A sound close to a sonic boom echoed in the place, it is dark and somewhere underground. What comes next is the roar of a towering beast. Something is fighting somewhere. This sounds like the war cry of the beast. The air is filled with static and the place is shaking. A purple ball of energy suddenly appeared in the air and slowly descended to the ground. Just when the energy blast of the beast was about to hit the ground. A woman holding a flaming sword jumps towards the beast's head and beheads it in an instant.

The beast roars loudly as its head falls to the ground. Then it collapses, and the whole place shakes and quivers. The woman landed on the ground and stared at the beast with a cold look in her eyes: "Impressive, Captain Terra." One of the men said from behind her.

"Thank you, Sergeant. It would not be a victory if I did not try hard." The woman said as she continued to stare at the beast's body.

"My lord, this is what you are looking for?" A man walks over to the woman and hands her a crystal ball.

"Yes...this is it. Make sure you bring it back to the surface." The woman said as she took the crystal ball from the man's hand.

"Aren't you coming back with us? Captain Terra?" Another man asks.

"Call me Monika, I have other matters to attend to, you guys can handle this, right?" The woman asks with a smile on her face.

"We are glad to have you with us, Monika." One of the men said with a nod.

Monika then went to the second hot spot of the fights. It was a place with many rifts and doors in the middle of the ruins. Many soldiers are fighting with the enemies there. They are trying to stop them from reaching a certain destination, a door made of some kind of blue material. The doors are glowing and vibrating. The energy coming from the rifts seems to be drawing something. Something really big and powerful. The door is glowing blue and the area around it is all dark and red. The soldiers around the area are trying their best to hold the enemies back, but they are overwhelmed by the enemy. They are almost done for.

Then a sound of sonic boom echoes in the area. Monika appears in the middle of the soldiers, slashing her flaming sword at the enemies and taking them down. One of the soldiers shouted: "Captain Terra!"

"I will deal with the enemies there, take care of those monsters at the flank." Monika said as she pointed at the enemies behind the soldiers.

The soldiers obeyed and moved toward the enemies. Then the soldiers surrounding Monika started to fire at the enemies. The enemies howled as they fell one by one. The soldiers started cheering as Monika moved toward the rift. She stopped right beside it. Then a huge creature emerged from the rift, its whole body pitch black with tentacles instead of legs. It is more like a living abomination that took on the shape of a humanoid creature. It roars as it emerges from the rift.

Monika charged the beast with her sword and started slicing it with her blade, and then she jumped high into the air and kick the monster right in its face. It roared in pain and shook its head, and the soldiers charged forward as well. The soldiers fired their weapons at it, but the monster did not even feel any kind of pain from them. Monika quickly sliced a few tentacles before the monster got too close to her.

Monika ran around the monster's head, slashing every tentacle she saw. She jumps high into the air and brings her sword down on the monster's head. It roared and shook its head again, it swiped its tentacle at her. Monika quickly jumps back and dodges the attack. Her eyes suddenly turned red and two beams of lasers came out from her eyes and penetrated through the monster's brain, frying it in an instant. It collapses and the rift closes immediately. Monika stared at the corpse of the beast, then she turned her attention toward the soldiers who fought hard against the monster.

The soldiers cheered as they saw their Captain Terra was unharmed. Monika shook her head and sigh. Then she started to help the soldiers with cleaning the area, which takes quite a long time. After they were done, the soldiers started to talk about Monika. They all kept praising her for what she did today, but one soldier spoke up and said: "We would not win without your help, Captain."

The soldiers all nodded in unison: "Indeed." One of the soldiers agreed.

"You guys can call me Monika when we are alone... It makes me uncomfortable when you keep calling me Captain." She said while sighing.

"Sorry about that, Monika." The soldier said.

The soldiers continued to talk as they moved back to the base. After a while, they all arrive at their base and rest there for a few hours: "Man... captain Terra is so strong, she's also a beauty as well." One of the soldiers commented.

"Yeah, but don't get distracted by her, focus on the mission." Another soldier said as he put his helmet on.

The soldier sighed and said: "She is like our angel sent from heaven, you guys must've noticed how beautiful she is."

"It is true that she is beautiful, but we can't afford to be distracted, not on this mission." Another soldier said while shaking his head.

"Yes, you are right...but I can't help it..." The soldier sighed again.

"Yeah, but keep it to yourself." One of the soldiers said while walking away.

