The afternoon air was cool, carrying the gentle fragrance of various foods being prepared. All across the city, people were busy setting up their stalls and wares — colorful banners were strung up, lanterns were being readied, and the lively hum of preparations filled the air.
Tonight's festival would be the first celebration since Elina had taken leadership. There was a joy in the air that could almost be felt — something that had been absent from this city for a long time.
Han, Rina, and Alice strolled leisurely through the bustle. Rina's eyes sparkled at everything she saw, bouncing on her heels with barely contained excitement.
"Big Brother, look over there!"
Rina pointed toward a candy vendor carefully arranging all sorts of sweets in colorful glass jars. The display was eye-catching — red, green, yellow, purple — all gleaming in the afternoon light.
They made their way over, Rina tugging her brother's hand eagerly.
"Come, come!" The vendor smiled broadly. "Sweet candies in all kinds of flavors!"
Han looked over the display, then turned to Alice. "Alice, what flavor do you like?"
Alice was caught off guard by the direct question. "Uhm... melon."
Rina smiled — a slightly mischievous one. "Oh, melon?"
"Two melon candies and one strawberry, please. Thank you." Han handed the vendor his money.
The vendor wrapped the candies and passed them over. Han gave one to Alice and handed the strawberry one to Rina.
Rina looked at her brother with a widening grin. "You still remember that I like strawberry."
She glanced at Alice with a pointed look. "And also, Big Sister Alice — you like melon too. You two are so..."
Alice panicked, her face beginning to flush. "Th-that's just a coincidence!"
"It's a perfectly normal thing," Han remarked casually, entirely missing the implication. "Everyone has their favorite flavor."
Rina pouted — frustrated by her oblivious brother. She walked on, unwrapping her candy and popping it into her mouth.
"Big Brother, is this festival to celebrate the new leader?"
"I think so." Han glanced at Alice. "Alice, you must know more about this?"
"Yes." Alice nodded, grateful for the change of subject. "The locals originally wanted to hold a festival to celebrate the new leader. Word eventually reached Miss Elina."
She smiled at the memory of Elina's response.
"Miss Elina supported the idea and gave all the townspeople permission to set up their stalls. She even arranged for fireworks from the palace for tonight, and is distributing free food."
"Wow," Rina's eyes lit up even brighter.
"Miss Zenya and the soldiers will be keeping watch over the festival," Alice added.
-
The sky gradually shifted from amber to violet, then to a deep, darkening blue. Yet the entire city glowed — lanterns were lit one by one, casting a warm and magical light. Paper lanterns hung from strings stretched between buildings, swaying gently in the breeze.
The festival had officially begun. Music drifted from every corner — some traditional, with drums and flutes, some more modern. Laughter and chatter filled the air.
As the three of them walked past the rows of food stalls, Alice spotted two familiar figures near a cold drinks stand.
"Selena!"
Selena turned around, her face immediately brightening. "Ahh, Alice! And Rina, Han too!"
Andre stood beside her with an expression of mild suffering — clearly not someone who was comfortable in this kind of atmosphere.
"Hi, Big Sister Selena!" Rina waved with boundless energy.
Alice laughed softly at Andre's expression. "Andre, it's rare to see you somewhere like this."
"Selena forced me," Andre replied in a long-suffering tone. "I told her I didn't need to come."
"Live a little!" Selena pinched his arm playfully. "Don't be a worm that refuses to leave the dirt, hahaha!"
Andre simply sighed — a long, deeply resigned exhale.
Selena turned back to Alice. "Ensei, Varesa, and the others went that way earlier. Looking at the market stalls and games."
"Ensei is definitely looking for an archery game," Alice said with a knowing smile.
Selena leaned closer to Rina, dropping her voice to a whisper — though still loud enough for Alice to catch a little.
"Rina, how are those two doing? Making any progress?"
Rina whispered back with equal seriousness, her expression as grave as someone discussing a critical mission. "It's not easy, but I'll do my best."
Alice frowned, suspicious. "What are you two whispering about?"
Selena gave a small, guilty grin, but her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Oh, it's nothing!"
She waved her hand with exaggerated dramatic flair. "Alright then, you three carry on! I hope tonight becomes a wonderful evening~"
The emphasis on "wonderful" was unmistakably deliberate.
Selena and Andre went their separate ways — but not before Selena shot Rina a quick wink.
