Aiko sat on the edge of his cot, staring at the dim light flickering from the overhead bulb. The small barracks within Dr. Haraway’s underground facility offered little comfort—just a bed, a locker, and a desk with an aging computer terminal. The silence was heavy, interrupted only by the faint hum of machinery from the adjacent lab. But Aiko wasn’t hearing any of it. His mind was elsewhere, consumed by memories he couldn’t suppress.

He rested his elbows on his knees, his hands gripping the Pact-Device still strapped to his arm. The faint glow from its core illuminated his calloused fingers, a stark reminder of the power he had wielded only hours before. The synchronization had left him shaken, not from fear, but from what he had felt during the bond. The Anomaly’s primal rage had coursed through him, raw and unrelenting, but there had been something else—an ache, a sorrow that seemed to mirror his own.

A knock at the door broke his reverie. He looked up, startled, as the door creaked open and Aria peeked in.

“Hey,” she said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. She carried two steaming mugs in her hands. “Thought you could use something warm.”

Aiko managed a faint smile as she handed him one of the mugs. The rich scent of coffee wafted up, and he took a tentative sip. It wasn’t the best brew, but it was enough to chase away the chill that had settled in his bones.

“Thanks,” he said, his voice low.

Aria plopped down on the cot across from him, cradling her own mug. She studied him for a moment, her sharp eyes missing nothing.

“You’ve been quiet since the demonstration,” she said. “Something on your mind?”

Aiko hesitated, staring into his mug as if it held the answers he sought. Finally, he sighed.

“It’s just… when I linked with the Anomaly, I felt things I didn’t expect,” he admitted. “Not just its anger or its power, but something deeper. Like it was… grieving.”

Aria raised an eyebrow. “Grieving? For what?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. But it reminded me of… of them.”

Aria’s expression softened. She didn’t need to ask who he meant. Aiko’s past was an open secret among the team, though he rarely spoke of it himself. The mission that had cost him his squad, the choices he had made, the lives he couldn’t save—they haunted him still.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently.

Aiko hesitated again, then set his mug aside and leaned back against the wall. His gaze grew distant as he began to speak.

The sun had been high that day, its harsh light reflecting off the cracked asphalt of the abandoned city. Aiko’s squad—Delta Unit—had been tasked with securing a supply cache in the heart of the ruins. It should have been a routine operation, but nothing was routine in a world dominated by Anomalies.

“Stay sharp,” Aiko had said, his voice steady as he led his team through the crumbling streets. “We’ve got reports of Class Ones in the area. No unnecessary risks.”

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His team had nodded, their trust in him evident despite the tension in their eyes. There was Carter, the sharpshooter with a knack for dark humor; Elena, the medic who could patch up wounds as quickly as she could fire a pistol; Malik, the heavy weapons specialist with a laugh that belied his immense strength; and Jin, the youngest of the group, eager to prove himself.

They had reached the supply cache without incident, a warehouse hidden beneath layers of debris. The supplies inside—food, medical kits, ammunition—were a godsend for the nearby settlement. But as they loaded the crates onto their transport, the ground had begun to tremble.

“Anomaly!” Carter had shouted, his rifle already in his hands.

The creature that emerged from the shadows was massive, its form twisting and shifting as if it defied the laws of physics. A Class Two—far more dangerous than they had anticipated. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent light, and its roar echoed through the streets, shaking buildings to their foundations.

“Fall back!” Aiko had ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos.

But the Anomaly was relentless. It lunged at them, its claws carving deep gouges into the asphalt. The team fought back with everything they had, their weapons barely slowing the creature. Aiko had tried to think, to strategize, but the creature was too fast, too powerful. One by one, his team had fallen.

Carter was the first, crushed beneath the Anomaly’s weight. Elena had tried to save him, but a swipe from the creature’s tail had sent her flying. Malik had stood his ground, unleashing a barrage of rockets that had momentarily staggered the beast, but it had retaliated with a roar that shattered his eardrums and left him vulnerable.

And then there was Jin. Young, brave Jin, who had refused to retreat even as the others fell. He had drawn the creature’s attention, buying Aiko precious seconds to regroup, but at the cost of his own life.

In the end, Aiko had been the only one left standing. He had managed to wound the creature, forcing it to retreat, but the victory had been hollow. His team was gone, their bodies lying broken in the rubble. The mission had been a success, but the price had been too high.

“I should have seen it coming,” Aiko said, his voice heavy with regret. “I should have known it was too dangerous. They trusted me, and I failed them.”

Aria set her mug aside and leaned forward, her expression earnest. “Aiko, you can’t blame yourself for what happened. You did everything you could.”

“Did I?” he asked, his voice raw. “Or did I let my pride get in the way? I thought I could handle anything, that I could protect them no matter what. But I was wrong.”

The room fell silent. Aria reached out, placing a hand on his arm.

“You’re not the only one carrying ghosts,” she said softly. “We all have things we regret, people we’ve lost. But we can’t let those memories define us. We have to keep moving forward, for their sake and ours.”

Aiko looked at her, her words sinking in. He nodded slowly, the weight on his chest easing just slightly.

“Thanks,” he said. “I needed to hear that.”

Aria smiled. “Anytime. Now get some rest. We’ve got a long road ahead.”

As she stood and left the room, Aiko leaned back against the wall, his thoughts still heavy but no longer suffocating. The faces of his team lingered in his mind, but now they felt less like a burden and more like a reminder of why he fought. He closed his eyes, letting the hum of the facility lull him into a restless sleep.

In the dim corridors of the lab, Aria made her way back to her own quarters. She paused outside Dr. Haraway’s office, the faint sound of voices drawing her attention. She hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, her curiosity piqued.

“…his synchronization levels were higher than expected,” Haraway was saying. “But the emotional resonance… it’s troubling.”

“You think it’s a problem?” another voice asked, one Aria didn’t recognize.

“Not yet,” Haraway replied. “But we need to monitor him closely. The bond between him and the Anomaly is… unusual. It’s almost as if they share a deeper connection.”

Aria’s brow furrowed. She stepped away from the door, her mind racing with questions. What had Haraway meant by a deeper connection? And what did it mean for Aiko and the mission ahead?

As she made her way to her quarters, she resolved to keep a closer eye on Aiko. Whatever was happening, she wouldn’t let him face it alone.