A World (Torn) Apart

CHAPTER 1


This is a brief account of my life. Everything faded and turned to dust. It happened so quickly. Then came the cold, cruel darkness. It spared no one. I couldn't see. What was this—pain? Why did it hurt?
Ah...
I…
I don't want to die.

=======

I see the sky. The captivating blue sky. I see it. Why am I looking at the sky? Well, because I'm bored. But anyway, I keep looking at it. It's a pity that unlike other places, there are no clouds in the sky. Even if you say that what's above me is the sky, in fact it's not like that. Even so, I don't care. The sky looks so bright from the narrow balcony of my apartment. I mutter, "If only I had enough money to move." I've always hated the apartment I live in now. I turn my head away from the sky I'm looking at and look into the room, which you could say is clean. Although I doubt anyone else would call it clean.
	“If only I had the motivation to clean, my apartment would look like a luxury hotel.”
	I turned my attention to the wall clock. It was already 8 a.m. I was late. Even though it was normal, being late was not something I could take lightly. With great laziness, I dragged myself to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I took the cheap toothpaste I bought yesterday at the minimarket. I hadn't opened the package yet, and it still had the "80% Off" label on it. I opened the toothpaste package and threw it in the trash can right under the sink that I usually use.
	"Hah, the face of a poor person," I muttered before putting the equally cheap toothbrush in my mouth. Then I continued by washing my face. I looked at myself in the mirror. "Maybe I should cut it," I muttered while combing my hair. I muttered to myself. Did I really need to cut it? Even if I did, what hairstyle would suit me? Yesterday I read a magazine and I was actually interested in cutting my hair in a bob style. But many hairstyles crossed my mind. I shook my head, drying my face with a towel. As I walked towards the closet, I muttered, "Do I even have enough money to go to the salon?"
	I immediately put on my underwear. I took the school uniform that I had put on the hanger. I put my very happy and excited self into the uniform that I had never worn before. The uniform consisted of a plain white shirt covered with a light brown blazer. I looked at myself in the mirror near the closet. After taking a good look, I realized the uniform was actually very nice. I thought I would look ugly wearing it. "Ah, I haven't put on the bow tie yet," I said as I put on the bow tie that I hadn't worn yet. I grabbed the bag I had placed near the bed and hurried to the front door. There, I put on my loafers and headed out. Before leaving, I looked back at the contents of the apartment I lived in. "It's still a little messy. Maybe I'll clean it up later after I get home from my part-time job." I stood up and stepped out of the door of my apartment. Again, the light was blinding. Actually, I really hated going out. Why? Because it was too bright.
And not only that, I am generally a very lazy person when it comes to activities. And the only reason I still want to leave the apartment I call home to go to school is so that I can get an education. That's right, readers, I want to get an education! I want to be smart! And I don't want to stay here for long. That's generally how it is. Ah, damn. It turns out that I was unconsciously moving like an idiot. It seems that my monologue was followed by exaggerated body movements. And the worst part was that my neighbor saw it. "Ah, sorry to disturb you," said the person, then went back into his apartment after seeing my movements.
“Wait! I didn’t mean to!”
My face looked anxious. Did he think I was crazy? Was I crazy? Do sane people talk to themselves? But more than that, why did I just stand there and stare blankly without noticing that time had passed and it was almost 9 o'clock? "Oh no, I'm going to be late," I said to myself after pulling out my cell phone and looking at the clock on the screen. This is bad, I might be late. I quickly got up and headed toward the apartment elevator. Down to the ground floor. Once I arrived, I hurried out the apartment door. There, I covered my face from the glare of the sky.
“Turns out I really will be late,” I said after seeing the fake sky.



