The night was far from over.
Yet for the first time since the war began, no explosion followed immediately after.
The sky was still riddled with cosmic rifts.
The eyes in orbit continued to watch from above.
The Cosmic Leviathan still loomed in the distance, like a shadow heralding the end of the world.
But at the far end of a nearly broken metal platform—
everything felt a world away.
There was only the wind.
The sea.
And two people trying to hold themselves together.
Arga sat on the edge of the platform, staring at the black waves below.
The golden light surrounding his body had faded. Only faint lines remained across the skin of his hands. Beside him, the MBG Lunchbox lay still, calm for the first time in what felt like forever.
Sinta stood a few steps behind him.
She didn't force him to talk.
She didn't push herself closer.
She simply stayed.
Sometimes, being there for someone mattered more than having the answers.
Several minutes passed in silence.
Then Arga spoke without turning around.
"If all of this is true…"
His voice was hoarse.
"If I'm really not an ordinary human…"
He drew a shaky breath.
"…then why am I still this scared?"
Sinta walked over slowly and sat beside him.
Their shoulders almost touched.
"Because fear doesn't belong only to ordinary humans."
She gazed out at the sea.
"It belongs to anyone who cares."
Arga managed a small smile.
A broken one.
"Your answers always make things sound so simple."
"They aren't."
Sinta offered a faint smile of her own.
"I pretend to be strong a lot, too."
Arga turned toward her.
For the first time that night, he truly looked at her face.
He saw the exhaustion there.
The fear.
The burdens she'd hidden behind her firm voice and steady steps.
"Are you scared, too?"
Sinta let out a soft laugh.
"Every day."
She pointed toward the sky, where countless eyes still watched them.
"Look at that."
Then she gestured toward the dark ocean.
"And look at this."
Finally, she pointed at herself.
"I'm just a girl who's just as confused as everyone else."
Arga studied her for a long moment.
"Then how do you always seem to know what to do?"
Sinta shrugged.
"Because if I panic, too, the rest of you will fall apart even faster."
A small laugh escaped Arga.
Brief.
But genuine.
It was the first time he'd laughed that night.
The wind swept gently past them.
Far away, waves crashed against the ship's hull.
Arga turned his gaze back to the sea.
"I'm angry with Kai."
"That's fair."
"I'm angry with myself, too."
Sinta fell silent for a moment.
Then she answered more softly.
"Don't stay that way for too long."
Arga frowned.
"Why?"
"Because you're not your own enemy."
The words struck deeper than he expected.
Arga bit his lip.
"I don't know who I am anymore."
Sinta turned to face him.
"Do you want to know who you are to me?"
Arga didn't answer.
But his eyes told her he did.
Sinta took a breath.
"You're the first person to step forward when everyone else backs away."
"You keep saving people even when your own body is falling apart."
"You get angry when someone gets hurt."
"You're stubborn."
"And sometimes, you're really annoying."
Arga let out a quiet snort.
Sinta smiled.
"But you're still you."
Silence settled between them once more.
This time, it felt warm.
Arga lowered his head.
His hands clenched over his knees.
Slowly, the shoulders he'd always held so straight began to slump.
"I'm tired, Sin…"
His voice cracked.
The words were barely audible.
Yet they were more honest than any of the shouts he'd let out before.
Sinta didn't answer with words.
She simply moved closer.
Then she rested a hand on his back.
Gently.
Just enough to tell him one thing.
I'm here.
And finally—
Arga cried.
Not loudly.
Not with a scream.
Just silent tears slipping down his face after being held back for far too long.
His first tears since all the chaos began.
Since he'd been forced to be strong.
Since the world had placed its weight on his shoulders.
Sinta didn't try to stop him.
She let him cry until his breathing finally steadied.
The sky above them remained terrifying.
But in that small corner of the world—
there was something stronger than fear.
Someone who chose to stay.
After a while, Arga wiped his face and gave an embarrassed laugh.
"Don't tell Bimo."
Sinta answered immediately.
"Depends."
Arga turned to her.
"On what?"
"If you start being annoying again, I'm selling this story."
Arga laughed, more openly this time.
And that sound felt like a small victory.
But at that very moment—
the MBG Lunchbox beside Arga lit up on its own.
All thirty glowing grains of rice began to spin slowly.
Golden and green-gold light shimmered within the box.
Then—
a soft blue light appeared at its center.
Arga and Sinta exchanged a stunned glance.
Neither of them knew what it meant.
Far above them—
every cosmic eye closed at the same time.
The ocean fell eerily still.
And the entire sea…
held its breath.