Chapter 7
926 Words
Everyone was preparing for their first battle.
They wore white long-sleeved shirts beneath gray round-neck vests, paired with black puffed trousers and knee-high brown boots without heels.
Despite their uniforms, the atmosphere inside the ACA jet was anything but confident.
Everyone was nervous.
They all knew they were about to face a gigantic monster powerful enough to wipe out entire cities.
ACA possessed very little information about the creatures called Tama. They only knew that the monsters were incredibly strong, surprisingly intelligent, and capable of sensing humans from great distances. Even more troubling, no one knew how they reproduced.
Inside the aircraft, Shidow sat quietly in the corner.
His eyes unconsciously drifted toward Eyana, the girl assigned to his squad.
Kevin noticed immediately.
Grinning, he walked over with two cans of soda and handed one to Shidow before casually throwing an arm around his shoulders.
"Come on, Captain," Kevin teased. "You should tell her how you feel before we all die on this very dangerous mission."
Shidow removed Kevin's arm from his shoulder.
"Shut up."
Ben couldn't help laughing. He walked over, sat beside Shidow, then casually took the unopened soda from his captain's hand.
"Don't mind if I do."
He popped the can open, took a long drink, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
Shidow wasn't angry that Ben had stolen his drink.
He simply stared at him from the corner of his eye.
Ben awkwardly waved both hands.
"No offense, Captain."
"Yeah," Shidow replied calmly. "That was definitely no offense at all."
Ben sighed in relief.
"Then... why are you looking at me like that?"
Shidow slowly stood up and moved to the seat in front of them.
He crossed one leg over the other before looking directly into Ben's eyes.
"Because I mixed poison into both of your drinks."
The smile vanished from Kevin and Ben's faces.
Shidow continued without changing his expression.
"You've got about five minutes left to live."
Both of them stared at him in horror, their eyes widening so much that Shidow finally let out a quiet laugh.
He casually brushed his hair back.
"Relax."
He pointed toward Anika, who was chatting with the girls several seats away.
"Red Bean over there told me she can heal any illness."
He shrugged.
"So... maybe she'll save you before the poison kills you."
Kevin immediately panicked.
"ANIKA!"
She didn't hear him.
Still talking with the other girls, she completely ignored his cries.
Kevin rushed toward her.
She turned around just in time for him to grab both of her hands dramatically.
"My sweet, beautiful goddess!" Kevin cried. "Our evil captain poisoned me! Only the kiss of true love can save my life!"
He leaned closer with his eyes closed and lips puckered.
Anika leaned back in horror.
Before Kevin could get any closer—
Kunika suddenly appeared between them.
He pulled Anika behind him before shoving Kevin backward.
"What the hell are you doing to my Anika?"
Kevin blinked.
"Your Anika?"
He folded his arms.
"Since when?"
Anika sighed before walking past both of them toward Shidow.
She stopped in front of him with her hands on her hips.
"All right."
She narrowed her eyes.
"What's this poison nonsense? And what's all this kissing about? Explain yourself, Shidow."
Shidow calmly crossed his arms.
"The poison part is true. I wanted to test your healing ability, so I secretly mixed my blood into their drinks."
He glanced toward Kevin.
"As for the kissing..."
A faint smirk appeared.
"...I'll let Kevin explain that himself."
He closed his eyes.
"Assuming he's still alive by then."
Anika didn't look worried in the slightest.
Instead, she raised one hand.
A soft green light gathered around her fingers.
"Green flower, green power. Poison maker... I'm the healer."
She bent her middle and ring fingers against her thumb while placing her other hand beneath it.
The cabin glowed with brilliant green light.
**Clap.**
The magic spread through the aircraft.
Moments later, Kevin and Ben blinked in surprise.
The poison had completely disappeared.
Anika folded her arms proudly.
"Well?"
She smiled.
"Are you impressed now, Mister Gloomy Face?"
Shidow only gave a faint smirk.
"Not really, Red Bean."
From across the cabin, Kasipin had been watching the entire exchange.
He slowly walked toward Shidow, unable to hide his curiosity.
"How did you do that?"
Everyone turned toward him.
"I watched you the whole time."
He frowned.
"But I never saw you open the can or touch the drink before Ben stole it."
Shidow picked up another unopened can.
He poured it into a glass before placing one thumb against its side.
A single drop of blood emerged from his thumb.
Instead of running down the outside of the glass, the blood slowly seeped through it as though the glass didn't exist.
A moment later, the blood fell into the drink.
Everyone stared in silence.
Kasipin's eyes widened.
"You can make yourself bleed... without injuring yourself?"
Shidow looked at him.
"What exactly did you see?"
Ben rested his chin on his hand with a smile.
"Exactly what I expected from our captain. There's more of that, for sure."
He chuckled.
Shidow's expression became serious.
"We trained together for five months, Ben."
He looked directly at him.
"And yet none of you know what my true skill is."
His voice remained calm.
"I've never shown it to anyone."
"So why are you acting as though you've already figured me out?"
Ben smiled, ready to answer.
Before he could say a word—
Hero suddenly stepped between them, interrupting the conversation.
- Writer
