(Kiana's Point of View)
The hum of the Helios was warm and steady, like a heartbeat I could finally trust. Clouds dragged their bruised bellies beneath us; Nagazora shrank into a smear of violet and ash on the horizon.
Mei sat beside me, hands folded in her lap, bandages neat against trembling fingers.Bronya leaned against the bulkhead, eyes half-closed, pretending to sleep while her metal joints clicked through quiet diagnostics.
I tried a smile. "We lived. I vote donuts forever."
Bronya, eyes still shut: "Bronya votes for structural safety and then donuts."
Mei's mouth curved—small, tired, real. "Both sound nice."
The cockpit door hissed open.
A woman with long red hair stepped through first—confident stride, jacket half-zipped, eyes that had seen fires and kept walking. Himeko Murata.
Beside her came a smaller figure in a black uniform, white hair, blue eyes bright and calm. She wore a cross at her throat that seemed heavier than metal. Theresa Apocalypse.
The white-haired one spoke first, voice gentle but clear. "Welcome aboard the Helios. I'm Theresa Apocalypse, headmistress of St. Freya Academy—a Schicksal training institute for Valkyries."
Himeko gave a lazy salute. "Himeko Murata. Field commander, occasional babysitter, professional bad influence."
"Professional—?" Theresa sighed, then smiled despite herself. "We're here to take you somewhere safe. You've done well to make it this far."
I sat up straighter. "Headmistress? As in… a real school?"
Himeko smirked. "A school that hands out live ammo and life lessons in equal measure."
Mei's gaze dropped. "Do we… even belong there?"
Theresa met her eyes—kind, steady. "If you're brave enough to ask that question, you belong."
Himeko crouched to check the wrap on my arm. "Clean sutures. Whoever patched you did it under pressure and still cared about the details."
"Oh—right!" I brightened. "There was a doctor down there. In the ruins. She… never told us her name."
Theresa glanced over. "Tell me what you remember."
"She had silver-blue hair and these calm, clear blue eyes—like nothing scared her," I said, the picture of her rising through smoke and sirens. "She ran a makeshift infirmary in an old school building. Bossy in a nice way. Kept moving, even when the walls wanted to fall."
Mei nodded slowly. "She guided us to an evacuation route. She saved people."
I swallowed. "Before we left, she said something. 'Doctors leave last.' Like it was a rule she couldn't break."
Silence lingered, soft as a breath.
Theresa's smile thinned into something thoughtful. "Then she's the kind of person I hope we meet again."
Himeko crossed her arms. "If she kept that many alive in Nagazora, she's tougher than most Valkyries I know."
Bronya opened one eye. "Bronya concurs."
The Helios banked; clouds parted. Dawn was waiting on the other side—thin gold poured along the world's edge until it found us.
I pressed my forehead to the window. "We're really going to be okay?"
Himeko's answer was a quiet grin. "You will be. You've got that Kaslana spark."
Theresa's voice softened. "And a place where it can grow. St. Freya isn't just a school—it's a home for girls who refuse to give up."
I let the words sit in my chest until they felt true. "Then I'm in."
"Good," Himeko said, pushing to her feet. "Orientation starts with breakfast. Nobody saves the world hungry."
Theresa added, almost conspiratorial, "And we have better donuts than Nagazora."
Mei's laugh came out small and startled, and I decided I wanted to hear it more.
The storm thinned behind us; the sky opened like a door.
The Helios climbed toward the light.