"Where are you going?" The soldier asked.

"To bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." One of the soldiers said.

The soldiers started to go to bed one by one, and finally only Monika and her second-in-command were left.

"Captain, you must get some rest as well. You need it." The second-in-command said as he stared at Monika.

Monika sighed: "You are right, but there are many things I need to check out..." She said as she stared at the wall in front of her: "How long have I been here?" She mutters.

"Five years." The second-in-command said.

"I see..." Monika nodded: "Thank goodness time works differently down here." She added as she looked around.

"It should be less than two months up there." The second-in-command said with a nod.

"I can't wait to see my family..." Monika said with a weak smile on her face: "I am really glad you guys are with me, I don't know how long I can survive here if I am on my own."

"You are the one who made us who we are, captain. You can count on us." The second-in-command said with a firm look: "You saved us from that battlefield, so we will follow you until our death."

"Thank you, sergeant... I am honored to have you by my side." Monika nodded and sighed: "But I can't let you guys die for me... I will bring you guys home." She added as she stared at the second-in-command.

"Captain..." He said.

Monika nods: "You should get some sleep now." She said while walking out of the room. She started to look for something on the bookshelf nearby. Then she stopped by a photo frame which contained her family. They were taken in front of their old house on Terra. Her husband and her children are all in the picture. She could feel the pain in her heart. She misses them so much. She really wishes she could be there right now. She gently stroked the picture before putting it away.

Monika couldn't remember the last time she actually slept, most of the time she just closed her eyes and meditated. Due to her enhancement, she doesn't have the need to sleep that much. She was planning to meditate and clear her head, but then she felt something. It is a feeling like someone is calling out to her.

"Who's this?" She said while meditating in her mind.

The answer comes in a flash: "Mom?"

Monika opened her eyes and stood up. Then she started to look for the source of the voice: "M-Minka?" And realized it came from inside of her head.

"Mom? What happened to you?" Minka said with a worried tone.

"M-Minka? How did you find me here?" Monika asked nervously.

"I-I don't know!" Minka sounded a bit panicked: "I was just dreaming and thinking about you..."

Monika paused for a moment before sighing: "I was just thinking about you as well."

"Mom, where are you? When are you coming back?" Minka said with a concerned tone: "Are you in danger?"

Monika sighs: "I can't tell you the exact location or how much time... I'm sorry honey." She answered: "Minka... I am so proud of you to be able to achieve this... but... you need to stop... it will cause damage to you if it's too long."

"I-I..." Minka's voice sounded like she was about to cry.

"I know you can do it... but... please stop. Don't try too hard to find me." Monika said while feeling tears falling down her cheek.

"Mom... I miss you..." Minka said while sobbing: "Please come home..."

"I-I will try." Monika said as she struggled to keep her voice calm.

"You promise me..." Minka said.

"I promise." Monika answered.

"I-I love you, mom..." Minka said before her presence suddenly disappeared.

"Those voices of the abyss… when are they gonna leave me alone…?" Monika suddenly fell to her knees and started to sob. She stayed there for a long time before finally calming down. She wiped her face and stood up. She left her room and walked around the base for awhile until she finally decided to sleep in the cot next to the door. Then she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

The next day, the soldiers wake up at around the same time. They prepared themselves for the next mission. Monika starts to check each of their gear and then they go outside the base. The whole place is filled with a strange energy that makes them feel a bit uncomfortable. Monika led them toward the rift that they spotted last night, but then the soldiers saw a huge creature emerge from the rift again.

Monika shouted: "Back!" And all the soldiers run toward the base.

The monster roars as it slowly crawls toward Monika, who is standing in front of the soldiers. She took out her flaming sword and stared at the monster. The monster opened its maw and charged at Monika. She charged at it as well and sliced its head. The monster howled and shook its head, and Monika jumped back. The monster slashed its tentacle at Monika. She blocks it with her sword and is thrown away from the monster.

"Captain Terra!" One of the soldiers shouted.

"Stay back!" Monika said as she stood up. A sword dripping with ice appeared in her hand.

The soldiers were surprised to see this: "Captain Terra has another weapon?!" They asked in unison.

Monika charged at the monster and swung the sword at its head, slicing through its skull. The monster falls to the ground.

"Wow!" One of the soldiers said.

Monika ignores the soldier's comments and walks toward the rift. She pulled out a blue colored rock and threw it into the rift. Then it became unstabilized and eventually disappeared. She sighs.

