particularly ridiculous.
David lowered his gaze.
Beside him, June had been talking about something that happened during their last training session.
He stopped halfway through a sentence.
For an instant, his eyes moved toward the space where Nyra would normally have been walking.
Then he looked ahead again.
Nobody said anything.
They continued through the courtyard together.
The absence remained between them, unspoken but impossible to ignore.
As they approached the main transport terminal, the sound of arriving engines grew louder.
The terminal occupied a broad section near the Academy's outer perimeter. Several platforms extended from the main building, each equipped with boarding gates and identification displays.
Cadets crowded the waiting areas, checking departure information while transport personnel directed them toward their assigned platforms.
Some were laughing excitedly.
Others embraced friends before separating.
A few stood beside their families, already reunited with parents or siblings who had come to collect them.
David watched a younger cadet rush toward a waiting woman.
She dropped her bag and wrapped both arms around him, holding him tightly while he laughed.
For a moment, David couldn't look away.
He wondered what it would have been like if his parents had been waiting for him.
If Lyra had been standing near one of the platforms, waving when she spotted him.
If Dorian had greeted him with that familiar smile and immediately begun asking questions about everything he'd experienced.
David turned his attention toward the departure displays.
Lucian noticed the movement but said nothing.
Instead, he adjusted his bag and glanced toward David.
"So which transport are you taking?"
David looked at him.
"None, actually."
June turned.
"None?"
"I live just outside the city, not too far from the Academy. I figured I'd walk home."
June stared at him.
"Of course you would."
David raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"We survive an entire planetary invasion, barely make it home alive, and your first decision is to go on a hike."
"It's not a hike."
"You're carrying luggage and walking out of the city. That's a hike."
"It's really not that far."
June shook his head.
"That's what people say right before they realize they've made a terrible decision."
Castiel looked at David.
"You sure you don't want to arrange a ride?"
David nodded.
"I'd rather walk."
Castiel studied him for a moment.
Then he gave a small nod.
"All right."
He understood there was probably more behind the decision than David wanted to explain.
And for once, he decided not to argue.
They found a quieter section of the terminal near the departure platforms and waited together.
For a little while, the conversation drifted toward ordinary things.
June complained about the amount of luggage some cadets were carrying.
Lucian wondered whether anyone had remembered to submit their final equipment reports.
Castiel suggested that June's belongings probably consisted entirely of snacks and stolen Academy supplies.
Mira quietly pointed out that June had already eaten most of the snacks.
"You're all very judgmental," June informed them.
"We've had months of practice," Lucian replied.
The conversation brought a little warmth back into the group.
Not enough to erase what had happened.
Nothing could do that.
But enough to remind them that they were still together.
Then a boarding announcement sounded.
Lucian looked toward the nearest display.
"That's mine."
The others turned.
A transport had arrived at the platform, its boarding lights glowing as passengers began forming a line.
Lucian adjusted the strap of his bag.
"Well, I suppose this is where we start saying goodbye."
June sighed dramatically.
"Wonderful. I was hoping we'd all stand here until the Academy reopened."
Lucian gave him a faint smile.
"Try not to cause any international incidents over the summer."
"No promises."
Lucian exchanged farewells with June and Mira before turning toward Castiel.
The two clasped hands, their grip firm.
"Take care of yourself, Nightvale."
"You too, Bloodthrone."
Lucian looked at David last.
For a moment, neither spoke.
They had fought beside one another through battles that would have overwhelmed most cadets their age. They had watched their squad struggle against impossible odds, and they had returned carrying losses neither knew how to put into words.
Lucian extended his hand.
David took it.
"Listen," Lucian said quietly. "I know things aren't going to be easy for a while."
David lowered his gaze.
"Yeah."
Lucian tightened his grip slightly.
"But I want you to remember something. Just because we're going home doesn't mean Gamma Squad is finished."
David looked up.
"We're still a squad," Lucian continued. "And we're still your friends. Whatever happens next, you don't have to face it alone."
David nodded slowly.
"Thanks, Lucian."
Lucian hesitated, then pulled him into a brief embrace.
David returned it.
"Take care of yourself," Lucian said.
"You too."
When they stepped apart, Lucian gave him a reassuring nod.
"I'll be in touch."
"Keep your communicator on," June called.
Lucian glanced toward him.
"I was planning to."
"Good. Because I have a feeling we're going to need someone responsible in our conversations."
Castiel looked at him.
"That rules you out."
"Exactly. I'm glad we're finally understanding each other."
Lucian laughed softly.
Then he lifted his bag and walked toward the boarding gate.
The others watched as he stepped aboard.
