She would never forget their last night together before they left.
Give me your hand.
Trembling, Jagienka extended her right hand, upon which rested a crudely crafted model of a spaceship.
I... I made it from things I found in the storage room. Does it... look like the "Miracle"? The one you'll be on next...
Jagienka's voice trembled as she kept her head down, though her eyes instinctively darted up to gauge her father's reaction.
Circuit boards, wires, light bulbs... More of this junk! Haven't I warned you not to rummage through that filthy stuff?
Her father frowned, staring at the oil-stained toy with nothing but revulsion in his eyes.
You have the noble blood of Akdilek and Transatlantic aristocracy running through your veins! Those fingers are meant for piano and etiquette, not for picking up garbage and tinkering with worthless scraps of metal!
He suddenly clenched his fist, instantly crushing the delicate little starship.
Dad...!
We're leaving tomorrow on a six-month mission, possibly longer. The entire world is watching our family, and here you are... picking through trash outside our home?
Look at yourself in the mirror! Face covered in oil, clothes filthy with dust... Is this how a noble daughter should appear? If any journalist photographed you like this, I'd look like the father of a vagrant!
I just... I just...
"I just miss you both so much." Jagienka fought back tears, her words becoming jumbled.
Jagienka, we're risking our lives for humanity's noblest cause. The only thing you need to do is not distract your mother and me!
Feeling dejected, Jagienka looked toward the entryway where her mother stood. Smoking in the shadows, her mother did not even glance in their direction.
...Remember, you are the daughter of Space Force officers. Out there, everyone will respect you and overlook your minor flaws because of your status.
But at home, I expect you to be worthy of that honor, instead of... disappointing us.
Jagienka shook her head, desperately wishing she could cry out and tell them all she needed was a farewell embrace.
But her father had already turned away, crushing the fragments of the "Miracle" beneath his feet as he picked up his suitcase.
Put away these "hobbies" of yours before we return. Focus on your studies and training instead of tarnishing our name.
The nanny will take care of you. Stay out of trouble.
The door clicked shut.
Good grief, you again! Why are you always getting into fights with the boys? Can't you behave yourself for once?
Look at you! Your face is covered in bruises. Have you forgotten how a young lady should behave?
B******t! They were the ones picking on someone else first!
You... you dare use such language! Go stand in the hallway!
Just bear with her. She's Zbyszko's daughter, the orphan of a martyr. Part of your paycheck comes from the government fund for her.
Heavens, how could people like them have raised such a... uncouth daughter?
Jagienka snapped her head up.
Daughter, daughter, daughter! I'm not someone's pet or piece of clothing! I have a name! I'm Jagienka!
She shouted, her gaze piercing like daggers as she fixed the adults with an unwavering stare.
Do you even know me? Why should I become whatever satisfies you?!
You think my parents were perfect? Great heroes? Fine, let me tell you the truth: Zbyszko drank himself sick every week, and Danusia spent every night at her boyfriend's place!
My God, what are you saying?! Hold your tongue!
See? You never care about what's right or wrong! You only want to hear what makes you comfortable! As if silencing me would magically erase all the damage they did to "Jagienka"!
They weren't some pristine, untouchable heroes! They were human beings: a couple with a long list of failings, who never once acted like proper parents!
Jagienka! Get out—
That's enough.
The military officer shook his head, cutting off the teacher's reprimand.
Jagienka, we understand you must be hurting since your parents passed, but...
Shut up!
She shouted, making everyone in the room jump.
Parents! It's always about my parents! Why does everyone have to keep bringing them up?!
You want to punish me? Fine, I'll go give that little brat another beating right now! I'll make sure he never dares bully anyone or snitch again!
She turned and yanked open the door.
And listen carefully! Ever since my parents died...
I have never felt sad about it! Not once!
With a thunderous bang, she slammed the door behind her.
From that night onward, the family that Jagienka both feared and longed for...
Suddenly transformed into martyred heroes and humanity's brightest stars.
Just as her mother had predicted, everyone would respect her because of her parents' status, forgiving every mistake she made.
Even though she <color=#CD2626>utterly despised</color> her family <color=#CD2626>bloodline</color>.