-
Rina clearly had a plan.
"Big Brother, I want to ride that merry-go-round!" She pointed toward a carousel with brightly painted wooden horses, spinning to the gentle strains of nostalgic music.
"Alright, let's ride it," Han agreed.
"No!" Rina shook her head quickly. "I want to go by myself."
Han looked puzzled. "Huh? Why?"
"I just want to go alone. Besides, you don't like rides like this anyway." Rina gazed up at her brother with eyes that were suddenly far too innocent. "Big Sister Alice, could you take Big Brother somewhere else to play?"
Alice — who had caught on to Rina's scheme immediately — felt her face warm slightly, but she gathered her courage.
"Han, would you like to try the dart throwing game over there?"
Han looked in the direction Alice indicated — a stall set up with targets and balloons. "Sure, that works."
He reached over and ruffled Rina's hair. "Take care of yourself, Rina."
"I will, Big Brother!"
-
The game stall was decorated with colorful balloons and various stuffed animals as prizes, ranging from small to impressively large.
"Step right up, step right up!" A middle-aged vendor with a curled mustache waved them over enthusiastically. "Throw your darts, pop the balloons, win a prize!"
Han paid, then picked up three small darts. He studied the targets for a moment — calculating distance, wind, trajectory.
Alice stood beside him, watching with keen interest.
Han threw.
Pop!
A clean hit — the red balloon burst.
Pop!
The blue one.
Pop!
The yellow.
Three throws. Three perfect shots.
"Remarkable skill!" The vendor clapped his hands together. "Congratulations — you've won a prize!"
He reached for a medium-sized brown teddy bear, plush and soft, with a little red ribbon around its neck.
"Just the right gift for your partner, wouldn't you say?" The vendor smiled.
Han looked genuinely puzzled by the comment. "Hmm?"
He looked at the bear, then at Alice. "Alice, I don't really have a use for this. Please, take it."
Alice's face flushed immediately. Her heart gave a small, startled thud. "Uhm, yes... thank you."
She accepted the bear, holding it with an awkwardness that was also unmistakably tender.
-
They wandered a little further and found a wooden bench beneath a hanging lantern. They sat side by side — a comfortable distance, though not too far apart.
Alice held the teddy bear, her face still carrying a slight warmth. She gathered her courage.
"Han... did you know that, usually... in a situation like this, a gift like this carries a special meaning."
Han gazed ahead, his expression thoughtful — and entirely oblivious to what she meant. "Ah, is that so. From an economic standpoint, gifts like this are actually quite an effective marketing strategy."
He began to elaborate in a perfectly earnest tone.
"They leverage positive emotions to raise the perceived value of an item that's actually quite inexpensive to produce."
Alice nearly choked on air.
She tried again, softer this time. "That's not what I meant... What I mean is, usually... a man gives something like this to a woman who is... special to him."
"Hmm? Logically speaking, it's more efficient to give it to someone who clearly appreciates it — like you — rather than keeping it when I have no use for it."
Han replied with perfect composure.
Alice felt a mix of exasperation and fondness. "Han... have you ever thought about... having someone special? In that way?"
Han answered immediately. "Of course. Rina is the most special person in my life. But now..." his voice softened slightly, "...I consider you and the others important too. In the context of a survival group, strong social bonds significantly improve chances of—"
"That's not what I mean." Alice cut in gently, though a quiet sadness had entered her voice. "I'm talking about... romantic feelings."
Han paused for a moment, visibly processing. "Romance?"
He said it in the tone of someone analyzing a scientific phenomenon.
"A chemical reaction in the brain involving dopamine and oxytocin. Fascinating as a concept. Though personally, I find it rather inefficient. The time and energy spent on something like that could be directed toward training or tactical planning."
Alice smiled — a bittersweet smile, but warm with affection. She hugged the bear a little tighter, finding comfort in its softness.
"Sometimes... not everything has to be efficient, Han. Some things are... beautiful precisely because they aren't."
Han looked genuinely confused, a small crease forming between his brows. "Hmm? How can something hold greater value when it consumes more resources without an equivalent return?"
Alice let out a long breath, then smiled gently — a patient, aching kind of acceptance. She understood that this was a conversation Han simply wouldn't grasp, at least not now.
"Never mind..." She stood up, still holding the bear. "Thank you for the teddy bear, Han. I'll take good care of it."