A few minutes later, the transport's doors closed, and its engines rose into a steady hum.
It lifted from the platform and moved away from the Academy.
David followed it with his eyes until it disappeared beyond the surrounding buildings.
One gone.
Four remained.
The terminal continued moving around them, indifferent to the quiet change within their little group.
Another transport arrived several minutes later.
June glanced at the display above its platform.
"Well, that's mine."
He adjusted the bag hanging from his shoulder.
"Try not to enjoy yourselves too much without me. I know it'll be difficult, but I'm sure you'll manage."
Castiel folded his arms.
"We'll do our best."
"That's all I ask."
June looked toward Mira.
"Make sure these two don't spend the entire summer being miserable."
Mira regarded him quietly.
"And who's going to make sure you behave?"
June considered the question.
"Honestly? Probably nobody. It's a serious flaw in the system."
A small smile appeared on her face.
June turned toward David.
His familiar grin remained for a moment before gradually fading.
"Hey, David. There's something I've been meaning to tell you."
David looked at him.
"What's up?"
June glanced toward the waiting transport.
For once, he seemed uncertain how to begin.
"You remember that underground ancient city?"
David nodded.
"Of course."
"Yeah. Kind of hard to forget a place that seemed determined to kill us every time we turned a corner."
David managed a faint smile.
June looked down at his bag.
"I've been thinking about that place a lot lately. Everything we went through down there. The ruins, the creatures, all those moments when we had absolutely no idea what was waiting around the next corner."
He paused.
"There were times when I honestly thought we weren't getting out."
David's expression grew serious.
"I know."
June nodded.
"I made a lot of jokes down there."
"You make a lot of jokes everywhere."
"Yeah, well, it's a gift."
He gave a small smile, but it faded quickly.
"The thing is, most of the time I was terrified."
David watched him quietly.
June rarely admitted something like that.
"When things got bad, I didn't know what else to do," June continued. "So I kept talking. Kept making jokes. Figured if I could get someone to laugh, maybe I wouldn't have to think about how scared I was."
He glanced toward the boarding platform.
"But you kept going, David. Even when we had no idea how we were supposed to survive, you kept finding a way forward."
David shook his head.
"We all did."
"Yeah, we did. But there were moments down there when I needed someone to remind me that giving up wasn't an option."
June looked directly at him.
"And you did that."
David felt something tighten in his throat.
June took a slow breath.
"I don't think I ever properly thanked you."
"You don't have to thank me."
"I know. That's why I'm doing it now, before you can argue."
David gave a quiet laugh.
June stepped closer.
"After that underground city, and everything we went through on Kharos Vale, I guess I realized something."
He hesitated.
"I'm really glad we ended up in the same squad."
David looked at him for several moments.
"Me too, June."
June nodded.
Then he extended his hand.
David took it.
Their handshake lasted only a moment before June pulled him into a firm embrace.
"You're my brother, David," June said quietly. "Don't forget that."
David closed his eyes briefly and returned the embrace.
"Never."
For several seconds, neither moved.
When they finally stepped apart, June quickly wiped at the corner of his eye.
"All right, that's enough of that. If anybody tells people I got emotional, I'm denying everything."
Castiel raised an eyebrow.
"Too late. I'm already preparing a detailed report."
"Of course you are. Can't have one heartfelt moment without you ruining it."
June shook his head and turned toward the transport.
"Well, I guess this is where I make my dramatic exit."
He had barely taken a step when Mira spoke.
"June."
He stopped.
"Yeah?"
Mira stood a short distance away, her bag resting against her leg.
For a moment, she seemed uncertain what she wanted to say.
Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
June froze.
His eyes widened slightly, and for once, he seemed completely unable to find something sarcastic to say.
Mira held him tightly.
"I'm going to miss you," she whispered.
June's expression softened.
Slowly, he returned the embrace.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I'm going to miss you too."
Neither moved for several moments.
Throughout their time at the Academy, Mira had always been the quiet one.
She rarely spoke more than necessary, and June had made it something of a personal mission to get a reaction out of her whenever possible.
Sometimes she ignored him.
Sometimes she gave him a look that made it clear she was questioning his intelligence.
And occasionally, when he least expected it, she smiled.
June had come to appreciate those moments more than he ever admitted.
Mira finally stepped back, although her hands lingered briefly on his arms.
"Take care of yourself," she said.
June nodded.
"You too. And don't forget to answer when I call."
"I won't."
"Good. Because if I have to travel halfway across the planet just to annoy you in person, I will."
A small smile appeared on Mira's face.
"I know you will."
June smiled back.