CHAPTER 2

I realized that I was careless. Irresponsible. I ran hastily. Every step I took felt like my last breath. What was I thinking? School started at 9 a.m. and I was still relaxing and daydreaming when I should have been rushing and not wasting my precious time. I ran past towering skyscrapers. The buildings were majestically constructed. The architecture was neat and elegant. Even so, the skyscrapers were insignificant compared to the number of buildings as far as the eye could see. The buildings were like plants growing upwards in search of light.
But the light source was fake.
	I had arrived at the train station. Coincidentally, a train had just arrived. If I had to describe this train station, I could describe it in two words: ordinary. Even so, this ordinary-looking station was crowded with people. And there were quite a lot of them. A lot. Many people were entering and exiting the station and the train that had just arrived. They all must have had their own busy schedules. I swiped the train card I took out of my bag. It worked immediately. I hurried towards the train platform before the train doors closed tightly. I saw several career men and women getting on and off the train. Although they didn't look gloomy, they had blank expressions on their faces. I also saw several schoolchildren like me. All kinds. I saw some high school girls chatting. I eavesdropped. What? What do you mean eavesdropping is rude? I was just looking for reference material. Who knows, maybe they were talking about something interesting. It was just entertainment.
	"Did you see yesterday's news?" said the girl with short hair. Nodding, her friend—I'll call her the misguided candidate with long blonde hair and a striking style—replied, "Yes, I was shocked myself. The big explosion in the colony is unbelievable."
	“Ah, which building exploded in the news yesterday?” replied the girl with short hair.
	Shaking her head, the blonde replied, "Not a building, Rika. The explosion in the news looked like it was from the colony's airlock."
	"Seriously? That's dangerous, isn't it?" she said in surprise.
	"Yes, I heard they are in the process of repairing it. But in the meantime, the Velga Colony has been evacuated."
	Hmm. So it was a story about another colony. Well, even though it sounded worrying, I was still grateful that nothing strange had happened in the colony where I currently lived. It's a safe place. Many people want to enter this colony. Haahh. I exhaled in disappointment. They seemed to be discussing another topic, and I began to lose interest. I have a very short attention span. I turned to look out the train window. It was so peaceful. The city was magnificent. I looked up at the sky again. A fake sky. Instead of the normal sky that people used to see in the past, I see buildings. Not clouds, but buildings facing upside down. Just for your information. Right now, I exhale and am pulled down by gravity, which was originally created by human hands.
 I live in a colony. More precisely, a space colony. The sky I see every day is not the real sky, but upside-down buildings that look small. This colony is cylindrical in shape. In the scientific world, people call it the O'Neil Cylinder. The gravity it produces is not due to the large mass of the colony. Rather, it is due to the rotation of the colony.  Even though the sky shows upside-down buildings, there are gaps built so that sunlight can be reflected towards the colony. Even day and night in this colony are not real. They are only effects of the colony's rotation.
I stared at the sunlight reflected by the giant mirror. I wondered why people didn't live on planets like the people of Earth did. What were my predecessors thinking when they decided to leave Earth and live in a space colony that could be destroyed at any moment?
I heard the train's loudspeaker. They announced that the train would arrive at the next station. That was the station where I had to get off. I immediately stood up and approached the train door. After a soft squeak, the train stopped and the doors opened. I got off the train and moved out of the station. I hurried. The station where I got off was close to school. And you still ask why I'm always late? Well, because I always underestimate time. I thought that if my house was close to school, I would always be on time and be labeled as a diligent and well-behaved child. Wow, what a beautiful fantasy. How could I bear the embarrassment if I became a model student? Without realizing it, after daydreaming again, I was already in front of the school gate. I saw people wearing the same uniform as me. It looked crowded. And luckily, I wasn't late and the gate wasn't closed yet. My hand reached into the pocket of my skirt.
Hm?
Where’s my phone? I thought I put it in my pocket. Did I put it in my bag? I frantically searched for the phone I was supposed to bring. But I was also faced with a more serious problem. My wallet wasn’t in my bag either. Annoyed, I muttered.
“Seriously?”