Even though she <color=#CD2626>never asked for</color> this <color=#CD2626>special treatment</color>.
She just wanted to be <color=#FFD700>herself</color>.
To be <color=#FFD700>Jagienka</color>.
To be a free and <color=#FFD700>independent individual</color>.
Since the adults hypocritically tolerated her because of her background, she decided to push boundaries even further, constantly testing the limits of their patience to assert her own identity.
To this end, on the day of midterm exams, she hacked into the terminal and cheated her way to first place.
But to her frustration, no one detected any trace of her mischief this time.
...Jagienka, did you read all the extra materials I assigned? You were the only one in class who answered those questions correctly.
I thought you weren't interested in literature... I'm sorry for being too harsh on you before.
Do you have time now? There are a few questions you missed that I'd like to go over with you privately.
She had never imagined that the respect and understanding she longed for would manifest in such an unexpected way.
Although the honor wasn't truly hers, it was the first time she heard praise directed at "Jagienka" herself.
Jagienka, this excellence award is for you.
Your name is on it. As the top student in the class, you've earned this honor.
Also, I've noticed your athletic talent. The way you handled Zhang... even the PE teachers couldn't catch up to you.
Is there anything you need help with lately? Academically or privately...
I heard your parachute club produces a lot of air force recruits. I want to join.
The club? You're too young. The training is so intense that most can't stick with it. Besides... I've never accepted a female student before.
Perfect, then I'll be the first.
And let me make one thing clear: I'm not anyone's shadow, and I'm not "so-and-so's daughter."
I'm Jagienka, and I can do better than they ever did.
From then on, to defend this fraudulent yet infinitely precious honor, Jagienka pushed herself relentlessly, flapping her wings with all her might to prove she could soar higher than anyone expected.
At her desk.
On the field.
She pushed herself to the limit, wringing every drop from her modest talents, striving to be first in everything with one goal in mind: to someday prove she could outdo her own parents.
Academics, sports, combat... even social life. Not only was she skilled at earning praise from others, but she grew increasingly intoxicated by it.
On the first day of the new semester, she overheard an argument in a corner of the schoolyard.
We treated you like a friend, and you can't even tell us apart!
I didn't mean to...
Hey! What's going on here?
You haven't heard? Everyone's talking about her. This girl was greeting people all over campus yesterday, and today she's acting like she's never seen us before.
I'm sorry... I...
Stop playing innocent! I gave you all those snacks yesterday! But you were just messing with us!
No one's ever going to be friends with you again. Let's go!
...
The crowd scattered, leaving only Jagienka and this strange, bewildered girl before her.
The girl kept her head slightly bowed, her silver hair falling messily across her forehead as her fingers unconsciously clutched the hem of her skirt, pinching small wrinkles into the fabric.
Jagienka stepped closer, her gaze inadvertently drawn to the girl's eyes. They were pale purple, like violets veiled in morning mist, but now they were filled with an almost otherworldly bewilderment.
She knew that look all too well. She'd seen the same reflection countless times in her own mirror whenever people either granted her undeserved leniency or scrutinized her merely for being the daughter of "heroes."
...
Suddenly, an absurd yet crystal-clear thought flashed through her mind.
If no one in this world was willing to approach someone who couldn't remember their faces...
"Then perhaps I could become... the first?"
Hey, um...
As an isolated soul, she had a desperate, almost pathological need for others' dependency—something to fill the void of affection long absent from her family life.
She smiled and extended her hand to the girl before her.
I'm Jagienka. What's your name?
At first, their friendship wasn't easy. It wasn't until Margaret placed a golden bracelet on Jagienka's wrist that she could truly recognize her friend in a crowd.
Jagienka sprinted down life's course, accumulating awards and honors, while her bond with Margaret grew increasingly genuine and profound.
One weekend evening, after staying late for training, Jagienka hurried to their usual spot on the old warehouse rooftop. By the time she arrived, only the last streak of gold remained in the sky.
Ja—gien—ka!
Margaret sat hugging her knees, a small ribbon-tied box beside her.
You're never on time! I've been waiting forever!