For a moment, he looked as though he wanted to say something else.
Instead, he reached out and gave her hand a brief squeeze.
"See you soon, Mira."
"See you soon, June."
A boarding announcement sounded behind him.
June glanced toward the transport.
"All right. I really do have to go this time."
He lifted his bag and started toward the entrance.
Before stepping aboard, he turned toward David.
"Hey!"
David looked up.
"Yeah?"
June grinned.
"Next time we explore an ancient underground city, I'm voting we stay aboveground."
David couldn't help smiling.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Good. Someone around here needs to start listening to my excellent advice."
June gave them a final wave before disappearing through the boarding gate.
David watched him go.
The underground city had nearly taken their lives.
Kharos Vale had taken someone they loved.
But through everything, they had become more than six cadets assigned to the same squad.
They had become a family.
And even though one of them was no longer there to say goodbye, David knew that would never change.
The transport departed.
Mira stood quietly beside David and Castiel, watching until it disappeared from view.
For a while, none of them spoke.
Then Castiel glanced at the departure display.
"Looks like yours is next, Mira."
She nodded.
"I know."
Her transport arrived a short time later.
Mira lifted her bag and turned toward them.
She looked at Castiel first.
"Take care of yourself."
Castiel gave her a small smile.
"You too. And try not to miss June too much. I'm sure he'll call you before you even get home."
Mira lowered her eyes, smiling faintly.
"He probably will."
Then she turned toward David.
For a moment, she simply studied him.
Mira had never been someone who needed many words to express herself.
David had learned that during their time together.
When she spoke, it was usually because she had something worth saying.
"David," she began quietly, "I know things are difficult right now."
He nodded.
Mira glanced toward the platform before continuing.
"But please don't shut everyone out."
David lowered his gaze.
"We're still here," she said. "Even when we're not standing beside you."
He looked back at her.
"I know."
Mira stepped closer and embraced him.
David hesitated only a moment before returning it.
"Take care of yourself," she whispered.
"You too, Mira."
When they separated, she gave him a small, reassuring smile.
Then she looked toward Castiel.
"Make sure he answers his communicator."
Castiel nodded.
"Believe me, I intend to."
David sighed.
"I'm standing right here."
"We know," Castiel replied.
Mira smiled once more.
Then she picked up her bag and headed toward the boarding gate.
David and Castiel watched as she stepped aboard.
A few minutes later, her transport lifted away from the platform.
And then there were two.
David stood beside Castiel as the terminal continued bustling around them.
They had spent so much time together as part of Gamma Squad that the sudden absence of the others felt strange.
There was no June making sarcastic remarks.
No Lucian offering some practical observation.
No Mira quietly watching the conversation with that familiar expression.
And no Nyra.
David lowered his gaze.
Castiel noticed but didn't comment.
Instead, he shifted his bag to his other shoulder.
"Well, D, looks like it's just us."
David nodded.
"Yeah."
They stood together for several minutes.
Around them, cadets continued boarding transports, their voices blending with the announcements echoing through the terminal.
Eventually, another transport approached.
Castiel glanced toward the identification displayed above the platform.
"Guess that's mine."
David looked at the arriving transport.
"Guess so."
Neither moved immediately.
Castiel adjusted the strap of his bag.
For a moment, he seemed to be searching for something to say.
There were so many things he wanted to tell David.
Things about Kharos Vale.
About his family.
About the conversation he had held the previous night.
But none of those truths belonged in this moment.
Not while David was struggling simply to make it through another day.
Castiel placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Remember what I said this morning."
David looked at him.
"If you need me, you call. Doesn't matter where I am."
"I will, Cass."
"And don't disappear into that house."
David gave a faint smile.
"I'll try not to."
Castiel narrowed his eyes.
"Still not convincing."
"You're really not going to let that go, are you?"
"Not a chance."
David shook his head.
Castiel's expression softened.
"And don't forget. I'm coming to visit."
David looked at him.
"I won't forget."
"Good. I'll let you get settled first. Then we'll figure something out."
"I'll be waiting."
Castiel smiled.
For a moment, he simply looked at his friend.
Then he stepped forward and pulled David into an embrace.
David returned it without hesitation.
Neither spoke for several seconds.
Castiel held him a little tighter.
He remembered the words he had spoken alone in Room B-17.
You're more family to me than anyone back home, D.
You're like a brother to me.
He meant them.
More than David could possibly understand.
"Take care of yourself, D," Castiel said quietly.
David nodded against his shoulder.
"You too, Cass."
When they stepped apart, Castiel gave him one final smile.
"Keep your communicator on."
"I will."