CHAPTER 3

No way.
	How could two important things that support my life suddenly disappear like that? Wait, did they fall out when I was on the train? I did open my phone on the train. How could they be gone? Especially my wallet!
	What should I do? I clearly don't have any money left to buy a new phone. My frustration boiled over and I stomped my feet on the ground repeatedly. Although I didn't realize it, many people passed by and stared at me strangely.
	“Oh, you want to be a wrestler now, Mio?”
	I turned around. Ah, there she was. The girl with the shoulder-length ponytail sarcastically commented on my angry outburst.
	“Good morning, Linda.”
	As I mentioned earlier, she was one of my few friends. She always had a cheerful face, but for some reason, she always teased me sarcastically. You could say she often played pranks on me.  Her smile annoyed me a little.
	With a slightly mocking tone, she responded, "Why are you angry so early in the morning? Do you want to age quickly?"
	I explained the situation I was in to Linda. She listened while trying to hold back her laughter. "So your cell phone and wallet were stolen at the same time? How unlucky is your life?" As we walked towards the classroom, I glared at her. We passed through the crowded school hallway. Many students had also just arrived at school and were rushing to their respective classrooms. Linda opened her mouth again, "So, what are you going to do? Are you going to look for them now? I don't think you'll find them." She said it casually, and without realizing it, my hand was already clenched into a fist, ready to punch her.
	"Hey, hey, calm down, I'm just kidding. You shouldn't worry. The colony's Security Bureau should have secured the items left on the train." I looked at her with a doubtful gaze. I wasn't sure if what she said was just sarcasm.
	I snapped, "How can you be sure my phone and wallet weren't stolen?" Hearing this, he just shrugged. "I don't know, maybe," he said. With a deadly stare, I looked at him again and pulled his shirt. But he just laughed. I puffed out my cheeks and shook his body repeatedly.

=====

Class was in session. The woman who called herself a history teacher was explaining something boring. The words that came out of her mouth usually only made me sleepier. But today was a special day. Yes! A special day! The day when the two things I loved disappeared just like that. Since the first lesson, I had been thinking too much about the fate of my cell phone and wallet. I wasn't too worried about the contents of my wallet because I didn't have any cash in it and I was used to using my cell phone to pay for my daily needs. The problem was that my cell phone was also missing. Sitting by the window, I could only sigh.
“Hey Suzuhara….”
Should I just skip class? Besides, lunch break is coming up soon. But will anyone come looking for me?
“Hey….”
Ah, but how can I sneak out of school without being noticed? What if I go out the back? Or I could go out the front gate and say I have family matters to attend to. Wait, my family doesn't exist anymore. My head was spinning, and I started to lose hope. What if I just fly away—
Without realizing it, a piece of chalk flew and hit my head.
"Hey, asshole, when the teacher calls your name, listen, you idiot." The whole class held back their laughter. It turned out that the teacher had been calling my name. Luckily, Linda was in a different class. If she had been in the same class as me, she would have been laughing her head off.
Surprised, I responded, "Ah, yes!" After scolding me, he asked the question he had wanted to ask earlier. Teasing me, of course.
"You're awake now, right? Well, as I asked earlier, explain why the Procyon Confederation declared its independence."
Ah, that again. A question that everyone in all the colonies surely knows the answer to. A very easy question and at the same time a great tragedy that no one who has ever lived in this colony will ever forget.
"A number of colonies in the Procyon solar system declared their independence from the Earth Commonwealth. This was because the Earth Commonwealth continued to treat the colony residents as trash and continued to exploit them without giving them representation in the Commonwealth government or sharing the profits from the exploitation of the planets in the Procyon solar system."
“Ah, a good answer. Next… Jun.”
The teacher turned his attention to another student. After standing up to answer, I sat back down. The question was indeed very easy. But it was a very painful question. This colony was hardly affected when all that happened. Five years ago, the great war ended. Many colonies were destroyed and left in ruins. As you might guess, I am not from this colony. I am a refugee from another colony that was destroyed. From a colony where I saw people I loved die just like that.
The place where my family was forcibly taken from me.