If you're late again, I'll eat the whole cake by myself, hmph!
...I'm sorry.
She sat down beside Margaret, their shoulders gently touching.
What flavor... is the cake?
She tucked her sweat-dampened bangs behind her ear, catching her breath.
Hmm... Want a taste?
...Yeah.
Margaret gently untied the ribbon and cradled the fragrant cake in her palms as if holding a precious treasure.
The cake's outer layer was a translucent gold that was similar to Jagienka's hair color.
Open wide! Nom—
Margaret smiled as the sunset briefly brushed her fingertips, momentarily lingering on the small silver spoon and making it gleam brilliantly.
Nom—
Without realizing it, she had become completely absorbed, growing increasingly attached to everything about Margaret and becoming the one who sought "dependency."
She had believed this unique, exclusive connection would continue indefinitely, gradually filling the barren depths of her heart.
Until one day, a transfer student intruded into her world.
Who gave you permission to mess with someone else's things?
I flipped through the textbook once and memorized everything.
Although, she had also brought many things with her...
But in the end, she forcibly pried Jagienka's fingers apart and took Margaret away amid the flames of war.
Nirvatia stole everything Jagienka believed in, everything she cherished, robbing her of any chance to bid farewell to countless lives that meant so much to her.
For decades, she spent countless sleepless nights clawing Nirvatia's image from her mind, desperately trying to erase every last memory of Nirvatia's existence.
Yet when Jagienka finally saw her again...
Why couldn't I bring myself to hate her?
All those emotions she had accumulated crumbled like sand when she finally looked into Nirvatia's eyes. They slipped silently through her tightly clenched fists and the passages of time until nothing remained.
Rattle—rattle—
Red mist churns through her thoughts as the vast, dark void of space quietly envelopes her.
So no matter how much time passes, you're still haunted by what happened in this place...
From the endless darkness, a blurry silhouette slowly materializes and sits beside her.
Boss, don't you realize it? You've never really moved on from that day.
Zhang? Aren't you...
Don't worry, Boss. You're tough as nails—this isn't your life flashing before your eyes.
I am Zhang, but I'm also you. I represent all those you couldn't save... I'm the embodiment of your inner wounds.
Thump... thump...
In her daze, something seems to be knocking against the walls of this dark world.
You never let it go, did you?
That's impossible. I'd already put everything about this place behind me the day I left with the old man.
A person's wounds never lie.
The boy smiles gently.
I joined the Forsaken, wandered the world, eliminated the Corrupted, and even fought against Babylonia.
For 20 years, I've been caught in countless more devastating conflicts, witnessed innumerable more painful partings. I'm a Ranger... I'm destined to charge into battlefield after battlefield.
What makes you think Carthaki would become a prison that shackles me for life?
You're only telling half the story. You rush into countless battlefields, but then what? What do you do after?
To help those who need me.
So you're just repeatedly trying to do what you failed to accomplish that day.
His voice is calm, yet sharp enough to pierce straight through to her soul.
You've repeated this cycle for countless years, but are you satisfied? Has this compulsion brought you even the slightest fulfillment?
...
She unconsciously begins twirling a strand of her hair again.
So you see, wounds never lie.
Thump... thump... The muffled sounds in the darkness grow increasingly loud.
Tell me, what... do you truly want?
Humanity's greatest weakness and greatest strength has always been that passionate, beating heart. When you use it to examine yourself, no scar can remain hidden.
It has already shown you the answer, but it wants you to say it aloud yourself.
I...
The dull thuds pulse like heartbeats, sending tremors through the lightless void.
I want to go back to that day. I want to save Margaret.
A crisp shattering sound reverberates from the distance as a faint beam of light shines through.
I want her to see that I can run faster and become stronger... I want to tell her that I've grown, that I've become someone who can protect her better.
She tears away the scabbed wound, staring directly at the raw affliction beneath.
I want to go back to that day, stop Nirvatia's wild plans, slap some sense into her, and tell her loudly—
Aren't we family? Why do you always take everything on by yourself? Don't be so arrogant! I'm much stronger than you! So...
Let me share your pain too!
