The base, bustling quietly with the final preparations—soldiers checking magazines, loading vehicles, receiving last-minute medical kits—was suddenly seized by an abrupt, metallic shriek.
"ATTENTION. ALL PERSONNEL. REPEAT: ATTENTION. ALL PERSONNEL."
The voice of Rei, amplified and slightly distorted, boomed through the network of speakers embedded in the cold concrete tunnels and halls.
Hina was still staring at the ceiling in her room with a dark , malicious grin on her face, thinking about something.
She didn't care about Rei's voice, but she also knew that she had no other choice to listen.
Akira, currently securing her sniper rifle into its transport case, froze completely, her breath held tight.
The anticipation hung thick and heavy, a palpable substance pressing against every soldier, every spy, every criminal in the underground facility.
This was it.
The point of no return.
Rei's voice continued, sharp and final:
"REPORT IMMEDIATELY TO THE MAIN HALL. ALL COMMANDERS AND UNIT LEADERS. I WILL NOW DETAIL THE FINAL PLAN FOR THE DAWN STRIKE."
The sound faded, replaced by the frenetic rush of footsteps as "hundreds" of people, weapons in hand, began sprinting toward the main assembly area.
Hina's eyes narrowed, her focus absolute.
She wasn't thinking of Kai's kiss now, she was focused on another thing.
She was thinking of the man who had just spoken.
"You've already lost, Rei." Hina repeated in her mind.
She took a slow, deep breath, thinking that she would win no matter what.
Hina slowly rose from the bed, the malicious smile vanishing, replaced by a mask of cold, controlled professionalism.
The metal floor was icy under her bare feet, a sharp reminder of the sterile, ruthless world she navigated.
"You've already lost, Rei," she murmured again, her voice an almost imperceptible hiss. It wasn't a threat, but a statement of fact.
She possessed the passion—her singular, lethal love for Kai—combined with the precision that Rei mistakenly thought he alone commanded.
Her mind was already bypassing the plan, sketching alternative lines of fire and escape routes.
Hina opened the closet and noticed a lot of equipment, such a s a combat uniform, a custom weapon and a lot of knives.
She dressed quickly, pulling on her dark, flexible combat uniform with expert motions, every snap and every zipper a precise, automatic gesture.
She secured the custom pistol to her thigh holster, a weapon she knew as well as her own hand.
She didn't need to check the mirror; she knew her eyes had reverted to pure steel, the deadly calm that Sabushi had taught her and that Kai had learned to love and fear.
Exiting the room, she merged into the frantic flow of soldiers pouring into the main corridor.
No one dared to approach her or speak.
Her aura was a silent deterrent.
As Hina headed toward the Main Hall, her gaze fleetingly met Akira's.
Akira was standing still, not running, clutching the rigid case of her sniper rifle to her chest.
Her red eyes, visible beneath the eye patch, conveyed profound weariness.
There was a subtle, almost invisible exchange of understanding: We are in this mess together, but only until the end.
---
When the alert echoed everywhere, Kai was still in his room.
He didn't even take a shower.
He was covering his head with the pillow, not wanting to see anything.
His face and clothes were still dirtied by blood.
So, when he heard Rei's voice, he immediately stood up and took a shower in minutes.
But despite that, the feeling that he was "forgetting" something still lingered deep into his mind.
He was full of unanswered questions, but the one he was asking the most was "Who am I?".
Not long time ago Kai was living a peaceful life, but now... he was on the verge of being a criminal.
All of that for what? Love? Who knows.
From the first time when he met Hina, he felt something way deeper than just attraction.
He couldn't explain why he was feeling so attached to her.
But Hina's past words echoed in his mind.
"You're just like me..." That's what he understood from her, and that would explain why he could never leave her side.
After the shower, Kai rapidly dried his hair, changed clothes into something more "Casual" and rapidly walked out, in order to reach the main hall.
He also felt the necessity of talking with Hina about everything that happened in the wall and the thing he felt afterwards.
For some reason, Kai had the sensation that Hina would've got the perfect answer...