They made their way to Carla’s apartment, located in the same building as Ikku’s. Once inside, they both sat on the couch. The silence in the room was heavy, almost suffocating. Neither of them dared to speak. Ikku, feeling awkward, wondered what to do.

Carla finally broke the silence, her voice almost timid:

“Ikku...?”

“Y-yeah?” he replied, a bit surprised.

“What did you see in your simulation... if you don’t mind me asking?” she asked, still slightly hesitant.

Ikku took a deep breath, his expression suddenly more serious.

“Well... I saw my father.”

“Your father?” Carla said, surprised.

“Yeah,” Ikku continued. “My father is... an alcoholic. He made my life miserable growing up. The best decision I ever made was leaving that toxic place... and yet, now he’s back to haunt me.”

Carla nodded gently.

“I understand... that must have been really hard for you.”

“It was,” Ikku admitted, his fists clenching involuntarily as the bad memories resurfaced. “But it’s all behind me now. I have to move forward.” Then, with a smile, he added, “And honestly, without him, I might never have met you and the others. So... I guess, in a way, I should be grateful.”

His smile seemed to ease Carla a little, and she responded softly:

“Thank you, Ikku.”

Ikku scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.

“I didn’t do anything special, you know.” Then, more seriously, he asked, “And you? What did you see?”

Carla lowered her gaze to the floor, her face shadowed with sadness. She remained silent for a moment, as though struggling to find the words.

“My past...” she finally said.

Ikku looked at her, intrigued.

“Your past? What do you mean?”

Carla stayed quiet and, without a word, began to slowly remove her top.

“Wha… what are you doing, Carla?!” Ikku exclaimed, completely embarrassed, covering his eyes with his hands.

But Carla, her voice low, her back turned to him, simply said:

“Look... this is my past.”

Hesitant, Ikku peeked through his fingers, and what he saw left him frozen. Shocked, he was at a loss for words. Carla’s back was covered in deep scars and terrible burn marks.

“Ca... Carla... but... what happened to you?”

The words caught in his throat. The sight of those wounds, the suffering etched into her flesh, left him speechless.

Carla quickly put her clothes back on, avoiding his gaze. Her voice trembled as she began to speak.

“I’m an orphan. I never knew my parents. I lived in an orphanage until I was seven. Then, mercenaries attacked the orphanage, killed all the adults, and captured the children. We were sold as slaves to scum.”

Ikku listened intently, his heart heavy. A tear escaped his eye as every word Carla spoke struck him like a bell of anguish. She continued, her voice breaking:

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“The first person I was sold to made me work all day without rest. At night... he abused me. Every day was the same. The day I tried to escape, they caught me and punished me severely.”

She paused, the memories of her suffering evident on her face.

“I eventually managed to escape for good after a few years, but I was captured again and sold to someone even worse. Every day was the same cycle. I was used, abused, and punished for every escape attempt. This nightmare lasted until I was sixteen. By then, I was nothing but an empty shell.”

Ikku’s fists clenched in anger as he listened to her story.

“But everything changed when I met Zeburo,” she added.

“Zeburo?” Ikku repeated, intrigued.

“Yes,” she continued. “When I was sixteen, my former owner decided I was no longer useful or attractive, so he planned to sell me. If no one bought me, he would kill me. Eventually, an old man decided to buy me. At first, my owner was suspicious, but all his doubts vanished when he saw the old man slap me so hard I fell to the ground.”

Ikku couldn’t suppress his anger.

“I... I can’t believe anyone could do that,” he murmured, his muscles tense.

Carla continued, her gaze distant.

“My former owner was convinced and sold me to the old man. He took me to his home, forcing me to ride in the trunk of his car the entire way. Once we arrived, his behavior changed. As soon as the door closed, he knelt on the ground, bowed his head, and begged for my forgiveness. He introduced himself as Zeburo and explained that he bought dozens of child slaves to free them and reunite them with their parents. But... I didn’t have any parents. So, Zeburo adopted me.”

A deep emotion crossed Ikku’s face as he imagined Carla’s inner turmoil. She continued:

“The first few months were hard. I had completely forgotten what it felt like to be loved, to be treated like a person. But slowly, I rediscovered the feeling of being cared for... of having a parent. Unfortunately, my happiness didn’t last long.”

“What do you mean?” Ikku asked, both intrigued and worried.

“Zeburo fell ill. He only had a few months to live. I was lost, thinking my nightmare was starting all over again, that the only person who mattered to me was about to disappear. But Zeburo, sensing my pain, comforted me. He told me about Nexus and Kul-Elna, explaining that if I followed that path, I would never be alone or weak again. He decided to train me during the final months of his life... Without him, I would never have made it here.”

Tears still streamed down Carla’s cheeks, but Ikku couldn’t hold back any longer. He gently took her hand in his, a comforting warmth flowing between them.

“You’re not alone anymore, Carla,” he said softly, looking straight into her eyes. Her anguished face seemed to ease slightly. “I promise you’ll never go through that again. Not only because you’re stronger now, but because we’re here. We’re your family.”

He spoke with such conviction that his words resonated deeply in Carla’s heart. For the first time in a long while, she felt a glimmer of hope.

Overcome with emotion, she threw herself into Ikku’s arms.

“Thank you, Ikku...” she murmured, her voice trembling. Ikku, surprised but touched, gently held her. The tension and anxiety weighing on their shoulders seemed to melt away in that embrace.

As they stood there in silence, someone knocked on the door.

“Carla? It’s Yume. Is Ikku with you?” came a voice from the other side.

Carla quickly wiped her tears and, with a shy smile, went to open the door with Ikku by her side. Yume and Kenny stood in the hallway, Kenny’s arms crossed with a half-serious, half-amused expression on his face.

“So, this is where you were? Did you figure things out?” Kenny asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

Ikku straightened up, looking determined.

“Yes. Tomorrow, we’re going back to the lab to finish what we started.”

Yume nodded, satisfied.

“That’s great news,” he said, glancing warmly at Carla. “Come on, let’s head back. It’s late, and Carla, you must be exhausted.”

Carla took a step forward, a spark of determination in her eyes.

“Actually... I’m moving in with you guys,” she announced in a joyful, almost proud voice.

“What?! Really?” Yume exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with surprise. He practically jumped forward, unable to contain his excitement. “Yes! Now the family’s complete!”

“Took you long enough,” Kenny said, crossing his arms, though a smile finally appeared on his face.

Carla stayed silent for a moment, taking in the scene. For the first time, she realized she wasn’t alone anymore.

“Yeah, sorry for the wait,” she replied with a sincere smile. “I did it, Zeburo,” she thought, moved. “I’ve finally found a family.”

Yume, with his usual energy, gestured for everyone to follow.

“Come on, let’s head back. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day, and we’ll need all our strength.”

“Yeah!” they replied in unison, resolute.

“I’m taking the biggest room!” Carla joked.

Kenny rolled his eyes.

“Forget it, all the rooms are the same size. Take the one next to mine.”

Carla burst out laughing.

“I hope no one snores!” she said mischievously, looking at them.

“Ikku snores sometimes,” Yume teased with a grin.

Ikku pretended to be indignant.

“Not cool, Yume! That’s only when I’m super tired!”

Everyone laughed, the atmosphere light and cheerful. They entered their apartment together, ready to rest and face the eventful day ahead.