I really, really hate you! I hate how you took Margaret away, how you act like nothing matters when everything does!
I never wanted to lose to you in anything, yet I was always afraid you'd fall behind... Why do you think that was?
It's because I longed for you so deeply, longed for this home that gave me warmth and acceptance!
Her voice breaks as she screams into the silent darkness of her life.
It's so hard to live! I keep climbing back up after I fall, bloodied and broken, all just to pretend I can return to that day, that moment, to look back at you both one more time!
I've been lost, I've struggled, but I survived it all! I've become the reliable adult I wanted to be, but no matter how hard I try, how much I burn myself away, I can never see your smiling faces again!
I never wanted some dazzling, perfect life... I just want to go back! To laugh with you, to cry with you, to run blindly into tomorrow with you!
To run toward... a better tomorrow!!
Margaret, Nirvatia... where... where are you?!
We're right here—
A warm force reaches across time and space, grasping Jagienka's arm.
—?!
The vision before her shatters violently as Jagienka jolts awake, returning to the flame-engulfed "Graveyard".
In the direction of the rumbling, the Golden Oak has burst through the majestic monument amid the Red Mist and grown into a colossal tree that stretches toward the heavens.
BOOM! Explosions thunder across the sky as the giant tree's branches sway violently. Only then does Jagienka realize that it is the sounds of battle from across the river that have pulled her back to consciousness.
Nirvatia... Gray Raven Commandant... they're still fighting.
With great effort, Jagienka rises to her feet, gritting her teeth against the bone-searing pain as she takes one labored step after another toward a familiar destination.
She reaches into her waist pouch and, from its deepest compartment, carefully extracts a precious string.
This time... I will save you all. I swear it.
She gently fastens the treasures around her wrist, then pulls open the hangar doors, allowing the heroes long silenced by time to see the light of day once more.
Now, it is time to depart.
To reclaim their family, and to take back their blood-soaked victory.
By the time Li regains his senses, the crowd before him has vanished without a trace.
The thick fog quietly recedes, its colors shifting and transforming into a wide, damp street. Above, red banners connect the buildings, fluttering in the wind to the rhythm of stirring music.
Now he remembers... This was from long ago, on "Victory Day".
On that day, a fine drizzle fell from the gray, overcast sky.
Still a major then, he practically leaped from the car, the bloodstains on his uniform yet to be washed away. His medals gleamed brilliantly, clicking softly as he moved.
He ran down the familiar boulevard, pushing through the expectant crowds, making his way to his mother's residence.
As the sole survivor of the Garrison Command and the hero who successfully prevented the spread of the radiation zone, Li was bestowed the highest honor of "People's Hero" by the World Government.
Practically dragging a body that had been crushed by war and pieced back together, his only thought now was to tell his long-separated mother that he was safe.
Beneath the crisscrossing apartment buildings, children gathered as always, eager to hear stories from the front lines. They huddled around the faded propaganda posters, imagining war as something distant and exciting.
Huff... puff...
He frantically searched through the crowd. Fatigue, injuries, and the overwhelming emotion of homecoming left him light-headed.
Finally, he spotted a familiar, slightly plump figure washing something by the nearby pool.
In that moment, all the helplessness, pain, and suffering suppressed on the battlefield surged into his throat. Like a child finally finding his way home, he called out to the figure who seemed able to save him, his eyes bright with tears—
Mom—!
The wanderer's cry echoed between the apartment buildings, startling a flock of white doves, his voice nearly breaking with emotion.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant. Then, the major witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life—
From the pool's edge, beneath the shade of trees, by the windows... dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward him in unison, each filled with the same desperate hope and expectation.
...
Major Li stood frozen in place.
The slightly plump figure also turned around, revealing a worried-looking face he didn't recognize. She looked at the man before her, and in just an instant, the flicker of hope that sparked in her eyes vanished.
Shaking her head, she sighed and looked down again, vigorously scrubbing a shirt too small to be her own.
Auntie Wang, where's my mother...?
He stopped a familiar face. Her son had been a platoon leader in the 3rd Battalion, who had charged at the Corrupted with explosive packs back in Carthaki.