CHAPTER 4

	Every night, I always remember that day. In my dreams, I always have the same dream. The day I lost my father. It was nighttime in the colony. The city was shrouded in darkness and decorated with the colors of lights shining from tall buildings. In fact, the buildings towering upside down in the sky looked like brightly shining stars. However, I knew that every "star" I saw contained people who were just living their lives. Even so, that night was not silent. Smoke was everywhere. The sounds of crying and screaming echoed throughout the colony, which was thousands of kilometers in size. There was chaos everywhere. Earth's armed forces attacked the colony that had declared independence. I saw many people running to save themselves. That's when a herd of animals appeared, taking advantage of the situation for their own interests. They looted building after building. The apartment where I used to live with my family was also not spared from their greed. My father was seen nailing the door shut with wood. I saw him, who was usually so enthusiastic, now shrouded in worry and anxiety. My father had heard the screams coming from inside our apartment. He dared to confront anyone who tried to enter our home.
	“Dad, what’s happening?” I asked at the time.
	"It's okay, dear. Dad is just playing hide and seek with the neighbors. The rule is that Dad can't be found. So go to your room, okay? Don't let them find you," he said firmly but worriedly. I knew Dad was lying at that moment because he didn't want me to worry. At that time, I innocently believed my father's words. I believed that it was just a normal game of hide and seek. I happily hid under the bed. But then there was a loud bang. The door was forced open from the outside. Several gunshots were heard. One, two shots were fired. The sound of a large object collapsing was followed by moans of pain. Then the final shot was heard, and the moans stopped immediately.
	It was Dad.
	“Take everything of value! It seems there’s a lot we can take. Turns out they’re rich.”
	At that moment, my joy of playing hide-and-seek turned into overwhelming fear. I immediately realized.
	Father had lied.
	For my sake.
	I heard the sound of furniture being ransacked. The sound of objects falling and being scattered. Then my bedroom door opened. There was a man checking my room. My fear grew even more intense. I didn't know what to do. I just froze under the mattress, unable to do anything. I saw him holding a bright flashlight.
At that moment, the man shone his light under the bed. He saw me. I didn't know what to do. But one thought crossed my mind.
I wasn't ready to face death.
“No—no…” I tried in vain to break free as he dragged me and took me to the room where my father lay lifeless.
“Boss, there’s a kid. Looks like the daughter of that man,” said the man in the white shirt.
The man's boss turned around. He had a fierce face. Even so, he looked young. About the same age as my father. There was a large scar on his face. He replied with a snort, "Damn. Why is there a kid here at a time like this? Just leave him alone. He can't do anything. Damn, why is this happening? Let's just go."
"B–But boss…."
“What do you want to say?” he replied. The man’s subordinates quickly left our apartment.
The man in the white shirt released my hand, and I immediately crawled toward my father’s lifeless body. With a quiet sob, I whispered, “Papa…?”
“Papa…. The game of hide and seek is over. Wake up, Papa….”
I cried and whined. A child who didn't know how to deal with his own father's body being killed by someone else.
“I’m sorry” said the boss of the man in the white shirt.
=========

I woke up.

I turned to the side and checked my cell phone on the small table near the bed. It was still 2 a.m. But I couldn't sleep anymore. Cold sweat ran down my body. That dream again. How many times have I experienced it? Why couldn't I just forget what happened then? Why did I have to remember it over and over again for no reason?
Without realizing it, I fell asleep still wearing my school uniform. I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. I filled the bathtub with hot water and waited, staring blankly. Once it was full, I took off my clothes and washed myself. Warm water flowed freely from the showerhead.
Empty.
All of this felt comfortable.
However, none of it mattered after the dream I just had. After finishing my shower, I immediately soaked in the bathtub I had prepared earlier. My whole body felt warm. I was completely submerged except for my head and knees. I always thought about that.
I really wanted to forget what happened that day. But every moment, I was always drawn to remember that dark past. How could God be so cruel as to punish me by making me remember it? At that moment, a thought crossed my mind. Even though I knew it would only make the people around me sad, that thought always crossed my mind after the dream was replayed over and over again at night.
I submerged my mouth into the bathtub.
I wanted to forget it.
That tragedy.
That night.
I must forget it.
Forever.

