CTS TIME: RE250.05.26 – 9:00 PM (Hikarashi Village Local Time)
Sienna sat alone on the rooftop, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as the cool night breeze whispered through her silver hair.
The village below was alive—faint laughter, the scent of grilled food from the ramen shops, the rhythmic sounds of footsteps on the dirt paths. It was peaceful, warm, so full of life.
Yet here she was, stuck in her own silence.
Her chest felt tight. Her throat burned.
"I hate him."
She whispered the words under her breath, but even as she said them, something inside her recoiled.
The thought of hating Jasper made her stomach twist painfully.
But why?
He had ruined everything.
He had made her cry.
He had made her feel so utterly helpless.
So why did her heart ache at the thought of letting him go?
She clenched her fists.
"No. I won't think about him."
There was work to be done.
Her mind snapped back to reality.
She had to call Sudipto.
Her mission was already delayed by 30 hours. Even though the reports had been sent, she needed to formally apologize—to explain.
But…
Her hands trembled.
For the first time in years, she was afraid.
Afraid of facing the consequences.
Afraid of admitting failure.
Afraid that she wasn't the perfect agent everyone believed her to be.
She took a deep breath.
"Just do it, Sienna."
Her body moved before her mind could stop her.
Sienna descended from the rooftop, stepping back inside the house.
The warmth of the room contrasted sharply with the coldness she felt inside.
Serena and Aiko were still at the dinner table.
Serena glanced up, locking eyes with her for a second before looking away.
Aiko opened her mouth to say something, but Serena silently stopped her with a shake of her head.
Sienna appreciated it.
She wasn't ready to talk.
Not yet.
She walked over to her workstation, her fingers hovering over the holographic panel.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she typed in the access command.
The screen flickered to life.
And then—
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her eyes widened.
All of her files were there.
Everything.
Every single data entry, report, research file— nothing was missing.
It wasn't just back.
It had already been sent to ISA Headquarters.
She scrolled quickly, her hands shaking.
There—a new message.
Sudipto.
"Excellent work, Sienna. You have once again proven why you are one of our best agents. Well done."
Her chest tightened.
Her mind was racing.
"This isn't possible. He deleted everything. I lost it all. How…?"
Then she saw it.
Jasper's name.
Her heart stopped.
She clicked into the system logs.
Jasper had sent all the files.
Jasper had spoken to Sudipto.
Jasper had fixed everything.
He had planned this all along.
Her hands fell to her lap as she stared blankly at the screen.
She felt numb.
"So… he really did want me to hate him."
The realization crushed her.
She wanted to be angry.
She wanted to scream at him again, to curse him, to demand why he would go so far just to push her away.
But all she could feel was this painful hollowness.
Jasper had never wanted to hurt her.
He just wanted to prove that she didn't need him.
And maybe, in his own twisted way…
Maybe he believed he was doing the right thing.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the desk.
"I have to talk to him."
She had to find him—to demand an answer.
But just as she reached for the communicator—
The holographic screen glitched.
And suddenly, a new call came through.
The name on the display made her breath hitch.
Mom.
Sienna's entire body froze.
Aiko and Serena sat at the table, their plates half-empty, but neither of them was really eating anymore.
The moment they saw Sienna's expression shift, her silver eyes locked onto the incoming call, Serena knew.
She nudged Aiko.
"Come on. Let's go."
Aiko looked confused for a moment.
"Huh? But we're eating—"