...
She shook her head.
Auntie Au, where's my mother?
Her daughter had been his clerk, who followed Staff Officer Alyosha into the burning ruins of Carthaki.
...
She remained silent, waving her hand dismissively.
Mom———!
He shouted again, his heart racing with desperation.
This time, not a single gaze turned to acknowledge him.
Storm clouds rolled across the distant horizon, releasing deep, mournful rumbles. After a long silence, a kindly old woman stopped at the major's side.
...Last week, some Corrupted broke through to the outskirts of the city.
Xiao Ping and old man Ma... they were there when it happened.
The major's pupils contracted sharply, his briefcase tumbling from his hand to the ground.
...What did you say?
Please accept my condolences...
RUMBLE—
Li felt his mind explode, every color before his eyes blurring into an unfocused haze.
His first feeling wasn't grief but an overwhelming sense of injustice and unfairness. Questions swarmed like ants, blocking out all reason and coherent thought.
He fell to his knees, wanting to scream in hysteria, but bile surged up first, choking the words in his throat.
Xiao Ping never told you that Ma was her last surviving comrade-in-arms.
The day you were born, their squad was ambushed by rebels. Almost everyone perished... Ma only survived by playing dead among the fallen.
Ever since, they both carried the guilt of surviving their comrades, constantly feeling the eyes of the dead watching them.
Those young soldiers, barely out of their teens and full of laughter and life, bled and weathered storms together... They will be forever frozen in their youth.
Now the wind has brought them all together again. All are turned to dust in the earth, no longer separate or apart...
To this day, Li can't remember if he shed any tears that day.
But he will never forget those hopeless eyes and the lesson his mother's death taught him—
To live is to bear a burden. It is a debt that demands you fulfill the wishes of the dead and carry all of history's suffering into tomorrow.
For the rest of his life, he will carry the burden of his comrades' sacrifices, forever unable to escape that day of the explosion.
BOOM—
Suddenly, a distant rumble of thunder erupts into a deafening boom that shakes the skies, jolting him back to the crowded evacuation line.
—!
Commander Li jolts, as if pulled to surface from underwater, suddenly hearing the sounds of the real world: the wind, the distant muffled explosions, the breathing of those around him...
Coming to his senses, he sees the Golden Oak has burst beyond the city limits, reaching toward the sky. Its massive branches tremble with each boom, its shape resembling the thick smoke from that explosion years ago.
Was that... the Red Mist?
Li instinctively turns toward the sound, seeing countless bewildered faces looking upward just like his own.
I... I saw my father.
He was sitting by the stove, telling me to keep moving forward and not to hang my head...
Did you all... see them too?
Yeah, I saw my mother... she was smiling at me through the mist.
She told me not to be sad... that she would become many things around me and always be by my side...
Then she grew brighter and brighter... until finally, I saw that explosion again, and nothing was left...
...
A wave of anguish ripples through the crowd as each person confronts their own trauma within these visions.
Though each scar is unique, they all originate from the same day, the same terrible moment.
We've lost contact with the "Graveyard". We need to execute the contingency plan... Our only chance of survival is to secure those vehicles.
Can we really outrun this mist? Look at the sky... it's moving too fast!
What good is that kind of defeatist talk? If we don't try, we're all dead anyway!
And what happens after we escape... Where can the Carthakians even go?
Commander... please give us your orders.
Through the chaos, an adjutant looks toward Commander Li.
...
His Adam's apple bobs, but he says nothing in the end. His gaze fixes on the increasingly monstrous silhouette of the massive tree looming in the mist.
Reactor No. 4 works just like the Zero-point Engine, so the Punishing Virus mist will keep pouring from its base. If it isn't shut down, the virus will spread... and the whole ****ing Earth will bathe in red in less than 2 months.
The Red Mist continues to spread. If left unchecked, it will threaten not just Carthaki, but also the fate of other conservation areas, and perhaps even the entire Earth.
Nirvatia... and the Gray Raven Commandant.
He murmurs under his breath.
Can those two alone really bring down this colossal tree?
...
Behind them, the horizon burns crimson as if the entire sky is shuddering in flames. The view transports him back to that blood-soaked morning from the past.
