Breathe in, breathe out.

Think.

No, priorities first.

[Maito. There is a security room up ahead. Let us take a second to regroup — If I could make a suggestion, it may be a good idea to have a talk with Lily.]

Seventeen Anathema.

The number rang in my ears. I wanted to scream, to rage at the injustice of it all. We had come so far, endured so much, only to be stopped by a horde of monsters at the final stop.

But I couldn't let despair take hold. Not now, when Lily and Brian were relying on me. I took a deep, steadying breath, nodding at Helios' suggestion.

"Hey. there's another security room just up ahead we can duck into for a minute," I said, gesturing to the nondescript door labeled 'Security Personnel Only' that we were approaching.

I glanced back at Lily and Brian as we traveled down another hallway. But, Lily was giving me a very suspicious and pointed look, and it made me uneasy. Did she suspect something? Or was I just being paranoid?

Something in my body language must have given away that something was wrong for certain. "Ok seriously. What's going on, Maito?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Nothing," I replied quickly, trying to shake off her suspicion. "I just need to catch my breath for a minute."

"Alright then... but still. I’d like to talk for a moment, if you don't mind," Lily said, reaching out to put a hand on my shoulder.

I glanced back and flashed her a nervous look, which elicited a frown from her. We reached the security room and Brian took a seat, his little legs dangling from a chair. I saw the anxiety in his eyes, his tiny fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt as he put his baseball bat down.

“We’ll be quick,” I whispered, sharing a serious look with Lily.

Lily and I turned around, and walked outside the door. The cold metal of the door handle chilled my hand as I closed it, and I gulped as I turned to face her. The ambient sounds of the distant humming dimmed emergency lights created an unnerving backdrop as we walked away and down a corridor. As soon as we were out of Brian's earshot, Lily turned to me with a frown.

"Spill it, Maito. What’s going on?" Her tone was firm, yet her eyes held genuine concern. "Why are we detouring again? Shouldn’t we be heading straight for the shelter?"

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. I couldn’t reveal Helios to her just yet; I needed to test the waters first. "It’s just, I think we might want to... regroup and come up with a plan." I offered, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

Lily raised an eyebrow, her gaze becoming sharper. "Maito, ever since we ran into that Anathema, you've been acting... off. What are you hiding?" she pressed, suspicion evident in her tone.

Damn, she was astute.

I looked away, guilt weighing me down.

"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you," I mumbled.

Lily’s voice took on an edge as she crossed her arms. "Try me. Look, with all due respect. I’ve chosen to put my trust in you, but you are genuinely creeping me out and unnerving me now. We're stuck in a life or death situation, and we can't keep important secrets."

Her sudden tone caused me to freeze up.

Of course she wouldn’t trust me. We’d only known each other for a day and given my life experiences, I couldn't fault her. I've grown accustomed to the harsh treatment from those around me. Lily's voice, which was previously soft and encouraging, now reminded me of the countless times Katie and her clique had lost it at me.

How could I expect her to treat me any different?

I grit my teeth in frustration as she stared at me expectantly. If she did turn out to be just like Katie after all, my life was over if we survived the Usurpation. Still…

I hesitated, looking up at her judging eyes as anxiety overtook me, expecting another one of those familiar scornful laughs or an immediate dismissal. But instead, I saw the uncertainty in her eyes, mirroring my own.

"I…" I stumbled over my words, fighting the urge to bare it all. "There’s something... helping us. Guiding us. I’ve chosen to put my faith into it, but I’m really not too sure about it all."

Lily’s brows furrowed. "Helping? Maito, what the hell are you on about?"

"It’s complicated. Look, I understand you have a million questions, but right now, all you need to know is that there's a reason we're taking these detours. I promise, I'm not leading us into danger deliberately. Quite the opposite."

A look of frustration flashed across her face. "You know, I’m pretty terrible at navigation, but even I noticed we passed around straightforward paths to the shelter twice! Why are we running in circles? Are you even sure about your 'guide'? That it isn’t just in your head?"

I felt a surge of defensiveness. "Look! I saved your life! I went out of my way to get Brian! Why is it so hard for you to trust me?"

Lily took a step back, her arms crossed defensively. "This isn’t about trust, Maito. This is about us being in a terrifying, dangerous situation, and you not being clear with me. I HAVE been trusting you this entire time. We’re supposed to be a team, but how can I trust you if you won’t even tell me the whole story? What’s going on?"

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"You don’t get it, Lily!" I snarled, surprising even myself. "My whole life people have stepped over me, used me, treated me like I’m worth less than the dirt on their shoes. The moment something goes wrong, I’m the one who gets blamed! And I don’t know if you’ll turn out to be another Katie even if we make it out of this! That you won’t use it against me at some point if I tell you!"

For a moment, the silence between us was deafening. Lily looked taken aback, her normally confident posture faltering. The cold, fluorescent light from the emergency lights cast a pale red glow on her face, emphasizing the shock evident in her eyes.

After what felt like an eternity, she took a deep breath. "Maito, I can’t even begin to understand what you’ve been through. But I… I don’t think I can really trust you anymore if you’re going to continue to hide things from me in a situation like this. Brian and I need to get to safety, and every moment we waste arguing here risks our lives. The Usurpation is only going to get worse every minute."

I watched her, a pang of guilt hitting me.

Brian. That innocent little boy was depending on us. I froze in place, overwhelmed by the emotion.

