Yuren found himself back on the Eisendrache. He hadn't spoken since the incident. He just sat there staring at the floor.
Lina and Eri had brought him food and water, but he refused.
He didn't want to talk or think; Bei's last moment played in his mind over and over.
The boy was still reeling from the events. He had no idea why he hesitated. Was there no other way?
"Commander, eat something. You'll feel better." Lina urged him.
Yuren ignored her; the only thing he could focus on was the termination gun. The cold metal, the sound of the shot, and the smell of the smoke.
He wanted to forget, but he couldn't. His eyes were locked onto the weapon, the one that ended Bei's life.
"Commander." Lina called again, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't." Yuren pushed her hand away.
"Commander."
"Just leave me alone." He mumbled.
Lina frowned and turned away. "Alright. We're heading back. Just let us know if you need anything."
Yuren was alone, finally.
His mind was racing, and his heart was beating fast. He tried to calm down, but it was impossible.
The images kept flashing through his mind, the feeling of helplessness, and the sense of powerlessness. The pain was overwhelming, and he felt like he was suffocating. He slammed his fists onto the table, the sound reverberating throughout the room.
Yuren took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to regain his composure. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. In and out. In and out.
The image of Bei's face appeared in his mind. Her eyes, her voice, and her smile. And the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Why...?" He whispered.
Why was she crying? Why was she smiling? Why was she reaching out to him?
Why was she so sad?
He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He couldn't stand this feeling anymore; it was unbearable. He hated himself. He hated everything.
"Damn it!" He screamed, lowered his head into his hands, and cried.
The pain, the frustration, the guilt, the anger, and the sadness all welled up inside him.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It shouldn't have happened.
"Why..." he sobbed.
His heart ached, and his throat tightened. He could barely breathe.
Yuren took another deep breath and exhaled, the tension in his chest fading slightly.
Garra entered the room and sat down without a word, looking at him with her usual stern expression.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"Nothing. Just let me sit here awhile." She responded, staring out the window.
"I don't understand."
"Be quiet man..." She retorted.
The room was silent, the only sound was the humming of the engines and the occasional footsteps of someone walking by.
Yuren felt his eyes grow heavy, and the fatigue from the day was catching up to him. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, his body relaxing and drifting into a deep slumber.
Garra looked at his face and sighed. "It's not your fault..."
***
Amalia sat in her office, the room was dark and illuminated only by the glow of the monitors. She tapped her pen against her lips as she stared at the reports and data on the screen.
The results were not ideal, but not as bad as she expected. Two of the androids' signals had vanished, and a third was critically damaged.
"But why was a lord in a category six zone...?" She whispered to herself.
She had a hunch the situation might've been worse than it appeared. The report she got from Calif was infuriating. Why did he go off on his own? Even shooting one of the androids. They were supposed to transmute; that's what she wanted.
She wanted Yuren to try to save them from it; that was the whole point of sending them to the blackout zone. But things went awry, and Calif ruined it even more.
The boy was supposed to try to power their cores and become more powerful.
"It's fine, it's fine..." Amalia waved her hand dismissively. "The 701st are more or less expendable, I can afford to lose a few so long as enough of them are able to transmutate."
Maybe she needed to give him a push in the right direction. He needed to know they were his to do with as he pleased; no reservations about his relationship with them here were needed.
She smiled, "a little push."
The door opened, and her secretary walked in, "Ma'am. The core recovery unit has finished its investigation. They found no usable cores for the new androids."
"No usable cores?" Amalia frowned.
"Yes, the Meteorn corpses were all dismantled and their cores were already destroyed. No new androids can be made for the 701st."
"How strange... already destroyed?" Amalia thought, tapping her pen against her lips again.
"The cores were imploded. It's highly likely a high class Meteorn destroyed them." The secretary explained.
"That's not good. They're catching on..." She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "What about the other ones?"
"All the remaining cores are damaged and cannot be used. There is no viable source for the next batch of androids as of right now." The secretary replied.
"I see." Amalia stood up. "Very well. Thank you."
"Ma'am." The secretary bowed.
Amalia looked out the window. The night sky was lit up with stars. "I'm running out of time..." She then turned to the secretary, "There's something I need you to do."
"Yes, Ma'am."