CHAPTER 5

"So your phone and wallet really fell on the train?" Linda said in a muffled voice. We are currently in the ruins of the Renault colony. This colony is very large. I was still stunned when I entered the ruins of the colony with the spaceship. We are in the maintenance room. I heard Linda checking the junk left behind in this colony. She was humming cheerfully. I saw her putting junk electronics into her carry-on box.
Scratching my head, I replied, "That's right. It did fall out of the train seat. As for the wallet, I still don't know how it got there."
"Is that true?" she asked with a grin.
"Yes, it is! I thought it would be lost and I would have to buy a new one. It turns out that the security office can be relied on. Then..." I stopped before continuing my words. I felt a little embarrassed.
With a mischievous smile, he said, "Then......" I hated it when he smiled like that. I knew he was just teasing me. Embarrassed, I pursed my lips and said, "I'm sorry I got angry yesterday."
Without turning his head and focusing on searching for junk, he said, “Why were you angry?”
“I shouldn’t have gotten angry when you gave me advice after my wallet and phone were lost on the train here. Turns out reporting it to the security office did help.”
He smiled and looked at me. This was the first time I saw him smile sincerely. It was different from usual. Usually, his smile always had the intention of teasing me. "Well, that's what friends are for. Sailing helps. Besides—"
What? She said that sincerely? Impossible. Her smile did look genuinely sincere. The face I usually hated because she liked to tease me now looked radiant and charming after I looked closely. Damn. This girl is really beautiful. All this time you’ve had a friend this beautiful.
“Besides, your anger is also entertaining.”
Ah, there she is.
That’s the one I know. I, who was annoyed, immediately rushed towards her, and she skillfully dodged like a professional athlete.
“Ahaha, you missed.”
Due to the lack of gravity in the ruins of this colony, I jumped and slid repeatedly, trying to catch her. She dodged very quickly. I was sweating and panting.
“What’s the matter? Don’t dodge.”
“I told you, your anger is more entertaining.”
This girl—
“Ah, I have to go back to the ship to load the items I’ve collected. It’s already full. Bye—♪♪”
This girl. Where does she get her energy from? She likes to tease me every chance she gets. Even though I'm annoyed, I refocused on picking up any scrap items I could find.
Speaking of junk, this is my side job. Basically, I'm a scavenger. In a massive abandoned colony, there are many things you can take for free. Even the confederation authorities pay a lot of junk collectors to retrieve usable technology from abandoned colonies. I'm one of them. I've been doing this since I fled to this colony.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that the colony I lived in before was the Shinzon colony. Sorry, viewers, I forgot.
By the way, I get paid well here. Technically. I only get paid well if the items I find are of good value.  Even so, I only have two days of free time. Plus, there are fewer and fewer items to take. You could say that this abandoned colony is almost a skeleton. Although there are still some intact parts, the zone is a little dangerous. Not because of the "environment" there. But because of other scavengers. It's common knowledge that there is a cartel that restricts ordinary people like me from scavenging valuable items in the colony. It's really unbelievable. That's why Linda and I can only take whatever items we can find.
Isn't that stealing?
If the government allows it, can it still be called stealing?
I found some old computer modules. "Wow, these used to be expensive," I said. Even before the colony collapsed, they were already obsolete. Not very valuable on the commercial market. Too old. But they are very much needed by space travelers who need machines with high stability. Some used cables, a coffee machine, pencil boxes, wheelchairs—
“How can these be sold for such a high price! These items are useless!”
I shouted again into the emptiness of the colony ruins, kicking the metal wall, “Why play monopoly anyway? If the general public can participate, why form cartels that lead to murder? It’s a hassle. Die!”
“Aaaaah, if that’s the case, your leg might break, Mio. At least we can sell the metal, right?”
It turned out Linda was already on the short cliff. Right behind me. I muttered, “How long have you been there?”
With a smile, she said to me confidently and gave me a thumbs up, “Two minutes before you started kicking that wall for no reason.”
With an annoyed and irritated tone, I said, “Then help me carry the stuff I just found to the ship. Instead of just standing there!”
“Geez, you’re so mean.”
He pouted his lips as if he had never been wrong. Even so, he still came down towards me. "Actually, if you weren't so grumpy, you would look more..."
His words trailed off.
Curious, I said, “What’s wrong? You–”.
"Don't move. Something's strange." Hm? What's strange? What exactly is strange? Her face looked pale even though she was wearing a windproof jacket. I've never seen Linda this serious before. "Watch out!" Before I could say anything, a loud noise accompanied by a hissing sound passed by my head. What was that? Why did Linda push me backwards?
A bullet.
A bullet nearly hit both of us. And on the other side, there was someone wearing a black coat with smoke coming out of the barrel of their pistol.
That person was trying to kill us.