"Good. Because if June starts sending messages every five minutes, I'm not suffering through that alone."
David laughed softly.
"Fair enough."
A final boarding announcement sounded.
Castiel glanced toward the transport.
"Well, I should go."
David nodded.
"Yeah."
Castiel lifted his bag and started toward the boarding gate.
Halfway there, he stopped and looked back.
David was still standing where he'd left him.
Castiel raised a hand.
"See you soon, D."
David returned the gesture.
"See you soon, Cass."
Castiel disappeared into the transport.
David remained beside the platform.
He watched as the boarding doors closed and the engines began to rise.
A few moments later, the transport lifted from the terminal and moved away from the Academy.
David followed it with his eyes until it vanished beyond the distant buildings.
Then he lowered his hand.
The platform felt strangely empty.
Only a short time earlier, Gamma Squad had been standing together, laughing and talking while they waited for their rides.
Now everyone was gone.
Lucian.
June.
Mira.
Castiel.
And Nyra...
David looked toward the place where his friends had been standing.
For a moment, he could almost picture all six of them together again.
June arguing with Castiel.
Lucian shaking his head.
Mira watching quietly.
Nyra standing beside him, smiling at something one of them had said.
He blinked.
The image disappeared.
David stood alone.
The sounds of the terminal continued around him, but they seemed distant now.
He adjusted the strap of his bag and looked toward the Academy gates.
"I guess it's time to go home," he murmured.
Then he started walking.
The terminal gradually fell behind him as he made his way along the broad pathway leading toward the Academy's main entrance.
Cadets continued moving in the opposite direction, hurrying toward their assigned transports.
David passed several groups exchanging final goodbyes.
He heard laughter.
Promises to call.
Plans for the summer.
He wondered how many of them understood how quickly everything could change.
How easily an ordinary goodbye could become the last one.
As he approached the main gates, he slowed.
Beyond them, the city stretched into the distance.
He turned and looked back.
The Academy rose behind him, its towers reaching toward the clear morning sky.
For months, it had been his home.
He had arrived knowing almost no one.
Now he was leaving with friends he considered family.
He had learned to fight.
To survive.
To trust others.
And to love someone.
David's gaze lingered on the distant dormitory buildings.
Somewhere among them was Room B-17.
The place where he and Castiel had become friends.
He looked toward the training grounds.
Then the arena.
Finally, his eyes moved toward the rooftops.
He remembered standing there beneath the Blood Moon.
Remembered the terrible silence that followed when the vision of Nyra disappeared.
David turned away.
He couldn't remain there forever.
The gates opened as he approached, and he stepped beyond the Academy grounds.
The city greeted him with the familiar sounds of morning traffic.
Vehicles moved along elevated roadways, their engines humming above the pedestrian streets. People hurried between shops and transit stations, carrying bags or speaking into communicators as they went about their day.
David walked without rushing.
He knew the route.
He had traveled these streets before, although it felt strange to be moving through them alone.
For the first several blocks, he simply watched the city around him.
A group of children hurried past, laughing as they chased one another along the sidewalk.
A shopkeeper raised the shutters on a small storefront.
Two workers stood outside a café, arguing good-naturedly over something David couldn't hear.
Life continued.
The world hadn't stopped because Nyra was gone.
David understood that.
But part of him still struggled to accept it.
He turned onto a familiar street lined with restaurants, entertainment shops, and brightly colored signs.
Then he saw it.
The arcade.
David slowed.
The building stood on the opposite side of the street, its entrance surrounded by animated advertisements and colorful displays.
He recognized it immediately.
Gamma Squad had spent an evening there before Kharos Vale.
He remembered June insisting he could beat everyone at nearly every game in the building.
Lucian had challenged him.
Castiel had made the situation worse by offering commentary that irritated both of them.
Mira had quietly demonstrated that she was better at several games than any of them expected.
And Nyra...
David stopped walking.
He remembered standing beside her near one of the prize machines.
The stuffed fox.
He could still picture the smile on her face when she won it.
The way she had held it up.
The laughter in her voice.
It had been such a small moment.
One of those ordinary memories that seemed unimportant while they were happening.
Now he would have given almost anything to experience it again.
A group of teenagers emerged from the arcade, laughing as they compared prizes.
One carried a stuffed animal beneath his arm.
David watched them for a moment.
Then he lowered his gaze and continued walking.
He didn't go inside.
He wasn't ready.
Farther along, the streets became less crowded.
David passed a small park where several families had gathered beneath the shade of broad trees.
Children played near a fountain while their parents watched from nearby benches.
A couple walked toward him along the sidewalk.
