Chapter Fifteen: If Only For A Moment
May 12th, 2029 – Mara, T.LAC , and Yozora , Age 10
The air in the room was light and filled with a rare sense of joy as Mara twirled around, her excitement bubbling over. "T, isn’t this nice?" she asked, her eyes wide with happiness. "Ever since passing the Control Test, we actually got real living quarters!" She paused, thinking for a moment, her fingers tracing the edge of the room. "How many missions has it been now? Twenty, maybe?"
T.LAC, leaning casually against the doorframe with his usual air of confidence, nodded. “Yeah, it’s freakin’ awesome. Who would’ve thought we’d get an upgrade after becoming Tuners?” He smirked, though his expression darkened slightly as he recalled their past. "Remember that depressing white box we used to live in? All those endless tests, the tissue samples they took from us, the needles... every single day."
His voice grew quieter, his eyes dimming as he looked down, memories weighing heavy on him for a brief moment. But then he shook it off, flashing his usual grin. “Anyway, where’s Zora? Shouldn’t he be back by now?”
Just as he finished speaking, the temperature in the room dropped slightly. The air felt colder, familiar.
“Oh, never mind. I can feel that cold little shit right now,” T.LAC said with a laugh, shaking his head. “Typical Zora.”
The door creaked open, and Yozora stepped in, his presence instantly noticeable. His eyes were low, his demeanor quiet but intense. The chilly air that always seemed to follow him filled the room.
“Mara, T,” Yozora said in his usual flat tone. “We have a mission. Let’s go.”
Mara groaned, her earlier excitement vanishing in an instant. “We just got back, what the hell!” Her hair began to float slightly, a sign her powers were stirring in frustration.
T.LAC quickly stepped in, chuckling. “Yo, Mara, chill. Chill.” He walked over and gently patted her head, his hand moving rhythmically. The moment his fingers touched her hair, she seemed to calm down, almost like a cat falling into a trance. She let out a small, contented sigh, her hair settling back down.
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Yozora watched them, his normally stoic expression softening just a little as a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He let the moment pass before speaking again, his tone more serious. “Guys, we’ve got a portal gate open. Location: Eye of the Sahara.”
T.LAC raised an eyebrow, still casually petting Mara’s head. “Like... the Sahara Desert? That Sahara?”
Yozora nodded, his face blank. “That’s the place.”
T.LAC’s usual carefree grin faded slightly. “So... what’s the deal this time?”
Yozora calmly answers, “In the center of the Eye, a large portal has opened. We’ve been tasked with eliminating all threats emerging from the portal. The priority is to shut it down before higher-level threats come through.”
Mara, now fully out of her trance, straightened up, the weight of the mission starting to settle in. “How long do we have?”
Yozora glanced at the clock on the wall. “We leave in an hour.”
The room grew quiet for a moment as the gravity of the mission set in. This wasn’t a game or another routine task—it was something far more serious. Mara, T.LAC, and Yozora exchanged looks, they knew what needed to be done.
T.LAC stretched his arms, his confidence back in full force. “Alright then. Let’s handle this, just like always.”
Mara nodded, as she stood up cracking her knucks above her head, “We’re ready.”
Yozora gave them both a small nod, his cold demeanor unshaken, though beneath the surface, a quiet fire simmered. "Let’s end this before it gets out of hand," he said firmly. "Meet at the mission desk in forty-five minutes."
Mara and T.LAC immediately sprang into action, quickly getting ready for the mission while Yozora stayed behind, mentally mapping out the plan. His focus was unwavering, each step of the mission running through his mind like clockwork.
A sharp knock on the door broke the silence. “Oh, so you’re not going to answer me now, T?” Mara’s voice called out, playful and impatient. She pounded on the door again.
With a faint swoosh, the door slid open to reveal T.LAC standing on the other side, his expression blank, his eyes squinting slightly at Mara. “I’ve already told you, don’t bang on my door like that,” he said, his voice calm but with a hint of annoyance. “I’m usually waiting on you.”
This time, however, his tone changed, and with a loud, exaggerated voice, he added, “I had to use the bathroom! Jeez!”
Mara, unable to contain herself, burst out laughing, covering her mouth with one hand as she did. “Oh no, he’s upset!” she teased, waving her hands dramatically in the air as if mocking a temper tantrum.
T.LAC rolled his eyes, but something in Mara’s expression made him glance down. His face instantly turned red. “Uh, uh... crap,” he stammered, realizing in his rush he had forgotten to put on his pants.
Mara leaned against the doorframe, laughing even harder. “If you’re so ready, where are your pants, genius?”she teased, clearly enjoying the moment.
T.LAC gave her a sheepish grin, trying to play it cool. “One sec,” he muttered, darting back inside to fix his mistake, his embarrassment clear.
As Mara stood there, still giggling, she couldn’t help but think that despite everything they faced, moments like this kept them grounded reminders that even in a world of chaos, they could still be kids, even if only for a fleeting second.