We stood in silence for a while, two men watching the lights of civilization pulse and shift below. The wind picked up, carrying the cigarette smoke away in lazy spirals.
"Natalia's mother was a B-Rank," Luka said finally. His voice had lost its earlier edge, replaced by something older. Sadder. "She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Could freeze the blood in your veins with a glance, but her smile..." He shook his head. "Her smile could warm you from across a room."
I said nothing.
"We thought we were invincible. B-Ranks at twenty, rising stars in Aegis Prime. The world was ours for the taking." Another drag. Another exhale. "We had Natalia during the academy. Got Married after. Kept hunting."
"What happened?"