CHAPTER 6

"Damn, why now?"
His breath was labored. The whistling sound of the bullet echoed through the air, moving so quickly. We sprinted to find cover. But the bullet was too fast, and I nearly got hit several times. What happened next was that we managed to find shelter behind an iron wall with unkempt cables hanging above it. Linda took out her gun. She tried to return fire. But she didn't have time to see where the person was shooting from. He just disappeared. But the agile Linda pointed to one of the nearby walls.
“He’s from there,” she said.
I immediately peeked at the wall and sure enough, the barrel of the gun appeared and pointed at me. I immediately pulled myself back and stopped peeking. After the man stopped shooting, Linda fired back three times. "Hey, you bastard! This is a free zone. Get lost!" The humorous Linda now looked more like a cool person as she held the gun and shouted. Her expression, which had been full of smiles, was now filled with anger that could not be described in words.
Ignoring Linda, the man continued to fire one, two shots. I had been frozen in place, unable to do anything. Unlike Linda, who knew how to use a gun properly, I only had a folding knife, which couldn't even be considered a self-defense weapon powerful enough to counter a gun with a much wider range of attack. Linda looked at me, "We have to get back to the ship immediately."
But how? The man was right in front of our ship’s wall.
I muttered, “That’s not a good idea.”
Of course, that’s true.
“What does he want?” I muttered.
With a worried tone, Linda opened her mouth. "I don't know. I don't know what he wants. Maybe what we've taken."
"But if he wanted what we had, he would have entered our ship and taken it himself. He wouldn't have bothered shooting his gun at us."
Linda drew a logical conclusion, “Maybe he wants what we’re carrying in our box now.”
"Then let's just run." Before I could process her words, Linda had already pulled me back and started running. We jumped nimbly. The sound of bullets whizzing by grew quieter as we ran. Because this colony's ruins had no gravity, we could move quickly. But the person who had been shooting at us was also following us. The part of the colony we were currently in was shaped like a maze. There were many holes in the rooms that connected to the previous rooms. We saw a small hole and a cupboard in front of us. Without thinking twice, we immediately tilted and knocked over the cupboard after we entered the hole. Linda shot at the person again before we left the hole. The hole led to the cafeteria. It seemed that this place was once used by the colony maintenance crew for their lunch break. I could see the remains of food and drinks that looked like they had been left there. While floating, I looked back. It seemed that he had stopped following us. The gunfire stopped. We continued to float slowly in the now silent cafeteria. Linda checked her gun again, making sure she was ready if there was still danger. I looked around, seeing messy chairs and tables, signs that a battle or chaos had taken place here.
We decided not to leave the cafeteria too quickly. Several hours passed in silence, accompanied only by the beating of our hearts and the sound of our slow breathing. The man did not reappear, and the gunfire had completely stopped. When we felt the situation was safe, we slowly left the cafeteria, but for the time being we would take a detour to ensure our safety.
“Damn it.”
I looked at Linda with a questioning gaze. She seemed to be in pain. At that moment, I realized that Linda was pressing her stomach. Her trembling hands showed that she was in pain. Cold sweat was pouring down her face. She put on a smile to hide the pain and opened her lips.

