One day after the incident
Arthur lay in bed, his body still heavy with pain and the exhaustion of the last battle. His breathing was slow, almost imperceptible, as if the world outside was part of his dream.
Hanna entered the room silently. She approached slowly, and upon seeing him still asleep, she noticed in his half-open hands a crumpled piece of paper and a cellphone... the same ones Darian had been carrying.
With care, she removed the items from his fingers and cast one last glance before leaving, closing the door gently behind her.
She went downstairs and walked to where Alice was sitting, then sat beside her.
"Feeling any better?" Hanna asked, not hiding the slight sarcasm in her voice.
"I'm alive, aren't I? That's more than I expected," Alice muttered, not even lifting her eyes.
...
The silence between them said more than any words. There was still a haze of distrust in Alice's eyes... and a discreet apathy from Hanna. Neither of them was willing to let it take over, at least not for now.
Alice noticed the items in Hanna's hands and raised an eyebrow, curious.
"Is that Arthur's...?" Alice asked, one eyebrow arched. "Or did he suddenly decide to start collecting old paper and broken phones?"
"I doubt it. Must be Darian's... Arthur probably grabbed them from one of his pockets," Hanna replied, turning the paper between her fingers. "If he kept this, maybe it's important."
She read slowly, her voice low but steady — and Alice caught every word. The date, the time, the place... they matched that damned concert. It wasn't a coincidence.
"They already knew we were here. We just bit the bait. So what's stopping them from coming after us now?" Hanna said, her eyes still fixed on the paper... her hands trembling.
"Perfect... we walked right into it. If this was a trap, we were the clowns," Alice said, snatching the paper from Hanna's hand. "And me? Congrats to me. I let myself get dragged into this stupid idea. Now someone's probably tracking us under their orders, laughing at our faces."
Alice let out a short sigh and rested her head in her hand, fingers pressing against her temples. "Brilliant move, Alice... going out with two walking targets," she thought, biting down the silent rage growing inside.
"Tell me the phone has something useful at least," Alice muttered, her tone worn and dry as burnt paper.
Hanna unlocked the device and started digging through the messages and files.
"Tsk... just crap. Band videos, selfies, concert stuff..." Hanna scoffed, tossing the phone onto her lap. "This is fucking useless."
Alice took the phone from Hanna's hands and scrolled through the files until she opened a separate folder. Inside, there was only one image: a tall building with a mirrored facade, reflecting the sky like it was part of it. No logo, no sign. Just a small set of coordinates in a faded corner of the screen.
"Wait a sec..." Alice murmured, narrowing her eyes. "This building... I think I've seen it somewhere near downtown..." She leaned closer to examine the image.
"Could it be... the plan was to bring us there?" Hanna murmured, furrowing her brow. "It makes sense. If Darian had succeeded... maybe that would've been the next step. One of Humans Upper's facilities, without a doubt."
Alice let out a heavy sigh and, without thinking, hurled the phone at the floor. The crash echoed through the room. In a flash, Hanna grabbed her by the collar, eyes wide.
"Do you have any idea what you just did...?" Hanna said in a low voice, dripping with venom. Her eyes locked onto Alice's with cold fury. "Those coordinates were the only useful thing we had... and you just throw them away? Want me to toss you with it?"
Alice slapped Hanna's hand away with a sharp crack, her eyes sharp. Then she shoved her hard, making Hanna stumble back a step.
"This isn't worth it anymore..." she said, pausing, wiping her face like trying to erase last night from her skin. "Didn't you realize what happened yesterday? Kids... women... innocent people died. All because of us. Because we were dumb enough to walk out in the open, even though we're three targets for a lunatic organization."
Hanna raised an eyebrow, not understanding what was going on in Alice's head.
"You're... quitting? Just like that?" Hanna asked, her gaze sharp, like she was just waiting for a reason to snap.
"Honestly... this never should've happened. I felt like I owed Arthur... he trusted me, even after I tried to sell him out. So I forced myself to go along... to try to make it up to him." She looked around, her gaze avoiding Hanna's like searching for any spot in the house that wouldn't confront her. "But... I'd be lying if I said I'd throw away everything I built over the years... sometimes going hungry... for someone I've known less than a month."
Hanna felt her blood boil. Alice's words didn't just sound cold... they sounded cruel. What do you mean she didn't care about Arthur? She was the one who begged Hanna to save him. Who stood in front of him. Who fought beside him. Who taught him how to fight, to survive, to push back. And now... she talked like none of it mattered. Like he was just... a temporary burden.
Hanna clenched her fists, teeth grinding. It was like everything they had endured the night before was being spat on... and stomped into the dirt. Every effort, every pain, every open wound, all the shit they faced... thrown away like it never mattered.
"Do you even realize what you just said?!" Hanna exploded, eyes burning with rage. "He nearly died! Was bleeding out on the floor... because of us! To save us! And now you talk like it was nothing?!"
"You wouldn't understand, Hanna. Maybe it's better to just ignore Humans Upper... go into hiding, vanish off the map," she let out a long sigh before locking eyes with Hanna... her eyelids trembling. "And if they find Arthur... then let them take him."
...
The silence shattered with a sharp crack as Hanna's fist slammed into Alice's face, knocking her onto the couch.
"Fuck you!" Hanna shouted, stepping forward. "You fucking fake! How can you say that...? How, huh?! You don't really care! You never cared... never gave a damn about any of this!"
Alice stood still for a moment, her face still throbbing from the punch. Her gaze stayed down, lost. Of course she cared about Arthur... of course she did. They had formed a connection. A quiet empathy. But keeping this going... would be like throwing away everything she had built. Every scar, every sleepless night, every counted coin, every tear. And she didn't know... if she was willing to do that.
"You think I'm not scared too?!" Hanna said, her voice breaking.
"You think I don't ask myself every night... if this is worth it? If... if it's all just going to fall apart again? If they'll catch me... lock me up... and use me like some fucking lab rat?! And still..." she took a deep breath, her throat tightening, "I keep going. Because he trusted me. Gave me a second chance... that no one in this world would give. He took me in... even knowing I'm a fucking monster."
Hanna slowly lifted her face, eyes glossy. She bit her lip hard and shook her head, like denying herself the right to cry.
"I see myself in him... it's like looking back at who I was. And maybe... maybe helping him find out who he is, uncover his past... maybe that's a way to find a greater purpose, something beyond killing and following orders," she said, then left through the door without another word.
Moments after Hanna left, Alice remained still... her eyes fixed on the floor, as if trying to hold something in. But she couldn't. The tears came fast, hot... she threw herself onto the couch and pressed a pillow against her face, muffling her sobs. For a while, all she wanted was a moment of peace... to let her mind settle, and silence the pain screaming inside her.