"Good." Han nodded with an earnestness he wasn't even aware of. "It's better for it to be with someone who truly values it, like you."
-
Alice walked a little ahead, hiding a smile that couldn't quite decide whether it was bittersweet or fond. She held the teddy bear close — a gift that, to Han, had only been a matter of logic and practicality, but to Alice... was a small, quiet hope.
"At least I have this," she whispered to the bear.
Behind them, tucked out of sight behind a food stall, Rina was watching. She had overheard most of the conversation, and her expression was a complicated tangle of frustration and pure disbelief.
She came running toward them, her face set with determination.
"Rina?" Han spotted his sister approaching. "Are you done with the carousel?"
Rina didn't answer right away. Instead, she stopped in front of Han and —
Thwap. Thwap.
She hit his arm in a series of soft but repeated little punches. "Big Brother is so clueless! Clueless! SO CLUELESS!"
Han was thoroughly baffled. "Huh? What did I do?"
"BIG BROTHER UNDERSTANDS NOTHING!" Rina puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms.
Alice couldn't hold back a small laugh — somehow the whole situation was both sad and funny at the same time.
"Rina, it's alright," Alice said gently, patting Rina on the head. "Your brother... he's just like that."
"But still!" Rina protested.
"It's alright," Alice repeated, her smile genuine.
-
The night grew later. Music still played, but the crowd was beginning to gather in one direction — toward the central plaza, where the fireworks would be launched.
Han, Rina, and Alice found a good spot — slightly elevated, with a clear view of the sky.
The townspeople gathered with a palpable sense of joy. Small children sat perched on their parents' shoulders. Couples stood close together. Families clustered with quiet warmth. Rudes and his mother were visible somewhere in the crowd as well.
Then —
WHOOSH.
The first firework shot into the sky. It exploded in a cascade of golden sparks that lit up the entire heavens.
BOOM.
A spontaneous gasp rose from the crowd.
One by one, fireworks were launched. Red, blue, green, purple — colors bursting in breathtaking patterns. Some bloomed like flowers, some like stars, some pure and glorious chaos of light.
Rina's eyes shone, reflecting the colors overhead. She clapped her hands with delight.
Alice smiled, hugging the teddy bear as she watched the magnificent display.
Han stood with quiet appreciation. But there was something in his eyes — a stillness. Or perhaps gratitude — for this moment, for still being alive, for standing here with the people who mattered to him.
The final firework — a massive burst that spread across the entire sky in the shape of a phoenix, wings stretched wide. It held for just a moment, then slowly faded into a shower of golden dust.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
"That was so beautiful," Rina whispered in awe.
"It was," Alice agreed softly.
Han only nodded, but there was a small smile on his face.
They stood there, watching the sky slowly return to darkness, the stars becoming visible once more. The sounds of the festival gradually grew quieter as the townspeople began making their way home, carrying with them memories of a magical night.
-
Somewhere Far Away
In stark contrast to the warmth and celebration of the city, somewhere far away — in an old, cold, and darkened building — Tsubasa sat on the floor surrounded by scattered papers.
The flickering light of a candle provided barely enough illumination. Shadows danced across cracked walls.
In his hands, an old paper yellowed by time. Neat handwriting filled its surface.
Tsubasa read aloud in a trembling voice, barely above a whisper.
"Subject 23: Transformation 68% successful. Memory retention 83%."
His hands began to shake. He continued reading, his voice growing increasingly unsteady.
"Note: Subject was still able to call out familiar names during the transition phase..."
Images flashed through his mind — memories he had tried to bury. Yuzuha calling his name. Sena's tears. The horrifying transformation.
The paper slipped from his trembling fingers.
Beneath it lay another document. Thicker. Its cover was worn but still legible.
"PROJECT: HUMAN EVOLUTION"
Below the title, a smaller subtitle:
"Phase III: Mass Implementation"
Tsubasa reached for the document with still-shaking hands. He opened it.
Page after page filled with diagrams, formulas, and test results.
Photographs — dozens of them. Subjects in various stages of transformation.
Some were still recognizable as human. Others... were not.
Location names. Dates. Success rates.
Tsubasa's breath began to come in sharp, uneven gasps.
Rage, grief, and horror — all of it surging together into an emotion that was almost unbearable.
In the distance, the final firework exploded — beautiful and tragic all at once, illuminating the sky for just a moment before sinking back into darkness.
To be continued…