“Aah… Mio. I think I’ve been shot.”





















CHAPTER 7

Sweat poured down my body. My body sped far into this abandoned colony. I felt a great fear. I checked the map that appeared on my arm like a watch. The place that was supposed to have medical supplies was only a few kilometers away. I was in a hurry. Without realizing it, I crashed into an iron wall. I fell and sprawled on the ground. But adrenaline told me otherwise. Without thinking twice, I immediately got up and slid again. I only had one goal now. To find a medkit. A medkit is an all-in-one medical kit that is a standard item in a space colony.
Amidst the rubble and dark narrow corridors, I had to stay focused. The sound of my footsteps echoed, interspersed with the sound of my pounding heart. Every now and then I stopped to listen, making sure there was no danger lurking. However, the pain from the fall began to set in, but I refused to give up.
The map on my arm continued to guide me, showing the distance decreasing little by little. I knew that without that medkit, Linda's injuries could become a major threat to her life.
I wanted her to survive.
I wanted her to be safe.
The image of Linda in pain made me even more hasty. I quickened my pace, even though every breath felt heavy and every step made my wounds ache. The sound of my heartbeat echoed in my ears, like a warning that time was passing and danger could come at any moment. However, thoughts of Linda gave me additional strength. In the next narrow corridor, I stopped for a moment, listening carefully. Silence, only silence greeted me. I continued my journey carefully, making sure not to make too much noise so as not to attract the enemy's attention.
The map on my arm now shows that I am getting closer. A red door with a faint medical symbol painted on its surface is visible at the end of the hallway. I wipe the sweat from my forehead and touch the wound on my arm, which is getting more and more painful. I can't be late. With a little push, I open the door and enter a room full of medical equipment and emergency supplies. In the middle of the room, there is a large, worn but complete medkit. I lift it with trembling hands and immediately open the lid.
As I began to open the box, my fastest footsteps were halted by the sound of footsteps clearly approaching from the hallway outside the room. My heart immediately began to race, and I quickly closed the medkit box. But it was too late. At the entrance stood a figure in a black coat with a hood, walking slowly.
It was the same person from before.
The one who had shot Linda.
The one who had nearly killed her.
Without thinking twice, I immediately pointed my gun at him. This gun belonged to Linda. Linda had entrusted her gun to me before I went to look for this medkit. "What do you want, you bastard?" I said, my hand trembling as I held the gun. The man also pointed his gun at me. For a second or two, he didn't say a word. Silence. No sound came out of his mouth.
My emotions peaked. "Talk, you bastard! Do you know what you've done? What kind of trash are you that you have to endanger other people's lives?" Hearing that, he stopped pointing his gun at me. Without warning, he stepped towards me. "Hey, DON'T COME CLOSER!"
That's when he took off his hood and black mask, revealing his face. The image before my eyes made my blood run cold. His face was exactly like mine, as if a living mirror had stepped out of the darkness of my past. I froze, staring at that face with a mixture of fear and confusion. It was exactly like mine.
Who was he?
He sighed deeply, "It's not what you think. I'm here to protect something bigger than the two of us." I wanted to believe him, but everything that had happened was hard to believe. Suspicion and fear still ruled me. He took a step forward. Without realizing it, he pointed his gun at me again. With a quick reflex, I immediately pointed my gun at him.
He opened his mouth, “This is so others won’t get hurt because of you.”
Within seconds, two shots were fired.





