"I want to tell you all that I'm proud. That we won. That their sacrifice was worth it."
He paused, the folio pressed against his chest.
"But pride feels hollow when I look at these markers. When I read these names—five hundred fifty-nine defenders who aren't here anymore. When I think about all the conversations we'll never have, all the futures that were taken."
He walked among the markers, his clawed hand touching the wood as he referenced the casualty report.
"Five hundred fifty-nine dead across five days of war. Nearly a thousand total casualties. Days One through Three cost us one hundred sixty-two lives. Day Four—when the Fallen Heroes were unleashed—cost us two hundred eighty-seven more. Day Five took eighty-seven. And even after reinforcements arrived, twenty-three more fell in the final push."
Satou's voice carried the weight of each number he'd just read.
