The morning came slow — the kind of soft, gray dawn that lingered before the heat.
24 was already awake, standing shirtless in the middle of the open room, his movements steady and deliberate.
He stretched, shoulders rolling, every motion practiced, controlled.
Lu stirred from her bed, groaning as she sat up, her hair a tangled mess.
"You ever just… sleep in?" she mumbled.
"Not since I was twelve," 24 replied, not breaking rhythm.
She rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up, joining him on the mat. The two of them began the day's slow stretches together — quiet, synchronized, breathing in time.
No lessons, no fights, no commands. Just focus.
For once, the air didn't feel heavy.
Lu reached for her toes and winced. "You know… for something called slow training, this hurts like hell."
"That's because you're doing it right," 24 said, straight-faced.
She laughed softly. "You really don't know how to joke, do you?"
He gave a faint smirk. "That was a joke."
When they finished, they cleaned up, grabbed a quick meal from one of the food stalls, and decided to wander again.
The camp had already come alive — smoke from cooking fires curling upward, the sound of drills in the far yard, people shouting orders, laughter echoing down the narrow paths.
It almost felt normal.
They were passing near one of the old metal hangars when Lu stopped mid-step.
Five men stood nearby — the same ones who'd harassed her days ago.
Her body tensed instantly.
24 caught it. "Stay calm," he murmured. "They move wrong, I'll—"
But before he could finish, one of the men raised a hand in a hesitant wave.
His expression wasn't smug this time — it was uneasy, almost ashamed.
"Hey," the man said, stepping forward. "Can we… talk for a second?"
Lu's jaw tightened. "What could you possibly want?"
He nodded toward his group, then looked back at her. "We wanted to apologize. We were idiots. You didn't deserve that."
The others nodded, some looking down at the ground.
One of them added, "We saw you fight that night. You didn't just hold your own — you took us apart clean. Not many could do that."
Lu blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. She glanced briefly at 24, who said nothing — just watching, unreadable.
The first man scratched the back of his neck. "Anyway… some of us run these little sparring sessions. Nothing serious. Just good practice — helps people burn off steam without killing each other. We were wondering if you'd want to join."
Lu's expression softened slightly, though she still crossed her arms. "You want me to fight you again?"
He chuckled awkwardly. "Not like that. No grudges. Just sparring — clean. No weapons. Couple rounds in the arena hangar this afternoon. You'd fit right in."
She thought for a moment, then looked at 24.
He met her eyes, quiet for a long beat before speaking. "Your call," he said. "Could be good practice."
Lu turned back to the soldiers. "Fine," she said finally. "But I'm not holding back this time."
The man grinned, relieved. "Wouldn't expect you to."
They nodded and headed off, leaving Lu and 24 standing by the path.
After a moment, Lu exhaled. "Didn't expect that."
24 gave a low hum. "People change fast when they're embarrassed on camera."
That earned a laugh from her. "You think that's what this is?"
"I think," he said, glancing down the road where the soldiers disappeared, "it's a chance to see how far your lessons have really gone."
Lu smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Then I guess I better make it count."
They continued their walk, the sound of the camp humming around them — peaceful, for now.But somewhere deep inside, both of them knew peace like this never lasted long.