He looks at the people around him, each one having fought and struggled through the darkest of times to make it this far.
Looking at their faces, he sees the reflection of his fallen comrades staring back at him for the briefest moment.
Comrades.
At last, he speaks the word that had once filled him with shame.
Right now, the Gray Raven Commandant and Nirvatia are fighting for their lives on the other side of the river. They are fighting to save this world, and to save us all.
They need our help, so...
The crowd gradually stills, their movements ceasing as they gaze at him in silence.
What did he say to these same silent faces on that day so long ago?
He has long forgotten.
But he will never forget the choice the people of Carthaki made.
I'll go.
Commander Li removes his coat and puts on his military cap.
The Spartacus, the ship that once carried us to safety, is docked at the river port.
I will return to the Satellite City and sail to assist the Gray Raven Commandant in destroying the Golden Oak.
I will fight with everything I have until the very end, to create one last chance for you to evacuate.
This time, he turns around without a moment's hesitation.
During my years among your parents' generation, I came to understand one truth—
Every line etched into history reflects our struggles... the desperate fight for survival waged by millions of ordinary people.
What gives it weight isn't eloquent rhetoric or profound prose...
...But rather what happiness I'm willing to sacrifice for the right cause as I struggle along this arduous path.
He draws a deep breath, as if trying to take in the very last air of this land into his lungs.
Tell the people: I have lived a magnificent life! This is my glorious existence! I will atone for my sins like a hero and carry hope and embers into tomorrow!
After I'm gone, the future of Carthaki... will be yours to decide.
Comrades... take care!
With those words, he steps forward, ready to charge down the death-bound path illuminated by flames.
—Commander Li!
He stops abruptly, turning to look behind him.
You don't think Carthaki belongs to you alone, do you?
The people smile and raise their hands, just as their parents had done before them.
We grew up reading our parents' stories, and now that we're facing the same situation, you expect us to turn a blind eye?
He sees a young boy carrying a weapon as tall as himself.
You can barely shovel coal by yourself! Let us help you get the Spartacus running!
He sees the workers grinning at him, raising their callus-covered palms.
Commander, we are the last of the Carthaki Garrison Regiment. Under the banner of the World Government, we swore an oath to every life of Earth.
Li sees a one-armed soldier firmly gripping a pistol with his remaining hand and using his teeth to tighten the holster strap before nodding assuredly in Li's direction.
He sees the young miners with coal dust still on their faces, cafeteria workers in worn aprons, and even that quiet boy who always stared at the monument, the one whose father reportedly perished in the explosion...
In this moment, they all stand behind him.
You all...
There are no battle cries, no oaths... just silent smiles and steady gazes burning with an eternal flame.
He turns slowly and renders a military salute.
Commander...
The boy approaches and stops in front of him, straightening the commander's immaculate uniform.
You wear that uniform more deservingly now than ever before.
A few more figures step forward and, without prompting, move to stand alongside Commander Li as equals.
In that instant, Commander Li's vision blurs. Through these living, resolute faces before him, he can see other familiar figures from the past—
Gregory straightening his hard hat and flashing an encouraging smile.
Captain Zana wiping blood and ash from her face and saluting with that same piercing gaze.
Staff Officer Alyosha giving his shoulder one final pat before smiling and charging straight into the inferno.
He sees countless figures in weathered overalls and olive-green uniforms turning to smile at him as they march against the overwhelming tide...
Li gazes at these eternally passionate, forever-young souls, his eyes welling with tears as he returns their smile.
Come, my comrades...
He straightens his military cap and turns to face his burning homeland.
Let us cry out for victory and tell this world that we lived... that we were here!
Behind him stands not a solitary shadow, but a line of fighters formed of workers, soldiers, and students.
They have gathered all of Carthaki's scattered embers, forming a defiant current of life that refuses to surrender hope.
For Carthaki! For all who live and all who have fallen!
FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!!!
After decades of suffering, these miraculous and noble people make the same choice once again.
Though their voices may seem insignificant, and their names may be forgotten...
They step forward without hesitation, their resolve unwavering.