CHAPTER 8

	My vision blurred.
	My body feels very weak. What happened? Oh right, I got shot. Mio must be trying to find a medkit in the colony. Aah... why does it have to be like this? It hurts so much. I can only lie there, unable to do anything.
My heart is beating faster and faster, wrapped in anxiety that continues to gnaw at my mind. I'm worried about what will happen to me. Mio secured me in a small room. In this room, there is only dim lighting and a tightly closed window.
Through the window, I can see a large shining object: the star Procyon. It's so beautiful. Seeing it makes me forget the pain in my stomach. I wonder if Mio found the tool? Is Mio having trouble? And most importantly, is Mio safe?
Those thoughts kept making my head spin. I didn't want anyone else to put themselves in danger just for me. I felt useless. I couldn't even protect my friend and ended up getting shot like this. Ah, I'm useless. The pain and guilt fought in my heart, making me feel even more fragile.
The light of the Procyon star was blinding.
My body feels weaker by the minute.
Is this the end of everything? Will I die?
At least I want to get married first, damn it.
Will I die here?
As my body was about to give up, the weakness and pain that bound me felt increasingly burdensome. My breath was short and heavy, my vision began to blur as darkness slowly crept in quickly. I felt as if I were about to fall into a bottomless abyss, a place full of despair. However, suddenly the sound of the hatch door opening was clearly heard from outside the small room. The sound echoed faintly, but it was enough to spark a little hope in my mind that was almost extinguished. One by one, footsteps followed the opening of the door. It felt like the world around me stopped for a moment, and I felt the pulse of life beginning to return. The sound was like a promise. A promise that I was not alone, that someone was coming for me, to save me.
My body, which was barely able to move, trembled slightly with the hope that was beginning to grow. I tried to gather what little strength I had left, waiting for the arrival of the person who would take me out of the shadows of danger and pain. My breathing improved as the sound of the door grew closer, and I knew I had to stay strong, just a little longer, in order to survive and be reunited with Mio. The sound of footsteps grew closer, and behind the door I saw the shadow of a familiar figure—Mio. Her face was filled with concern but firm, showing that she brought strong spirit and purpose.
She entered the room quickly, carrying a complete medkit in her hands. Seeing my weak and severely injured condition, she immediately took control of the situation without wasting any time. Deftly, Mio began to unwrap the bandages and clean my gunshot wounds, even though I was still in a lot of pain and moaning. I tried to moan a little, but Mio's hand gripped my arm firmly.
“Shut up, you idiot,”
I fell silent. Even though the pain was still sharp, I knew Mio knew what she was doing. Her treatment was quick and precise, making the sharp pain subside a little. Mio continued to inject medicine and bandage my wounds with focus. Her gaze never left me, as if reminding me to stay strong.
Afterward, she helped me walk toward the ship. The wound I had suffered still hurt, and the pain flowed strongly without stopping. I tried to endure the pain. With a smile, I opened my lips, “Ah, Mio, thank you. I… don’t know what to say.”
He remained silent.
He didn't respond to the words I had just spoken. He supported my shoulder and guided me step by step. He seemed more serious than usual. And I looked at his face. I could see tears welling up in his eyes.
"Aaah... Mio, you're so kind. I'll buy you ice cream later."
When we arrived at the ship, Mio laid me down on the ship's folding bed. Mio moved towards the cockpit. But I knew he couldn't fly this ship. But I saw him typing a command into the ship's computer. After a few minutes, he seemed to be finished. After that, he immediately walked towards me. He approached and held my hand.
"You're okay, right? Silly," she said, looking away from me. That was the Mio I knew. She was shy like that even though she was worried. "Of course I'm okay. Thanks to you."
But what happened next surprised me. He injected something into me. Without saying a word, he walked out the ship's door. I didn't know what he was thinking. I tried to get up, but my body wouldn't move.
My face wrinkled in confusion, “Hey, Mio! What are you doing? Hey, Mio!”
He only replied with one sentence before the ship’s hatch closed.

"This is for our mutual good. For everyone's good."
				The End (?)