"Captain Terra, what was that?" One of the soldiers asks.

"A rock that can nullify the magic property of the rift. Without it, I won't be able to destroy it." She answered calmly.

"Wow, I didn't know you could do that." The soldier said as he walked toward Monika.

"We must go back now. We need to take a defensive position." Monika said as she turned around. The soldiers nodded in unison and all of them followed their captain toward the base.

They return to the base and rest for a while. Then they prepare themselves for the next mission. Monika was planning to go out by herself, but the second-in-command insisted on going with her instead. So they went out together.

They were heading toward another rift that is further away from the base. But when they got there, they were surprised to find it destroyed. There are corpses of many people and creatures all around the place. Monika slowly walked forward. She saw a sign that said "Escape route".

"Captain Terra..." The second-in-command said as he glanced at the sign: "Should we head back now?"

Monika shook her head: "No...I didn't know that there was another group of soldiers near us...I feel that something is not right here." She said as she examined the area.

The second-in-command nodded and decided to keep quiet.

Monika looked around the area and spotted some papers near a dead body. She walked toward the dead body and picked up the papers. There are some numbers scribbled on the papers.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Is that a code?" The second-in-command asks.

"Yeah..." Monika said as she read the papers: "It's a code for a vault."

The second-in-command nods: "A vault?"

"I can't tell you guys everything about this... but I will explain later." Monika said while looking around: "This might be a clue of my whereabouts."

"I see..." The second-in-command nodded.

Monika continues to look around the area. After a long time, she finally found something. It was a trail of blood and eventually she arrived at a vault door. She then pressed the number code on the wall and the door opened. Inside the room are many different artifacts. Monika saw many strange tools and objects inside the room, but there were no people here.

"Captain Terra, we must go back now..." The second-in-command said as he looked at the room.

"I will check this place out first..." Monika said as she started to move toward a strange thing in the middle of the room. It looks like a statue of a creature. It was very small and it looked like a cat.

"This looks interesting." She said as she walked toward the statue. She touched it gently and suddenly the statue came to life and roared. And began expanding its size and eventually it is as large as a truck. It is a living statue that takes the form of a giant cat. The statue roars as it charges at Monika. The second-in-command shoots the statue with his sniper, but it has no effect on it.

Monika instantly grabbed her second in command's hand and leapt out of the vault: "Stay." She said as she threw the second-in-command to the ground. Then she turned toward the vault and charged at the statue.

"C-Captain Terra?!" The second-in-command shouted from behind her.

Monika slashed the statue with her sword, but the sword does not affect it at all. The statue howls and swings its claw at Monika. She leaps back and dodges the attack, then she charges at the statue again. But this time, a thunder hammer appeared in her hand.

"What?!" The second-in-command said in shock.

Monika slams the thunder hammer to the statue's head and it was wiped with the energy blast. It roared and fell to the ground. Monika landed on the ground and looked at the statue. She sighs and sits down beside the statue. The second-in-command walks toward Monika: "Captain Terra, are you okay?"

Monika looks at him and nods: "I'm okay..." She said,

"I... I..." The second-in-command seems unable to find any words to say.

Monika sighed and said: "We should go back now."

The second-in-command nods: "Yes, Captain Terra." He said.

"Hey... can you do me a favor?" Monika asks.

"Sure... anything you want, Captain Terra." The second-in-command answered immediately.

"Can you not say a word of this to anyone?" Monika asked.

"I won't... but..." He seemed like he wanted to ask something.

"What?" Monika asked.

"Captain Terra...I want you to trust me..." He said while looking straight into Monika's eyes. He puts his fist on his chest.

Monika blushes a little bit: "I do trust you... I just... can't explain it... I just don't want others to know about my ability...especially the other soldiers." She said with a gentle smile on her face.

"I see..." He nods: "I understand... Captain Terra." He said as he bows his head.

Monika stands up: "Let's go back to the base now..."

Back on the surface,the second day passed rather quickly. Everyone had some time to deal with their personal stuff. Minka arrived the earliest at the guild center. She decided to wait in the cafeteria for a while.

Sannet arrived not too long after, and she walked toward Minka: "Hey there, Minka." She greets Minka.

Minka smiled and nodded: "Hello Sannet." She replied.

"What do you want to eat?" Sannet asks.

Minka blushes slightly: "I don't know... I just got hungry..." She answered shyly.

Sannet nods: "What do you feel like having?" She asked again.