They looked to be only a little older than he was.
Their hands were intertwined, and the girl was laughing at something her companion had said.
The boy smiled at her.
She leaned closer, resting her shoulder briefly against his arm.
David's steps slowed.
He watched them pass.
For a moment, he imagined what it might have been like to walk through the city with Nyra.
Not as cadets preparing for another assignment.
Not as members of Gamma Squad rushing toward their next obligation.
Just the two of them.
Walking together.
Talking about nothing important.
Holding hands because they wanted to.
He wondered whether they would have done things like that if she had survived Kharos Vale.
Whether they would have spent the summer exploring the city, visiting the arcade again, or simply sitting somewhere quiet and watching the world pass by.
David looked down at his empty hand.
He slowly curled his fingers.
Then he continued walking.
The city gradually changed around him.
The tall buildings became smaller, and the busy commercial streets gave way to quieter residential neighborhoods.
Traffic thinned.
The air carried fewer mechanical sounds, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of birds.
David passed familiar streets he hadn't visited since leaving for the Academy.
A small market stood near an intersection where he remembered stopping with his mother.
Farther along, an old pedestrian bridge crossed a narrow stream.
He remembered walking across it with his father when he was younger, listening as Dorian described distant planets and the strange creatures explorers sometimes encountered.
Back then, David had believed his parents would always return from their missions.
Even when they traveled far beyond Earth.
Even when weeks passed without hearing from them.
He had believed they would come home.
Until they didn't.
David paused on the bridge.
The water moved quietly beneath him, reflecting the sunlight through the gaps between the trees.
He remembered standing here with Dorian, asking questions about the worlds beyond Earth.
His father had answered patiently, describing places David could barely imagine.
David had wanted to see those worlds himself.
He still did.
But now the thought carried a different weight.
He wondered whether his parents were somewhere out there.
Alive.
Waiting.
Or whether he had been holding on to a hope that would never be answered.
He remained beside the railing for a while.
Then he continued.
Beyond the bridge, the houses grew farther apart.
The city was gradually giving way to the quieter outskirts, where broad stretches of grass and trees separated the residential roads.
David recognized the route more clearly now.
Every turn brought another memory.
A corner where he had once fallen from his bicycle.
A narrow path he used to take on his way home.
A tree beneath which he had waited during a sudden summer rainstorm.
Small pieces of a life that felt increasingly distant.
The sun had climbed higher by the time he reached the road leading toward his childhood home.
He slowed.
Ahead, the familiar houses stood beneath the afternoon light, their gardens filled with summer greenery.
The neighborhood looked much as he remembered.
A few fences had been repainted.
Some trees had grown taller.
A neighboring house had a new vehicle parked outside.
But the road itself was unchanged.
David walked along the sidewalk, his bag growing heavier against his shoulder.
Then he saw it.
His house.
He stopped.
For several moments, he simply stared.
The building stood near the end of the road, its familiar roof and windows catching the sunlight.
The front garden had grown slightly wild during his absence, although the house itself remained much as he remembered.
He could see the path leading toward the front steps.
The porch.
The door.
Everything was still there.
David swallowed.
He remembered the morning he had left for the Academy.
Standing outside this very house with his belongings packed, knowing he wouldn't be returning for months.
His parents had already disappeared.
The house had been painfully quiet.
He remembered looking back at the front door, hoping for something impossible.
Hoping that it would open.
That his mother would step outside and tell him to be careful.
That his father would appear behind her, smiling as he offered one last piece of advice.
But the door had remained closed.
And eventually, David had forced himself to walk away.
He had believed leaving was the hardest thing he would ever have to do.
Now he stood on the same road, returning after everything that had happened at the Academy.
He had made friends.
He had found people who cared about him.
He had fallen in love.
And he had lost someone he would never stop missing.
David slowly approached the house.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
He reached the front path and looked toward the windows.
For a moment, he imagined seeing movement inside.
His mother preparing something in the kitchen.
His father sitting in the living room, reading through another exploration report.
He could almost hear their voices.
Then the memory faded.
The windows remained still.
David climbed the front steps.
He stopped before the door, his travel bag hanging from one shoulder.
The familiar entrance stood directly in front of him.
He remembered how difficult it had been to leave this place.
How much courage it had taken to turn his back on the home he had shared with his parents.
Back then, every step away from the house had felt like another admission that they weren't coming back.
But now, standing before the same door, he realized something.
Leaving had meant walking away from the memories of the people he had lost.
Returning meant facing them.
And this time, there was another name among them.
Nyra.
David stood silently for a long moment.
Then he slowly reached for the door.