Lily flashed me a disappointed look. A look I was all too used to seeing from my ‘brother’ at home. Then, seeing me stand there looking at my feet, she turned around and began to head back for the security office.

"Maito… I swear. I promise you that I’m not out to get you. But we’ve been out here too long, and if you can’t tell me why aren't going straight to the shelter, I’m going to have to go see for myself."

I inhaled shakily, realizing that she was right. There was no time to wallow in doubt and paranoia. I had a responsibility to both of them.

"Okay," I said, taking another deep breath. "Okay. Wait. I'll tell you. But I need you to promise me that you won't freak out."

She stopped in place, before she turned around with a raised eyebrow. Lily nodded slowly, signaling for me to continue with a nod.

I looked to the door, then back at her, steeling myself. Then, I beckoned for her to follow me, putting my finger to my lips. It was helpful to get some additional privacy just in case.

I pushed a nearby bathroom door open, motioning for her to enter. Once we were both inside, I closed it, ensuring our conversation would remain private. We were met with the muted sounds of distant alarms and the sterile scent of urinal cakes untouched by the chaos outside.

I tensed up, staring her in those strong, sharp eyes. I swallowed, feeling sweat begin to form on my brow as she crossed her arms and stared at me expectantly.

Here goes nothing.

"Helios! Show yourself," I whispered just loud enough for Lily to hear.

In a flash of golden light, Helios materialized on top of the sink, his fiery phoenix wings outstretched and gleaming eyes gazing at Lily, who let out a gasp of astonishment.

"Maito, what... how...?"

"This is Helios," I began, my voice trembling. "He's my... Familiar. My protector. He's here to help us against the Anathema. He's the reason we've been taking detours. The shelter's entrance is swarming with Anathema right now. We're trying to find a safe way in."

"A... Familiar?" She breathed, a hint of awe and realization creeping into her voice. "Magical Guardians... they always have a Familiar! Then that means…"

Helios tilted his head, his ears flicking in her direction. [Your assumption is correct. Greetings, Lily Parker. I am Helios, Maito's contracted Familiar.]

Lily's breathing became shallow, a flurry of emotions passing over her face. "So you're a Magical Guardian?" she asked, her voice shaking, "Is that what you've been hiding? Why you've been acting so... strange?"

I gulped, feeling the weight of her stare, "Yes. I was offered the contract just... just as we entered the first security room. I was talking to an invisible Helios on the table, and I accepted it when I went to the bathroom, thinking it might help us get out of this mess."

She looked at me with a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and... was that envy?

"You... a Magical Guardian," she muttered, her voice almost a whisper as she shook, greeting her teeth for a moment. "I always dreamt of becoming one, you know. Since I was a kid, I wanted nothing more than to become a Magical Girl. And now... you, of all people..."

Lily flinched, clamming up and covering up her mouth as she realized what she’d said, but it was too late.

I cringed, sharing her sentiment. I should've expected her to react like that, but it still hurt. And she was right.

Me, of all people, being chosen as a Magical Guardian? It was almost comical. For a moment, I wished I hadn't shared my secret, seeing her wrestle with her own feelings of disbelief and envy. But wasn't this transparency better? Shouldn't she know who — or what — she was placing her trust in?

Lily's eyes darted between me and Helios, "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice choked. "I shouldn't have blurted that out. It's just... I never thought..."

"You never thought someone like me could become one," I finished her sentence, my voice subdued.

It wasn't a question. I had seen the disbelief in her eyes. A scornful look I was all too familiar with.

She shook her head, taking a deep breath, shaking her head at me with tears brimming. "No. It's not about you, Maito. It’s about me. It's difficult to swallow. Umn."

Lily sighed, rubbing her temples as she wiped away the tears. "...Just to be completely authentic for a second, the truth is that I've always wanted to be a Magical Girl. I trained for it, dreamed of it, and I lived my life following the examples that Guardians such as Hope Fairy set. I’ve always wanted to help people. To do what’s right, and follow in their footsteps. But, the call never came for me. And now, here you are, with a Familiar, chosen to be a Magical Guardian. Seeing it so close in such a stressful situation. It’s… hard. I'd be lying to say I wasn't jealous."

I was at a loss for words. The vulnerability she expressed was so raw, so unlike the confident and resilient girl I had known. Yet, the confession bridged a gap that had been rapidly forming between us.

"It's not like I ever asked for this," I mumbled, looking away. "All I wanted was to have a normal life. To be accepted for once. I never wanted to be a Magical Guardian. And if I could, I would give it to you in a heartbeat."

She gave a half-smile, wiping away a stray tear. "You can't just hand over destiny, Maito. And I shouldn't have vented my frustration on you. For that, I'm sorry."

I turned to look at her, really look at her.

"Lily, I might not understand your dreams, but I certainly understand what it's like to want something so badly and feel like you're never going to get it."

She looked at me thoughtfully. "You've had it rough, haven't you?" It wasn't a question.

"More than you know," I whispered, my voice catching in my throat.

She stepped closer, and for a moment, our gazes locked. Then, she flashed me a sunny grin and extended her hand, palm up, an invitation. "Then let's face this together. As a team. You, me, and Helios. Whatever comes our way, we can handle it."

I stared at her hand, hesitant, but the warmth of her gesture was unmistakable. Tentatively, I took her hand.

The simple act of solidarity was enough to quell the whirlwind of emotions that had been brewing up inside me.

"Deal," I whispered, grasping her hand with a smile.