"Oh umm..." Minka tried to think of something: "Pizza?" She answered.

Sannet nods and smiles: "Okay, let's get some pizza."

"Sannet..." Minka said with a strange tone: "Did something happen to you?" She asked.

"No? What do you mean?" Sannet tilted her head.

"You just seem...different somehow?" Minka said with a curious look on her face.

"Different? How so?" Sannet asks.

"Well... you seem more...open." Minka answers: "And also, you seem happier."

"Is that so?" Sannet nods: "I guess... I was just in a good mood."

"Really?" Minka tilted her head: "I am so glad to see you in a good mood then!" She said with a smile. Little did Minka know that Sannet is in such a great mood because she managed to tell Trazyn to fuck off.

"Come on, let's get some pizza." Sannet said as she walked toward the counter. Minka follows her.

After they got their food, they started eating. Then Leanna and Viola came over as well. They joined the duo and ordered their own pizza as well. After eating, they headed to the exam area. The exam is simple on paper, surviving in the ruins for a week. But the trick is that there's no supply whatsoever. You can only bring the clothes you are wearing right now and your gadget.

"Reach to the destination the furthest of the north, near the abyss. And finish this assignment in seven days, then you will pass." The examiner said while showing a hologram map in front of everyone.

"What? No supply?!" Someone shouted.

"That's impossible!" Someone else said.

"We will be killed on the first day!"

The people are getting noisy. Some of them are even talking about giving up. The examiner sighs and shakes his head.

While everyone was arguing, Minka and her friends had already set off on their journey. They walked down the hallway and reached the main area. They were standing on a floating platform which is connected to many other platforms. They could see a big portal in the middle of the platform.

"Let's go." Leanna said as she stepped into the portal.

Minka, Sannet, Viola and Leanna all jumped into the portal together. But before they arrived at the destination, the portal closed immediately. They found themselves surrounded by the purple energy and strange rift-like energy around them.

"Where are we?" Leanna asks.

"We're in ruins!" Minka answered: "I mean... the trial."

Sannet takes out her compass and begins surveying. The others took out their gadgets to see if they were working.

"I think I can go around with this." Leanna said while examining her gadget.

"Let's get a move on, we must go as far as we can in one day." Minka said as she walked toward the light radiating from nearby.

Sannet puts her compass back in her bag and follows Minka.

Leanna follows them while checking her gadget. Viola followed as well. They have no idea where they should go. They went toward the light that looks like it leads to the other side of the wall. And sure enough, they found a hidden passage on the wall. Minka goes first and enters the passage. They walked down the passage and found a forest in the end. It seems like they have left the cave.

Minka checks her map and sees that there is nothing but forest for a while.

"This seems like our only way forward." Minka said: "I think we should go through the forest."

Viola nods: "Yeah... We have no choice."

Sannet nodded as well: "But before going through, let's forage a bit, we have no food or water at the moment." She said while pointing at the nearby plants.

The others nodded in unison. They all began foraging the area and eventually found something edible. They prepared the food and ate. They felt satisfied with their meal, then they moved toward the forest. As they were walking, Viola found some flowers and stopped.

"What's wrong?" Sannet asked.

Viola picked one of the flowers and sniffed it. She noticed the smell of honey.

"You don't have to eat it, you know?" Sannet said.

"I know... but it smells so good!" Viola said as she chewed the flower.

"It's delicious!" Viola said with a smile on her face.

The other three nodded and started to forage again. They soon found some fruit and started eating it. They continued to walk until they found a spring of water. They decided to take a short break and drink some water.

"We need to find something to build shelter in case it rains." Minka said as she sat beside the spring.

"Yeah... that would be a good idea." Leanna said as she sipped on the water.

"I know, but it's better to keep going." Sannet said while standing up.

The four girls nodded in unison. Then they set off again.

They walked for a while before they saw a strange creature standing in their way. It has a huge mouth that looks like a shark mouth.

"W-What is that?" Minka asks while trembling.

"We don't know! But it seems really dangerous!" Viola said while staring at the monster.

"It's so big!" Leanna said as she took out her weapon. But the creature didn't seem to notice them, it then just waddled away.

The four of them looked at each other and decided to continue their journey. They continued to walk forward and eventually they saw something big in front of them.

"That's...a bridge..." Leanna said.

"I guess we have no choice but to cross." Minka said with a weak voice.

The others nodded in unison. They slowly approached the bridge, and it turns out the bridge is not even floating above the water. They walked toward the middle of the bridge. But when they were almost in the middle, the creature came back. It has a huge mouth that can eat them whole.

"A-Ah!" Leanna yelled as she took out her weapon again.

"Run!" Minka shouted. The girls quickly ran toward the other side of the bridge. They ran as fast as they could.

"What's with that thing?" Minka asked while panting.

"Land shark." Sannet replied.

"Thank goodness it can't cross the bridge..." Leanna said as she caught her breath.

"Let's just be more careful in this forest." Sannet said.

The girls all nodded in unison. Then they continued to walk through the forest. The place is filled with dense greenery, but they don't see anything like animals here. They continued to walk around until they saw a structure in the distance.

"A-Ah!" Leanna yelled as she took out her weapon again.

"Run!" Minka shouted. The girls quickly ran toward the other side of the bridge. They ran as fast as they can.

"What's with that thing?" Minka asked while panting.

"Land shark." Sannet replied.

"Thank goodness it can't cross the bridge..." Leanna said as she caught her breath.

"Let's just be more careful in this forest." Sannet said.

The girls all nodded in unison. Then they continued to walk through the forest. The place is filled with dense greenery, but they don't see anything like animals here. They continued to walk around until they saw a structure in the distance.

"That's a building..." Leanna said as she pointed at the structure.

"I guess that's our destination for the day." Minka said as she stared at the building.

The girls decided to go toward the building. As they were getting closer, they began to hear a noise that was coming from inside the building. It sounded like a roar of something. The girls started to get worried about what's going on inside the building, but they continued their journey. When they arrived at the entrance of the building, the noise inside was louder.

Viola takes out her pistol and attaches a flashlight on it. She pointed the light into the room and saw something that shocked her: "I-It's a monster..." She muttered.

Minka, Leanna, and Sannet came over and stared at the creature. It looks like a bat but it has feathers on it. It also has a small horn on its forehead. The creature roars as it looks at them, then it flies up and lands on a ledge above the door.

"It's a gremlin." Viola said while pointing at the creature: "Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!" She said while waving her hands.

The gremlin growls and looks like it wants to attack the girls. But it kept staring at them and decided not to attack. The girls continued to stare at the gremlin. The gremlin was feeling very uncomfortable and growled again.

"I think we should get inside." Minka said with a worried look on her face.

The other three girls nodded. Minka slowly opens the door and they all enter the room. It's just a small room with some furniture in it.

"Why would someone make this building?" Leanna asks as she walks around.

"Maybe they wanted to live here? But why is there a gremlin here?" Minka asks as she looks around.

"There's also a room above." Sannet said while looking up: "Let's go up first."

Minka nods: "Let's go then." She said and headed upstairs.

They all went upstairs and found another door at the end of the hallway. They slowly walked toward it and opened it. On the other side of the door, they found a room that was not very big yet looked cozy enough to stay: "Maybe we can stay here for the night?" Minka asks as she looks around.

Sannet nodded: "I guess we can't find anything better than this."

The other girls agreed as well. Viola sat in a corner while polishing her gun, she only brought a revolver with her. Leanna is looking at the sky through the window, while Minka is taking out some foiled blanket that is meant to preserve one's heat. Then Sannet began to light a fire on the fireplace. They decided to take turns keeping watch for the night, but they have no idea who should take first watch.

"Rock paper scissors?" Viola asks.

The others nodded in unison. So they began the rock-paper-scissors game to decide who should take the first watch.

Minka won the game, and she said: "Okay, I'll take the first watch. Everyone get some rest."

The others nodded in unison. Minka moves toward the window while Sannet sits beside the fireplace.

Leanna looked at Minka for a while before sleeping. She feels really nervous about this situation. But she couldn't say it out loud, and she soon fell asleep. Sannet glances at Minka for a while before closing her eyes. Viola is still polishing her gun.

Minka couldn't sleep much. She started to feel uneasy because of the sounds outside. She then walked toward the door and slowly opened it. The hallways are pitch black, she could not even see anything. Minka gulps, even though she said that she is not scared of the dark, but seeing something pitch black in the middle of night is scary. She could hear the wind outside, the forest is probably very silent at night.

"Where are you going?" Viola asks with a curious look on her face.

Minka yelps and almost jumps in the air: "Wh-What?"

"You're going out, right?" Viola asks again: "Are you going to keep watch?"

"Y-Yeah..." Minka said as she scratched her head.

"I see... Let me join you then." Viola said while putting away her pistol.

Minka nodded. She opens the door and they both walk out. The moonlight is the only source of light in the hallways. Minka and Viola walked outside. The night sky is covered by clouds, so the only light in the sky is the moon. It is just enough to see the surroundings. Viola starts walking forward and Minka follows behind her: "Are you afraid of the dark?" Viola asks as she walks forward.

"N-no! Not at all!" Minka said as she tried to keep up with Viola.

Viola giggles: "You're really cute, Minka."

Minka blushes: "W-What?" She says with a flustered face.

Viola smiles and pats Minka's head: "You're really cute."

Minka blushed more and became even more flustered. She looks at Viola and sees that she's looking forward: "V-Viola..." She said softly.

Viola turns around: "What is it?"

"Gre-Gremlin!" Minka points at something behind Viola.

"Huh?!" Viola turned around and saw the gremlin in the corner of her eyes. She quickly takes out her pistol and shoots at it. The gremlin growls as it gets shot. It then flies away.

Minka sighed and started to relax: "It's gone."

"That thing was pretty big, it must be a young one." Viola said while putting her pistol back in her bag.

"Let's get back inside now..." Minka said: "We can't even leave the building without encountering some sort of monsters. I feel so scared..." She added with a sad voice.

Viola pats Minka's head and smiles: "Don't worry, I am here with you."

Minka blushed: "Y-Yeah..."

They walked back to the room and went back to their spot. Sannet was already sleeping, so they just let her be. They sit beside the fireplace and stare at it for a while.

"Do you want to sleep here for the night?" Viola asks.

Minka shakes her head: "I am going to keep watch, you can go to sleep if you want to."

"I'll join you then." Viola said while smiling: "Do you want to hear what we did yesterday?" She asks.

"Yeah, sure." Minka nods while looking at the fire.

"Leanna and I went to the shopping mall yesterday. And we went to a restaurant after that." Viola explained while looking at Minka's reaction: "We had such a good coffee cake, emmm. Thinking about it already makes me want to go again!"

"How good was it?" Minka seems hooked by the story.

"It was delicious! It was really sweet but the taste of coffee is not overpowered at all!" Viola said as she smiles: "The waitress was really nice, she even gave us free refills for the cake!"

"Free refills?!" Minka exclaimed: "Wow, I am so envious right now."

Viola laughs: "Yeah...it is pretty awesome." She said: "And also, I know you kissed Leanna that night~"

"What?! how?! Wh-What did you say?" Minka became nervous and stuttered.

Viola just looks at Minka with a smirk on her face.

"How did you find out?!" Minka asked while panicking.

"I was awake that night as well... you see, i sleep only for like one hour a day..." Viola explained: "And I saw you and Leanna kissing."

Minka started to get flustered again: "S-She kissed me!" She said: "I was just shocked... it happened so suddenly..."

Viola laughs: "Yeah, I saw that, honestly, how did it feel?" She asks with a smirk on her face.

"I-I... well..." Minka tries to find the words to say: "It felt... warm..."

Viola laughs again: "So you liked it."

"N-No! It's just... It was just a surprise." Minka blushed and became really nervous.

"Sure." Viola giggled: "Well, I guess Leanna is very good at it then."

"W-Why do you say that?" Minka asks.

"Just teasing you, really." Viola said with a smirk.

"Hey... So why do you only sleep for one hour?" Minka asked while calming herself down.

Viola sighed: "Because I think better when everyone else is asleep. It's the only time when I could think freely without being disturbed."

"How come?" Minka asks again.

"Just... something from my past." Viola answered while looking away.

Minka nods: "Oh, okay."

"You can ask me more about it if you want to." Viola said while staring at the fire again.

"It's okay, I am not forcing you to tell me." Minka said.

"Thank you." Viola said with a weak smile.

"But why do you keep looking at the fire?" Minka asks again.

Viola nodded and said: "Well... I find it pretty calming. It feels like the world is spinning around me but I am still in the same place, you know?"

"That's really poetic." Minka said with a smile.

Viola laughed and nodded: "Yeah." She said,

Minka then started to talk about her favorite memory with her family. It is about the first time she saw a starship. It is a memory that she still remembers vividly. Viola listened to her story with a smile on her face, and she even seems to be enjoying it. The night went on without anything much happening.